A Thai woman was arrested for working as an unlicensed tour guide on October 24, after officials caught her leading Belgian tourists around Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen in Bangkok.
The arrest followed complaints about unlicensed guides operating at the temple and at restaurants nearby.
The inspection was carried out by the Central Region Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office, Tourist Police and representatives of a tour operators’ federation.
During the inspection, they found a Thai woman, identified only as A, conducting a guided tour for a group of Belgian visitors. They identified themselves and asked to see her tour guide licence.
She reportedly admitted that she did not hold a valid licence and had been working as a guide illegally.
She was charged with working as a tour guide without a licence under the Tour Business and Guide Act 2016, as amended, and taken to Phasi Charoen Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Investigators said the woman knew that guiding tourists without a licence was illegal but had continued accepting jobs. She reportedly admitted to leading visitors around Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen on at least five previous occasions.
Further questioning revealed that she received jobs through a Thai tour company acting as a sub-agent for a well-known global online travel agency (OTA).
The discovery has prompted a wider investigation into how tour bookings were assigned and whether other unlicensed guides have been employed through the same arrangement.
Officers are now examining the Thai company’s role and whether it could face charges for employing someone without a valid tour guide licence.
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