Travel 'scam' leaves holidaymakers stranded at Bangkok airport
The tourists' hopes of a cheap getaway to Japan were grounded when they discovered no plane had been chartered.
Thursday 13 April 2017 16:04, UK
More than a thousand tourists were left stranded at Bangkok's main airport after falling victim to an alleged travel scam promising a cheap holiday to Japan.
Some had paid around £240 each for a week-long trip, but were left waiting at Suvarnnabhumi airport on Tuesday when they discovered no plane had been chartered to get them there.
Pasist Arinchayalapis, the head of a supplement company, was detained in the southern Ranong province before being sent to Bangkok on Thursday, where she was charged with fraud.
Known to many of her customers as 'Shogun', she is accused of tricking thousands of people through her sales network.
Ms Arinchayalapis denied selling the fake tour packages, saying: "I must first make it clear that I have never told them (the tourists) that this is a tour.
"I was not selling cheap tours or offering free tours. I always said that if they buy our products, we will take them on a vacation."
Police are now gathering further evidence as more tourists come forward to claim they have been scammed.