Tourist police and the Tourism Authority of Thailand jointly are working to help Pattaya business owners duped into buying fake SHA+ certificates.
A group of 20 Jomtien Beach business owners appealed March 8 to Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn for help, claiming a person claiming to be a Pattaya official approached them, offering expedited Safety and Health Administration Plus seals for prices ranging from 3,000 to 45,000 baht.
With a large backlog of SHA applications, the business owners thought they could jump the queue and get their certificates ahead of others in line. Instead, they got cheated out of their money.
Pattaya Tourist Police chief Pol. Col. Somchai Teerapatpaisan met March 17 with Kachondej Apichattrakul, director of TAT’s Pattaya office to assist the owners in obtaining legal certificates and collect evidence to prosecute the alleged fraudster, who was identified only as Eakarin.
Somchai said a case is still being built against the bureaucratic impersonator and that Tourist Police would need to interview each of the 20 operators.
Meanwhile, the owners will be assisted in applying legally for their certificates, which are needed to sell alcohol or welcome overseas tourists.