Safety measures to protect against fraudulent exploitation

Safety measures to protect against fraudulent exploitation

     The issues around tourist safety affect Thailand’s image and the travel decisions of tourists. Therefore, effective solutions to safety problems in tourism are essential to the development of the tourism industry and the increase in tourist numbers.  

     Some of the important safety measures to prevent fraudulent exploitation are as follows:

1. In the past, there were a lot of taxi fraud cases and tourist exploitation. The most common taxi scams were charging flat fees rather than using the meter, overpriced fares, and impolite service. The Department of Land Transport has examined the facts when receiving tourists’ complaints and punished the offenders according to the laws;
2. The problems related to tour operators and tour guide businesses include scams in selling overpriced package tours, changing tour programs from what is specified in the package, and below-standard tour services. The Tourist Police, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Tourism Industry Council of Thailand arrest tour operators who sell overpriced tour packages, and they publicize tour packages from companies that have been certified by the Department of Tourism, which tourists can confidently patronize;
3. Regarding gem scams, it was common to sell overpriced or low-quality, even fake gemstones to tourists. The Tourist Police, the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, and the Jewel Fest Club have jointly made PR media telling tourists they ought to buy gems and jewelry from stores belonging to the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association. They also get involved in mediation between tourists and business owners when complaints are made. 

For more information