National park chief blows whistle on his own staff for scamming tourists

KRABI: Ao Nang Police officers revealed yesterday that the Koh Phi Phi chief of park protection asked them to arrest his own staff on Sunday for selling used island tour tickets to unsuspecting tourists.

Ao Nang Police Lt Songphon Boonchai informed Phuket Gazette reporters of the development at 11am.

“The Chief of the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park Protection Unit, Teerayuth Boonlert, instructed us to prosecute Chainarong Patan on charges of defrauding tourists,” said the policeman.

Lt Songphon added that he received reports from a tourist boat captain that Mr Chainarong sold four tickets valued at 1,600 baht each for a four-island tour.

“The tickets, to Koh Kai, Koh Poda, Koh Tab and Talawaek, that were sold had already been utilized by others before the sale. Mr Chainarog has already confessed to the crime, but we have yet to charge him after further investigations,” said Lt Songphon – enigmatically.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong