Business
Travel firm fined for leaving 700 tourists stranded in Thailand
  • | Tien Phong, dtinews | June 22, 2013 07:58 PM
 >>  Stranded tourists in Thailand to be brought home

The HCM City-based company, Travel Life, will be fined VND80 million (USD3,800) for leaving 701 visitors in Thailand, said the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vu Xuan Thanh.

 

The 701 tourists were among 3,000 Herbalife agents who had travelled to Bangkok for a company seminar and tour scheduled from June 12-18.

The travellers were left stuck in Thailand because of a dispute between a Vietnamese travel company and its Thai partner.

All of the 701 tourists who had booked trips with Travel Life were refused any services upon arriving to the airport.

The company said that Travel Life had paid only 30% of the fees that were agreed upon in the tour package contract, and the accommodation of so many passengers was not feasible considering the money paid.

Nguyenh Thanh Tai, one of the passengers, said he, along with other passengers, paid VND6.6 million (USD314.2) each, inclusive of meals and accommodation for their stay in Thailand.

One passenger even cited another as having being threatened with death if they sought out the help of the Vietnamese Embassy.

According to HCM City authorities, Travel Life is not licensed to operate foreign tours, only domestic ones. There are also issues with the company's insurance registration of their customers. 

An inspection team from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism visited the Travel Life office, but the director, Nguyen Thi Kim Khanh, was not there.

Travel firms to face stricter management

According to Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has announced that it would strengthen management over the operation of all travel firms in the country.

Nguyen Huu Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the Travel Life’s violation had left a negative impression of the country's tourism sector.

Vo Anh Tai, Chairman of the HCM City Travel Association, who is also the General Director of Saigontourist, said that the problem of bogus travel firms is increasing. 

Tai has asked all concerned authorities to strictly punish any travel companies that cheat customers.

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