Stranded tourists in Thailand to be brought home

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism says it is working with relevant Thai agencies to bring home Vietnamese stranded tourists.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) says it is working with relevant Thai agencies to bring home Vietnamese stranded tourists.

Some stranded tourists return home

As many as 700 Vietnamese nationals, including 500 from the north, were left stranded in Bangkok, Thailand on June 16 after their tour organiser, Travel Life – a Vietnamese tour operator, and its partner Herbalife Vietnam did not agree on payment.

The 700 Vietnamese nationals were travelling to Bangkok for a conference hosted by Herbalife Vietnam. They also planned to visit some of major tourist attractions in Thailand.

Nguyen Qui Phuong, a VNAT official, said the administration has worked with its Thai counterpart to propose immediate support for the tourists.

“The primary task is to bring all tourists home,” he said.

According to Phuong, Travel Life not only failed to pay debt to the Thai partners but also owed airfares to local businesses.

More than 300 of the stranded tourists returned to Vietnam on June 17 and the remainder are scheduled to be brought back on June 18.

Initial investigations show that the Vietnamese company has broken many current legal regulations, such as operating with a wrong address and running outbound tours without permits.

Further investigations are underway to see if Travel Life has signs of fraud in the case.