Victims of an alleged tour scam told about differing methods used to lure them into paying for a trip to Japan that never happened.
They were among more than 1,000 people who have been stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport for the past two days after being denied promised air tickets for the trip to Osaka, allegedly organised by the direct-sales company WealthEver.
Pongnapa Thitiwatchara, one of the victims, said that she had been persuaded by a friend to buy air tickets to fly to Japan at a “special promotional price”.
She was told that the total cost of the trip would range between Bt10,000 (S$172) and Bt20,000.
That offer interested her so she transferred Bt10,000 to the company and came to the airport on Tuesday for the flight.
But no representatives of the company appeared at the airport to meet her.
Ubon Ratchathani resident Nirun Santhaweesuk, 46, told the Thai News Agency that he had bought the package tour from the company at the suggestion of an acquaintance.
He paid Bt9,800 for himself and each of eight family members – for a total of Bt88,200 – for the “very cheap tour” to Japan.
Nirun said he had been told by the company that his family would board a chartered flight to begin the promised tour.
He said he only discovered while at the airport on Tuesday night that he had been duped and that there were many others who were also victims of the scam.
More than 400 people have filed complaints with police, more than 40 of whom had been questioned, police said yesterday.
Siripitcha Anuraksakul, who identified herself as another victim, said she had seen an advertisement about the tour on an online marketplace website.
She paid Bt30,000 to join the trip although she had been unaware it was organised by a direct-sales company.
