A resort operator in the Pai district of Mae Hong Son province has raised concerns about the conduct of popular tubing activity operators, accusing them of violating rules by selling alcohol to Western tourists, leading to rampant drunkenness.
The operator, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that a drunken Western couple recently sneaked into the resort’s compound to engage in sexual activity despite not being guests. The operator has filed a trespassing complaint with the Pai police station against the unidentified couple.
According to the operator, her husband discovered the intoxicated couple in the act and asked them to leave. In response, the couple allegedly grabbed his smartphone, threw it on the ground, and fled. The operator mentioned that this couple was among many Western tourists visiting Pai for tubing activities.
The Mae Hong Son Tourism Office has been working with tubing activity operators on the Pai River to promote tubing as a summer attraction. As part of the safety measures, operators were instructed not to sell alcohol to tourists.
However, the resort operator claimed that tubing operators were circumventing this rule by disguising alcoholic drinks as non-alcoholic beverages in soft-drink bottles. Consequently, Western tourists have been seen intoxicated throughout the day, tubing from midday to 7 PM, and later roaming the town almost naked, which has displeased other tourists who wish to enjoy Pai’s natural and cultural attractions.
credit The Nation
