An elderly Russian man and a young Ukrainian man were arrested on Sunday for illegally offering vehicles for rent on Koh Phangan island.
Tourist police and local officials apprehended the 60-year-old Russian at an unregistered house in Moo 1 village, where they also impounded a Mazda CX-3. The 18-year-old Ukrainian was detained at a hotel parking lot, and a motorcycle was seized.
According to the police, the Russian admitted to leasing the car through the Telegram chat app, charging 15,000 baht per month. The car was registered in Surat Thani, and his clients were primarily Russians.
The Ukrainian, who identified himself as a student, confessed that he was trying to generate income by renting out a Yamaha Xmax motorcycle, which was registered in Lop Buri province. He also used the Telegram app and charged clients between 399 and 10,000 baht, depending on the rental period.
