Three Arrested for Selling Smuggled Cigarettes and Working Without Permit at Koh Phangan Hostel
Two men, a Serbian and a Thai, were arrested for selling contraband cigarettes, while an American woman was detained for working without a permit at a hostel on Koh Phangan.
The arrests followed complaints from local residents about the sale of smuggled cigarettes at The Wonderlust Hostel in Ban Tai. Most of the hostel’s guests were foreigners, according to Tourist Police Bureau Chief Pol Maj Gen Saksira Pheuak-Um. The hostel is located just 50 meters from a school.
On Tuesday, police arrested the hostel’s owner, 44-year-old Ivan Sain, a Serbian, and the hostel manager, 30-year-old Phakorn Rungruengwiwat, a Thai. The suspects allegedly confessed to selling contraband foreign cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Authorities seized approximately 500 packs of foreign cigarettes, including brands like Manchester Sapphire Blue, Manchester Reserve, Basia White, and Basia Red, which are not typically sold in Thailand.
The suspects claimed they bought the cigarettes from a Bulgarian associate for about 20,000 baht each time, selling them to hostel guests for 100 baht per pack and e-cigarettes for 600 baht each.
During the raid, 23-year-old American Ashley Marie Amendola was also arrested for working as a receptionist at the hostel without a permit. She stated that Sain offered her the job in exchange for free accommodation and meals.
The three suspects are currently being held in custody at Koh Phangan police station, as confirmed by Pol Maj Gen Saksira.
photo Assawin Pakkawan)
