Thailand: Over 1,000 tourists stranded at airport over massive travel scam

A travel scam left more than 1,000 tourists stranded at an airport in Bangkok, Thailand on Tuesday.

According to Khaosod English, the travellers were conned after a phony company sold them a bogus week-long trip in Japan during the Songkran Thai new year holidays.

Despite hours of waiting at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the duped travellers discovered the Osaka-bound chartered flight designated for them did not exist.

They claimed they paid a travel agency THB9,730 (US$281) and THB13,000



(US$376) for their tickets. Refusing to believe they were scammed, some even waited until midnight for the flight.

According to Khaosod, about 50 travellers told police their trips were planned by a multi-level marketing (MLM) firm instead of a genuine travel agency.

The group alleged a marketing company called Wealth Ever was responsible for the scam, saying passengers had been told different stories. Some passengers, the report said, were told the trip was a reward for joining the MLM scheme.