The Minister of Tourism visited Koh Samui to convene a meeting with security agencies to discuss measures for elevating safety standards and restoring confidence by suppressing nominee operations.
On 17 June 2026, at the Nora Conference Room of Nora Buri Resort and Spa, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province, Mr. Surachak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, chaired a meeting to review the implementation of the Prime Minister's policies and discuss ways to enhance tourist safety on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Saksira Phueak-am, Commander of the Tourist Police; Mr. Boonserm Khankaew, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Tourism; Mr. Klarnarong Yuttitham, Deputy Governor of Surat Thani Province; and other relevant agencies.
Reporters noted that before the meeting began, attendees paid respects and observed a moment of silence for Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, Princess Rajasarinisirinipatchara Mahawatcharajathida. Afterwards, Mr. Surachak spoke about a key milestone in advancing Thailand's tourism industry toward "High Value Tourism," focusing on attracting quality tourists, distributing income to grassroots communities, and elevating service quality alongside international safety standards.
This meeting urgently addressed monitoring the situation and seeking ways to prevent violent incidents that could damage the tourism image. This followed two significant local events: the shooting death of a Koh Samui taxi driver and a foreign tourist motorcycle accident resulting in a doctor's death. The meeting analyzed these cases to identify vulnerabilities and reduce risks.
Mr. Surachak issued five key policy directives: forming an integrated working group assigned to Surat Thani Province to coordinate among police, local administration, and transport authorities for systematic safety oversight; strictly enforcing the 'Samui Model' for motorcycle rentals by decisively applying laws to rental operators, especially prohibiting rentals to foreigners or unlicensed drivers; enforcing traffic discipline and 100% helmet use.
He also called for infrastructure overhauls, accelerating repairs of roads, public utilities, electricity, water supply, and waste management across the three islands, coordinating with central agencies to secure funding; cracking down on nominee tourism businesses by investigating and suppressing operators using proxies to ensure a fair economy and protect the country's image; and developing an innovative One Stop application to assist and communicate with tourists comprehensively, alongside planning world-class sports events locally to attract premium tourists.