How long had he been working on the island?
A Swiss man has now been arrested for working illegally as a barber on the island of Koh Pha Ngan. The profession of barber or hairdresser is one that is protected for Thai nationals only, but it turns out the Swiss man has been working as a barber on the island for 9 years!
The Phuket Express reports that Pha Ngan Tourist Police were acting on a tip-off from a “concerned citizen” (we presume another island hairdresser) that a foreigner was working in a role reserved for Thais. It’s understood the citizen in question was “deeply concerned” about the law being broken.
The Swiss man was arrested at the Oliver Twist Hair shop in the sub-district of Baan Thai. He has been identified only as 51 year old Mr “Oliver”. According to the report, he used Facebook to advertise his barber shop and took bookings via WhasApp.
It’s understood Oliver has admitted to working as a barber, telling police that as CEO of the company, he held a work permit. His barber shop has been running for 9 years, with prices ranging from 500 baht to 4,000b baht, depending on the service provided.
The Swiss man was taken to Koh Pha Ngan Police Station to be charged with working illegally without permission.
Meanwhile, social media was awash with speculation over how a foreigner could have been working illegally for 9 years without attracting the attention of the authorities until now.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
