Tourism is booming, just ask anyone. But while nothing seems to stop visitors flocking to our beautiful country, authorities believe more needs to be done. Specifically, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports have recently announced plans to launch a crackdown on foreign mafia types operating in the country.

We have to say we’re wholeheartedly behind this campaign. After all, look at where the top visitors to the Jewel of the Andaman are coming from. Chinese and Russian visitors have more than enough problems dealing with corruption and dodgy deals back home, they don’t want to be ripped off by gangs of their fellow countrymen.

No, they want to experience the authentic Thai take on such underhand dealings. As one visiting Muscovite explained, “I didn’t come to the Land of Smiles to be scammed by some grumpy Chechen. I want to be ripped off by a Thai, it’s a new cultural experience.”

And think of the positive effect on the local economy. One Thai jet ski operator in Patong, part of a new activist group Thailand for Thai Gangs, explained: “We’ve had enough of these Mafioso types coming over here, stealing our jobs and muscling in on our lucrative scams.”

His thoughts were mirrored by a taxi driver loitering menacingly outside the hotel we recently visited in Pattaya. “It’s getting so hard to make a dishonest living these days, we applaud the government’s decision to better support local illicit businesses.”

We personally hope the government takes things further and does more for local undesirables; Who cares where your imported sports car really came from, they make Bangkok look really neat parked outside our top hotels. So what if you spray dodgy chemicals on your rice, that’s what gives Khao Hom Mali its distinctive flavor. And if you embezzled a load of money and abused your office, you don’t need to stay in exile forever. Oh, it seems they might be ahead of us on that one.

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