- Thai authorities arrested six foreign dive instructors on Koh Tao for allegedly working without permits.
- Officials said the instructors held Destination Thailand Visas, but that status does not authorize local employment.
- The August twenty operation also found three Myanmar nationals working at two additional island businesses.
Thai authorities arrested six foreign dive instructors on August 20, 2026, on Koh Tao in Surat Thani, alleging they taught without a Thai work permit while holding Destination Thailand Visas. The group comprised one British national and five Spanish nationals.
Surat Thani Immigration Police and Koh Tao Police led the operation with other Thai agencies. The inquiry targeted alleged unauthorized foreign labor and possible nominee-business activity in the island’s tourism industry.
The visa status did not settle the work question. Authorities said the instructors held DTVs, which can support lawful stay but do not by themselves authorize local employment.
Officers transferred the six to Koh Tao Police Station for further legal proceedings. The reported violation concerned their work as diving instructors, not simply their presence in Thailand.
Police also examined businesses connected with the alleged employment. The operation reached beyond the six instructors.
One report identified the British instructor as 35 years old. It described the Spanish group as three women and two men aged 24 to 36.
Thai-language and English reports named the instructors as Adam, the British national, and five Spanish nationals identified as Xabier, Pablo, Paulina, Sandra and Nuria.
The island operation involved nine foreign nationals across four premises
The August 20 enforcement action included nine foreign nationals in all. Alongside the six dive instructors, authorities found three Myanmar nationals working in a pharmacy and a beauty shop.
| Part of the operation | Reported figure or location |
|---|---|
| Foreign dive instructors arrested | 6 |
| British national among instructors | 1 |
| Spanish nationals among instructors | 5 |
| Myanmar nationals found working | 3 |
| Premises inspected | 4 |
| Diving businesses inspected | 2 |
| Pharmacy inspected | 1 |
| Beauty shop inspected | 1 |
| Foreign nationals in wider August 20 operation | 9 |
The four premises stood in the Sairee Beach area and included two diving businesses, one pharmacy and one beauty shop. The six instructors formed the largest part of the reported arrests.
Complaints led investigators toward both workers and business ownership
Thai reporting linked the inquiry to complaints and information shared on social media about foreigners allegedly working without authorization. Investigators also considered whether businesses used nominee arrangements.
Those arrangements can involve Thai ownership structures used to avoid foreign-ownership and labor restrictions, according to the authorities’ stated focus. The enforcement teams therefore reviewed both the workers and the companies around them.
The participating agencies included the Tourist Police Bureau, Immigration Bureau and Department of Business Development, alongside the immigration and local police units. The island’s tourism economy remained central to the inspections.
An August 17 review found breaches at two tourism businesses
The August 20 arrests followed a separate review of tourism operators on the island. Poonphong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of Thailand’s Department of Business Development, said on August 18, 2026, that a joint operation had inspected 12 tourism businesses on August 17.
Officials found two businesses violating laws. One was a diving company where a foreign instructor allegedly worked without a permit.
A separate Commerce Ministry and Department of Business Development action on August 17 examined a tourism company’s director structure. Officials said the arrangement failed to meet Thai majority requirements under the Tourism Business and Guide Act.
Authorities revoked that company’s licence. The same enforcement wave also examined foreign directors and businesses suspected of using Thai nominees.
The business review added licensing and ownership concerns to the employment allegations. Koh Tao has long been a major diving destination, and officials have been increasing scrutiny of foreign workers and nominee businesses in tourism-related sectors.
Immigration reported 47 earlier arrests before the instructors were detained
Police Colonel Naruwat Phutthawiro, Surat Thani Immigration chief, said 47 foreign nationals had been arrested on the island between January 1 and August 19, 2026.
The alleged offenses involved foreign employment, immigration, narcotics and other crimes. That figure covered the period before the six instructors’ detention.
The August 20 operation thus formed part of a broader enforcement campaign rather than a standalone employment inspection. Immigration, police and business authorities were pursuing different allegations through overlapping actions.
Companies employing foreign workers without authorization may also face action, Thai authorities said. That exposure sits alongside any case involving the individual worker.
A Spanish-language report said the five Spanish nationals were later deported after about 48 hours in custody and were given three days to leave Thailand. The report supplied that account of the group’s subsequent handling.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
