Russian man arrested in Thailand for renting a motorcycle

A Russian citizen was arrested in Phuket and charged with illegal vehicle rental business and working in Thailand without official permission

PHOTO: SAKHU POLICE

A Russian citizen was arrested in Phuket and charged with illegal rental business vehicles and work in Thailand without official permission.

As reported by The Phuket News, 26-year-old Nikolai Popovich faces a fine of up to 50 thousand baht and deportation. He was caught red-handed while he was handing over the keys to a Honda CBR 650 motorcycle to a civilian security officer who pretended to be a client.

The report from the Sakhu police department does not specify whether the Russian was conducting an illegal business alone or with he had companions.

The Thai police began a large-scale campaign to identify foreigners illegally renting out vehicles last week. In total, from October last year to March this year, 50 foreigners were deported from the country on charges of underground business.