Parents from three well-known schools have asked Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station to investigate the organiser of a China study trip, after 45 students were left without flights on 15 October.
The parents filed their complaint on 16 October, saying the programme could not secure plane tickets or run as agreed, leaving the students with major losses.
The organiser, who holds a doctorate, had advertised a short course running from 15 to 26 October. The programme was said to be backed by a memorandum of understanding with Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. Each student paid 39,900 baht (about US$1,250).
Students from schools in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Chonburi signed up. In total, 45 students paid 1,795,500 baht (about US$56,100) into the account of a teacher who helped organise the trip.
On 11 October, the organiser told families the plan had changed. The Xi’an dormitory could not accommodate the group, so the trip would go to Beijing instead. Families were told to meet at Suvarnabhumi at 3pm on 15 October for a Thai Vietjet flight departing at 6.20pm.
When teachers, students and parents arrived, they were told there were no tickets. Thai Vietjet staff confirmed the group could not travel.
Parents then pressed the organiser, who agreed to refund everyone in full that day. The refunds did not arrive as promised. One school has since received its money in full, another has been repaid only in part, and the third has received nothing.
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