German and Canadian charged for illegal kung fu course (video)

Law enforcement detained a German and a Canadian individual on Koh Pha Ngan, an island situated in the southern province of Surat Thani, for orchestrating an illicit Shaolin kung fu training program.

The Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police and Immigration Police apprehended Somphet Daoheuang, a 37-year-old German, and Arbely Natalie Rubalcava Rojo, a 34-year-old Canadian, at a yoga training facility on Saturday, March 30th.

The arrests stemmed from the promotion of a martial arts course called the Shaolin Experience across various social media platforms. Subsequent to scrutinizing the course schedule, law enforcement conducted a raid.

During the operation, officials discovered a group of foreign nationals engaged in kung fu practice under Daoheuang’s supervision.

No specific responsibilities of the Canadian individual were mentioned by the officers.

Daoheuang admitted to being contracted by an undisclosed company to oversee Shaolin kung fu training at the yoga center. The course, split into two sessions from 8 am to 11 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm, required each participant to pay 9,000 baht. Daoheuang shared 40% of the earnings with the company.

Based on reports from Channel 3, Daoheuang and Rojo faced charges of working without proper authorization, which carries penalties ranging from a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a two-year prohibition on obtaining a work permit.

In a related incident the previous week, a Polish yoga instructor was apprehended for offering unauthorized yoga classes on Koh Pha Ngan, charging clients between US$400 and US$600, equivalent to approximately 14,500 to 21,800 baht.

Earlier in March, an American woman was arrested in Koh Pha Ngan for operating an unlicensed nursery. During the raid on her nursery, law enforcement officers detained seven other foreigners for engaging in illegal employment at the premises.

Among them, one Ukrainian and two Israeli women were employed as kindergarten teachers, while four Burmese women worked as maids. The Burmese nationals faced additional charges for illegal entry into Thailand.