The Department of Special Investigation raided nine Pattaya businesses for allegedly cheating customers by using steamed vegetable gum in their advertised swallow’s nest soup.
Banglamung District Chief Naris Niramaiwong and Chonburi deputy police chief Col. Ronachai Jindamuk joined DSI officers in the Aug. 9 operation launched amid complaints about “suspicious raw materials” being used instead of the pricey bird nests, which allegedly offer unique health benefits.
Initial tests found the restaurants and health spas were using Karaya, an Indian vegetable gum, in their soup instead of the nests harvested from caves on remote islands.
Swallows nests used to cost 50,000-150,000 baht a kilogram, but the surge in restaurants using fake ingredients has caused the market to crater to less than 50,000 baht a kilo, said DSI Pol. Lt. Col. Prawut Wongsrinil.
The Pattaya-area restaurants raided were Shark Fin Paradise, Kinaree, Pattaya Star Spa and Massage, Jing Kong, Sin Hai Jing, Chang Shark Fin, Heng Heng Shark Fin, Viet Thai, and Kon Ru Jak.
The operators face fines of 5,000-100,000 baht and up to 10 years in prison for the fraud, which Prawut said has damaged the reputation of Thailand’s tourism industry and cost the swallows nest industry 4 billion baht a year.
