Long-tail boats line up along the shore off Koh Samui in Thailand in August 2023. (Kate Henry/News24)
A group of 18 pensioners from the Western Cape, Gauteng and Northern Cape claim to have been “cruelly deceived” out of a trip of a lifetime by a Strand travel agent.
The group, mostly retired teachers, were enticed by an advertisement circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, promising a well-organised, guided tour to exotic destinations, including Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok.
The trip, priced at R26 000 per person, included accommodation at luxurious hotels such as The Royal Paradise Hotel & Spa in Phuket, The Bayview in Pattaya, and the Indra Regent in Bangkok.
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