I have just spend the past week with a group of Irish people here doing a charity walk - they raise money to take terminally ill children to see Santa Claus.

This was done through an Irish Travel Company who is totally involved in this and of course the local agent to look after them here.

The request was made and agreed that the local agent donated the commission to the charity if any of the group did excursions. Problem one - because of my contacts I got cheaper prices than the agent did (surprise surprise there was not to be a give up of commissions ).

The agents reaction was not to allow me to travel on the bus with the group to Bangkok at the end of their trip - their comment "She is not part of the group" and to save an argument I travelled on my own.

I was later informed by the Irish Operator that they stated that I got the prices even cheaper and had pocketed the extra money myself. The local operator also refused to attend the farewell dinner if I was going - I went

I was told by one of the "places of interest" here that the local agent also told them they would no longer do business with them because of this incident - I can proudly report that the owner told the local agent exactly how he felt about taking money from a charity and not being flexible with a view to the future business and he did not need their business with that attitude!

The money raised, just from excursions, was enough to give 1 more terminally ill child a seat on the plane.

This is not the first time I have encountered this attitude (I am in the tour business) and I am sure it will not be the last. Thai tour operators need and use us all, until they think they can get more money if we are not on the scene - the day will come when farangs will be allowed a guide licence instead of being the tour leader and then the local operators will have a major problem.

My rant over and now I will go and book a holiday

The phenomena now is that although there are Thai tour guides with Masters degrees in the Russian language, there's still a feeling of relief when the guide is Russian (or insert any other country's tour). I read about this recently (forget where) but the consensus was that the tourists were afraid the Thais would rip them off somehow (gasp!) whereas someone from their own nation wouldn't.

That is disgraceful, loss of face or not he should have still stuck to his promise.

How can anyone condone taking money from terminally ill kids??

I have nothing with the local thai tour operators, but if you worked with a local company its just possible you worked with a 3 man operation. If you know it better why work with an agent? It is just possible that when you inquired about prices you stated that a charity was involved, while the local tour agent had not mentioned this, when inquiring for the rates, hence the lower prices.

Jomtien

'the day will come when farangs will be allowed a guide licence'

Not in my life time and I am 46 and intend to live a long happy life.

If you got the cheaper prices for tours why didn't you pay the commission.....you dont seem to understand much about how local operators work........

Answers to Jomtien:

In Thailand you MUST work with a Local Tour Agent - this means Thai tour guides. Foreigners can only be Tour Leader / Representative.

The Tour Agent knew it was for charity BUT quoted a price (slightly lower than their regular price) so that there would still be commission.

Answer to NeKelly:

There was no commission - hence the cheaper prices - and I have been in this business for a VERY long time and know EXACTLY how it works here thank you

Aussie-girl,

I dont want to step on toes, but there are companies who work with their staff on commision basis + bacis salary (think of somehting like 4 euro's basic + comm. a day) just enough to buy food, so there can be a senario that that the girls/boys in the tour office only get paid, when money comes in. (the boss is a different story) Now you come along and want the staff to work for nothing, while you and your guests join fancy dinners & discounted attractions for charity. Maybe if they had stayed home, had worked the whole week for free in their office and donated their week salary, you could have made even more kids in need happy.

Why you expect some people to work for nothing, people who for sure earn less a month than the cost of a return ticket to Ireland, while your charity group are spening a weeks local wager on a single meal.

Jomtien

JOMTIEN,

I agree with you to a certain degree, but if they knew that its a charity event and they cannot afford or do not want to work for ZERO commission, then they shouldnt have bothered with it at all....

Why you expect some people to work for nothing, people who for sure earn less a month than the cost of a return ticket to Ireland, while your charity group are spening a weeks local wager on a single meal.

I have to agree - even if you pay your staff well by Thai or even Pattaya standards, this is lot less than farang salaries and so the percentage given as charitable donation in terms of money/time will be less in scale. Not to mention Thais will donate to Thai centric charities - could you even remotely imagine a Thai charitable event sending it's money to europe?

....the day will come when farangs will be allowed a guide licence instead of being the tour leader and then the local operators will have a major problem.

I am sure you are directly aware that there is too much money to be made from tourists to allow that goose egg to be taken from the locals. They wouldn't allow farang owned hotels unless they had to - they don't have to allow farang guides, drivers etc.