And so anyway, as I am sitting at a Korean friend of mine's tour guide office, (serious as a heart attack) eating some kiim bob and gimchi he made the that morning, he gets a phone call.

From sources at immigration, no doubt. Leave, the bkk boys are here until Saturday.

All the Koreans leave within 3 minutes. I scream to Bhudda that it was not fair that I had not finished my flecking meal and go outside. Sure enough, as I am walking to my car, there come 3 minivans, all with BKK plates, darkened windows and go into the office.

And they are doing the rounds around the island until Saturday.

Good thing your friend has the locals on the tea program.  This same thing happens with all stall holders that sell certain goods.  If they have the local Bib covered for tea money, they get a warning.  If not........ a big fine to get their confiscated goods back.

Hi

So, why should they be here if they dont have the right papers

Of course the governor made it clear there wasnt any kind of anti foreigner crackdown going on

If you have a work permit and doing something you are legally allowed to do you have no reason to run away, its only those who are working illegally who have anything to worry about.

Surprised that the behind-the-back tipoff system, presumably for compensation, works so efficiently there... Phone rings... get out... moments later, the BIB show up...

I wonder, if all their enforcement visits there locally will be handled with such aplomb???

are you sure it was a tip off from an official, and not from the previous agency they visited?

Crackdowns always seem to be publicly announced beforehand, these guys were just getting the paid version. I too question why they are continually allowed to work here when there have been numerous complaints from the locals over the years about illegal Korean guides.

Not meaning to tar them all with the same brush but recently I saw a couple of them eating at fast food in Big C, one of them was trolling the stalls while the other was bellowing at him from the table & he could be heard well above all the normal din in there.

I too question why they are continually allowed to work here when there have been numerous complaints from the locals over the years about illegal Korean guides.

Because there are a lot of Korean tourists that come on a tour. There aren't enough Korean speaking tour-guides.

No Korean speaking tour guides, no Korean tours, too much money lost by too many businesses.

Because there are a lot of Korean tourists that come on a tour. There aren't enough Korean speaking tour-guides.

No Korean speaking tour guides, no Korean tours, too much money lost by too many businesses.

thats correct. I doubt their is more than a handfull of Thais that can fluently speak korean in Phuket, with out GOOD korean speaking guides the Korean tourists will not come. I don't understand the complaints, most of the offices (the larger few I know for sure) employ for every tour: 1 korean guide, 1 thai guide, 1 thai driver. Off course their offices have both Thai and Korean workers.

This anti-Korean tour guides subject comes up usually once every three years, or, so.

Police have a raid to keep face with the Thai Tour Guides Association, then it's all forgotten for another three years (TiT).