Farang Tourist Guide

[chosk]

Is it possible for a farang to train and become a licensed Tourist Guide in Thailand?

If so where and how?

Any ideas?

[Ajarn]

No, it is a profession restricted to Thai Nationals only.

[donna]

In order to be a Tour Guide, you must be a Thai citizen and pass a pretty comprehensive test.

I have heard that in a few years that the system is going to open up to farang, but there will be very tight restrictions to who can get the licences.

Having said that, I was a tour leader here for over 5 years and loved every minute of it. There are loopholes, but you must have a Thai registered guide with you at all times, and there is a risk of arrest and subsequent deportation if you happen to be caught 'guiding' by the Thai legal definition.

[Heng]

There seems to be many Koreans working as tour guides. Seem to be doing quite well as well. Legal? Not sure.

[donna]

They have a 'sitting guide' with them. This is purely for legal reasons. The sitting guide doesn't have to do anything at all.

These guides often have to pay for the bus themselves (about 30,000B I think) and they make their money purely from commissions. That's why they take them to the tailors (typically 20-20%), jewellers (same) and to the big cabaret shows where they get a commission from the admission tickets.

They make huge bucks, these guys.

When they go for dinner, they get their meal free, PLUS they get 10% from the total bill handed back to them in cash.

They are legal (in a grey area), but very immoral, IMHO.

[aletta]

Plenty of foreign guides,but they carry a large wad of cash for emergencies.

[wishfulthinking]

I worked as a tour guide for a big company years ago. That time we were here on non imm visa b, no work permit. It was unofficial agreement that tour guides were safe. We always had the TAT licensed Thai guide with us on the tours an in the buses. However I always felt a little uneasy, especially when I had to visit the police (for some problems related to my guests) in my uniform, name tag and no work permit. Thus I stopped.

Year later the immigration decided to change the rules, our office was checked, my ex-collegues jumping out of the windows running to the jungle while the Thai stuff held the police in front... Good that I had stopped in time!

After that the big companies have arrenged the work permit for their permanent staff.