The Tourist Police Scams

[Poolside]

Hello,

Anybody knows a rule of conduct at the Grand Palace that would forbid the tour leader from a foreign country to speak to a group? Or a rule that would forbid the same tour leader to speak to the microphone on a bus? I am searching for such information to find explanation to the events that are happening in Bangkok. I've been living in Thailand for about 2 years and I have friends coming to Thailand. They work as tour leaders. One of them was several times reprimanded and once asked to leave the Palace - reason: talking to the group. Period. Not for loud talking, just for talking in the group native language that is not Thai. The Thai tour guide speaks only Thai and English, so my friend was just translating the information provided by the guide. Apparently, there is a rule that forbids that. A couple of days ago my other friend got ARRESTED by The Tourist Police for speaking to the group over the microphone on a bus when they were approaching the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Tourist Police spotted him thru the bus window :-) The arrest happened later, when the group entered the Palace. He was released after 5,000 THB fine was paid. Nobody asked too many questions in a fear of getting "No Entry" stamp to the passport. Thai guide could not get any clear explanation either, but did not insist in a fear of losing the license.

Later, we heard from a bus driver that such arrests (or more often, quick releases after paying 2,000 THB) become an order of a day! Main target of such, I would say, harassments, are tours from Korea, China and India. But as some Eastern Europe countries start visiting Thailand more often, they become a new target. If a tourist company pays one time bigger fee, the driver continues, then its groups are not stopped for some time. 5,000 THB fine could be soon increased to 20,000-30,000 THB.

The Tourist Police employs many expats to help with the language barrier. Is there anybody who could explain which Thai law is broken in the above accidents? Of course I am asking about the basis for the arrests, not taking the 'tea money' :-) Does the Tourist Police actually have any right to arrest anybody?

[neverdie]

Sounds like a load on nonesense to me.

[phaethon]

Tour guide is one of the occupations forbidden to foreigners.

[Mario2008]

Working wihout a work permit would be a reason for arrest, but believe there are also rules regarding tourist guide licenses.

[DP25]

Only Thai citizens are allowed to work as tour guides in Thailand, it's illegal for foreigners to do so

[beejoir]

Tour Guides, Hair dressers, and so on are jobs kept for Thai's only..... the lists of these jobs is long and very weird!

[23423981]

Once people lose respect for the police, they will lose respect for the whole country.

Please stop any non-sense by the police before the country turning

into a banana republic.

[Poolside]

The tour leader got almost arrested, not tour guide. The tour guide was a Thai citizen as this position is indeed reserved only for Thais. A tour leader, on the other hand, is a person of nationality of the group that comes to visit Thailand. This person takes care of a group, sets their meetings times and places etc. The leader also translates to the group whatever a guide has to say. So, the guide was okay, but the leader had to pay 5,000 THB (initially 15,000) to get free from this adventure. This tour leader has been coming to Thailand for 15 years and this happened to him for the first time.

It’s hard to believe that such thing happens. That’s why I wrote here to ask if anybody knows about the laws that are broken by a tour leader talking to his/her group on the bus.

[ThaiRich]

Once people lose respect for the police, they will lose respect for the whole country.

Please stop any non-sense by the police before the country turning

into a banana republic.

A wee bit late for that.

[dom samui]

Call the Tourist Police...

[surayu]

This tour leader has been coming to Thailand for 15 years and this happened to him for the first time.

Thanks for sharing, amazing thailand....maybe is another "Trap Another Tourist" succesful strategy, who knows? :jap:

[elliss]

This tour leader has been coming to Thailand for 15 years and this happened to him for the first time.

will the tour leader . be leading another tour in thailand ?.

a nice little earner for the boys in brown. :jap:

[teamfalang]

EDIT....I dont think these guys will be tourist police ...just regular BIB doing one of their scams.

its a scam/rip off taking money from tourists by threats,you said it yourself,

"Later, we heard from a bus driver that such arrests (or more often, quick releases after paying 2,000 THB) become an order of a day! Main target of such, I would say, harassments"

Advise your friend to just keep doing what he has always done with his tour groups...... but be ready for these <deleted>.

1. Photograph or preferably video tape the police/people doing the scam.

2. Have his Embassy phone number and the Tourist police phone number ready to hand on his phone ,tell the criminal police that he is calling his Embassy and call the Tourist police,make an official complaint about these guys (thats why you need evidence/pictures to ID them.

3. Make an official complaint to the Tourism Authority of Thailand also.

Notice no one is ever arrested for this supposed infraction of employment law,these guys are not immigration officials, foreigners doing work which is not allowed is not a matter these have any powers to arrest anyone for...... they are scammers only.

Start talking Embassy + Lawyers +TAT they will go away fast.

Edited November 29, 2010 by teamfalang

[teamfalang]

"The tour leader got almost arrested"

Here is what happens if you get actually arrested by Immigration officers........

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/03/17/brit-pattaya-bar-cashier-arrested-for-working-illegally/

really these other guys who scammed your friend are just low life BIB ..make an official complaint about them.

[johninbkk]

The tour leader got almost arrested, not tour guide. The tour guide was a Thai citizen as this position is indeed reserved only for Thais. A tour leader, on the other hand, is a person of nationality of the group that comes to visit Thailand. This person takes care of a group, sets their meetings times and places etc. The leader also translates to the group whatever a guide has to say. So, the guide was okay, but the leader had to pay 5,000 THB (initially 15,000) to get free from this adventure. This tour leader has been coming to Thailand for 15 years and this happened to him for the first time.

Other post suggests a foreigner cannot be a tour guide, this is correct, but, you can be a tour leader. They are getting you on a technicality, do they really think they are so clever. They must have sat around a large table and had a think tank, hmm! How can we cheat more...... How pathetic and what little grey matter it took to devise this SCHEME

[ukrules]

Once people lose respect for the police, they will lose respect for the whole country.

Please stop any non-sense by the police before the country turning

into a banana republic.

Too late, police = mafia.

[Digitalbanana]

The tour leader got almost arrested, not tour guide.

Just playing with words won't hack it with the Thais. A guide and leader is the same thing.

[Mario2008]

The tour leader got almost arrested, not tour guide.

Just playing with words won't hack it with the Thais. A guide and leader is the same thing.

The law doesn't state when you are considered to be a tour guide and a lot comes down to the job description. But for any kind of work a work permit is required, even for volunteer work. Question is if the tour leader had a work permit of not. If not, there is a maximum sentence of 5 year and/or 100,000 baht fine. Something that should be considered before playing it hard.

[Poolside]

The tour leader got almost arrested, not tour guide.

Just playing with words won't hack it with the Thais. A guide and leader is the same thing.

The law doesn't state when you are considered to be a tour guide and a lot comes down to the job description. But for any kind of work a work permit is required, even for volunteer work. Question is if the tour leader had a work permit of not. If not, there is a maximum sentence of 5 year and/or 100,000 baht fine. Something that should be considered before playing it hard.

That's a good point and fair warning. The tour leader involved in this incident has the international leader license. Although it means that he can take care of a group that travels abroad, it does not necessarily mean that other countries allow him to do the job when he comes there with a group. I also heard that groups from countries like France, Italy, Germany and several others, rarely send tour leader these days. There are many Thai tour guides who speak their language, or the group speaks a second language that is popular among Thai guides, so there is really no need for the leader services. Hmm, so maybe my friend is not such an angel? :-)

I still feel disturbed by the events, but I can see now some reasoning behind them. It's not that I support bribing. But bribing in Thailand is just another story. I may stop at the Tourist Police station and chat about the tourist guides/leaders, or call TAT. Thanks.