Because its all those rude foreign workers with their fluent English ability and good service capabilities that is the problem, not the tuktuk scumbags or taxi cartel.

Why would a tour group from Russia go with a Thai who can't speak any Russian vs a Russian tour guide who can speak both Russian and Thai to get his tour the best in a short holiday? Don't expect these Russian tourists to know any Thai and probably very little English, if the Thai tour guides want the business from the Russians they better learn their language so they can give these people an enjoyable holiday, most are probably only here for a short stay and want it to be as much fun as possible. When anyone goes to a foreign country on holiday they don't go there for a language course they want to enjoy the warm weather and the sea. Warning to the Thais, keep screwing over the tourists and they never come back here, there's other near by countries that are gearing up to take the business away from you.

I teach IELTS/TOEFL exam preparation to many Thais who are training to or already work in the Thai tourist industry. I've had students who can speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese. It's ridiculous to assume that all Thais are ignorant, workshy or cannot speak another language. Perhaps not surprising as many here seem to have a generally low opinion of Thais and Thailand.

Do you speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese??? If you do not, how do you determine that they did? and it was decent

My ex, while spoke English, it was rather very elementary, spelling was beyond comprehension and yet she worked as a school teacher, teaching English.

She was interviewed for the job by the non english speaking director, to whom, her making sounds that resembled English meant she was decent.

Why would a tour group from Russia go with a Thai who can't speak any Russian vs a Russian tour guide who can speak both Russian and Thai to get his tour the best in a short holiday? Don't expect these Russian tourists to know any Thai and probably very little English, if the Thai tour guides want the business from the Russians they better learn their language so they can give these people an enjoyable holiday, most are probably only here for a short stay and want it to be as much fun as possible. When anyone goes to a foreign country on holiday they don't go there for a language course they want to enjoy the warm weather and the sea. Warning to the Thais, keep screwing over the tourists and they never come back here, there's other near by countries that are gearing up to take the business away from you.

I teach IELTS/TOEFL exam preparation to many Thais who are training to or already work in the Thai tourist industry. I've had students who can speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese. It's ridiculous to assume that all Thais are ignorant, workshy or cannot speak another language. Perhaps not surprising as many here seem to have a generally low opinion of Thais and Thailand.

Do you speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese??? If you do not, how do you determine that they did? and it was decent

My ex, while spoke English, it was rather very elementary, spelling was beyond comprehension and yet she worked as a school teacher, teaching English.

She was interviewed for the job by the non english speaking director, to whom, her making sounds that resembled English meant she was decent.

No! I can hardly speak Thai, even after 7 years of living here. However, the students in question all had bachelor degrees in the language concerned, so I assumed (possibly wrongly) that their ability to speak the language was "decent".

Why would a tour group from Russia go with a Thai who can't speak any Russian vs a Russian tour guide who can speak both Russian and Thai to get his tour the best in a short holiday? Don't expect these Russian tourists to know any Thai and probably very little English, if the Thai tour guides want the business from the Russians they better learn their language so they can give these people an enjoyable holiday, most are probably only here for a short stay and want it to be as much fun as possible. When anyone goes to a foreign country on holiday they don't go there for a language course they want to enjoy the warm weather and the sea. Warning to the Thais, keep screwing over the tourists and they never come back here, there's other near by countries that are gearing up to take the business away from you.

I teach IELTS/TOEFL exam preparation to many Thais who are training to or already work in the Thai tourist industry. I've had students who can speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese. It's ridiculous to assume that all Thais are ignorant, workshy or cannot speak another language. Perhaps not surprising as many here seem to have a generally low opinion of Thais and Thailand.

Do you speak decent Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese??? If you do not, how do you determine that they did? and it was decent

My ex, while spoke English, it was rather very elementary, spelling was beyond comprehension and yet she worked as a school teacher, teaching English.

She was interviewed for the job by the non english speaking director, to whom, her making sounds that resembled English meant she was decent.

No! I can hardly speak Thai, even after 7 years of living here. However, the students in question all had bachelor degrees in the language concerned, so I assumed (possibly wrongly) that their ability to speak the language was "decent".

very possibly, because i do not believe any thai university offers bachelor in Russian, not to mention all those with bachelor degrees in other fields where english is compulsory subject and yet they do not speak a word of it.

very possibly, because i do not believe any thai university offers bachelor in Russian, not to mention all those with bachelor degrees in other fields where english is compulsory subject and yet they do not speak a word of it.

Actually the Thai student who had studied Russian had done so in China I believe.

Most English programmes at Thai universities require IELTS band 5-5.5 (or equivalent). Even some UK universities are now accepting band 5.5 for Masters degree courses (plus a Pre-sessional course in the UK), which is incredible!

very possibly, because i do not believe any thai university offers bachelor in Russian, not to mention all those with bachelor degrees in other fields where english is compulsory subject and yet they do not speak a word of it.

Actually the Thai student who had studied Russian had done so in China I believe.

Most English programmes at Thai universities require IELTS band 5-5.5 (or equivalent). Even some UK universities are now accepting band 5.5 for Masters degree courses (plus a Pre-sessional course in the UK), which is incredible!

not to go off topic, but US system must be different, how else current PM could do her masters and yet still unable to string a full sentence.

PS. I seriously doubt even the ones who studied in China spoke decent Russian, because even the ex USSR states like Kazach's, they do not speak decent Russian, and they had to learn it from birth

I am currently in Koh Chang and about 1/3 of the businesses seem to be owned and/or staffed by Europeans. Should be a huge immigration/labor department payday coming down the pike...

RT @RichardBarrow: 8,635 foreigners in Phuket have work permits: British 1,169 people, Filipinos 668, Russians 646 & French 554.

All of them are stealing jobs away from the taxi and tuk-tuk "mafia."

Thais are losing business in Phuket because THEY SUCK at business and customer service.

I CAN NOT WAIT until ASEAN kicks off. The Thais are going to freak- when they start losing their jobs to all the other Asians.

RT @RichardBarrow: 8,635 foreigners in Phuket have work permits: British 1,169 people, Filipinos 668, Russians 646 & French 554.

All of them are stealing jobs away from the taxi and tuk-tuk "mafia."

Thais are losing business in Phuket because THEY SUCK at business and customer service.

I CAN NOT WAIT until ASEAN kicks off. The Thais are going to freak- when they start losing their jobs to all the other Asians.

i think if this happens they will come up with some new rule for employment, i really do not see Thailand to let it be how its suppose to be

Its hard enough to get any staff to work, what they worried some work will get done?

This!!!

We go through the whole process of legitimately employing expats (Indians, Chinese) and pay them the (much higher than Thai) minimum wage to do work because it's so bloody hard to find anyone to actually do any work. Luckily the type of work is specialized enough and requires solid English which means that it (just barely) fits the criteria for a role that a Thai person cannot do.

RT @RichardBarrow: 8,635 foreigners in Phuket have work permits: British 1,169 people, Filipinos 668, Russians 646 & French 554.

All of them are stealing jobs away from the taxi and tuk-tuk "mafia."

Thais are losing business in Phuket because THEY SUCK at business and customer service.

I CAN NOT WAIT until ASEAN kicks off. The Thais are going to freak- when they start losing their jobs to all the other Asians.

I think you'll find when the ASEAN agreement comes into force, the free movement of labour, is not part of it.

The Thais will learn the hard way as with all the utter incompetence of the Thai government.

Work permit = cash

extension of your visa = cash

its laughable that all of this could be done online and save everyone money. Ahh wrong thinking im in Thailand.

Well its been a hard slog and one that I will never repeat. There should just be one visa payment and that's it no need for extra this extra that.

On top of that all employers should fork the bill. Not a good advertisement for Thai hospitality when a worker who has won the position then has to pay? disgusting.

People are voting with their feet and heading for better shores already. The majority of long time workers here are fed up with the mess that is immigration. This country just isnt safe and will never be so.

RT @RichardBarrow: 8,635 foreigners in Phuket have work permits: British 1,169 people, Filipinos 668, Russians 646 & French 554.

All of them are stealing jobs away from the taxi and tuk-tuk "mafia."

Thais are losing business in Phuket because THEY SUCK at business and customer service.

I CAN NOT WAIT until ASEAN kicks off. The Thais are going to freak- when they start losing their jobs to all the other Asians.

I think you'll find when the ASEAN agreement comes into force, the free movement of labour, is not part of it.

Thailand will have to be dragged kicking & screaming into this ASEAN agreement because when the time comes they will surely cry foul & say they are not ready, not enough time to prepare, etc etc.

The following professions are the only ones where there will be a free labour market in Thailand come 2015.

"Medicine, dentistry, nursing, engineering, architecture, natural resources and geographical exploration, and accounting".