TAT to open up new third language schools

BANGKOK, 25 April 2013 (NNT) -The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is set to open new language schools in major provinces across the country in a bid to shore up the nation’s lack of skilled tour guides.

Tourism and Sports minister Somsak Pureesrisak said touristy cities including Chiang Mai and Pattaya are in need of guides who can conduct tours in a third language due to a big jump in tourist arrivals from China and Russia. Initially, the language schools will offer free courses to interested students.

The TAT is set to survey each area to determine language courses needed. The agency will proceed to propose a budget request for the project in the next ministry meeting.

Mr Somsak also made known that Thailand attracts a large number of low-income visitors, with upscale tourists accounting for only 10 percent. If the country is to reach the government’s target for tourism revenue at 2 trillion baht in 5 years'time, the number of high-end visitors needs to increase to 20 percent, highlighting the need for additional tour guides and operators.

-- NNT 2013-04-25

The schools may be necessary, but I 'm puzzled by TAT opening them. Isn't this encroaching on the turf of the Ministry of Education, the department which gets close to 20% (THB 420 billion) of the National Budget to 'educate' Thai?

The schools may be necessary, but I 'm puzzled by TAT opening them. Isn't this encroaching on the turf of the Ministry of Education, the department which gets close to 20% (THB 420 billion) of the National Budget to 'educate' Thai?

Its all about getting money in your pocket

Yes Rubi!! Isn't it the requirement of the school curriculum to teach Thai children to speak English? They declined the chance to make English a second language even though many signs are dual lingual.

This means conversational English not the ''Hello, how are you?' 'I'm fine' learnt by rote. Does nobody have a headache, a sore leg or a hangover in Thailand?

We have introduced English only evening mealtimes to overcome this but there is no desire to question anything.

"the number of high-end visitors needs to increase to 20 percent"

Really, I wonder why there has been so much emphasis on only getting the current low end tourist that we now have?

Before introducing a third language, what about learning a second language first ??

"the number of high-end visitors needs to increase to 20 percent"

Really, I wonder why there has been so much emphasis on only getting the current low end tourist that we now have?

and expats apparently

Oh, <deleted>....

Will they recruit any native speakers or will they add Thais teaching bad ... to Thais teaching bad English ?

Will they recruit any native speakers or will they add Thais teaching bad ... to Thais teaching bad English ?

All too true - another 'not thought through'

Why oh why, must they always do it the hard way?

How many expats willing to take a job here as a tour guide for a bit of pocket money. I am sure than can find EVERY language under the sun right on their own doorstep.

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

Ironically where are they going to find Russian speakers capable of teaching Thai's Russian?

Wouldn't it be a smidgen quicker to employ these teachers as tour guides?

They should focus on the 2nd language first before worrying about a 3rd.

Why oh why, must they always do it the hard way?

How many expats willing to take a job here as a tour guide for a bit of pocket money. I am sure than can find EVERY language under the sun right on their own doorstep.

Both you and madmitch make the mistake of bringing logic into it,

and besides that is,nt even one bit nationalistic.

It seems like it's reactionary (way later than it should have been too) and if they are looking at 5 years in the future there could be a completely different landscape. Hopefully they will target current tour guides that already deal with these nationalities so that they can get a lot of practise speaking the target language rather than trying to teach people that have no contact with the language thus making it a real hard work for the teachers and students.

It seems like it's reactionary (way later than it should have been too) and if they are looking at 5 years in the future there could be a completely different landscape. Hopefully they will target current tour guides that already deal with these nationalities so that they can get a lot of practise speaking the target language rather than trying to teach people that have no contact with the language thus making it a real hard work for the teachers and students.

Went to a large local hotel yesterday for a beer that is populated with students (on free secondment in their holidays) who are apparently studing hospitality management.

Not ONE WORD of English was possible, and beyond that they couldn't even pour a beer remotely correctly. So what exactly are these colleges turning out? Any college offering hotel/hospitality management HAS TO OFFER ENGLISH as a compulsory part of the course, otherwise, these "chicks" may as well set their sights as high as becoming beer servers in short skirts.

I cannot believe the stupidity of this type of rhetoric and suggestions. Teach it at all schools or is this still about controlling the masses?

The headline and report writer needs some English tuition. The headline and similar wording in the first paragraph mean that TAT will preserve "Thailand's Lack Of Skilled Tour Guides", not diminish it. And maybe that is indeed so.

I cannot believe the stupidity of this type of rhetoric and suggestions. Teach it at all schools or is this still about controlling the masses?

This is about stupidly protecting the "locals only" restriction on "tour guides". It is the ultimate in protecting incompetence and ineffectual service, as though in 3 months time, 5000 super-Thai-people will have magically become fluent in Russian, Chinese and Swahili. The train has left the station years ago.

What a great idea! I guess after their overwhelming success turning out a country filled with fluent English speakers, way before the ASEAN deadline, they are expanding to include simple languages like Chinese and Russian.

Cool. I imagine that after two years of diligent study, Thai's will be able to show Russian tourists how to get to the BTS station or maybe point out the nearest 711, which, of course, will be a few shops away. I can imagine Russian oligarchs flooding Thailand during the tourist season now that they will have the chance to ask Thais, in Russian no less, "what did you say?"

Of course, a chance to produce a group of tour guides that no one wants to employ or pay to show them around might pale in comparison to the missed opportunity of greatly increasing tourism among the wealthy set. But, hey we all have to have our priorities.

I'm just glad I'm not one of those cynical expats who think things like someone in the TAT must have found a way to profit off this.

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

Ironically where are they going to find Russian speakers capable of teaching Thai's Russian?

Wouldn't it be a smidgen quicker to employ these teachers as tour guides?

Ummm Russia!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

because the phuket taxi drivers don't like them

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

Ironically where are they going to find Russian speakers capable of teaching Thai's Russian?

Wouldn't it be a smidgen quicker to employ these teachers as tour guides?

Ummm Russia!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

I hear that just about every beach resort is full of them, some of the occasionally, legally or illegally moonlighting as tour guides.

Hopefully, a good amount of Russians have married well in the resorts, and their spouses are learning pillow Russian every day, so the void should be filled in about 3 to 5 years.

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

Ironically where are they going to find Russian speakers capable of teaching Thai's Russian?

Wouldn't it be a smidgen quicker to employ these teachers as tour guides?

Ummm Russia!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

I just realised what you meant. Oh yes, English speaking Russians going to teach to English speaking Thais.

Now that will work a charm. They would do better to hire Russian pole dancers from Nana.

At least they have had some Thai in them.

Any Thai who's English,Russian or other language proficiency is good enough to take and reasonably answer a foreign travel groups questions is probably going to swim upstream for a better pay cheque.Apart from anything else a Russian group would most likely enjoy the tour better with a Russian tour guide, as no one can "learn" the nuances and compatriot realities that exist,the same would apply to any other nationality-better all round...except in Thailand.

the langauge issue is only a small problem in an industry that is plagued with problems...the toursim industry in thialand needs a''complete makeover''and franklly i dont thik it will change until you pay people a decent wage....language problems.haha....try ''respecting the tourist ''and yes i know and have seen very very rude tourists,that combined with min wage...i would be exactly the same as the thais are,if i were in thier shoes...

We all know that foreign tour guides is the way to go.

We also all know that this isn't going to happen....at least not legally.

How long is it going to take for a Thai, or any other nationality for that matter, to speak Russian to a level to be able to conduct tours and answer questions? Especially as most students will be starting from scratch.

Why don't the powers that be realise that native tour guides may be attractive to prospective tourists from Russia and other countries?

I wonder it TAT even thought of that, I suspect not, this being ingrained into the brain as a Thai only profession. I wonder how they would do with the "out of the box" problem. (as opposed to living in a box:))

I wonder if this is in response to the SNL video about English for Wh@#$?

If Thailand allowed foreign tour companies to bring in tourists along with their own guides, tourism would really increase. Every culture would like a tour guide from their own country because most of the dialog to the travelers is about the differences between their own culture and the one they are visiting. It's a huge part of the travel experience. Thai-only guides could never provide this level of nuance.