Phuket teaches Russian, Chinese and Korean tour operators how to be legal

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Phuket teaches Russian, Chinese and Korean tour operators how to be legal
Phuket Gazette


Governor Maitri shakes hands with one of the attendees learning about work permits and employment law. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Employment Office yesterday launched a two-day series of seminars to educate Russians, Chinese and Koreans operating tourism-related businesses in Phuket about work permits and employment law regarding foreigners.

Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut officiated the opening of the first seminar yesterday, attended by 100 foreign and Thai representatives working for tour operators that cater to Russians tourists.

Talks were delivered in Thai and related to attendees by translators.

Another seminar is being held today that will cater to Chinese and Korean tour operators.

“We want foreigners involved in business and working in Phuket to know the relevant Thai laws involved. We want to teach them what is required and also hear about the problems they encounter,” Governor Maitri told the Phuket Gazette.

Governor Maitri explained that the three nationalities were chosen as they represented the leading source markets for inbound tourists to Phuket.

“We chose these nationalities because a lot of tourists from those countries come to Phuket, and these tourists do not speak English, so almost all of the tour operators catering to these markets hire their own native-speaking guides to serve them – and that is illegal,” he said.

By law, only qualified, registered Thai nationals may work as tour guides in Thailand.

“After this seminar, we expect the number of foreigners working illegally in Phuket to decrease,” Governor Maitri said.

Phuket Provincial Employment Office chief Yaowapa Pibulpol explained that the seminar covered the basics in the Foreign Business Act BE 2542, Working of Aliens Act BE 2551, Immigration Act BE 2522, Tourism Business and Guide Act BE 2535, Social Security Act BE 2533 and the Trade Associations Act BE 2509.

“When business owners know, understand and respect these laws, the number of people working illegally in Phuket’s tourism industry will decrease,” she said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-teaches-Russian-Chinese-and-Korean-tour-operators-how-to-be-legal-22156.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-09-03

[Upnotover]

Not so much teaching them how to get legal. More telling them to get out, or become Thai.

[laurentbkk]

Would it be better for Phuket government to pay for Russian, Chinese and Korean intensive language courses for Thai tour guide ?

[lee b]

amazing!

[Jimi007]

By law, only qualified, registered Thai nationals may work as tour guides in Thailand.

“After this seminar, we expect the number of foreigners working illegally in Phuket to decrease,” Governor Maitri said.

Brilliant, that will stop companies from hiring people who can actually speak; Russian, Chinese or Korean, instead of Thai nationals who can't. How can they be qualified Tour Guides if they can't actually speak the language of their clients? Maybe it's time to change the xenophobic law that doesn't work? No, that would be way too logical for anyone in Thai government...

[NamKangMan]

Would it be better for Phuket government to pay for Russian, Chinese and Korean intensive language courses for Thai tour guide ?

Why? That costs money. :)

[AlexProBkk]

We already know Phuket Governor Maitri and his secretary for threatening Australian Consul after he got involved in a jet ski scam case.

As we all guessed this governor office is involved in much of the corruption and covers scams, with family members owning taxis and jet skis.

Now they had to come up with some good news about him)

If they had rationale they'd realise that there are more and more tourists visiting Thailand evey year and if operators can't find any Thai guides for current amounts of tourists they will surely employ only more native guides and break laws N2014/N2013 times more often. Cause it's business.

How about running a campaign to impeach the governor?

[rfukata]

this will never happen unless the governor and phuket comes clean first.

[sabye]

There may not be many Korean and Russian speaking Thais in this country but there are lots of Chinese speaking Thais. They should employ people who can speak Chinese and they should set up schools for Thais who want to learn how to speak other languages.

[xylophone]

Heading: "Phuket teaches Russian, Chinese and Korean tour operators how to be legal"

What a joke and what will these legal businesses do when they see that they have to pay "Tea money" every month to the corrupt powers that be? An illegal payment in order to be legal??

Some sort of "TIT" logic at work here!

[stevenl]

We already know Phuket Governor Maitri and his secretary for threatening Australian Consul after he got involved in a jet ski scam case.<snip>

How about sticking to the facts?

[stevenl]

Heading: "Phuket teaches Russian, Chinese and Korean tour operators how to be legal"

What a joke and what will these legal businesses do when they see that they have to pay "Tea money" every month to the corrupt powers that be? An illegal payment in order to be legal??

Some sort of "TIT" logic at work here!

No tour operator has to pay teamoney. If they do that they do that to violate the law.

[stevenl]

By law, only qualified, registered Thai nationals may work as tour guides in Thailand.

“After this seminar, we expect the number of foreigners working illegally in Phuket to decrease,” Governor Maitri said.

Brilliant, that will stop companies from hiring people who can actually speak; Russian, Chinese or Korean, instead of Thai nationals who can't. How can they be qualified Tour Guides if they can't actually speak the language of their clients? Maybe it's time to change the xenophobic law that doesn't work? No, that would be way too logical for anyone in Thai government...

Many Thais do speak Chinese (Mandarin mostly), so for them there should be no problem.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Try to find Thai tour guides that actually want to work.

[Emdog]

Would love to see the "tea money" portion of the seminar. Let's see: have Thai guide tour operator who has no speaking ability, or break law and have one who does. How about if there is an emergency. Oh, I forgot... there are no emergencies when driving about in vans etc. Thai highways are safest in the world. I should have phrase saved for quick copy to post on these sorts of news bits: "Do they have any idea how illogical and idiotic this is?" Repeat as needed.

[Captor]

Swell! The blind teaches the deaf....

[tingtongteesood]

Now all the attendees names are on a list of potential tea money targets for the police to milk...

[sirchai]

Why don't they "teach" the superiors at Thai schools how to seek/employ foreigners to teach English for them and be legal?

Nastrovie............-

[jmccarty]

Aren't Tour Guides a restricted occupation for Thai's only?

[NCC1701A]

"By law, only qualified, registered Thai nationals may work as tour guides in Thailand."

Yes I have a Masters in Tour Guide from Ramkhamhaeng University. If you look over here we have...

[Arkady]

“After this seminar, we expect the number of foreigners working illegally in Phuket to decrease,” Governor Maitri said.

Classic. After being told it is impossible for them to work legally, the illegal guides will suddenly she the light, up sticks and leave Thailand.

Mr Maitree doesn't seem to understand the laws of supply and demand. There is a demand for fluent Russian, Chinese and Korean speaking guides and these people are fulfilling it. Unless they find a way to satisfy the demand legally or kill it, the the illegal guides will still be around. Since there would be too much protectionist backlash, if they tried to change the law and open the work up to foreigners, the only alternatives are to train Thai guides to speak those languages fluently or to discourage those nationalities from coming by making them understand that there are not permitted to have guides that speak their language fluently. Since sufficient Thais won't learn to speak those languages fluently within a generation, Maitree's only chance of success is to dissuade the tourists from coming.

You don't need to be a genius to understand that the only possible course open to him is in fact to grandstand like this but make sure nothing happens to stop the foreign tourists and their native speaker guides from coming. Another illustration of the prioritisation of form over substance in Thai culture.

[marell]

By law, only qualified, registered Thai nationals may work as tour guides in Thailand.

“After this seminar, we expect the number of foreigners working illegally in Phuket to decrease,” Governor Maitri said.

Brilliant, that will stop companies from hiring people who can actually speak; Russian, Chinese or Korean, instead of Thai nationals who can't. How can they be qualified Tour Guides if they can't actually speak the language of their clients? Maybe it's time to change the xenophobic law that doesn't work? No, that would be way too logical for anyone in Thai government...

Many Thais do speak Chinese (Mandarin mostly), so for them there should be no problem.

Think Teochew is more common.