Thai govt urged to get tough on dishonest tour operators

[webfact]

Tourism association wants tougher action against cheaters
Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The government should take serious action against tour operators who have cheated consumers, says Yutthachai Soonthronrattanavate, president of the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT).

He raised the concern after 200 domestic tourists were cheated recently after they bought packages for Phupranang Resort and Spa in Krabi from Phupranang tour agents at travel fairs.

The two-day package cost Bt2,590.

Yutthachai said this was evidently a liquidity problem suffered by this one operator, and the incident had not hurt tourists' confidence or the wider industry so far. However, the government should see to it that such problems do not occur again. Laws should be more tightly enforced and wrongdoers punished as a lesson to others.

He suggested that the government should issue certificates to qualified operators to guarantee their service to boost consumers' confidence before they decide to buy.

"It's hard to check how bad a tour agency is. For other products, especially in housing, consumers can check the company profile and also investigate the house quality before deciding to buy it for millions of baht. But for a tourism product, it does not make sense to check out a tour company when the consumer is only putting out Bt2,000," he said.

Suwat Sidhilaw, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said tourism licence fees in the provinces were currently too low, only Bt10,000, which tempted unqualified people to jump into the business. He said he would discuss this issue with tourism operators in the near future.

Krit Patarapal, managing director of PK Exhibition Co, which organised the Thailand Travel Expo, said he was unhappy with what happened in the Phupranang case, but it would serve as a reminder for PK when it holds the next fair, and it would be careful to avoid such problems.


-- The Nation 2014-04-02

[AhFarangJa]

Latest product on the market in Khao San Road.....Tour Operator Certificates.......B1,000...

[bangkokheat]

Yutthachai said this was evidently a liquidity problem suffered by this one operator

obviously nothing to do with being a scamming <deleted> then that runs rampant in this country

[khwaibah]

Start with the political corruption first.

[coma]

Isn't it sad that it took 200 domestic tourists to get ripped off before the government decides to take some action. Foreign tourists have been getting fleeced for decades and nothing has been done to protect them.

[noitom]

This Thai bureaucrat is just now advocating tough action for Thai tour operators who cheat.

[NongKhaiKid]

It's painfully clear that nothing is ever done proactively in LoS as just how often do we hear, read etc, that the govt, BIB et al have to be URGED to do even the simplest aspect of their jobs ?

There are a couple of things though that no one here has to be encouraged to do.

[slapout]

The RTP and the politicans seem to be used as the model to follow in dealing with the public, by many of the businesses in the LOS. Of course when both seem to be directly involved in so much of the corruption that is made public it would make sense that these 2 groups set the business standards we see exhibited on a daily basis.

[expat888]

If they cut down on cheating that would cut into the GDP.

No way.

[MMarlow]

Isn't it sad that it took 200 domestic tourists to get ripped off before the government decides to take some action. Foreign tourists have been getting fleeced for decades and nothing has been done to protect them.

Isn't it sad that some Thai bashers don't know what "domestic" means? Ever heard the term "domestic flight" when Thais and foreigners travel within a country? It's the same thing. If I had booked on the package reported about then I'd be a domestic tourist too and I'm not Thai.

[madmitch]

Does anyone know what the scam was? Did they run off with the customers' money? EDIT Just found out from a thread in the travel forum that the customers bought and paid for a tour that did not even exist!

I thought that in order to obtain a tourist agency licence that a bond had to be deposited with the TAT or a similar organisation. Can anyone confirm or otherwise?

Edited April 2, 2014 by madmitch

[klauskunkel]

He suggested that the government should issue certificates to qualified operators to guarantee their service to boost consumers' confidence before they decide to buy.

Oh yes, certified by a corrupt government...I can see the design of the certificate already, and it involves a raised middle finger.

[likewise]

oh no not again, they're going to get tough on.....fill in the blanks !! Thainess all around.

[givenall]

Yeah get tough with the dishonest tour operator, but don't worry about the 450 Bil B rice corruptions. they are friends

Edited April 2, 2014 by givenall

[Lupatria]

get tough on dishonest tour operators

The most amateurish attempt to stage a sideshow in a country that is corrupt to the bone and calls it 'culture'

[Choonpon]

Tour operators only???? How about tuk tuk drivers, songtaew drivers, bibs, etc?

Btw, it will probably just another NATO (No Action Talk Only).

[monkeycountry]

"He raised the concern after 200 domestic tourists were cheated"

I think "domestic" is the keyword here. Had it been 200 foreign tourists, noone would care.

[Fookhaht]

Be very, very careful with tour operators and travel agencies in Thailand. I was the victim of a 58,000-baht scam from a tour agency in Chiang Mai, two years ago. They are still operating, blatantly.

[siampolee]

Thai govt urged to get tough on dishonest tour operators

Thai govt urged to get tough on dishonest T.A.T. actions and comments.

[monkeycountry]

Isn't it sad that it took 200 domestic tourists to get ripped off before the government decides to take some action. Foreign tourists have been getting fleeced for decades and nothing has been done to protect them.

Isn't it sad that some Thai bashers don't know what "domestic" means? Ever heard the term "domestic flight" when Thais and foreigners travel within a country? It's the same thing. If I had booked on the package reported about then I'd be a domestic tourist too and I'm not Thai.

Yes it is sad, but it is even sadder when someone tries to correct someone else, and then gets it wrong.

A domestic tourist is someone going on holiday in ones own country. Ie. Thai's going on holiday in Thailand. A foreign tourist is someone on holiday from another country. The means of transportation is irrellevant and it is therefore not the same thing. A foreign tourist is still considered a foreign tourist when he flies with a local airline from Bangkok to Phuket, even though he is flying on a domestic flight.

Edited April 2, 2014 by monkeycountry

[RayHaas]

Latest product on the market in Khao San Road.....Tour Operator Certificates.......B1,000...

The original is cheaper. (not counting the refundable deposit)

[54321]

You have to deposit 10,000 baht to apply for a tat license to legally sell domestic trips, for international it's 50,000 but not many pay the 50,000 despite selling international trips and flights

Does anyone know what the scam was? Did they run off with the customers' money? EDIT Just found out from a thread in the travel forum that the customers bought and paid for a tour that did not even exist!

I thought that in order to obtain a tourist agency licence that a bond had to be deposited with the TAT or a similar organisation. Can anyone confirm or otherwise?

[belg]

a double way trip phuket airport to where ever cost more than that on a daily basis and they worry about 200 locals... ???

[54321]

Out of interest I know an agent who had 4 tourists tell her they had paid about 46,000 for a trip fro an agent a tuk tuk driver had taken them to. She told them the correct price was about (from memory) 16,000. She gave them some advice as to what to do and they ended up getting the police involved..... And got a 36,000 refund and happily booked with her .

The dodgy agent still got 10,000 for nothing, the tourists still lost money, but not as much as they would have if it wasn't for the honest agent

[tetleythedog]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20> alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20> alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20> Latest product on the market in Khao San Road.....Tour Operator Certificates.......B1,000...

And just WHO gets tough on dishonest Thais ? Or would that be a full-time occupation?

[bigbamboo]

Isn't it sad that it took 200 domestic tourists to get ripped off before the government decides to take some action. Foreign tourists have been getting fleeced for decades and nothing has been done to protect them.

I'm sure the rice farmers know exactly how the tourists feel.

[Khun Robert]

The tour is a three day 2 night tour staying in hotel near Ao Nang,

Day 1 arriving and relaxing, day 2 a 4 island tour and day 3 departure.

Hotel does not have any rooms available for these people, claim they are over booked,

the 4 island tour is promoted with a boat they do not rent or own or even have the possibility to book customers on board that boat.

The airport transfers are just not there.

All just one big scam. The owner of hotel and this tour operator has many Co. Ltd. He close Co. ltd, opens new Co.ltd almost daily.

He offered last year, Krabi Government and all the lawyers a free trip to one of his hotels in north east Bangkok.

And that was during the time I only talked with that company by a lawyer for breaking a rental contract.

We have 7 bounced check reports from Police from this company.

His Co.ltd closed down leaving us with more than 1 million damage and our lawyer staying in his hotel for a weekend break at no costs.

I must say, after a meeting with the owner and some strong talks he paid Us 30 % of the damage, but still 70 % paid out my own pocket.

It was a good lesson learned.

Good to see that finally justice will be done.

[Johnnie99]

Isn't it sad that it took 200 domestic tourists to get ripped off before the government decides to take some action. Foreign tourists have been getting fleeced for decades and nothing has been done to protect them.

Isn't it sad that some Thai bashers don't know what "domestic" means? Ever heard the term "domestic flight" when Thais and foreigners travel within a country? It's the same thing. If I had booked on the package reported about then I'd be a domestic tourist too and I'm not Thai.

Do you always totally miss the point of posts or was it just this one by coma?