Illegal foreign tour guides to be allowed to work as “tour coordinators”

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- Illegal foreign tour guides may be allowed to work legally for tour companies as tour coordinators if the plan of the Tourism Department of the Tourism and Transport Ministry is approved by the prime minister next week, a senior official said.

Promchote Traiwej, deputy director general of the Tourism Department, said his department would next week propose a measure for solving the issue of foreigners working illegally as tour guides to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

If the measure is approved by Prayut, the foreigners, who are working illegally as tour guides, can register themselves at Thai embassies and the Foreign Ministry and they would be allowed to work as tour coordinators.

Promchote said measure would bring illegal tour guides into the system so that they would pay taxes. Moreover, the tour coordinators can provide language help to Thai tour guides, the deputy director general said.

He said the measure has been agreed upon during consultations with the Employment Department of the Labour Department, the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and Department of Special Investigation.

He explained that the Thai laws do not allow foreigners to work as tour guides so they would have to be employed as assistant to tour guides or as tour coordinators in tour companies.

Tourism Minister Korbkarn Wattanavrangkul said Prayut attached high priority to the issue of illegal tour guides and the lack of quality guide.

She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day.

[ratcatcher]

"She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day."

Are Thai tour guides really that bad? Perhaps someone in tourism biz can answer?

[Thian]

I know many European tourcompany's who do rountrips to also Thailand and have their own european tourguides travelling with their groups.

Many travellers like to speak their own language in their group.

But i bet this has to do with the chinese who can't speak english and need a chinese guide to control them.

There almost isn't any tourism except from chinese and now suddenly they need more tourguides?

[edwinchester]

"She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day."

Are Thai tour guides really that bad? Perhaps someone in tourism biz can answer?

Possibly. My wife did a Thai Tour Guide course and it was frankly a joke. There was a language test at the end and out of 40 only 3 passed first time, wifey was one of those who passed. The other 37 kept taking the short test until they passed.

[lee b]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

[Somtamnication]

They are opening a whole new can of worms. The locals will not like it.

[steelepulse]

Here in Phuket we have seen violence against "illegal" tour guides, so can't see as making them legal and " taking jobs away from Thais" will make it better. On the other hand, the Thai guides will now have more Facebook and Line time on their hands as they let the foreign guides do all the work.

[otherstuff1957]

I went of kayaking trip in Phuket a couple of years ago and out of about 40 people on the main boat, about 30 were Russians. They had their own tour guide who seemed to know the Thai tour guide and they took turns talking to us. Her English was excellent and she would sometimes pass on announcements to us non-Russians.

The only problem is that she had a tendency to talk loudly for hours on end! Some of the other non-Russians had come on a bus with her and she had inflicted her non-stop yammering upon them for a full hour!

[rijit]

I went of kayaking trip in Phuket a couple of years ago and out of about 40 people on the main boat, about 30 were Russians. They had their own tour guide who seemed to know the Thai tour guide and they took turns talking to us. Her English was excellent and she would sometimes pass on announcements to us non-Russians.

The only problem is that she had a tendency to talk loudly for hours on end! Some of the other non-Russians had come on a bus with her and she had inflicted her non-stop yammering upon them for a full hour!

Yeah what is it with eastern european women when they speak english? They just go on and on and on and on. frankly i just have to walk away , cos genuinely, it gives me a headache

rijit

[northernboy]

They are opening a whole new can of worms. The locals will not like it.

Why they still get paid and now do nothing. Just like when they didn't get a job. Is just a name on the paper, and need not do anything.

[robblok]

"She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day."

Are Thai tour guides really that bad? Perhaps someone in tourism biz can answer?

Possibly. My wife did a Thai Tour Guide course and it was frankly a joke. There was a language test at the end and out of 40 only 3 passed first time, wifey was one of those who passed. The other 37 kept taking the short test until they passed.

There are many different tour licenses some permit the guide only to work with Thais others with foreigners. As the gf is a tourguide of the highest rank I know that some are good at their languages and some are bad (usually those with lower credentials). It just varies a lot and she complains about it at times too.

[thaimlord]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

Hi

This is commonplace practice around the world, very often applied to fields such as tax evasion, as they're stating in this case. The government calls an amnesty period where the offenders can come in, be forgiven, and register to get on "the books". It inexpensively solves the impasse that would otherwise exist. The government wants the revenue, and the worker wants to work. This is just one of the easiest ways of getting from A to B in the quickest possible time and with the least amount of resources deployed into the problem.

TL

[h90]

"She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day."

Are Thai tour guides really that bad? Perhaps someone in tourism biz can answer?

Possibly. My wife did a Thai Tour Guide course and it was frankly a joke. There was a language test at the end and out of 40 only 3 passed first time, wifey was one of those who passed. The other 37 kept taking the short test until they passed.

There are many different tour licenses some permit the guide only to work with Thais others with foreigners. As the gf is a tourguide of the highest rank I know that some are good at their languages and some are bad (usually those with lower credentials). It just varies a lot and she complains about it at times too.

Well how many good one she know in:

German

Dutch

Russian

Hungarian

Italian

French

Spanish

(and that are just some main languages, if you look the European map including east it will get pretty difficult.)

You may find someone relative easy in Europe who speaks for example Russian, Croatian (+Serbian), English and Hungarian at some borders. I don't think many people like this exist in Thailand.

Or how many did you see so far who are fluent in Dutch...sure there are some but how many? While there millions in Europe who speak German+Dutch+French+English.

[Barin]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

Yes, this is illegal to do any kind of work in Thailand by foreigners without a work permit.

There are strict requirements for the employer in Thailand.

There should not be any exceptions to this Law.

The Law is the Law.

Everyone must abide the Law with no exceptions like the so called "tour coordinators"!

If they want to work in Thailand they should follow the standard procedure of obtaining a work permit.

[h90]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

Yes, this is illegal to do any kind of work in Thailand by foreigners without a work permit.

There are strict requirements for the employer in Thailand.

There should not be any exceptions to this Law.

The Law is the Law.

Everyone must abide the Law with no exceptions like the so called "tour coordinators"!

If they want to work in Thailand they should follow the standard procedure of obtaining a work permit.

aeh if you make an exception of the law....than it is law again.

There are millions of exceptions from laws.

[madmitch]

This actually makes sense. It's been common practice for some time to have a legal Thai guide as a "sitting guide" whereby the illegal guide does all the talking in his/her native tongue.

So the Thai guides still have work, the tourists get someone who speaks their language, the newly legal guide will need a work permit and to pay tax, so that's good for the Government.

Commissions are no doubt already split three ways (driver/sitting guide/foreign guide). The question is, will a system such as this be acceptable to the Thai guides? Also which language speakers will be allowed to apply?

[Somtamnication]

They are opening a whole new can of worms. The locals will not like it.

Why they still get paid and now do nothing. Just like when they didn't get a job. Is just a name on the paper, and need not do anything.

Loss of face?

No logic to it, but there you go!

[sotsira]

This actually makes sense. It's been common practice for some time to have a legal Thai guide as a "sitting guide" whereby the illegal guide does all the talking in his/her native tongue.

So the Thai guides still have work, the tourists get someone who speaks their language, the newly legal guide will need a work permit and to pay tax, so that's good for the Government.

Commissions are no doubt already split three ways (driver/sitting guide/foreign guide). The question is, will a system such as this be acceptable to the Thai guides? Also which language speakers will be allowed to apply?

I would think it would be mainly needed for the Chinese and Russian tourists.

Most other tourists have a basic understanding of English and therefore the Thai

guides would be adequate in speaking to them in English.

[CantSpell]

"She said her ministry would try to improve the quality of Thai guides and would have local tour guides to practice speaking foreign languages with native speakers at least one hour a day."

Are Thai tour guides really that bad? Perhaps someone in tourism biz can answer?

Many operators use a Tour Guide AND a Tour Leader for some reason..

Leader speak the language of the tourists and English, Guide speaks Thai and English...

Have to consider that not all tourists can speak English and very few Thai speak foreign languages other than English

[Sviss Geez]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

Obviously. Try reading the OP again, all is explained, very clearly.

[Sviss Geez]

illegal? Allowed to work, emm what!! did i miss something here????

Yes, this is illegal to do any kind of work in Thailand by foreigners without a work permit.

There are strict requirements for the employer in Thailand.

There should not be any exceptions to this Law.

The Law is the Law.

Everyone must abide the Law with no exceptions like the so called "tour coordinators"!

If they want to work in Thailand they should follow the standard procedure of obtaining a work permit.

They will be abiding by the law if the changes are approved. They will then not be exceptions.

[h90]

This actually makes sense. It's been common practice for some time to have a legal Thai guide as a "sitting guide" whereby the illegal guide does all the talking in his/her native tongue.

So the Thai guides still have work, the tourists get someone who speaks their language, the newly legal guide will need a work permit and to pay tax, so that's good for the Government.

Commissions are no doubt already split three ways (driver/sitting guide/foreign guide). The question is, will a system such as this be acceptable to the Thai guides? Also which language speakers will be allowed to apply?

I would think it would be mainly needed for the Chinese and Russian tourists.

Most other tourists have a basic understanding of English and therefore the Thai

guides would be adequate in speaking to them in English.

French

Spanish

Italians

older people from former Eastern Block (they learned Russian in school not English)

[Basil B]

Reminds me of the Luddites...

I recall a day trip a few years ago, the tour guide was useless, she was more interested in grooming her hair.

In the end people were asking my then GF to explain, after the trip my GF was really miffed because she could have done the job better, but I suppose those jobs only go to the well connected, so expect some political opposition.

[DLang]

help to Thai tour guides,

The Thais aren't going to like that.

I predict some serious backstabbing and tire slashing, but smiles to faces.

[torpedo1970]

This actually makes sense. It's been common practice for some time to have a legal Thai guide as a "sitting guide" whereby the illegal guide does all the talking in his/her native tongue.

So the Thai guides still have work, the tourists get someone who speaks their language, the newly legal guide will need a work permit and to pay tax, so that's good for the Government.

Commissions are no doubt already split three ways (driver/sitting guide/foreign guide). The question is, will a system such as this be acceptable to the Thai guides? Also which language speakers will be allowed to apply?

I would think it would be mainly needed for the Chinese and Russian tourists.

Most other tourists have a basic understanding of English and therefore the Thai

guides would be adequate in speaking to them in English.

Clear that you have not been on a trip with a Thai tour guide

a couple of times even my Thai GF bursted out laughing of the English done by guide...

looked like she was using google translate - direct Thai English translating...

it does not sound too good.... many times after she spoke i wondered what the ...... did she actually say?

[sotsira]

This actually makes sense. It's been common practice for some time to have a legal Thai guide as a "sitting guide" whereby the illegal guide does all the talking in his/her native tongue.

So the Thai guides still have work, the tourists get someone who speaks their language, the newly legal guide will need a work permit and to pay tax, so that's good for the Government.

Commissions are no doubt already split three ways (driver/sitting guide/foreign guide). The question is, will a system such as this be acceptable to the Thai guides? Also which language speakers will be allowed to apply?

I would think it would be mainly needed for the Chinese and Russian tourists.

Most other tourists have a basic understanding of English and therefore the Thai

guides would be adequate in speaking to them in English.

French

Spanish

Italians

older people from former Eastern Block (they learned Russian in school not English)

I think they would cater for the majority, and that in Thailand means, Chinese and Russian

languages.

Never seen any French,Spanish or Italian tour groups for that matter, but most of them

do understand English.

[greenchair]

Potty the moe can't come up with some bright ideas for native English teachers.

[masquerade]

And to think I was threatened with being kicked out of Thailand for helping primary school kids at a local village school with English conversation skills. I did it for free along side the Thai English teacher for free as I'm a retiree with plenty of time on my hands. I've returned to my old pastime of passing on my wealth of knowledge to others at the club, or to put another way talking to the empty bar stools on either side of me in an empty dive. I believe I can hear Vietnam calling.

[Guest]

I know many European tourcompany's who do rountrips to also Thailand and have their own european tourguides travelling with their groups.

Many travellers like to speak their own language in their group.

But i bet this has to do with the chinese who can't speak english and need a chinese guide to control them.

There almost isn't any tourism except from chinese and now suddenly they need more tourguides?

I will take that bet, since you base it on a rather odd premise:

"...chinese who can't speak english ..."

Ummm, update .. this just in ... This is Thailand, and the people speak Thai.

[Guest]

OK Thai Visa .. you almost had me...

After decades of Foreigners with all the right credentials and the best intentions .. including teaching English for free ... being threatened with fines, prison and deportation ... this defies explanation.

Good on ya ... almost had me !

Edited June 16, 2015 by Guest