Lite Beer Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Problem of illegal tour guides lingers amid boom in Chinese tourist numbersTHE SUNDAY NATION Some 100 Thai tour guides rally in Pattaya last month to demand that police arrest illegal foreign tour guides working in Chon Buri. BANGKOK: -- THE issue of foreigners illegally operating tour services persists at major tourist provinces such as Chon Buri and Phuket, and is believed to stem from expansion of the tourism industry.Though up to 70 per cent of these guides are reportedly Chinese, more and more Vietnamese and Russians are jumping on the bandwagon, even though this job is among 39 occupations reserved by law for Thais.In Chon Buri, the United Thai Guides group petitioned Pattaya's police and mayor to enforce laws more strictly, including the Tourism and Guide Registration Act and the Immigration Act, to drive illegal foreign guides away.Paisal Seuthanuwong, a leading member of the group, called last week for authorities to help boost Thai guides' foreign language proficiency.Illegal guides were no longer just Chinese but now also Vietnamese and Russian, he said.The problem would disappear if Thai officials seriously tackled it. Some Chinese guides had formed business networks to share benefits with foreign-owned tourism establishments that exploit Thai attractions and resources, he said.In Phuket, Thai guides asked the Tourism and Guide Registration Office (TGRO) to investigate some tour companies and guides that allegedly let tourists damage natural resources, affecting the country's image.Thai guides, many of whom cannot compete with native speakers in terms of language fluency, are unhappy and a subsequent issue has been that many illegal foreign guides reportedly lack insight into Thai culture and traditions hence passed on wrong information to visitors.State agencies led by the Tourism Ministry have issued regulations that require tour companies to submit tour guides' job order documents to the Central TGRO and its branches.Ministerial officials and Tourist Police also set up booths to check on the guides' job order documents at major airports - Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and U-Tapao.Tour companies are also required to provide a legal Thai guide to accompany tour groups throughout their stay. They are meant to give the TGRO the company's list of tour guides and have any migrant employees report to the Employment Department.For the mid-term, a committee will be established to control quality and test foreign language skills of tour guides, while tour companies will be asked to welcome a state official as an observer on visitors' trips.Long-term measures include producing good-quality guides and updating laws.Police Major Piyapong Ensan, an inspector with Pattaya Tourist Police, insisted that they were arresting illegal foreign guides and checking on guides' job order documents.However, arresting illegal foreign guides required clear evidence of wrongdoing, he said."Since January, we've arrested seven illegal guides, mostly Chinese," he said.Sinchai Wattanasatsatorn, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, said companies that bring tourists to Thailand may be exploiting a loophole that allowed the emergence of illegal foreign guides - to ensure that guides under their control do the job they want and to reap extra benefits for their business network.Since tour guide work was a job reserved for Thais in this country, the limit on people with language fluence and the shortage of skilled manpower should be discussed and solved accordingly, he said.Thai police continue to arrest illegal guides, with two Chinese men nabbed last Tuesday in Bangkok for working as tour guides without a permit while they led a 20-member group sightseeing near Phra Pin Klao Bridge.Six more Chinese men were arrested on the same charge last Thursday in Dusit district. They face punishment of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to Bt100,000.At a police press conference last Tuesday, TGRO executive Athipong Saengsilpa said the Tourism Department received many complaints from legal guides and tourists about illegal foreign guides working in this reserved occupation, who allegedly damage the country's image by giving wrong information to visitors and coercing visitors to buy additional services and goods at inflated prices.Some illegal guides enter Thai-land as tourists and take tourists from an overseas tour company at a cheaper price than legal guides quote. Some were said to be more resourceful than Thai guides in tricking tourists to pay money for things, he said, so the department dispatches officials to check tourist attractions on a regular basis. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Problem-of-illegal-tour-guides-lingers-amid-boom-i-30264273.html -- The Nation 2015-07-12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toonsai Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 The Thai Guides Mafia... Thais hate competition. So many protected areas which lead to low standards, very poor quality and service level and of course, high prices. 90% of Thai tours are just scams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttthailand Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Remove all the Chinese and Russian guides and it will remove the desire of these companies to promote Thailand in their countries. It's about making money. If the tour agencies and their guides can't make money why would they bother promoting Thailand ? Thais need to learn to be competitive and offer quality services. Short term thinking and greed ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Some were said to be more resourceful than Thai guides in tricking tourists to pay money for things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonclark Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Some were said to be more resourceful than Thai guides in tricking tourists to pay money for things Absolutely brilliant (well spotted) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konying Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I guess it's a good thing Thai tour guides are educated and literate, otherwise they might have missed Chinese latest market crash , so they still expecting the boom . They might want start to learn Hindu to cater to Indian market or Indians will be stealing their jobs also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdoglover Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 (edited) Paisal Seuthanuwong, a leading member of the group, called last week for authorities to help boost Thai guides' foreign language proficiency. Ah, there's the rub. Since tour guide work was a job reserved for Thais in this country, the limit on people with language fluence and the shortage of skilled manpower should be discussed and solved accordingly... In the meantime, I'm sure Chinese tourists won't mind learning Thai, so they can get accurate information. Edited July 12, 2015 by phoenixdoglover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 "Problem of illegal tour guides lingers amid boom in Chinese tourist numbers" I'd say the problem is a lack of legal tour guides fluent in Chinese. If I'm in a tour party and paying to be in it I want a guide fluent in my native language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 "Problem of illegal tour guides lingers amid boom in Chinese tourist numbers" I'd say the problem is a lack of legal tour guides fluent in Chinese. If I'm in a tour party and paying to be in it I want a guide fluent in my native language. They could have zillions of legal and qualified Mandarin and Cantonese speaking guides, and the Chinese would still be figuring out a way to come down to put the money in their pockets- legally or otherwise. But you're right. The locals are making it way too easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny S Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 The Thai Guides Mafia... Thais hate competition. So many protected areas which lead to low standards, very poor quality and service level and of course, high prices. 90% of Thai tours are just scams. +1 ... Its natural that people that are uneducated and incompetent dont like competition - they will loose to anyone that move in on their business (read: scams) since other people are just more clever ... If Mrs. Popcorn get what she want : Learn to speak Hindu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkok Barry Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 'Thai guides, many of whom cannot compete with native speakers in terms of language fluency,'.... Now, just a guess, but the Chinese and other tourists might not be able to speak Thai and would like to have guides that speak their language and that they can understand. Solve one problem and you've solved the other, but it's a lot easier to blame those damned foreigners who are better at the job, isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil2407 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I thought they (TIT) had said foreign tour guides could work but under a different name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I thought they (TIT) had said foreign tour guides could work but under a different name? "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" - Thaivisa 2015-06-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Surprised they didn't suggest removing the foreign tourists o there isn't need for guides.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godden Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Having a Thai tour guide to over see the native speaking tour guide might solve the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobb Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Illegal Chinese tour guides what a surprise. The government will do nothing to stop them so the do not provoke the Chinese government. The russian tour guides are doing it because there is no one protecting the Thai tour guides. Junta looked good at first but steadily declining! Release the law breaking students and give the unlicensed fishing boats 2 more months to break the law legally. So sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Some were said to be more resourceful than Thai guides in tricking tourists to pay money for things Great quote, but this works in favour of the Thais as well as I'm sure the commission is split between the Chinese guide, the Thai sitting guide and the driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick CM Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The Thai Guides Mafia... Thais hate competition. So many protected areas which lead to low standards, very poor quality and service level and of course, high prices. 90% of Thai tours are just scams. My wife has just completed an intensive 4 month tour guide course at Chiang Mai University,not easy to complete as there is a lot to learn,with quite a strict testing procedure,quite a few have to resit the tests ( and pay a 500 baht fee) after failing the first time round.... The ones that do succeed in obtaining their tour guide certification have put in the hard yards and deserve to be qualified as a tour guide. No one from the "Thai Guides Mafia" has approached my wife yet.... Perhaps the times are a changin?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireMedic Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 After watching all the Chinese drama at DMK, I say they just spend the Submarine money and make it a Chinese only airport. All other flights out of Swampy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 My wife has just completed an intensive 4 month tour guide course at Chiang Mai University,not easy to complete as there is a lot to learn,with quite a strict testing procedure,quite a few have to resit the tests ( and pay a 500 baht fee) after failing the first time round.... The ones that do succeed in obtaining their tour guide certification have put in the hard yards and deserve to be qualified as a tour guide. No one from the "Thai Guides Mafia" has approached my wife yet.... Perhaps the times are a changin?? With the diploma she now has, can she legally guide groups of Chinese, Russian, Italian, French, etc tourists around Thailand? Or is she limited to a specific geographical area within Thailand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick CM Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 My wife has just completed an intensive 4 month tour guide course at Chiang Mai University,not easy to complete as there is a lot to learn,with quite a strict testing procedure,quite a few have to resit the tests ( and pay a 500 baht fee) after failing the first time round.... The ones that do succeed in obtaining their tour guide certification have put in the hard yards and deserve to be qualified as a tour guide. No one from the "Thai Guides Mafia" has approached my wife yet.... Perhaps the times are a changin?? With the diploma she now has, can she legally guide groups of Chinese, Russian, Italian, French, etc tourists around Thailand? Or is she limited to a specific geographical area within Thailand? My wife assures me her certification allows her to work as a tour guide throughout Thailand,with any nationality.Even though the course was based at CMU they did tours to Bangkok and other provinces. Wonder instead of calling them "illegal tour guides" we could class them as translators? Suppose they would need to be legal then..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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