tour guide seeking advice work permit

[Harveyboy]

hi guys im new on here so not realy sure how this all works ok so im a battlefield tour guide in france i work with Australians who are sent from our agency..(.please note im a brit).. in OZ i have a tour guides licence here ive been working as a guide for 30 years ...im getting married in Thailand in feb next year i normaly spend nov till april out there then the rest of the year in France my agents have now sugested that my small groups 4...6. pax could stop off and tour with me there i spend a lot of time on the kwai and know the history unlike a most of the taxi guide who just drop off people at the kwai and places like hellfire pass id like to set up a small company NOW can i get a permit ive just been on the sites on the net and it reads people who may be exempt from all the regs involved in working there includes people bringing in tourists to thailand can anyone help on this

[Scouse Twoccer]

Forget it, it's a restricted occupation, reserved for Thais only.

<grammar police comment removed>

Edited June 13, 2016 by ubonjoe

[patyh]

A tour guide is under the list of reserved occupation for Thai only. Which means that you will not be able to obtain a work permit for the objective of working as one.

However, there is nothing stopping you from starting a tour company handling tours and managing your tour guide that way. You must remember though, even if you were to open a company, you are not allowed to directly guide the tour group. But I reckon there is nothing stopping you from helping out your tour guide by form of helping him/her translate and making sure that the tour is conducted in a way that it meets your standards.

[Harveyboy]

tks guys ..yep read that yesterday doll making cigarette rolling and ball making is also not alowed ha wouldnt want to ruin the thai economy now would we ha ive just been on a site a legal site called thai work permit basics it lists abut 30 jobs and ways that permits may be granted one reads ....if you are a representative bringing in foreigners to travel in thailand... quote!!! also it states that if you are married to a thai citizen permit could be allowed ... could i use a thai driver /guide who i rent but i do the tour ie histories ect i wouldnt be picking persons off the street my agency flies them OZ to bkk i meet them with thai basic i do the work he gets paid 3 day set tour back to bkk ive been on tour with farang guides a few times out of Pattaya to the kwai i wonder how they work it and help would really be appreciated tks

[muzmurray]

tks guys ..yep read that yesterday doll making cigarette rolling and ball making is also not alowed ha wouldnt want to ruin the thai economy now would we ha ive just been on a site a legal site called thai work permit basics it lists abut 30 jobs and ways that permits may be granted one reads ....if you are a representative bringing in foreigners to travel in thailand... quote!!! also it states that if you are married to a thai citizen permit could be allowed ... could i use a thai driver /guide who i rent but i do the tour ie histories ect i wouldnt be picking persons off the street my agency flies them OZ to bkk i meet them with thai basic i do the work he gets paid 3 day set tour back to bkk ive been on tour with farang guides a few times out of Pattaya to the kwai i wonder how they work it and help would really be appreciated tks

They will be working illegally, as would you if you do anything to do with guiding the tours.

[NancyL]

It's too bad he can't work as a tour guide in the Kanchanaburi area. Hubby and I did a multi-day river tour with Europeans of various nationalities there last year and it was very depressing to go out with Thai guide who was clueless about what had happened there. We spent endless hours in wats and caves and a model Thai school that he claimed was just a typical Thai school and very little time in Hellfire Pass, the several museums and the cemeteries. There was one British woman in the group whose father had worked on the rail line and she'd hoped to gain a better understanding of what he'd been thru.

[bbi1]

tks guys ..yep read that yesterday doll making cigarette rolling and ball making is also not alowed ha wouldnt want to ruin the thai economy now would we ha ive just been on a site a legal site called thai work permit basics it lists abut 30 jobs and ways that permits may be granted one reads ....if you are a representative bringing in foreigners to travel in thailand... quote!!! also it states that if you are married to a thai citizen permit could be allowed ... could i use a thai driver /guide who i rent but i do the tour ie histories ect i wouldnt be picking persons off the street my agency flies them OZ to bkk i meet them with thai basic i do the work he gets paid 3 day set tour back to bkk ive been on tour with farang guides a few times out of Pattaya to the kwai i wonder how they work it and help would really be appreciated tks

They will be working illegally, as would you if you do anything to do with guiding the tours.

Pattaya - Full of illegal tour guides. Just look at all those big groups of Chinese tourists with a native Chinese tour guide leading them around.

[Jeffkp]

I have a Thai friend who is a licensed tour guide (almost 17 years). They've really tightened up on this. All his tours are booked directly with him. However, now he must show a work order from a licensed company that hired him. He hides his license when he sees the cops now. Same with car and driver. He has his own car and hires a driver. Must sneak now.

[Harveyboy]

hey tks seems my ship has sunk before it sailed eh as one of the comments here stated the guides know nothing of the history i wanted to change this being a professional tour guide over 20 years specialised in war tours it seemed a good way to go when i come to live there permanently in 2 years get married there next year i have a travel agency here in France and able to work anywhere EXCEPT thailand as it seems any other suggestions or does it seem i give over my groups to a thai guide for 3 days and sit back and listen to the trying to get us to his mates bar/ resto shop ect sad

[JLCrab]

Since you presumably would deliver the same routine to each tour group that visits the River Kwai sites, instead of just sitting back as you say you could maybe set-up and rent one of these:

http://www.univoxaudio.co.uk/the-power-of-univox/38-products/professional-fm-systems/pro-fm-subsection/207-pre-recorded-tour-guide-system

Edited June 14, 2016 by JLCrab

[Khun Robert]

If you married and want to set up a company you still need 2 employees in the company.

Why not find a Thai Tour Guide, teach him the way you want him to guide your customers.

Same story for the driver.

As Steve Jobs said: If you take care your staff, they will take care your customers.

[GOLDBUGGY]

It's too bad he can't work as a tour guide in the Kanchanaburi area. Hubby and I did a multi-day river tour with Europeans of various nationalities there last year and it was very depressing to go out with Thai guide who was clueless about what had happened there. We spent endless hours in wats and caves and a model Thai school that he claimed was just a typical Thai school and very little time in Hellfire Pass, the several museums and the cemeteries. There was one British woman in the group whose father had worked on the rail line and she'd hoped to gain a better understanding of what he'd been thru.

You were lucky with your tour group!

Our's only gave us very limited time on the free things and attractions, and then left us for hours at Gem Stones Sales Offices, Thai Silk Factories, and any place along the way which sold things or junk to Tourists where he had some kind of kick-back deal with them. Made sure he checked to see what anyone bought before we were allowed to proceed.

It was so bad that I few back to Bangkok on my own and got my own hotel. As far as I was concerned, that Tour Company was ruining my vacation. We were suppose to be travelling by bus but ended up jam packed in a Van. If that wasn't bad enough he picked up his wife to come along and sit in the front seat all along the way.

[Harveyboy]

hi im afraid trying to teach an english person or one of our commonwealth mate the history of the horrors of the Burma railway the reasons and whys it happend the regiments in the brit forces and battalions of the Australians history its not a thing you can teach easy ive been doing this 35 years as a guide its more than a job you must be interested in it i cant see thais ever being able to do it but i understand what you are saying ..as for your bad experience ref your tour sorry you were not able to get the best from your guide they paint a bad picture for all the professional ones.as you say silk shop..gems ect anything for the kick back i know how it all works perhaps one day you can go back and see what you wanted

[muzmurray]

If you married and want to set up a company you still need 2 employees in the company.

Why not find a Thai Tour Guide, teach him the way you want him to guide your customers.

Same story for the driver.

As Steve Jobs said: If you take care your staff, they will take care your customers.

“Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your business,” says Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group.

“Take care of your people and they will take care of your customers.” -Marriot