The issue of illegal tour guides has escalated, largely due to prolonged visa-free periods and weak law enforcement, allowing foreigners to illegally manage tour and guide services across key tourist cities, according to the Professional Tourist Guides Association of Thailand.
This week, fresh concerns emerged on social media when a Russian tour guide was discovered leading a group in the Similan Islands, employing a Thai guide merely as a sitting nominee, who was unable to enforce national park regulations.
Tourists were observed leaping from rocks into the shallow waters, exposing themselves to potential injuries from underwater stones.
Paisarn Suethanuwong, a committee member of the association, noted that some foreigners are improperly benefiting from Thailand’s thriving tourism sector.
He pointed out that the government’s policy allowing tourists from 93 countries visa-free entry for up to 60 days is being misused by foreigners working illegally in the country.
Typically, foreign tourists stay for about 15 days or fewer, based on entry and exit data.
Mr. Paisarn has reported several recent incidents of Chinese nationals working illegally on construction sites in Bangkok.
He explained that in the past, foreign guides might have illegally replaced licensed operators, but now they independently manage the whole business cycle in major cities like Bangkok and Phuket, setting up tour services specifically aimed at Chinese, Russian, Indian, and South Korean tourists.
“Thailand has lost tens to hundreds of billions of baht from these illegal operations, with tourism revenue flowing out of the country,” Mr. Paisarn remarked, criticizing the authorities for their failure to enforce the laws effectively.
The profession of tour guiding is restricted to Thai nationals.
He noted that the number of licensed tour guides ranges between 50,000 and 60,000, including 20,000 who speak English and 10,000 who speak Mandarin.
Mr. Paisarn acknowledged that the supply of tour guides might not meet the demand for languages like Russian and Polish in high demand. However, he emphasized that this shortfall does not justify the illegal employment of foreign tour guides by operators.
He proposed that allowing Thai guides to operate with the backing of foreign tour leaders could be a viable solution.
If foreigners exclusively run a tour business, as currently observed, it constitutes an illegal operation, he emphasized.
“The government and related authorities should work harder to connect tour guides with tour companies to offer them jobs, which could help them gain field experience quicker,” he said.
“Otherwise, the next generation can never compete with foreign tour guides.”
Despite a surge in independent travelers and a decline in large tour groups post-pandemic, Mr. Paisarn believes this shift has not greatly impacted tour guides, as many independent tourists opt for small private group tours requiring tour escorts.
He concluded that the primary problem is foreigners independently seeking to attract clients.
