PM orders tough action on illegal foreign tour guides

BANGKOK, July 17 (TNA) -- The government has confirmed that it does not plan to license foreign tour guides and it is seriously controlling zero-dollar tour business. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said that the government already received a request from the Professional Tourist Guide Association for solutions to the problems of illegal foreign tour guides and tour companies bring customers only to associated shops, dubbed as the operation of zero-dollar tour business. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports were working out solutions, he said. “The government will not let foreigners work as tour guides in Thailand because the profession is reserved for Thai people by law. The tourism ministry and tourist police have been discussing the issue with tour firms and groups of tour guides,” Lt Gen Sansern said. The government spokesman said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was aware that the problem of illegal foreign tour guides was longstanding. As of June 30, the Tourism Department registered 70,655 tour guides. Most of them use English language, followed by those speaking Chinese and Japanese. Yet, they were unable to meet the demand of millions of foreign tourists visiting the country annually, Lt Gen Sansern said. “The prime minister ordered the ministries of tourism and education to produce more tour guides to meet demand,” he said. He insisted that authorities were seriously suppressing illegal foreign tour guides, illegal nominee tour companies and the tour companies that brought customers to only associated shops. (TNA)