DSI eastern region
Director Pravit Chaibuadaeng met with Tourism Authority of Thailand
Pattaya Director Auttaphol Wannakij, city hall officials, tourist
police, the Burapha Tour Guides Club and a handful of tour operators
Jan. 29.
Teerarak Suthathiwong
The Department of Special Investigations brought together government
officials and tour operators to address a December complaint that
illegal Russian tour guides were stealing Thai jobs.
DSI eastern region Director Pravit Chaibuadaeng met with Tourism
Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director Auttaphol Wannakij, city hall
officials, tourist police, the Burapha Tour Guides Club and 50 tour
operators Jan. 29.
The meeting is the latest DSI action following the Dec. 23 complaint by
the Pattaya Tour Guide Club which claimed foreigners were stealing their
jobs and ruining Thailand and its international reputation.
The club said members have not only lost jobs to foreigners who speak
the same language as the foreign tourists, but that foreigners are
misrepresenting Thai history, culture and traditions. They also
complained that members who actually do have jobs are being paid below
the legal minimum wage by many tour operators.
In a nod to the tour guide group, the DSI launched a raid on Pattaya’s
Vitamax mall the same day. The supposed crackdown on sellers of
illegally imported food supplements and cosmetics was merely a
smokescreen for the targeting of Russian tour guides, as DSI officers
arrested 22 at the site, along with four illegal Cambodians.
DSI launched two more raids on Parinya Herbal Products on Soi Nongkrabok
and Siam Spa Extra Virgin in South Pattaya Jan. 7 hoping to nab Russian
guides, but none were found.
Pravit said DSI is investigating four facets of the Thai guides’
complaint: that foreigners are illegally using the Thai-nominee system
to set up tour companies, that Russians are working without work permits
as guides, that foreign-operated firms are threatening and tricking
tourists with false claims and advertising, and regulation of motorbike
rentals.
Burapha club’s president presented Pravit with a similar complaint,
urging tour companies to comply with existing laws and stop “taking
advantage” of Thai tour guides.
Money, of course, lies at the heart of the complaint. Topping the list
of Burapha’s demands were requirements that at least one Thai guide
accompany each Russian guide on any tour and that each Thai guide
receive a minimum 2 percent commission on all sales on shopping tours.
The group also demanded regular holidays, insurance coverage for any
workplace accident and that Russian guides should show proper “respect”
to their Thai counterparts as Thailand is their country and that many
Russians are working illegally.
