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Phuket Guides Dispute: Six Russian Firms Banned
By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang Tuesday, January 4, 2011
SIX companies specialising in Russian-language tours have been banned from continuing to take bookings from tourists, Phuket Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office Chief, Piyasuda Sukcharoen, said today.
She said the companies - which she declined to name out of concern for legal repercussions - could complete existing bookings but were banned from taking future bookings.
The companies all had connections to outlets along Phuket's popular west coast beaches, operating in Karon, Kata and Patong.
Khun Piyasuda said the order went out to the six firms on December 23 after a protest to Phuket Vice Governor Nivit Aroonrat four days earlier by about 100 local operators who said Russians were working in occupations reserved by law for Thais.
The protesters called on Khun Piyasuda to take action. The companies have 45 days to comply with the order and await clearance from Bangkok to resume activities. The new arrangement to allow more public parking along Patong's beach road still needs more thought and more paint on the road in each parking bay, says a senior rental operator.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
absolutely disgusting ! , so the Thais cannot handle a bit of competition so they just 'eliminate' them . The Russians prefer to deal with the Russians ! , why don't they do this with the koreans ? who also have many tour guides... oh hang on, they don't have as much money as the russians
Posted by
bob
on
January 4, 2011 17:32
Editor Comment:
If the Korean guides were a problem, there would have been a protest. The laws are made to protect Thai jobs.
Thais only throw out the "protect Thai jobs" thing when they feel like it. No consistency whatsoever. I would imagine it goes more along the lines of race rather than to "protect Thai jobs." You know, those evil farang.
Posted by
john
on
January 4, 2011 17:57
Editor Comment:
I don't know about evil, but plenty of farangs are ignorant. Thai is a nationality, not a race. Other Asians are subject to the same restrictions as Westerners.
You don't say? Thai is a nationality but not a race? Shocking information. Thanks for that, but your premise of all Asians being treated like the farang (and whitey is always called farang) is rubbish. Koreans and Japanese operate these tour counters with relative impunity.
Posted by
john
on
January 4, 2011 18:15
Editor Comment:
You're the one with all the vivid racist epithets, John. Like I said, if the problems with the Russians were also perceived to be happening with Koreans, there would be a protest. Your implication that Asian operators don't face sanctions is untrue. I guess your world looks a little different to most of us.
Tour guides are a sensible thing for the tourist, specially for russians, as they normally do not speak english or only little. So if you let them choose, here a tour guide, who is a russian, there a tour guide, who is thai, i guess the row behind the thai tour guide would be very thin. But why let the tourists decide? ... Because they will feel safer with their choice, and they really check out tourist destinations with Russian tour guides.
So to protect Thai work, they should think about the waiters, the hotel staff, the shop owners etcpp also.
Posted by
Lena
on
January 4, 2011 18:23
Editor Comment:
And if the Russians are guided by Russians, there is no incentive for Thais to be properly trained, and the same argument can be made for other nations not just in future but in the present. The result: no Thais trained in those languages, no breakdown in communications barriers. I think most Russians would prefer a Thai guide, provided they have the language skills.
Not hard to pay for a Thai tour guide AND a Russian tour translator. That's what most other companies do.
Posted by
sailorgirl
on
January 4, 2011 18:53
Editor Comment:
The Thai guides don't like being paid to NOT work, which is what this kind of arrangement usually means.
"Editor:: After reading what passes for editorial comments in this "newspaper" it is painfully obvious you are only an apologist for a nation that has no clue. But, hey, if that butters your bread then who can blame you? The fact is that there are many non-Thai tour operators on Phuket and most of them are of Asian ownership other than Thai. They are not protested against and are left alone. You can gloss over it if you want, but it is painfully obvious what it really is.
Posted by
john
on
January 4, 2011 19:05
Editor Comment:
Ah, so now a whole nation ''has no clue.'' Nothing like a wild generalisation to prove a point, eh? Resorting to the personal instead of debating the principles really doesn't get you very far. You seem convinced, John, even if you offer no evidence. And that's a worry.
As hotelier, I know well the reasons why tour operators like to have Russian, Korean, etc eg. not Thai tour guides!
I know I will get some criticism for this comment, but the fact is that many local tour guides likes to bring tourists to certain rip-off places where they can get commissions! I know first-hand from hotel guests and tour operators about this practice!
Even when taking an airport limousine from Phuket airport, some of our guest ended up at a tour company and gems shop before arriving at the hotel.
Think about it, why a tour operator likes to pay a high salary to the foreign tour guide if he can have a cheaper local solution? The reason is simply that the Tour operators want to protect their own guest and own image, which is good!
I know well that there are some very good Thai tour guides out there, but as hoteliers, we know and cannot deny that the majority are not ethical and sincere to the tourists. This sentence hurts, but it's the trues.
So, if the tour operator will receive too many complaints from his clients who are ripped off and the tour operator will not be allowed to have own tour guides, the tour operator will simply take out the destination from the program to ensure the tourists are happy and to stay in business!
Posted by
Mr. K
on
January 4, 2011 19:27
We can applaud the good job of Phuket Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office Chief Piyasuda Sukcharoen as we have the same problem in the diving industry in Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi Provinces.
Hope they will continuously target all those working illegally in the tourism industry in favor of companies employing Thai staffs.
Posted by
Whistle-Blower
on
January 4, 2011 21:18
The Russians are coming! Too late, they are already here and are taking over. I remember a senior Immigration Officer saying, 3 years ago, that he did not want Phuket to become another Pattaya. He had foresight, pity nobody listened to him. Now we have drunk, arrogant Russians in the bars, often refusing to pay for their drinks, starting fights with just about everybody, imcluding each other, getting arrested for drugs offences (PhuketWan), and I dread to think what they are doing an organised scale. Yes, tourists from many countries do the same things but the Russians are becoming more and more noticeable. Apologies to any well meaning Russians, but you are in the minority. I was on a trip to James Bond Island yesterday, it was ruined by too many Russians pushing there way around, total disregard for anyone else.
Posted by
Back in the USSR
on
January 4, 2011 21:55
The editor likes to constantly mention that tourists would prefer a Thai guide. What sort of survey have you done on this fact? Almost everyone that I know that has been to Phuket, and also other Asian countries, much prefer a guide from either their own or a similar country of native speakers with experience in the said country as their guide. Surely people should have a choice on a holiday as to who guides them unlike your small minded local approach that everything Thai is perfect? What is wrong with competition? If the Thais can provide a superior service at a competitive price then I am sure they will get business.
Posted by
Jimmy
on
January 4, 2011 22:05
Editor Comment:
There is no conclusive evidence either way, Jimmy. But people who prefer a guide from their own country probably take a bit longer to become independent travellers. Personally, I think the governments of countries should have a say in what happens in them. Competition between Thais is good. Competition between Thais and expats? Not so good.
@ John
You obviously don't remember but a good year or so back there was a very similiar protest against Korean Tour guides.
Thai law says foreigners cannot work as tour guides (along about 60 other professions). Resorting to illegal action should never be the recourse, even if it was the modus operandi of the locals.
What the tour companies should do is to raise the issues of customer satisfaction and preference with the tour guide association and TAT authorities in BKK.
If there are not enough Thai tour guides proficient in Russian language, then the tour operators should be allowed to hire foreigners.
A tour guide who cannot efficiently communicate with his customers is useless. Basic fact # 1.
Hiring foreigners however necessitates a change in the Labor law and will take years even if agreed to (highly unlikely).
Russians have been the salvation in this so-called high season. If it was not for them, many businesses would be dead by now.
Though legally in the right, the tour guide association might want to consider how smart it is to attack the very group of nationals that keep the wheels currently turning here.
Same goes for Khun Piyasuda.
Do not break Thai law and equally do not force companies to hire unqualified staff.
Phuket prides itself for being a international holiday destination.
Well, with these "internationals" comes international competition and protecting incompetence with archaic laws will certainly backfire.
TAT should have trained a sufficient amount of tour guides to be proficient in the languages of the main nations visiting Thailand.
It is unrealistic to expect a tourist to be satisfied with a tour guide who he can't communicate with. Regardless of their nationality.
Posted by
Chris
on
January 4, 2011 22:08
I say, Adhere to the law, OR the law will adhere to you. Numbnuts!
Posted by
Robin
on
January 5, 2011 03:19
So now the editor finally explained what the zero baht tour is: a free excursion with mandatory shopping.
I've been working in Thailand for 10 years already providing services and accommodations to fellow Russians.
This is how it works:
The Gems Gallery provides a free bus for "Phuket city tour" which includes visiting Wat Chalong, the viewpoint etc and ends in the Gems Gallery where tourist a free to buy jewelry and souveniers.
The Gems Gallery pays 30% commission to the travel agent. And this is the biggest and most sought after source of income for mass market tour operators.
This excursion can be included in the package of offered free of charge or at a cheap price in Phuket as the transport is free (provided by a jewelry shop) and tour guides (both Russian and Thai) are willing to do it free and receive their part of commission.
This was not invented by Russians but by Thais and has been practiced for many years in Pattaya and Phuket.
Now the problem is that Russians are doing it without sharing their jewelry commissions with Thais.
If you remove the Russians then Thais will be doing exactly the same. Only the service quality will be lower as there are no Thai guides who speak good Russian.
So basically what is going on is Thais are trying to protect their income and push low quality service.
They should instead allow foreigners to work as tour guides under a license (like in Singapore) and employ professional Russian guides to become competitive.
Posted by
Russian Tour Operator
on
February 2, 2011 20:30
Editor Comment:
As you know, the concerns in Thai tourism are not only about commissions, but about the control being exerted over every aspect of travel from Russia.
Editor i agree with your last comment by.. russian tour operators....its all about getting the right balance...but it always comes down to the same problem
....personal..GREED...
Posted by
STAN
on
February 3, 2011 07:33
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absolutely disgusting ! , so the Thais cannot handle a bit of competition so they just 'eliminate' them . The Russians prefer to deal with the Russians ! , why don't they do this with the koreans ? who also have many tour guides... oh hang on, they don't have as much money as the russians
Posted by bob on January 4, 2011 17:32
Editor Comment:
If the Korean guides were a problem, there would have been a protest. The laws are made to protect Thai jobs.