PHUKET: About 100 Thai guides were staging a protest at Chalong Police Station in southern Phuket today in a dispute over what they say is police preferential treatment for foreign guides.
Officers from the station rounded up 23 Thai guides early this afternoon at Cape Promthep viewpoint, a popular stop for busloads of Chinese tourists.
Another 100 Thai guides descended on the police station in protest this afternoon.
The guides, all Mandarin speakers, say that police were investigating accusations that a Thai guide struck a Chinese guide.
''The Thai guides involved say there was a verbal argument but no physical violence,'' said the President of the Phuket Professional Guides Association, Panomphol ''Pete'' Thummachartniyom.
''In any event, the Thai guides are working legally while the Chinese guides are working illegally. The police turn a blind eye to that illegality.''
The protest began at 1pm and was still going at the police station close to 5pm. A senior officer said there may have been a misunderstanding. The guides were ''invited'' to the station, not arrested.
A spokesperson for the Phuket Labor Office said that only Thais could be guides but many Chinese who lived on Phuket were registered as managerial staff of travel companies, sometimes even as managing directors.
''If they are caught acting as guides they should be arrested,'' the spokesperson said. The issue of illegal guides has often been raised with no solution found yet.
Khun Pete said the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Phuket was down but more because of the advent of the change in seasons than the coup.
Officers from the station rounded up 23 Thai guides early this afternoon at Cape Promthep viewpoint, a popular stop for busloads of Chinese tourists.
Another 100 Thai guides descended on the police station in protest this afternoon.
The guides, all Mandarin speakers, say that police were investigating accusations that a Thai guide struck a Chinese guide.
''The Thai guides involved say there was a verbal argument but no physical violence,'' said the President of the Phuket Professional Guides Association, Panomphol ''Pete'' Thummachartniyom.
''In any event, the Thai guides are working legally while the Chinese guides are working illegally. The police turn a blind eye to that illegality.''
The protest began at 1pm and was still going at the police station close to 5pm. A senior officer said there may have been a misunderstanding. The guides were ''invited'' to the station, not arrested.
A spokesperson for the Phuket Labor Office said that only Thais could be guides but many Chinese who lived on Phuket were registered as managerial staff of travel companies, sometimes even as managing directors.
''If they are caught acting as guides they should be arrested,'' the spokesperson said. The issue of illegal guides has often been raised with no solution found yet.
Khun Pete said the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Phuket was down but more because of the advent of the change in seasons than the coup.
Although China is not in Asean Thailand really has to wake up to in less than 18 months people from nine other Asean countries will be able to come to Thailand and work. Some would call the protection of jobs for Thais racist, but most G20 countries have an excellent record of allowing foreigners to work in their country. Instead of arguing about foreigners working illegally better to promote yourselves as Thais and train your job skills to match the competition which is coming soon. Imagine this type of behavior in London, New York, Munich, Sydney......
Posted by Fiesty Farang on June 2, 2014 15:19
Editor Comment:
You would find ''foreigners'' restricted in what they can do in Sydney and New York, FF. And there would be hoops to jump through in Europe, too. The same kinds of restrictions are imposed on all except the lowest paying jobs.