Local tour guides protest over illegal tour guides

Phuket tour guides today protested at the Phuket Provincial City Hall over illegal tour guides they say are taking their jobs.

About 100 Phuket tour guides protested in front of the Phuket Provincial City Hall and handed a letter to Phuket’s Vice Governor Tanyawat Chanpinit pleading for fairness in the situation.

President of Andaman Tour Guide Association, Krit Thepbamrung,  who was leading the protesters, says, “We haven’t received fairness from government offices.”

“We are asking for them to take legal action against illegal foreign tour guides who are stealing Thai people’s occupations. This problem has been occurring for over ten years. Officers are strictly checking only legal Thai tour guides but not the illegal ones.”

“For the issue about tour guide licenses to work in marine national parks from the Department of National Park Wildlife and Conservation, which will be enforce in 2020, this is duplicating the situation as legal tour guides have already passed the training.”

“They need to review the new rules at the Phuket International Airport about controlling and checking legal tour guides when entering the inside zone and raising signs to take customers. Illegal tour guides can easily enter that zone.”