Phuket: Half of group tour revenue being siphoned back to China and Chinese guides stealing Thai jobs

[webfact]

Phuket: Half of group tour revenue being siphoned back to China and Chinese guides stealing Thai jobs

 

 

Thailand's business media has reported disturbing allegations about how revenue from Chinese tourism in Phuket is not going to local people at all.

 

Instead much of it is being routed back to China. 

 

One source told Prachachat Thurakit that half of all tourist revenue was going back to China. The Chinese are routinely being ripped off in Thailand with high prices at Chinese run businesses. 

 

The claims came in a story that reported that the Chinese Guides' Association - that has 2000 Thai members - had complained about Chinese national guides working in the industry. 

 

Jirawat Nawang said that the association's chief Ongart Saejang had sent a letter to PM Prayut Chan-ocha, tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn and others about the hardship being faced by his members. 

 

He claimed there are 1,200 Chinese guides working illegally. 

 

The letter states that if Thais get any jobs with the Chinese they just get the small ones. Sometimes they are merely front men to shield Chinese doing most of the highly paid work.

 

He called on the government to act in the interest of his members. 

 

Meanwhile a source told the media that up to half of all tourist revenue from Chinese tour groups was being accrued in China. 

 

Chinese tour groups are taken to outlets run by the Chinese not Thais and they are routinely ripped off for services and products. 

 

For example they would pay 3,000 baht for meals that should cost 600 baht. 

 

Another example was Chinese buying Thai made products. A pillow and mattress set that would cost a Thai 2,500 baht was being sold for 8,000 baht and being shipped back. 

 

Thaivisa notes that there was a rebellion of Chinese tourists in Chiang Mai last year when there were at a Loy Krathong event and felt they had been ripped off for a dinner costing 3,000 baht. 

 

The media suggested that the Chinese guides in Phuket were coming in on student and tourist visas and working illegally. 

 

The job of tour guide is one of several dozen jobs reserved for Thai people, notes Thaivisa. 

 

The claims are nothing new in Thailand and follow on from a few years back when the then tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul conducted a high profile crusade against so called "zero dollar" tours that saw Chinese companies making more money from Thai tourism than the Thais. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-08

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[Vacuum]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chinese guides stealing Thai jobs

That's ok, as they're not farangs.

[Maverell]

Many locals in Chiang Rai say similar - little money from Chinese tours going into local peoples pockets.

[WineOh]

Who cares. These local touts and tour guides are inept, arrogant and aggressive. They don't deserve to serve tourists who are there on holiday trying to enjoy themselves. All they do is rip them off and ask them to be grateful for it. Get real guys, the world don't work that way!

[Dcheech]

Just now, webfact said:

Thailand's business media has reported disturbing allegations about how revenue from Chinese tourism in Phuket is not going to local people at all.

 

Instead much of it is being routed back to China. 

 

One source told Prachachat Thurakit that half of all tourist revenue was going back to China. The Chinese are routinely being ripped off in Thailand with high prices at Chinese run businesses. 

 

This isn't in any way,  new, news. It has been stated many times, in the past years. No one seemed to care. However as Thailand decided to court the celestial kingdom market, fine, but now as tourism numbers contract this year, the downside of that decision is visible to all.

 

"Chinese ‘Zero Budget’ Tours Edge Out Local Workers" 

 

Wonder if they will do anything ... say a promoted ....Bad Celestials out! campaign  with a little media dog & pony show, signs, when they catch an evildoer with no work visa. Nah.    

 

 

[BestB]

We already been through that not long ago, the bus company owner lost a few billion baht and business back to normal , same busses under different name. 
 

but to address the Chinese stealing Thai jobs, how many thai speak fluent enough Chinese and work as guides?

[Mavideol]

we need a WP but the Chinese don't, why? when IMO came to check on some foreigners owners doing business with some tourists friends they were fined because no WP, Chinese next door operates tours with ONLY Chinese customers, has (know for a fact) no WP but IMO ignored the question when asked about it, even if Chinese they are foreigners, thus need WP.... thainess at it's best

[madmitch]

Is this today's news? I seem to have read this story before...........many times!

[Momofarang]

"Serves them right"

 

Desmond Tutu

[Chelseafan]

Wow, I'm shocked. SHOCKED I say. Who knew ?

 

 

 

[trainman34014]

When you court Big Brother you can be sure he will always have his hand in your pocket.   The Chinese do nothing that is not in their own interests and don't give a stuff about Thailand.  They are only interested in what they can get OUT of Thailand but it's Karma really as the Thai's have always been only interested in what they can squeeze out of the rest of us !

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, BestB said:

We already been through that not long ago, the bus company owner lost a few billion baht and business back to normal , same busses under different name. 
 

but to address the Chinese stealing Thai jobs, how many thai speak fluent enough Chinese and work as guides?

Here in the area many.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

we need a WP but the Chinese don't, why? when IMO came to check on some foreigners owners doing business with some tourists friends they were fined because no WP, Chinese next door operates tours with ONLY Chinese customers, has (know for a fact) no WP but IMO ignored the question when asked about it, even if Chinese they are foreigners, thus need WP.... thainess at it's best

"we need a WP but the Chinese don't, why? "

Nonsense.

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

..doing most of the highly paid work

 

*collecting the bribes

 

 

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

if Thais get any jobs with the Chinese they just get the small ones

 

*do the actual guiding

 

 

 

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Who cares. These local touts and tour guides are inept, arrogant and aggressive. They don't deserve to serve tourists who are there on holiday trying to enjoy themselves. All they do is rip them off and ask them to be grateful for it. Get real guys, the world don't work that way!

Exactly and now they want protectionism to help hold the cartels and jobs for the boys localism to be protected.. 

How many of those Chinese guides are fluent in Mandarin you think ?? Can actually do the job of guiding.. Or are they just being paid to fullfill a role mandated by law. 

[Borzandy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's business media has reported disturbing allegations about how revenue from Chinese tourism in Phuket is not going to local people at all.

Is TAT surprised?

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

We already been through that not long ago, the bus company owner lost a few billion baht and business back to normal , same busses under different name. 
 

but to address the Chinese stealing Thai jobs, how many thai speak fluent enough Chinese and work as guides?

Exactly.

 

Christ, that's twice we've agreed now. Must be something in the water.

[Traubert]

23 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Exactly and now they want protectionism to help hold the cartels and jobs for the boys localism to be protected.. 

How many of those Chinese guides are fluent in Mandarin you think ?? Can actually do the job of guiding.. Or are they just being paid to fullfill a role mandated by law. 

Pretty much all of them I would think. Plus several dialects.

[Oziex1]

For all the nationalistic propaganda they do this to their own people.

 

Dodgy deals with the Chinese denying the flow of the tourist money to the small business.

 

More short term thinking that will cost in the long run.

[legend49]

Somchai needs to learn a lesson on reporting. reported disturbing allegations

 

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE not hearsay.

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

....Chinese companies making more money from Thai tourism than the Thais. 

They find the customers and control them through tours.  If you want to be competitive, go to China and find your own customers, instead of passively waiting for customers to come to you.  It is not against the law to own a hotel, restaurant, t-shirt shop or tour bus company in Thailand.  After taxes, where that money goes is up to the business owner.

 

There are Chinese who travel without tours.   They seem to go where other tourists go with the exception of drinking establishments. 

[Emdog]

Outrageous! Ripping off tourists should be exclusive profession of Thais!

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

Pretty much all of them I would think. Plus several dialects.

Funny how the 'english' Thai guides cant seem to manage that.. 

[Ireland32]

They know what’s going on , but someone’s  making a killing off Chinese Tourist 

[oz457]

This is a very common practice in the tourist industry. the guides will bring their customers to the shops restaurants Etc that give the highest commission. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

One source told Prachachat Thurakit that half of all tourist revenue was going back to China. The Chinese are routinely being ripped off in Thailand with high prices at Chinese run businesses

Come in brothers come in... 

[geoffrobbo]

I am surprised that it is only half the revenue going back to China, my bet is it is much more.

[Nicknoodle]

<deleted> you only realise this now? Oh boy you guys are clever. Chinese hotels, Chinese restaurants, Chinese travel agents....where the hell do you think the profits are going? Just dumb!

[Burma Bill]

Reminds me of back in the UK in the early 70's when UK package tour companies flocked to the Costa Del Sol using locally based UK tour guides in the Spanish resorts. Each tour package, including flight, hotel and food, was paid in full in GBP before departure - very little money into the local Spanish economy, until the villas arrived!