Tougher times await local tour guides Though the shortage of professional tour guides in Thailand has been a subject of long discussion, especially those with fluency in languages, the problem has never been dealt with in a proper manner. That's why you see so many foreign guides operating in Thailand, although illegally. But starting 2010, in line with our obligations under GATT, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, foreign guides will be able to operate in Thailand legally. However, the Professional Guides Association of Thailand is not happy with the situation."We don't want that to happen. There is no foreigner who can tell about our country better than our own people," said a senior staff of the association. The association is urging the government to take steps to safeguard the interest and livelihood of local guides, so far protected by the Professional Guides Act that reserves this profession for Thais only. "We can't deny that the competition would be tough. We know that we will have to improve our expertise to cope with the new situation," he said. In the mean time, local guides have been receiving advanced training with support from the private sector and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports which has allocated a budget to train and enhance the professional expertise of local guides, particularly where there is a shortage of proficient bi- or multi-lingual guides. Guides with proficiency in other foreign languages will also be trained, and other measures will need to be taken to keep pace with the changing face of competition in the region and the tourism industry as a whole. Bangkok Post July 2005 www.bangkokpost.com |