The rally was sparked by a complaint lodged with Wichit police at around 1:30 pm by Tao Langlang, who alleged that he had been assaulted yesterday at a restaurant called Jong Hua.
Somchai Saetung and some friends, all Chinese guides holding guide licenses, are accused of the attack on Mr Tao.
Police declined to say how many are accused of involvement in the attack. In fact, they refused to give any details at all to the press. Pol Lt Thapanee Warinsa-ad, officer on duty, told The Phuket News briefly, “We can’t give any details because it is still under investigation.”
Mr Tao also declined to comment.
But Pathompong Saeho, a friend of Mr Somchai’s said, “We came here to hear what the result will be. They [the alleged attackers] are our friends. [Mr Tao] asked [Mr Somchai] how long he had gone without work. He [Mr Tao] was contemptuous towards him. That’s why [the fight started].”
Another friend, Kreangkamon Wongwan, alleged, “He [Tao] is working illegally as a guide, and came here to take our jobs. Why did he have to say things like that?”
Several other guides took turns explaining to The Phuket News that the main reason they were at the police station was because they wanted to complain to the Thai government and the authorities about the lack of action against “all these illegal Chinese guides”.
Mr Kreangkamon said, “Now, we don’t have a government [in Thailand] so we don’t know who we can talk to. These illegal guides come here as tourists. They don’t know what the colours on the Thai flag mean. They don’t even know their way around a map of Phuket. They don’t know Thai history, and they give tourists wrong information. They twist history.”
Pairoj Wutthiwarawong told The Phuket News, “There are about 800 Chinese-speaking guides holding licenses in Phuket. Now, some can get no work because [the illegal guides] are competing for jobs.
“Being a guide in Thailand is reserved only for Thais. These illegal Chinese guides explain to tourists that the blue colour of the Thai flag means sapphires, red is for rubies and white is for zircon.
“They don’t know the real meaning – that red is for the nation, white is for faith and blue is for the King.”
Chaifu Saelee, leading the rally, said, “We were going to call for the right thing to be done soon, but this happened first, so we are here today to hear what the result is. We will rally again tomorrow on Poonphol Rd.”
Poonphol Rd, in Phuket Town, is home to a tour company, Tai Lee Co, which, the legal guides say, will be the focus of a rally to call for “fairness”.