The Phuket Office of Tourism and Sport̕s Director, Santi Pawai led officials to the international terminal of PIA to inspect tour counters, tour companies, and also guides that had come to pick up tourists at the aiport.
As a way of preventing illegal guide companies and guides, officials requested that the companies and guides produce their job orders, tour company registration forms and work permits.
Official also warned the tour companies that their paper work must be in Thai language only.
Santi Pawai said, “Today is a good day because no one has broken any tourism rules. We found no illegal guides or illegal tour companies operating in PIA.
“The five companies that we checked are all legitimate, except for one [a Swedish company] which still had their documents in Swedish. We have told them to get the papers translated into Thai.
“Next week, all tour companies must bring their job orders to the NCPO Centre or Royal Navy Third Fleet branch office, both located at PIA, to get their official seal. We stress that all documents pertaining to the tour companies must be in Thai language when presented to officials,” he said.
The Tourism and Sport office have been working to shut down all illegal tour guides and companies in Phuket. Within the last two months, the Tourism Registry Office, led by Santi Pawai, have closed six companies including two dive companies.
However, most of their time is spent dealing with illegal guides, and also workers from Nepal and Myanmar who do not have the correct work permits.
Captain Pongjak Uraimarn, special unit Wing Commander, Third Fleet Royal Navy who is in charge of keeping peace and order at PIA said that they had received help from more than 30 Navy officials to sweep the area for any illegal activities.
Phuket currently has about 1,601 tour companies and 4,428 legal guides that are registered with the Tourism Registry Office to operate with tour businesses.