But before she could enter Provincial Hall, the minister was confronted by a group of tour bus and van drivers complaining that jewellery stores were using their own employees to chauffeur their own customers.
After hearing their complaints, Minister Kobkarn finally made her way to the meeting inside the building, where she heard that the had hundreds of drivers had lost their jobs over the issue.
“About 400 to 500 buses and vans have had to stop running because Chinese tour companies and jewellery shops are working together by using the jewellery shops’ buses and vans,” said Kanlaya Rakwaree, deputy president of the Andaman Tourism Association.
“This makes it is even cheaper for them to offer transportation [to customers], and increases the profit they make from customers’ purchases.”
The cost-cutting practice of bringing transport costs “in-house” was also spreading to other businesses in the tourism sector, Ms Kanyala said.
“Chinese tour companies are doing it, and so are duty-free shops, latex shops, spas, leather shops, souvenir shops and restaurants.”
Illegal guides
Ms Kobkarn also heard that efforts were underway to arrest illegal guides working on the island.
“There are about 5,000 tour guides registered to work in Phuket. This number is enough for the whole tourism industry,” said Santi Pawai, director of the Phuket office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
“We are rushing to track down 200 illegal foreign tour guides who are freely working now. When they get caught, they will be deported,” he warned.
Nominees
Regarding tour companies illegally using foreign nominees as shareholders, Mr Santi said that his office had so far identified 100 businesses that were suspected of breaking foreign-investment laws.
“The Department of Business Development will continue a deeper investigation into these businesses while Customs will track down for their tax payments.”
Rubber ripoffs hurting hotels
Ms Kobkarn also heard complaints from Karon hotel operators, saying that Chinese tour companies had stopped sending guests to hotels in that area because latex mattress and pillow vendors in front of many hotels were selling their products cheaper than the places where the tour companies were taking Chinese tourists to.
The issue has already attracted the attention of Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong, who earlier this month ordered the Phuket Chamber of Commerce to devise a list of set proces for standard products among rubber merchants. (See story here.)
That order came after Gov Nisit heard that Chinese tourists themselves had been verbally and physically attacking tour guides for ripping them off.
Since then, the latex shops operators have been “visited” by people claiming to be authorities and threatening to close down the businesses, Ms Kobkarn heard.
After hearing the plethora of issues currently plaguing Phuket’s tourism industry, Minister Korbkarn urged all operators to work together for the greater good of Phuket and other Andaman provinces.
“These are key destinations for the national tourism industry, and all the problems must be solved quickly,” she said.