24-6-2023 (BANGKOK) The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling on the government to take action against bribery in the tourism sector, particularly in night-time entertainment venues and the tour guide business. While the problem is not as widespread in tourism as in other industries, tourism operators hope that measures can be implemented to address this issue.
Chamnan Srisawat, President of the TCT, emphasized the need to address all the issues at hand. He revealed that some night-time entertainment venues regularly pay bribes to authorities in order to extend their operating hours beyond the mandated closing time of 2 am. Additionally, some foreign tour guides resort to bribery to secure work with tour groups.
Mr. Chamnan proposed that relevant authorities should establish specific zones in popular tourist cities where entertainment venues can operate late into the night legally. Furthermore, he suggested that training more Thai tour guides and offering lower fees could deter foreign tour guides from resorting to bribery, thereby increasing the number of legitimate guides in the industry.
Earlier this year, cases emerged of Chinese tourists paying for “VIP” police escorts at airports, shedding light on the desire for greater convenience among foreign tourists during their trips. Mr. Chamnan highlighted this demand and suggested that authorities should introduce an official fast-track service. This service would allow foreign tourists to pay extra for priority access at airports, and the concept could be expanded to other transportation hubs and attractions across Thailand.
Airports of Thailand has already taken steps in this direction by launching a mobile application that offers fast-lane services at a cost of approximately 2,500 baht per person.
Taxis remain a significant concern for the tourism industry, particularly instances where passengers are overcharged at airports and other locations. Mr. Chamnan stressed the importance of regulating all taxi services through a unified digital booking application. Such an application would calculate estimated fares and additional surcharges, providing transparency to passengers before they embark on their journey. This approach would help build consumer confidence and prevent potential crimes or scams.
Once a new government is formed, the TCT stands ready to collaborate with any political party to prioritize the development of tourism as a national agenda item.
