Quality promotion and protection career tour guides in the travel industry of Thailand

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the study of laws related to illegal tour guides in Thailand and Malaysia and compares the results of law amendments to promote the quality and protect legal tour guides of Thailand tourism industry. The study compares Thailand Act of Tourism and Guide Registration 2008 with LAW OF MALAYSIA Act 482 TOURISM INDUSTRY ACT 1992 using economic concepts and theories on Perfect Information so-called Harsanyi Transformation and Equality and Efficiency in the Common Law to analyze and find the solution for future amendments of laws relating to illegal tour guides according to law and economics perspective. In this study, information is gathered from textbooks, articles, academic papers, theses including interviews of people and agencies concerned with tour guides i.e. the legal tour guides, the Department of Tourism-Ministry of Tourism and Sports, tour companies, Professional Tourist Guide Association of Thailand. They were interviewed about the problems of illegal tour guides, appropriate penalties and solutions. The study found that laws related to tour guides in Thailand have defined the essence to encourage tour companies and tour guides to operate and manage effectively. Thailand has many advantages over Malaysia e.g., the definitions and measures to suspend and revoke license that can be considered an advantage of the country. However, Thailand still faces major problems that should be corrected. There is no clear definition or characteristic of illegal tour guide in Thai law. Measures to prevent the zero-dollar tour are needed. Police officers or personnel involved do not practice law enforcement seriously and continuously. Moreover, the issues on law equality and efficiency in Thailand Act of Tourism and Guide Registration 2008 still have flaws in many aspects. Thus, Thailand should amend the laws involved as follows: 1) Thailand should have legislation related to illegal tour guides and zero-dollar tour in the same way as Malaysia e.g., requirements to show financial statements, trade secret documents, details of tour guides who work with the companies, reports on license renewal of legal tour guides including other statistics, disclose and non-disclose contracts of the various tour companies and rate of payment for all tour guides. In order to monitor the operation of illegal tour guides in the companies accurately and appropriately. 2) Thailand should have legislation to revoke the license of the companies that use illegal tour guides. If they violate the law by using illegal tour guides to serve foreign tourists the operation can be suspended appropriately.3) Thailand should have more training and testing to enhance the capacity of tour guides as much as possible. Learning third language especially from ASEAN countries should be encouraged to accommodate more tourists in the future.4) Thailand should add legislation on fines and imprisonment of illegal tour guides to the Act of Tourism and Guide Registration 2008 to deter the tour companies or those who want to become an illegal tour guides and make them comply with the law accordingly.