Thai guides bound to operate alongside Chinese guides

A major Thai travel body has been pushing for all its member firms to have Thai guides help Chinese guides take care of groups of Chinese tourists everywhere.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents president Charoen Wang- ananond said on Monday all tour firms under membership of the association are strongly suggested to comply with the ATTA rules by providing Chinese-speaking Thai guides alongside Chinese guides for groups of shared customer tourists wherever they may be led to visit in Thailand.

As being the case, many tour firms have merely used Chinese guides and no Thai guides to accompany groups of Chinese tourists, according to the ATTA chief.

"Given the likelihood that as many as 7 million Chinese will visit Thailand throughout this year, Thai guides should practically take part in helping Chinese guides with varied groups of Chinese tourists everywhere," he commented.

Besides, he said, the ATTA also calls for its tour firms to see to it that no customer tourists, either in groups or individuals, will be coaxed, tricked or compelled into buying anything which they may not want to and that none will be left unattended by a tour guide at any place.

Complaints had been filed with the Thai authorities to the extent that groups of Chinese tourists had been abandoned by tour firms or guides either at certain destinations or along the way.

About 350 firms doing tour-group business with the Chinese have registered as members of the association. Endi