Thailand has a shortage of Thai guides who speak a third language in addition to Thai and English. To tackle this problem, a national network of language institutes will be set up in tourist cities. Better trained guides who speak several languages should help to ensure that tourists from the higher segment also visit Thailand.
The new tourism minister, Somsak Phureesrisak, has asked the Tourism Authority of Thailand to examine the plan and come up with a budget. The Ministry considers English as a second language. “Most of all Thai guides speak that language fluently, but when it comes to multiple languages, things are bad,” said Somsak.
“There is a great lack of multilingual trained guides, especially in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. As a result, we are unable to offer good services to visitors from China and Russia.”
He added: “Initially, the schools will offer free courses to interested students. In the long term, the TAT should be able to use these schools for professional training to become a multilingual guide. The TAT must determine per province which language courses are required”.
The minister also said that Thailand now mainly attracts tourists from the lower segment. Only 10% of all tourists who come to Thailand can qualify as tourists from the upper wealth classes.
Thailand no longer focuses exclusively on a growth in the number of tourists, but also on higher income from tourism. By the year 2015, tourism revenue should reach 2 trillion baht or more.
“If we want to achieve the government's objective, we must focus more on the better and wealthier tourists. This market must grow to 20%. That is only possible when there are Thai guides who speak several languages.”
And the “wealth” of the tourists are based on? The income details that you enter at the border? I always enter the lowest amount there because it is none of strangers' business what I earn. Or expenses? I don't always stay in hotels (and if so in the name of a Thai partner) and I now ask all companies how much turnover they have to foreigners... And even then they are rough estimates. I would take these types of figures with a grain of salt, as well as the scale of tourism (every border crossing by a foreigner is a new tourist...).
And the wealthier foreign -non-EU/American/Canadian- tourist with a big wallet will not often speak reasonable to good English? I think until you attract wealthier tourists through "better" facilities in terms of level, quality and size. Speaking a third language is only a small raddar in that. I therefore expect a very small effect. But of course I am not an expert in (higher segment) tourism.
Which can also play a role: responding to the angry Thai that Russians and Chinese people, among others, play here as guides and thus take work away from a Thai. But whether that is higher segment tourism???
Rob,
I think that amount on that visa waiver is only for people with a multiple entry visa / resident visa. I thought that was NA for tourists, I stay there myself on a tourist visa (Have to leave the country every 28 days because of work, so I don't need more…) and never fill that in anyway.
I think it's better to start at the beginning. Every day on Khlong Bangkok Noi, where we live, tour boats float by, chock full of tourists from all over the world. Monitor lizards are often sunbathing on a mooring/mooring jetty across the street. The Thai guides tell the people in the boat, shouting into the microphone, that they are crocodiles. Thais really think tourists are all retards. And it all happens in terrible English, which probably only I can understand.
They have finally lost their way at the TAT.
It's so typical. The new minister blah blah… When it comes to a new minister of whatever, those gentlemen get to work immediately, without having delved into the root of the problems that prevail there. They're announcing something they're sure will make it to the press. and then invariably sit on their curt. The press picks it up, but you never hear about it again, because nothing substantial ever happens. And so this government muddles on and on.
I'll continue. There is apparently a lack of Russian-speaking guides, among other things, and they have to learn Russian in a kind of language centers set up in all sorts of ways. Russian has seven cases. The minister has undoubtedly never heard of cases and speaks English at kindergarten level himself, just like his boss, Yingluck. You don't learn Russian in a month or a year. To learn Russian you have to go to Russia and any Thai who speaks Russian fluently will not work in a petty job in the tourist sector.
Hey new minister, maybe you speak Dutch and read the TB. Use it to your advantage.
Hello…
Here here, maybe I can offer myself…besides Dutch, I also speak Limburgish, German, English, Portuguese, a little Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia (mmm, saya lupa banyak) and of course I am currently learning Thai…and worked as a steward for 30 years. So have a lot of experience in the travel world…
But not Russians. Please….
Moderator: we will not post such a comment without substantiation.
Yes, now they are only interested in Russians and Indians ... maybe also Chinese because that is also one of the languages that they have to learn here in primary education, so yes ... another person in the government who thinks he invented water ..
I come to Thailand about every year to visit my brother-in-law who lives there, fortunately in an area where there are no Russians yet. I personally no longer go to Turkey, for example, because of the too many very arrogant Russian tourists, and I think that many Europeans simply ignore certain tourist destinations for this reason. When Thailand, as is already the case in Pataya, is overrun by these Russians, the Europeans and US citizens will gradually ignore Thailand, and then they will be left alone with those Russians who will only try to force the local population out of their to drive out trade and try to take over all independent activities, as is already the case in Pataya. Hopefully this minister will realize this in time and will no longer make such nonsensical proposals to have Thai guides study Russian, there are other languages in the world
The following made me laugh out loud: The ministry considers English a second language. “The majority of all Thai guides speak that language fluently, but when it comes to multiple languages, things are bad,” Somsak says.
I have never had a guide who spoke fluent English. In my opinion, they don't learn it well either. I know a Thai who is now learning English and talks about “my how” and means
my house, but he can't pronounce it. This way they get lessons so it doesn't make much progress.
Don't make me laugh. After years of working with Thai guides, I can say that their English level is deplorable. Moreover, their profession is protected so that no competition from capable foreign guides is possible. Opening the guide market is the only way to increase quality. As a Dutchman I knew more about Thai culture than any Thai guide.
Maybe then I can start working as a guide as soon as we move to Thailand.
My wife is fluent in Dutch/English and Thai.
I myself speak the French/English/German/Portuguese/Dutch language and basic Spanish and Italian. I hope that the minister actually reads this forum so that he can contact me.
I am even willing to speed up my departure from the Netherlands.
Yes, I also feel that this is a big bubble that will never be referenced again.
Unfortunately