Authorities are tackling foreigners' illegal tour firms

BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) -- Authorities of the Interior Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry are joining forces to suppress foreigners' tour companies run by their Thai nominees and nearly 30 such firms are suspected of the legal violation. Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul and concerned authorities met at the Interior Ministry on March 2 to discuss solutions to the tour service problem. Gen Anupong said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wanted to keep tour guide businesses for Thai people only and the meeting discussed solutions to existing nominees' firms and new tour firms that would seek registration. Sutham Dejdee, director of the Bureau of Tourism Business and Guide Registration at the Department of Tourism, said a committee was set up last July to examine tour guide firms. It checked 245 firms and suspected 22 ones of being nominees' businesses. Besides, officials visited tour companies in Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai and found six tour companies run by foreigners' nominees. His bureau asked the Department of Special Investigation to handle the prosecution and proposed the Revenue Department check the tax payment records of the companies, Mr Sutham said. Besides, his bureau and the police were implementing measures to ensure safety for tourists. The measures tackled influential people, persons illegally carrying weapons at tourist destinations, transnational crimes and illegal immigration. In addition, a committee would be formed to deal with unrealistically cheap Chinese tour packages, he added. (TNA)