Tour firms struggle with lack of Chinese-speaking guides

Tour firms struggle with lack of Chinese-speaking guides

A group of tour operators ask the government to help them solve the problem of a shortage of Chinese-speaking tour guides. (Photo by Pattarachai Preechapanich)
A group of tour operators ask the government to help them solve the problem of a shortage of Chinese-speaking tour guides. (Photo by Pattarachai Preechapanich)

The Thailand-China Tourism Association (TCTA) wants government help to solve the problem of a shortage of licenced Chinese-speaking tour guides and soaring numbers of Chinese visitors.

TCTA president Ronnarong Cheewinsiriamnuai said the private sector had cooperated with the government in catering for Chinese tourists, and promoting Thailand as a desirable destination.

This had resulted in a sharp rise in the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand in recent years. 

The association expected that around 10 million Chinese would visit Thailand in 2016, up from 7.9 million in 2015 and 4.7 million each in 2014 and 2013.

He said the influx of Chinese visitors had caused problems for tour operators because there was a severe shortage of Chinese-speaking tour guides. This forced some firms to illegally hire unlicenced tour guides.

The association wants the government to address the problem and find ways to alleviate it.

About a hundred representatives from the association submitted the request in a petition to the prime minister on Wednesday. 

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