The hospitality sector in Phuket is urging the government to solve the issue of foreign mafia on the resort island.
It is concerned the group is now exploiting laws to run their own businesses while also taking up the jobs traditionally reserved for locals.
Speaking during a recent meeting about tourism issues in the three Andaman provinces, Kata Group Resorts founder and president Pramookpisitt Achariyachai said some foreigners were breaching rules on jobs which are normally restricted to Thais.
Businesses currently run by groups of foreigners include taxi services and accommodation, with some foreigners renting villages and condo rooms abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic and then renting them out again to their countrymen.
The groups also recruit members with the same nationality to provide taxi services, he said.
In addition, locals in Phuket have also objected to a chopper riders' group.
Mr Pramookpisitt is concerned that foreign mafia groups may take control of the island, similar to what happened in Pattaya a couple of decades ago.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn should deal with these concerns, he said.
Mr Phiphat said authorities will look into the matter. "I'm certain most Thais will not tolerate it if foreigners are trying to steal their jobs. Authorities from various agencies will look into the matter as the prime minister has also ordered the Royal Thai Police to crack down on it," said Mr Phiphat.
Mr Phiphat also acknowledged other tourism issues in the three Andaman provinces (Phuket, Krabi and Phangnga) such as infrastructure issues which include insufficient public transport, poor quality roads and traffic congestion, especially in Phuket, as well as low occupancy rates among small-sized hotels in some popular tourism destinations.
Mr Phiphat said the Andaman provinces are key tourism magnets in the South. The ministry plans to promote the three provinces as the "Andaman Triangle".
It will push Phuket as the centre of an Andaman triangle destination and promote Phangnga and Krabi as low-carbon city destinations focused on eco-tourism.
In addition, the ministry will also push Khlong Thom district in Krabi as a spa destination because of the natural hot springs found in the area.
Phuket will bid to host a specialised expo under the theme of "Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity" to promote the island as an international medical hub, he added.