More pre-election FLUFF from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the higher headquarters of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Yes, more talk with no action coming from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Tourism and Sports Ministry.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Scams

In and article by The Nation, Crackdown looms on dodgy tour operators, the illustrious Thai Government Tourism Agencies, the Tourism and Sports MInistry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are out to stop the scam artists that are damaging Thailand’s image. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I almost spit out my coffee when I was reading the article.  It is so much stuff and nonsense – just an article to make the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Tourism and Sports Ministry look good.

More than 1,000 tour companies across the country have been identified as illegal firms. The ministry said that last year more than 100 foreign tourists were cheated by these companies, losing more than Bt3 million.

If they have been identified, why hasn’t one single soul been arrested?  These are the places that offer fantastic prices for tours, and when the foreign tourists arrive, they find that nothing has been booked for them and the illegal tour operators are gone.

This part is where I almost lost my coffee;

Many such operators use logos and signs similar to official ones. For example, the mark of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT, has been aped by such organisations as Tourist Assistant Travel (TAT), Tourism Information Thailand (TIT) and Tourism Authority Thai (TAT).

THE BIGGEST thieves on Facebook are the Tourism Authority of Thailand Amazing Thailand and Sukjai Thailand Facebook pages.  They both steal photos daily from other web sites, with no permission or authorization, and post them to their respective Facebook pages and claim ownership.  Recently, the Sukjai Thailand Facebook page has been giving “credit” to the site where they stole the photo without knowing if that particular site is actually the copyright holder.  The Tourism Authority of Thailand doesn’t know Thai Copyright law and violates it daily.  The Nightowl (Bernard Trink) was using TIT back in the early 70′s – he used it as his sign-off for his Friday articles – TIT – This is Thailand.

Moreover, many operators cite official campaigns without permission from the tourism authority, including Amazing Thailand, Unseen Thailand and Visit Thailand.

I didn’t know that the Tourism Authority of Thailand held the official trademark for those terms.  But, even if they do, why get all pissed off when the Tourism Authority of Thailand steals other people’s photos, images, and graphics without permission.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Sombat Kurubhun, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said operators were not allowed to use the name of the TAT or its logo commercially unless they received approval.

Tell the Tourism Authority of Thailand not to steal other people’s photos or logos with approval first.  Clean your own house before you go after others.

“Tourists may be confused and become victims of these companies. The ministry is going to stop them in order to prevent damage to the country’s image,” he said.

Yes.  Don’t stop them because you want to help out the foreign tourists.  Stop them to prevent damage to Thailand’s precious image.  Sorry.  The damage was done years ago and the Thai government has done absolutely nothing to stop it.

Private operators yesterday demanded that the government draw up new laws to protect tourists from cheating.

Laws are already in place, but the Thai Police doesn’t enforce them.  The scam artists pay the Thai Police to look the other way or the Thai Police are in cahoots with the scammers.

The laws would cover such businesses as tailors and souvenir shops. The jewellery business is already listed by the ministry.

Here we go.  More fluff.  Go to the Grand Palace and see how many touts are out there telling you that the Grand Palace is closed so that they can take you to a “Thai Government” sponsored jewelry store for a one day only sale to buy worthless jewels.  Been going on for years and years and no one has ever done anything to stop the scam artists in the Land of Scams.

What about the motorcycle and jet ski scams in Pattaya and Phuket?  Black money scams on Soi 3?  Incorrect change scams at many bars throughout the country?  The upstairs bars on Patpong Road that rip off tourists daily? Like I said, laws are already in place, but in Thailand, laws are enacted to be ignored.  New laws will have the same effect.

Sombat said the ministry would work with the Tourist Police to crack down on illegal tourism companies soon.

This is so stupid.  The Tourist Police in Thailand are there supposedly to help tourists.  Rarely do they provide any assistance other than to translate and provide the forms to fill out for someone who got ripped off.  This is not the job of the Thai Tourist Police.

The ministry has prepared seven tourism development strategies for the new government that is elected this Sunday, he said.

Seven worthless strategies.

• focusing on growth of revenue
• increasing the country’s competitiveness
• enhancing tourism management
• doing more marketing overseas
• creating new products
• improving crisis management
• revising relevant regulations

Growth of revenue numbers come out of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Office and are fictitious at best.  There is no way to determine how much money any tourist has spent and it doesn’t matter if the Tourism Authority of Thailand is talking about local Thai tourists or foreign tourists – no way to tell how much each person spent.

Thailand has already lost the competitiveness battle to countries like Singapore, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia.  Thailand has nothing new to offer, political issues, and tourist traps that are a disgrace.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand couldn’t manage its way out of a wet paper bag.  They have no plan, no idea on how to market to foreigners, no clue on anything related to tourism other than cater to the elite Bangkokians.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand does not know how to marker overseas.  Most of the TAT Facebook pages post information only in the Thai language and if you ask a question in English, you usually get ignored.  Even the new TAT Contact Center web site is totally in the Thai language.  How does this help foreign tourists?

Thailand hasn’t created anything new in years.  They continue to promote the same products at the same locations – temples, markets, and elephants.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand does not know how to control day-to-day operations so how can they function during a crisis.  Last week there was a storm forecast and TAT PAttaya published a warning on their Facebook page – all in Thai – because TAT doesn’t care one iota about foreign tourists.

Revising regulations is just a paperwork drill.  Enforcing CURRENT regulations would be much better.  Doesn’t do any good to have laws that are ignored and not enforced.

Moreover, the ministry is working with the private sector to devise marketing activities to help increase arrivals and income.

Yep, the Tourism Authority of Thailand continues to market to the dregs of the earth promoting transvestite beauty contests in Pattaya and water gun fights in Bangkok during Songkran.

Another “Look at me and all the wonderful things my Thai Government Agency, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Tourism and Sports Ministry, are doing to protect Thailand’s image”.

Tags: laws police regulations scams TAT tourism and sports ministry tourism authority of thailand tourist