Bangkok – The Prime Minister says he is satisfied with operations to eradicate zero-dollar tours in Thailand and has urged government officials to adhere to regulations without discrimination and improve tourist services.
The premier acknowledged a report on the operations against the zero-dollar tours and expressed his satisfaction to government agencies, particularly those responsible for the prosecution of 29 companies who allegedly violated the Tourism Business and Guide Act B.E. 2551, and the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2542.
He urged officials to proceed with the cases according to evidence and uphold the country’s interests in order to contain any damage to its tourism economy, restore its image and refrain from discriminating any specific group of people.
The operations will be extended in a bid to prosecute all others who may be allegedly involved in such zero-dollar tours.
The government has taken into account complaints from tourists, including the Chinese, in order to address problems such as false promises for services, the refunding claims, and forced purchases of certain products or services.
The China National Tourist Office in Thailand (CNTO) has taken Thailand’s approach against illegal tour operators as a model for other countries, and given cooperation with Thai authorities in the checking of the quality of Chinese tour companies.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Thailand has welcomed 2.7 million more tourists during 2016-2017, and gained five billion US dollars more in tourism-related revenue, which is the third highest globally after only the United States and Spain.
