Ministry of Tourism and Sport’s Department of Tourism’s Bureau of Tourism Business and Guide Registration says it will improve communications to notify travel associations, whenever travel companies are deregistered.

The bureau director, Sutham Dechdi, was fielding questions from TTR Weekly on the lack of information on the status of travel firms registered with the bureau.

There was strong evidence that the department did not inform relevant travel associations when travel firms were deregistered. Some of the companies taken off the list continued to be members of trade associations and remained open for business.

The Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has ordered the bureau to strengthen communications on travel company information and their registration status.

At present it is not possible for travel consumers, or trade associations, to know the current status of travel firms. If registration renewal lapsed, or a travel firm was struck off the list, travellers would not be aware of the changes.

Companies usually print their registration number and display the ministry’s Department of Tourism emblem as proof they are in good standing. If they are deregistered it is illegal for them to offer travel services to consumers or the trade as a B2B travel channel.

Also online travel agencies that claim they are technology companies escape the need to register with the DoT, although their entire business revenue is derived from offering hotel stays and other related travel services to either consumers or other travel agents.

The offending online travel agencies are big players and some enjoy Board of Investment privileges, but they claim they do no need to register as travel service firms as they fall under the “technology solutions” business category. It remains a massive loophole that could result in consumers having no legal means to seek redress or compensation.

But the DoT says it is addressing the lack of meaningful updates on the status of companies that do fall under its jurisdiction.

inside no 1.1“We have recently begun to send out communications on deregistered travel firms to tourism associations such as Thai Hotels Association, Association of Thai Travel Agents, and Thailand Tourist Police Division to inform which travel firms are deregistered and can no longer offer travel services legally,” the bureau official confirmed.

Hotels are particularly vulnerable as they have to bill travel firms for hotel stays and they often offer travel firms generous credit terms.

The director admitted that the state and private sectors lack of integration on this issue.

“We neglected this problem for long time…cooperation will increase safety and security for tourism sector as well as for travel associations, hotels, car rentals and other related services,” he said.

Regarding the deregistered travel firms issues, he confirmed the bureau had revoked the licenses of two agencies after the companies repeatedly used illegal tour guides. However the director declined to identify the companies saying he would send a letter to the related travel associations next week.

TTR Weekly would argue that a change in a travel firm status should be considered public knowledge to safeguard the rights of travel consumers.

There are five measures being undertaken to tackle illegal travel business activities.

They are:

Bureau of Tourism Business and Guide Registration joins hands with Thailand Tourist Police Division to check out travel operators and tour guides that are not registered with the bureau list at popular destinations. They conduct spot checks twice weekly;

Department of Tourism works with Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Business Development, Ministry of Justice’s Department of Special Investigation and Thailand Tourist Police Division to investigate local tour operators, nationwide, to crackdown on nominee issue or fake shareholders;

The bureau provides volunteers to assist tourists in 11 provinces–Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chonburi, Phuket, Songkhla, Satun, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani, Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya;

Department of Tourism collaborates with the Tourist Police Division, Association of Thai Travel Agents, Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association and Professional Tourist Guide Association of Thailand to tighten travel operator and tour guide standards in the Chinese market. They signed an agreement on 24 December last year to cooperate;

The bureau participates with Royal Thai Police to enforce laws and regulations to build tourist confidence and safety. The main focus is on zero-dollar tours, illegal travel firms, illegal tour guides, product and service scams such as jet ski, car and motorcycle rental and thefts on tour buses.

DoT to identify deregistered travel firms : TTR Weekly