The Labour Ministry has warned that tour guiding is a profession strictly reserved for Thai nationals, and that foreigners working as guides will face legal action or deportation.
Those who employ foreigners as tour guides will also face action, it said.
Labour Minister Trinuch Thienthong said that with the high season approaching some tour group operators, in order to fulfil demand, will hire foreign tour guides, which violates labour laws.
A tour guide is one of 27 protected occupations. This means a foreigner cannot obtain a work permit for the job of tour guide, nor can those with valid permits for other occupations legally act as guides.
Ms Trinuch said the government is focused on boosting the economy and promoting tourism to bring revenue into the country, so hiring foreign guides not only breaks the law but also takes jobs away from Thai citizens.
According to the minister, if foreigners are found working without a permit or doing a job beyond what their permit allows, they could be subject to a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation and a ban from applying for another work permit for two years. Employers who hire unlicensed foreign workers face fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 baht per worker.
