BANGKOK, 28 February 2018: Travel safety and standards that apply to tour operators and tour guides will undergo a review to strengthen their supervision and compliance, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported earlier this week.
The ministry’s permanent secretary, Pongpanu Svetarundra, outlined measures to improve standards and business conduct in the travel industry at a meeting Tuesday.
He confirmed there was a broad agreement to issue stricter regulations on travel standards that would also impact on tour guides.
Reviews and surveys suggested regulations under the tourism business law needed to be urgently updated to be relevant to the current situation.
When the law was enacted, the country welcomed around 12 million tourists annually. Last year, arrivals surpassed 35 million and with the surge in popularity, the need for stronger rules on safety has become more apparent.
The permanent secretary said it was now a priority to reduce accident involving tourists and cut the death rate for both land and marine travel.
There have been a number of high-profile fatal accidents involving tour buses and boats transporting mainly Chinese tourists.
China National Tourism Authority expressed serious concern after a recent tour bus accident asking Thai authorities to investigate the cause and take corrective measures to improve safety for Chinese tourists. This year, around 10 million Chinese will visit Thailand on holiday packages, many of them visiting southern beach resorts where they take boat tours.
One of the ministry’s priorities is to strengthen regulations governing the management of tourism business and to define standards that should apply for vehicles used for tourist transport.
“Both the vehicle and the vehicle owner must comply with the rules and procedures prescribed by the relevant law,” the permanent secretary said.
Tour operators will be held responsible if they have hired the services of sub-standard vehicles, or boats, that are subsequently involved in accidents.
The ministry regulations will make it obligatory for the tour operator to check that services and equipment hired for clients to ensure they comply with guidelines.
Appropriate steps will be taken to ensure there is legal regress in the event of a failure of the tour operator to conduct due diligence into the services it sub contracts from third parties.
This will ensure that tour operators assume an active role in checking vehicles, usually sub-contracted, as well as driver qualifications and the operating license according to the law.
In the past, some tour operators have shirked their responsibility through loopholes in the regulations, saying they were not directly responsible for the buses hired from a third-party.
However, the ministry says the buck ends with the registered tour operator, who must now show that it operates according to the highest standard to ensure the safety of travellers even if a sub-contracted service is employed.
The ministry warned that it will work with the police to enforce compliance with the law to build satisfaction and confidence in the country’s tourism experience that will ultimately encourage travellers to return.
