End of illegal guides: Severe fines & 2-year ban as high season begins
Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong has ordered a high-season crackdown on illegal foreign tour guides accused of taking jobs from Thais. Offenders face a 50,000-baht fine and a two-year entry ban.
- Thailand is intensifying legal action against foreigners working illegally as tour guides as the country enters its high tourism season.
- Illegal foreign guides face fines of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a two-year ban on applying for a work permit in Thailand.
- Employers hiring illegal guides will be fined 10,000 to 100,000 baht per person, with repeat offenses leading to potential imprisonment and a three-year ban on hiring foreigners.
- The crackdown enforces the law that designates "tourist guiding" as a reserved occupation exclusively for Thai nationals, from which foreigners are strictly prohibited.
Treenuch Thienthong, the Minister of Labour, revealed that she had instructed officials on October 23, 2025, to strictly inspect and take legal action against foreigners illegally working as illegal guides in Thailand, especially during the upcoming high tourism season.
She stressed that "tourist guiding" or "tour organisation work" is a "reserved occupation" for Thai nationals under the law, and foreigners are strictly prohibited from performing it.
'Guide' is a Reserved Occupation for Thais! Foreigners Doing It is a Serious Legal Offence
Treenuch stated that as Thailand enters the high tourism season, a large number of foreign tourists, particularly from China, are entering the country. This has led some tour operators to employ foreign guides who are working illegally, which is a clear violation of the law and constitutes "stealing jobs" from Thai people.
Tourist guiding and tour organisation work are listed in Schedule 1 of the Ministry of Labour’s announcement on Prohibited Occupations for Foreigners, which includes 27 jobs reserved exclusively for Thai citizens. Consequently, foreigners are not eligible to obtain work permits for these positions.
Warning! Severe Penalties for Both 'Illegal Guides' and 'Illegal Employers'
The Labour Minister warned about the legal penalties:
Foreigners (Illegal Guides):
- Working without a work permit or working beyond the scope of their allowed rights will result in a fine of 5,000 – 50,000 baht.
- Will be deported to their country of origin.
- Will be prohibited from applying for a work permit in Thailand for 2 years from the date the penalty is imposed.
Employers/Establishments:
- Hiring foreigners without a work permit or allowing foreigners to work outside their permitted scope will face a fine of 10,000 – 100,000 baht per hired foreigner.
- Repeat offenders will be liable to imprisonment for up to 1 year, or a fine of 50,000 – 200,000 baht per hired foreigner.
- It will be prohibited from hiring foreigners for 3 years.
Treenuch emphasised that hiring foreign guides instead of Thais is not only a legal offence but also goes against the government's measures to stimulate the economy and promote tourism, which aim to keep currency circulating and create jobs for people within the country.
Channels for Reporting Information:
If illegal employment of foreigners is observed, information can be reported to:
- Central Registry and Job Seeker Protection Division Tel. 02 354 1729
- Bangkok Employment Offices 1-10
- All Provincial Employment Offices
- Ministry of Labour Hotline Tel. 1506 Press 2 for the Department of Employment
