Push for progress report on protection of tourists from scam

They met yesterday with Dr Suwat Sidthilaw, permanent secretary of the ministry, to seek a progress report after they lodged complaints over the past three months. Suwat insisted that local authorities continued to crack |down on local operators conduct-ing unfair practices against foreigners. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assigned Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung, who oversees national security, to take charge of the issue.
The diplomats said they were pleased with this development but asked the ministry to send them monthly reports on moves to solve the problem of tourist victimisation. These reports will be sent to the prime minister as well. They said they would publicise information from the reports to their nationals about the situation here.
The 10 diplomats represented Norway, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark.
Suwat also asked them for cooperation. He wants them to help |deliver a message on television that Thais should be good hosts and welcome foreign tourists. Cheating hurts the tourism industry, and discourages foreign visitors from coming back.
The tourist service centres, which are under the ministry, will in turn create a campaign to urge locals to look after foreign tourists and will at the same time seek TV airtime to deliver such a message.
Currently there are two tourist service centres, at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The ministry plans to open more at other airports, under the prime minister’s policy to open them in every province.
Three state agencies – the Ministry of Interior, the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport – will help set up the centres and work together to receive complaints around the clock from tourists.
Yingluck has also ordered that police stations in every area have a deputy superintendent charged with looking after tourism operations specifically.