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Tourism / Thailand
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2000-03-18 18:34:00-05
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Tourists arrested for visiting Dive Shops
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Went into shop, arrested by police accusing the for working illegally
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Two Japanese tourist entering a dive shop in Phuket found themselves arrested and had to be released on bail of 100.000 Baht (approx. 2800 US$). The police thought that they were working illegally in the shop. In a move that has shocked the diving community in Phuket Tourist Police cracked down on foreign divemasters in Phuket. Accoring to Thai law a job as a tour-guide can only legally be held by a Thai national. In a statement in todays Bangkok Post, Pol Lt-Col Chak said "A tour guide is a person who leads people to se places and things and that is exactly what a dive master is doing". Dive operators say that this is an gross oversimplification of matters. "A divemaster has a long education behind him, he has responsibility for human lives and safety and he is expected to communicate closely with the members of the team. Is an airline-pilot also a tour guide?". Another operator stated: "We would love to hire Thai divemasters. No hassle with working permits and they would work for a different salary. But the tought of having our German customers being served by a Thai divemaster with poor language is rediculous. Competing with other places is hard enough already." Jeroen Deknatel, spokesman for Fantasea Divers, a major operation in Phuket says "The Thai's who can speak english well have a high level of education and would rather work in an air-conditioned office." Many operators in Phuket are angered by this sudden move. Foreign divemasters has been working in Phuket for 15 years, fully registered with working permit as 'Divemaster'. Suddenly they are arrested and has to be bailed out for a small fortune." Dive operators in Phuket complains over a bad season already. "Phuket is getting too expensive and is in hard competition with other places. The latest development is just what we need." According toThe Phuket Gazette Phuket Senator Paiboon Upatising met today with Deknatel and Pol Lt Col Chak Onnim, inspector of the local tourist police. According to Deknatel, the senator suggested to the inspector that in a case like this where the law is not clear, the police should call a meeting to inform any interested parties of changes in policies so as to give these parties time to adapt. He also suggested that arrests not be made in front of tourists.
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