Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are posing the question "can foreigners operate or strictly speaking work in the Thai Tourism sector?" Very good question. Well there was actually a recent publication in a Thai language publication, voicetv.co.th, and basically, we will throw this up on screen, I have got sort of the highlights, my staff and I sort of went through this. So basically, one of the Deputy Government Spokespersons, I believe Traisuree Traisaranakul, this spokesperson said that the Prime Minister had told Government Agencies to start cracking down on foreigners who were working illegally as tour guides in Thailand. This is something that I don't think folks fully understand. 

Look, there are restricted occupations in Thailand and Thailand is for lack of better term a bit protectionist and I think a bit, might be more than a bit, protectionist of Thai jobs. And quite honestly as a naturalized Thai, I am happy to see it. I think frankly in other countries, my birth country, the old country if you will back in America included, I think there is something to be said, I am not necessarily just a full on "Throw up the tariffs and don't let in any foreign competition", no that doesn't really work but there is kind of a reasonable man test that you say look we are going to restrict some jobs to our own people and oftentimes for lack of a better term they are sometimes pretty plum gigs. Honestly being a tour guide in Thailand I think would be kind of fun but that's a job restricted to Thais for that reason probably, because it is a fun job. It does pay pretty good and guess what the name’s on the door Thailand, it is the land of the Thais. If you are a Thai sure great and I am not making this video to sort of lord it over that foreigners don't have the same sort of rights that Thais do but it is worth noting and you need to be aware of this as a foreign national if you are coming to Thailand and looking to engage in this kind of activity, the Thai Government is looking for it. They are serious.

As we have discussed in other videos, Department of Employment, Department of Labour if you will and the Immigration apparatus are taking much more of a law enforcement attitude rather than an administrative attitude regarding laws and regulations pertaining to for example restricted occupations and those who are coming to Thailand to do business. So this is one of those situations, kind of one of those things that you need to be aware of as a foreign national, that if you are going to come to Thailand, there are just certain things that as a foreigner you are just not going to be able to do from a work perspective.