How to get a job as a hotel guide abroad. Secret information about hotel guides. How and why tour operators and hotel guides deceive you
“If you don’t buy excursions from me, you will get into an accident and die. If you go on excursions not with me and get injured, your insurance will not work. And tomorrow you must come to meet me, otherwise your air tickets will not be activated and you will not return home from this wild country, where only I can save you.”
Hotel guide.
Minus count
A long time ago, when we went on a package tour to Thailand, upon leaving our hotel in Phuket we were given questionnaires. “Rate the hotel, rate the beach” and other routine questions. Including “rate the hotel guide.” I deliberately looked over the shoulders of several tourists: I was very interested in whether they agreed with me in my assessment? Yes, we agree: everyone gave the lowest score.
hotel in Egypt, we were given questionnaires. There was no need to look over your shoulder: when they saw the question about the guide, everyone laughed loudly and angrily and gave it a “failure.”
Even earlier, when leaving our hotel in Turkey... In general, you understand.
As a rule, a hotel guide is not the most pleasant person. He lies to your face, sells exorbitant excursions on you, and turns his nose up if you distract him from important matters with your stupid questions. Of course, there are good hotel guides in the world. But meeting them is a great success. We've never come across them. And not only us: many tourists complain about the boorish attitude of their “helpers”.
For example, when my brother and his wife came to Pattaya, communication with the hotel guide was the only negative memory of the entire vacation. Over a glass of wine, they complained to us that the guide was pointedly not paying attention to them. And when they said hello to him in the morning, he simply turned away in silence. Why? But because the guys didn’t buy excursions from him for crazy money. This is precisely the main and only purpose of a tourist from the point of view of a hotel guide. To deceive and rip off a tourist is the main and only task of the hotel guide himself. Do you want to object? This means that you either did not travel on a package tour, or you were incredibly lucky with the guide, or you yourself are a hotel guide and it’s unpleasant for you to read this about your colleagues. Most tourists, unfortunately, will agree with me. And that's why.
On the first day of vacation, a tourist should take a break from the flight, go to lie down on some beautiful beach- let's say... But no one cares, because at 12:00 the hotel guide is waiting for him!
How a hotel guide deceives you
When I was working, I was once preparing for publication a very interesting article in the spirit of “tested for myself” (you will find links to this wonderful material below). Our former journalist worked as a hotel guide for a year and a half and revealed all their simple secrets. So, deceiving and robbing a tourist is not my expression. This is really the main goal of a hotel guide. Everything else is secondary. Selling your expensive excursions to tourists is the main task that the management sets for the hotel guide. And to achieve this, he resorts to lies, intimidation and other meanness.
What is the first thing a hotel guide tries to do? Right, drag tourists to an “information” meeting, which is usually scheduled the next day after arrival. It is there that the bulk of tourists sign up for tour operator excursions. Therefore, already on the way from the airport, such psychological processing begins that upon arrival at the hotel, the tourist can save money on dinner by removing selected noodles from his ears.
Let's look at just some of the tricks hotel guides use to lure tourists into meetings.
In Egypt, we conquered the African desert, stayed with the Bedouins, crossed the sands on ATVs, and rode camels. All this, of course, without the help of a dull hotel guide. When he saw us, he pointedly turned away.
The first lie. “You need to come to a meeting with the hotel guide to activate your health insurance.”
Otherwise, they say, it won’t work, and if you get sick, no one will help you. This is a vile, cynical lie. is mandatory included in all package tours. Take it out and look: the insurance policy that you were given before your flight indicates the dates of your trip. No guide activates any insurance: it starts working from the first day specified in the policy until the last.
What if, God forbid, you feel sick the night after your arrival, that is, even before meeting your hotel guide? If you follow the guide's logic, then you will call the insurance company, you will be asked whether the guide has activated insurance, and if not, then you will be refused help. Rave? Complete nonsense. And the hotel guide passes it off as the true truth.
The second lie. “You must attend a meeting with your hotel guide to activate your return flight tickets, otherwise you will not fly home.”
Sorry for the rudeness, but by telling tourists this, the guide is simply treating them like idiots. You either have plane tickets or you don’t. And they won’t get away from you anywhere if you have already bought them as part of a package tour. The hotel guide does not activate air tickets or medical insurance.
The third lie. “You must come to meet your hotel guide so that he can register you with the tourist police.”
What could be more terrible than Egypt? Only Turkey with its terrible mountains, waterfalls and street travel agencies that took us to these terrible places inexpensively.
This vile horror story was invented quite recently and especially for Thailand. They say that if you do not show up for a meeting with the hotel guide and he does not register you with the tourist police, then you are in the country illegally. So, dear friends, there is no registration with the tourist police: this is another lie to drag you into a meeting with a guide. If you crossed the border not by crawling through the jungle, but by walking passport control and received a stamp in your passport for 30 days, then before the end of this period you are in the country legally. For information: Thailand is one of the most popular countries in the world, millions of foreigners live here and tens of millions come to travel every year, and no one (except Russian package tourists) has ever heard of the need to register with the tourist police. Because this procedure exists only in the sick imagination of your guide, in order to intimidate and bind inexperienced tourists.
The fourth lie. “You need to come to a meeting with the guide to find out the procedure for departure from the hotel to the airport”
What is there to find out? If you are traveling to Pattaya, Kemer, Hurghada or anywhere as part of a package tour, then a day or two before the end of your vacation a piece of paper will appear on the hotel bulletin board. It will indicate your last name and check-out time from the hotel. So what, for this you need to kill time to meet with a person who does not respect you and takes you for fools? Of course not. This is another lie that he tells to drag you into a meeting with him.
But let’s say he still managed to intimidate you and you came to a much-needed meeting with this nice man. The second stage of brainwashing awaits you there. After all, a tourist must be taken “warmly” until he leaves the hotel and sees the real ones (Alanya, Sharm el-Sheikh, etc.). Therefore, you must sign up for excursions and pay for them “here and now”, without leaving, as they say, from the cash register. That is why at the meeting with the guide you will find a new portion of selected lies.
The fifth lie. “Today only – special price!”
Do you know why the price lists of tour operators very often do not indicate the prices of excursions? To make it easier, try one more guide trick that will help guide the victim to the right decision about immediately purchasing excursions. At the meeting, tourists will be solemnly announced that “today only” they are offered a special price. And since the cost is not indicated in the price list, this price can be any.
And when the tourist, inspired by the special price, flies out of the hotel gates and sees the “regular” price, but half as much, it will be too late. The price is special, which means the money is not returned.
Lie number six. “Street agencies will kill you”
The hotel guide will definitely tell you some horror stories about street agencies. And the food there is tasteless, and the guides are bad, and the buses are old... But here’s a separate song, my favorite: “if you get injured on an excursion that was not purchased from a tour operator, your insurance will not work.” Bullshit: Works no matter where or when the injury occurs. Of course, subject to certain conditions (the injury occurred in the country of insurance, you were not drunk, etc.).
While vacationing in Phuket, we went for just 1,000 baht per person. And the tour operator costs... How much does it cost now? Friends, if any of you have recently vacationed in Phuket, please share the tour operator’s prices! Only they are not enough for one very important article)))
And you will definitely learn that “street agency buses constantly crash.” Nothing like this. Yes, this is life: unfortunately, from time to time buses get into accidents - both from street agencies and tour operators. Let's reveal the statistics: in 2014, two buses with Russian tourists, in 2013 - four buses.
Both buses that crashed in 2014 belonged to official Russian tour operators. In 2013, of the four buses that crashed, three belonged to Russian tour operators and only one belonged to a “street” agency.
Naturally, as soon as this accident happened with a “street” bus, tour operators took great pleasure in taking the opportunity to peck out their competitors.
— As a rule, the cost of excursions on the street is cheaper than those offered by tour operators to their tourists, but cheap does not mean good. The quality of buses, the skill of the driver, the professionalism of guides in such agencies leaves much to be desired, - leads RIA Novosti website comment from “a representative of a large Russian tour operator.”
Do you see? This is not a lazy hotel guide saying this. “An employee of a representative office of a large Russian tour operator” is broadcasting this to the whole country. Acting, in my opinion, very dishonestly: people are injured, in hospitals, and he explains how stupid they are for buying a tour on the street. So it's not your guide who is bad - perhaps, in fact, he is very good man. But at work he is part of the system that makes him this way.
You can grind anything with your tongue, but statistics are a stubborn thing. And it shows: five out of six accidents are on the conscience of “large Russian tour operators.” Who there, you say, “the quality leaves much to be desired”?
"Are you crazy, this is wild Arab country! - a hotel guide scared us in Morocco when he learned that we were traveling from Agadir to Marrakesh on our own and were going to the mountains without him. By the way, he himself is an Arab. In order to sell their excursions to tourists, some hotel guides are ready to sell not only their conscience, but also their own people.
Instead of an afterword
In no way am I shielding street agencies or defending them to tour operators. Both can provide excellent service or terrible service. Both of them have buses that crash – both in Thailand and in Turkey, India, Greece, and Egypt. I just want to say that by demonizing street agencies, hotel guides are going too far, preferring not to notice the beam in his own eye. After all, in fact, the only difference in excursions between street agencies and Russian tour operators is the price. It is impossible to hide this, so when selling you expensive excursions, the hotel guide often focuses on the fact that you are overpaying for quality and safety. That is, again, he’s lying. There is nothing to comment on here - just look at the statistics again.
Now let's turn again to my colleague, who worked as a hotel guide in Greece for a year and a half. By the way, here is his article - read it, you will learn a lot of interesting things:
In the text he enlightens us: a guide’s salary consists of a rate and a percentage for sold excursions. That is, there is still a fixed rate there. And this already obliges him to help you, regardless of whether you bought excursions from him or not. And don’t turn their nose up at you, as most hotel guides do.
These people deceive you, disrespect you, steal your time and your money. Well, do you still want to keep them?
Useful tips for tourists about Pattaya that a hotel guide will never give
Friends, have hotel guides ruined your vacation? Or were you lucky and got that unique, conscientious hotel guide? Let's scold the bad ones and praise the good guides in the comments to this article!
59 comments to the article "The guide does not know what shame is. Why the hotel guide is the main enemy of the tourist"
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Hello, Elena! Thanks for your feedback! And the point is exactly how hotel guides communicate with those who don’t buy anything from them :)
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Elena, good afternoon! Your comment proves that exceptions prove the rule)) I hope that my former colleague, whose articles are linked at the end of the text, was also a “good” hotel guide. At least sometimes))
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Hello, Ekaterina! Thank you for your comment. You are cool! I was very interested in your trip to Morocco. We were there too, but back when we had just started out on the trail. independent trips. Then we ourselves - and for us it was wow! — we went for a couple of days from Agadir to Marrakech. How did you find there personal guide? At a travel agency or online? Or did he find you himself?) And in Cyprus, how did you look for an individual guide?
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Olga, good afternoon! You are absolutely cool, completely on your own, but in Morocco and there, well done!!!
I’ve traveled before on tour packages, on the spot on my own, with or without a guide, and completely independently, depending on which countries/cities/resorts))
For the last few years I have been drawn only to Turkey, but I always come here myself!
We flew to Morocco on a package tour, I found a guide on the website review.ru (they recommended it on the forum, when I asked, I had hung out there before, there were no blogs like yours or similar ones). Upon arrival at the hotel, we texted him, he knows Russian (he studied in Russia), he drove up to the hotel, discussed excursions and prices with him and agreed on the dates we needed)) Additionally, he also drove us around Agadir, showed us the sights of the city, cheap cafes, shops, on another day he took us to the fish market and cafes there, and with him, so that we wouldn’t be completely hyped, because we need to know the places where to try fish;)) said the code word (to say that we are from him, he is famous at the resort) and we will be served first class :))
I also looked for a guide to Cyprus on the forum (review.ru), she is our compatriot, lives there (married to a Cypriot), organizes private excursions. The trip was completely independent (I was in Cyprus for the second time, and the first time I went along the burner, I liked it and decided to repeat it myself). We booked for 6 people. a villa in the resort of Protaras (I was on vacation on my first trip and really liked the town), in Ag-ve, across the ktr. We booked a villa, rented a car and assigned a guide for some days)) if you are interested, write to the mail, I will send the contacts of the guides!Answer
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We were vacationing in Nha Trang at the hai au hotel, the hotel guide sold excursions for bucks, he didn’t have enough to change them for us, he tried to return them in dongs (at an unfavorable rate for us), but they weren’t there, then he promised to leave them with the administrator after 19 hours. The administrator didn’t have time for money, I had to call the hotel bastard, he replied that he had no time, so he would transfer it through the transfer bastard tomorrow. In such cases, if you owe someone, you should at least warn them. This made me angry, I demanded my money today, to which he asked: how much do I owe you? That is, he doesn’t even remember, then how was he going to transmit it? He tried to sell him in dongs at a lower rate, to which I promised to report everything to his Anextour hotline, only then did I receive change. He lied a lot about the excursions; if they had known, they wouldn’t have taken some of them. Be careful in your dealings with these comrades. Set lunches on excursions completely suck, there is little and tasteless. In all the Aroma houses they take you to, all the goods are exorbitantly expensive, it’s better to go shopping first and find out the real prices, the workers there lie like gods about the magical properties of the goods, if you buy, they ask which hotel from so that the bastard gets his percentage. ?
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We vacationed in Pattaya in March 2018. Tour operator anex tour, Ambassador Tower Hotel 4*. Let's start with the fact that the website states 9 nights, 10 days. In fact, it turned out - 8 nights +1 night on the plane) and 8 days. because departure from the hotel is at 10 a.m. The contract does not stipulate anything about the number of nights in the hotel or taking into account the night on the road, so it is useless to apply for reimbursement for the cost of an unspent night at the hotel. So, dear tourists, be more careful when reading the agreement. When we checked in, we were, to put it mildly, surprised, because... We didn’t realize that a hotel of this category had mn rooms, no window, i.e. a small room with one bed and no window, and the hotel description does not mention such rooms. During the days of the sewer drain, the room smelled terrible, nothing helped - neither constant flushing, nor a freshener. We decided not to change our room for a hefty extra charge; it would be better to spend it on excursions. the next day we planned an excursion to Nong Nooch Park based on reviews on the internet from the agency. And the next day there was a meeting with the hotel guide Niyaz. Remember this name, friends, and God will protect you from meeting him, this fiery brunette, hot-tempered and angry. For 2.5 hours we listened to about EVERY excursion from Pattaya. When mothers asked for a registration form because the children were left in the pool, or that the child was tired of sitting in a stuffy room, there was no response. We didn’t wait for the end of this monologue and went on an excursion. The next day, I finally went to the guide Niyaz to fill out this ill-fated questionnaire. As soon as Niyaz found out that we did not buy excursions to the anex, his tone instantly changed to a boorish cry. What a lot of things I didn’t have to listen to! Regardless of the age difference... The bottom line was that since we bought tours in the anex (“do you know how much just a plane ticket costs?”), we simply had to buy excursions in the anex. And what did you find in street agencies, how much cheaper there (“they come here, count their baht (pennies)”). Without listening to the end, I flew out of the office, followed by angry screams. And the hotel guide’s colleagues sat and listened silently. It was such a negative experience that I will NEVER buy tours from Anex in the future. And I will definitely write a complaint about the guide to the regional operator.
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09/29/17 when meeting with the hotel guide ANEX Tour, named Eyup, at the TRENDY LARA hotel, they were offered an exciting excursion that included ATV riding, descent down a mountain river, trampolines and meals with drinks (lamb on a spit, Swedish table) . According to the annex tour representative, the excursion was so exciting that if you didn’t like something, he would return the money. For the trip itself, he said that the only things you need to take are one towel and swimsuits with swimming trunks, he also said that you don’t need any money with you and the excursion itself will start at 7.25 and they will bring us to the hotel at 15.00, this is the deadline.
09/30/17 the bus arrived at our hotel 20 minutes late, then we traveled on this bus for about 2.5 hours to other hotels, the driver and accompanying person did not know how to get to the hotels of other tourists, the bus with tourists could turn around in the middle of the highway and go to on the other side, the driver stopped at the navigator's place and asked other drivers for the route. Upon arrival at the place, they immediately started selling us bandanas and glasses, supposedly this is a necessity that we must buy so that dust and dirt do not get into our eyes. Instead of the stated ATVs, we were offered buggies that were not in the best technical condition. The ride on these buggies took place almost in a circle and was more like a photo session (photos of which were later also sold to us for $20) instead of 2 hours it took an hour and twenty. After returning to the base, we were given lunch, which consisted of 1 chicken kebab per person and 2 sticks of semi-finished product with herbs and pasta, as well as a glass of tea, and there was not enough tea for everyone. I would also like to note the place itself and the toilets with changing rooms, the condition is terrible, dirty and smelly. As a result, we were brought to the hotel at six o’clock in the evening. In response to my objections, the hotel guide told me to write a statement and he would forward it to the office. A week later he replied that the excursion was over and the money would not be returned.
Upon arrival in the Russian Federation, I contacted the agency where I took the tour, they forwarded the claim to Anex Tour, and subsequently unsubscribes from various structures of this company began:
The guide denies that during the sale he talked about quad bikes, lamb on a spit and the exact fixed time of the program. Was introduced general information about the barbecue lunch, the approximate start and end time of the program - 16:00 and the buggy ride for about 2 hours (which may also vary). Regarding additional costs for excursions, if you wish, you can indeed do without additional money, without implying that you will be absent from the excursion Additional services, purchased at will.
According to the transfer account, according to the information of the transport department and the indicators of the GPRS system, the actual delay time of the bus was 15 minutes (due to the delay of guests from the previous hotel), then according to the program the bus from Antalya went to the Belek region (time, taking into account the road from one region to another and check-in time at 5 hotels was 1 hour 20 minutes). Departure from the last hotel was at 9:00, arrival at the excursion site was at 9:36. The total travel time for these guests was 1 hour and 56 minutes (instead of the indicated 2.5 fees for other hotels). According to the tour guide, he claims that he knows the location of these hotels well and does not remember getting lost.
Otherwise, all guest comments were passed on to the tour department and our partners in order to provide better service in the future, and penalties were applied to the guide to provide clearer information to our guests during sales.
We regret that the guests' expectations were not met, the excursion was carried out according to the standard program, it is not possible to provide compensation.
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Hello. I will also write my comment. In 2013 we visited Egypt. Tour operator "biblioglobus". The hotel guide and his “horror stories” are standard, like everywhere else: medical registration. insurance, intimidation by street charlatans, etc. It was only our second time abroad, and our first in Egypt, so we didn’t know the country or its customs, but purely intuitively we managed to set up our communication with the hotel guide in the right direction.
I'll tell you in more detail. Already in the transfer, we began to communicate with the representative of the “biblio” who was meeting us and in a friendly conversation immediately showed our worries about checking into some dirty, trashy hotel room. Upon arrival at the hotel, the Biblio representative took us to the hotel guide and together they quickly resolved the issue of check-in. They named the cost themselves - $10 invested in the passport. We arrived at the hotel at 8 am. Having given our passports, we went to have breakfast and after breakfast, a car with loaded suitcases and a smiling hotel guide with the keys to the room were waiting for us at the reception. The hotel guide filled out the registration papers for us! He did the entire registration procedure too. The room chosen was luxurious and by 9 am we were in our room, although according to the hotel rules we were supposed to receive the keys no earlier than 2 pm. All the hotel guide wanted from us was to meet him after lunch. Amazing!
So, meeting after lunch. Yes, like many, we didn’t want to buy anything, just guessing that the prices would be sky-high. Naturally, both the guide and we understood that we now owe him for the early check-in. The cheapest excursion to crocodiles near the hotel was immediately purchased. Cheap! and as it turned out later it was also profitable. On this excursion we watched a show with crocodiles, dances with skirts and a show with cobras and took pictures in beautiful park. For the remaining excursions, they asked for time to think about it. Both he and we understood that we would not buy anything else from him, but cultural communication without curses and dissatisfied faces transferred our relationship to neutral. The guide lost further interest in us, but did not snort in our direction.
At the end of the holiday, our plane flight was postponed by more than a day - lucky! At the same time, the cleaners began cleaning our room according to the standard schedule. We went to the reception to find out. And then the guide very quickly resolved the situation, a couple of his calls and the number was extended for a day, and there was no trace of the cleaners. As a thank you, we gave the guide our Russian nesting doll (we took several of them with us on the trip - this is the best currency there)))).
*P.S.: before going to Egypt to this hotel, I read a lot of reviews, watched videos, studied the hotel map, contacted the hotel through the forum. That is, when I entered the hotel, I could have been blindfolded and I could have easily found my way to the dining room, to the beach, and to the retail store, where I already knew on which shelf the corals we needed were on and at what price. Everything was new to the family, but I felt at home.
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I agree with everything written here 99%. Why 99? But because there are still decent hotel guides. In 2015 I was in Pattaya at the Ambassador with Natalie Tours. Hotel guides - 2 girls pleasantly surprised me, one of them was called Lilia, I talked mainly with her. True, I took some excursions from them, maybe that’s the whole point?))) Just a joke. They were always either on site, unlike the Pegasus guide in Hurghada, for example, or in touch. It was important for me - my first time in Thailand, and in the same place. I called Lilia several times with “stupid questions” - no dissatisfaction, detailed answers. List of excursions - with prices! — they gave it to everyone, by the way, there was also a comparison column with the prices of “street” agencies. So…
Yes! I almost forgot. It was then, in 2015, that I came across your valuable site))
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I support the review, I have encountered all types of deception from hotel guides and rudeness. In general, everything described actually exists in nature.
Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia.. In Thailand there is simply a favorite trick about insurance, which is that you can go outside the hotel only by transfer. Did you rent a bike? A. Well, that's it... your insurance is not valid... you decided to go out into the city for a walk? Well, that’s it, blame yourself... In Turkey, a constant theme is the special price, I’ll add to the post that they also say that last time this excursion was 20 dollars more expensive, etc. About the tourist police, registration for the return flight, this is a standard topic for all hotel guides.
On our penultimate visit, it was generally funny; only the two of us came to meet the guide, because there were no other Russian tourists in the hotel (Turkey in August 16th). So, of course, she showed us the brochures and la-la-la and special price, when I said that we won’t take anything right now, we want to think about it, so can we take the brochures with us and we’ll call if we decide. She said: if you want, take a photo on your phone, I have only one brochure. and in general you need to reserve seats 2-3 days in advance, otherwise they won’t be available. What??? Seriously? who booked it, if at that time it was very difficult to find a Russian tourist in Turkey. Of course, we weren’t going to take it anyway, we just wanted to read what’s what and then take it on the street, but the degree of anger, apparently due to the absence of Russian tourists at all, and even those that were not taken in.. surprised of course. Naturally, no one else saw her at the hotel and she didn’t even give her phone number. And there was no information at all about our departure from the hotel; apparently they decided that for the sake of two people it was not worth worrying about.
But we also came across good guides, a couple of times in Pattaya, once there was a girl who immediately honestly said that insurance is valid everywhere, did not insist on excursions, simply told how to behave better in the city and how to get to the islands on your own, without scaring or pushing, but in In the end, I simply asked who would take the excursions. This was simply the perfect guide. In Tunisia, too, the guide was normal, without really pushing anything, he said something about the country and quickly left.
But it must be said that street agents are more likely to run into a tour without an interpreter or a tour that is missing something from the points visited. You can’t guess here; what they promise is also sometimes a little different from what they ultimately deliver. We once went to Samet, they promised a Russian-speaking guide, but the guide turned out to be a Thai who knew only a couple of words in Russian, and his English... whoever heard Thai English will understand me now))) So when visiting a fish farm, we just walked around platform and stared at muddy water, the guide didn’t really bother with the stories. He said in broken English that there is fish here, look)))
So I think when choosing a street agency, you should surf the Internet and find reviews about it; there are always well-known street agencies from which tourists have been taking excursions for years and then write reviews about them.
So in any question there is a certain catch, but I agree with the author, and through a tour operator you can get a bad guide, poorly speaking Russian, bad service and generally a different excursion plan than the one you paid for.
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Hello everybody!
Please tell me, “street agencies,” how to reach them)?
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Good afternoon I completely agree with everything said above! Hotel tourists are a complete scam!
They were especially pleased with their intimidation that if we take a bike, we will 100% crash))) so buy a transfer from us to the elephant farm for 1000 baht per person (by the way, renting a bike was 300 baht per day).
We still took the bike and went on our own, and when we arrived at the farm, we saw that the price tag for riding elephants was much lower than the price at the hotel, and we also hesitated a bit.
If you send me some mail, I can send you a price list from Pegasus for excursions around Phuket for 2016.
Another funny observation: we were traveling with a group of friends, but we checked into different hotels. So the tour operator offers the same excursions for different hotels different prices))) and it depends on the star rating of the hotel))))
This year we will travel along the Bangkok-Cambodia-Phuket route, but on our own. We will no longer contact agencies.
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We only came across normal guides a couple of times, who worked exactly as a guide should, sitting in a hotel at a certain time of the day and answering any questions from tourists, and not turning up their nose when you’ve been in the country for the umpteenth time and immediately say to a meeting We won’t come, this is not our first time here and we travel everywhere on our own! Such guides were in the UAE and once in Tunisia, they advised how to travel around all the emirates by bus, which we did in just a week of stay! and in Tunisia, when delivering to hotels, the guide warned everyone that when getting into a taxi, ask to turn on the meter. Being in this country for the 4th time, I was surprised, because I didn’t know this before and we went after haggling with the driver)) for the rest scary stories, but we didn’t listen, if you are savvy in travel and you buy a tour because it is cheaper than now plane tickets in the right direction (you didn’t have time to buy them in advance, but you just want to relax), then why do I need guides and accompaniment hotel)) In Kusadasi (Turkey) we bought a tour from a street agency at 2 rubles cheaper than from TO and had a decent trip to Pamukkale; in Morocco we used the services of an individual. guide, for the same price that they offered for one or two excursions, we (2 people) with a guide traveled around half the country in a luxury car)) We rented a car in Cyprus, ordered a guide for a couple of days (in our rented car she and us rode) went with her to the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and Nicosia, and on the rest of the days on our own. Something like this))
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Friends, on personal experience I will say that you need to get acquainted with the hotel guide and try to maintain a relationship with him too. After all, in case of any incident, you always go to the guide. Moving to another room, theft, help with household issues and everything else. You yourself first of all begin to behave rudely and spoil your relationship with him. As if you paid your 500 dollars and everything is allowed to you! You don’t have to buy excursions, maybe you simply don’t have the money for them, that’s all understandable! At the same time, rudeness from tourists is much more common, and the demands are always excessive! I am not a guide, but simply an observant tourist, and I myself often refused excursions, and there was never any rudeness directed at me! First of all, change your attitude, and don’t expect that your feet will be kissed from the doorway, because you came to relax, and the guides work around the clock for you, seven days a week!
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We came across guides one worse than the other. On our first trip to Egypt, we were not ready for this and bought everything from the guide.
In Turkey, we said that we would not take anything and would go outside; they intimidated us as best they could.
Then in Egypt we had a familiar travel agent for excursions, and when our hotel guide found out how he looked at us like shit, and when they wrote that we were going, he shouted after us, “Go, take risks! If you leave the hotel and something happens to you, don’t count it on your insurance.” We were shocked.
In Pattaya they also scared us, we just got up and left, they also offered a fruit basket for $25, we would have bought 5 of these ourselves for that money. In general, the guides we came across were disgusting.
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Previously, due to inexperience, I bought excursions from a tour operator, which I really regret. Even if we compare excursions in the same country, those from street agencies turned out to be better not only in price. Now many “street people” create pages in in social networks, you can read the prices, program and reviews in advance. And, most importantly, upon arrival, call them and arrange a meeting at a convenient time for us in the place of our choice! And not to get up for an information meeting, with a swollen head after a 10-hour flight, neither light nor dawn (for example, in Pattaya we missed this meeting because we checked into the hotel only at 11 pm, and scheduled it at 9 am - this 5 am for our body, which has not yet been rebuilt! But in the evening, having come to my senses, I agreed to meet with a representative of the “street” agency and was very pleased with all the excursions, having arrived in Pattaya again, I turned to them again, and now I have recommended them to my friends! Their buses are much more comfortable than Tez Tour’s were on the “free” excursions, which we barely signed up for, they couldn’t schedule a day for several days, and they also told us that it was a gift and we should bow at their feet for it! despite the fact that not everyone had these ex-ies in their vouchers, from which I conclude that for some they were included in the price of the trip, but for others they were not;)
Well, a moment about safety. Let's go with Pegasus Paradise Island in Hurghada. It was January, the windy season. On this day the sea was very, very stormy. When the rusty troughs on which we were supposed to go out to sea appeared in front of the napi, several tourists began to refuse to swim. To which the guide told them that in this case the money would not be returned to them and it could not be transferred to another day. And that they have already used the transfer from the hotel to the pier and that now they will have to return at their own expense. When they answered that they lived in this hotel, on the territory of which we were, and could walk around themselves, he defiantly took a stone, as if he would throw it at them if they did not shut up!
This is how they care about our safety!
And in Thailand, the “street people” and I also went to the islands. It had been raining since the morning and when we arrived at the pier too. So the guide herself suggested, if the whole group agreed, to reschedule the excursion to another day! True, while we were deciding all this, the sun came out and we ended up having a great day!
There is a lot more that can be written, one comparison of an excursion in Pamukkale from Anex and another time from a street agency is worth it! Not in favor of Anex, of course;) but there are already so many letters;)
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I was in Thailand, Phuket and Pattaya, the hotel guides were simply disgusting, and every year the situation became worse. On our last trip to Pattaya, we came across a lady who, under the pretext of filling out some paperwork (required!), organized a meeting at which she clung tightly to us. I calmly explained that we do not need excursions from Anex Tour, to which they answered: “Don’t you need gifts???”, by the way, by gifts they meant a basket of fruits. And when the lady realized that she couldn’t get anything from us, they immediately gave up on us. There were no announcements about the time of departure to the airport, I had to call her and find out.
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Well... let's consider that my wife and I were lucky! We have never encountered such “horror things” with hotel guides. Yes, the prices for excursions from guides are overpriced, but we were “caught” by this “in the first place”! And when they figured out the “essence of the issue,” they took excursions, as a rule, from street agencies (and this happened in different countries...) The hotel guides were told that I (or my wife) had just completed a course of treatment and therefore were not going to “drag around” on excursions, just lie by the sea... or else: this is not our first time here and have already been everywhere, but now We are just going to swim in the sea and sunbathe... Everything went calmly, without any “conflicts”. True, I have never been to Egypt; because at one time a relative told me how “crazy” he was in Egypt... after that I “classified” Egypt as “sucky” and did not try to visit there.
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I agree about the arrogance of the guides. We were in Pattaya in January 2016, and it was some kind of horror. We knew in advance that we would not buy excursions from the hotel guide, but they didn’t tell her this at the meeting, they just gave her a piece of paper without excursions. She attacked us so much that we had to leave this piece of paper with her and leave in the middle of the conversation, since she had a death grip on us and didn’t want to hear us:(((it left a very unpleasant impression.
And now I understand that it would have been better not to go to this meeting at all, since it turned out that our hotel guide was not this girl at all, but a completely different man. And we contacted him to clarify the departure time.
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Evgeniy, thank you so much for the article. At least now I can sleep peacefully. The first time we came as a package tour. These unpleasant people took up 2 hours of our time. Calling to fill out a migration card for the migration police. Because if we don’t do this, we ourselves will have to go to the migration police. In this migration card, in addition to your data, you need to indicate your desired excursions. When I brought the form with unfilled excursions, she started yelling that she wouldn’t accept such things. I ask: is this form required? Answer: of course it is mandatory, if you do not specify excursions, write a waiver of insurance. My husband immediately understood everything, a scam is for suckers. I was worried, I went to the anex office, where they scared me again. They just ruined the mood. It's so good to have your site!!! Thank you!
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Evgeny, hello. Having read the article about hotel guides, I completely agree with you, but I wanted to add one more point, this applies to Thailand - guides are asked to come to a meeting in order to register tourists with the tourist police. So that there are no problems with the police on vacation. We've been to Thailand 8 times and never dealt with them.
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Good afternoon And I cannot support those who have a negative attitude towards certain years. This is their job. You don’t get offended by tuk-tuk drivers in Pattaya when they take money and go wherever they want. We went to Thailand knowing that some tour guides are more expensive. Yes, and having taken an excursion to Cambodia on the street for 2800 per person, we were on a bus with tourists who had taken excursions from individual guides for 6000. But..... I had good impressions about the Teztura guides at our motel. We went to the information meeting, they told us something about all the excursions that I took into account. We went on free excursions twice. And although these excursions were introductory and shopping, we were able to see Thai exotica even in the stores. Only our family was taken on one of these free excursions, and we did not buy anything. Yes, the guides scared us about health insurance, or rather the lack of it, but that’s their job. If you know, you have prepared for the trip, read the reviews, but your page (many thanks to you) perceives the work of the guides adequately - as work. We took one paid trip from the guides, since we couldn’t find one on the street. I think it was worth the money. The guides gave us maps and booklets with excursions, the prices were variable, with different contents. We met and saw off. So #deception and misleading# only works for those who are not at all ready to travel. And those who read your materials are always ready.
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I recently flew back from Thailand and just couldn’t keep silent. We flew from Pegasus. There is something to compare with - last year we flew from Biblio, so the impressions were the most positive. They immediately told the guide that it was not the first time in Thailand, they came purely for relaxation. He understood everything, did not impose himself when they turned to him for help, and never refused. But this year the Pegasus guide was Pegasus incarnate! Seeing how we arrived at the hotel in a Thai car (we booked a tour from the author of the site), he stopped noticing us and greeting us, promised to give us a second SIM card, and, of course, he didn’t! When we left, he said goodbye to everyone and didn’t even look at us. And one more thing: in the Pegasus price list the prices are in dollars; as long as you convert them at the exchange rate into baht, he will be able to convince you that street agencies have higher prices. True, now they don’t say anything about insurance anymore!
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Is it okay that any tour operator lives off sales..?? This is a business and we need to understand and accept it... The same two-way air tickets are simply more expensive than a tour package... If tour operators don’t have these very shops and more expensive excursions, then they won’t be there.. Then you just buy air tickets with transfers or regular flights…
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Good afternoon. For the most part, guides are actually like this. I traveled to 42 countries, and mostly traveled everywhere on my own. But I want to say that even among guides there are exceptions. When we vacationed in Egypt for the second time, we chose a hotel, so to speak, which is far from “civilization,” and there was no talk of any street agencies, because... they simply weren’t around. So I had to turn to a guide. We booked 3 excursions from her. The next day she came to us and said that there weren’t enough people for one excursion, and she gave us the money. And one more thing: bonus! At our request, she brought us a watermelon and didn’t even charge us any money for it, and on one excursion she extended our ATV ride in the mountains by an hour. We received great pleasure from this trip and pleasant memories. Another case was in Turkey. At that time, I was not yet a very good swimmer, but I wanted to go on an aqua safari excursion in the mountains, i.e. I needed a life jacket because... were deep places in a river. We went to the street agency, where they told us that they don’t give vests, only wetsuits. I had to borrow it from the guide. But what’s most interesting is that it was the last day before leaving. The next day at 4 am we had a flight. Because The excursion involved water, I had to leave my camera at the hotel and order photos from the local photographers. So the guide came to the hotel at 2 am to give me a disk with photos. Therefore, forgetting about the cost of the excursions themselves, I remember only the good things.
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By the way, I’ll add another point - the hotel guide very convincingly persuades you to go on a free sightseeing tour, promises that you will see all the most Beautiful places resort, visit gorgeous observation platforms, temples, etc. On my first trip, with my ears open, I signed up for a review. My friends, of all the things that were promised, there was a pseudo-temple (in Phuket, it seems, there is no historical buildings), we were not taken to the observation deck (ah, bad road, trouble, trouble). But they spent 5 hours shopping with boorish prices. In general, the day was lost! By the way, this year (I went to Pattaya with my daughter, sister and nephew) we also went on a sightseeing tour, believing the sincere promises that there would be no shops, but they would take us to a crocodile farm, an orchard, to look at the animals, etc…. We think, well, you never know, there’s a crisis, tourists are attracted by an excellent overview... We got on the bus, took us to Big Buddha and announced the further plan: a latex factory, a pharmacy, a souvenir shop, a jewelry store and a market. It doesn’t look much like what was previously promised, does it?)) We said goodbye to the guide and went to the hotel, fortunately it’s not far from Pratamnak Hill). In general, reviews are a useless waste of time, you won’t see anything mega-interesting there, let those who want to buy exorbitant latex mattresses and snake saliva go there
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Hello Evgeniy and Olga! On my first visit to Pattaya, there was no disappointment in the guide; in Bangkok I met and accompanied almost everywhere the Thai guide Joy, and upon arrival in Pattaya she “handed” me over to the Russian guide Anton, however, he also proved himself to be quite good, he left his phone number and He came to any of my calls and resolved issues to the best of his ability, of course I bought excursions from him, although he did not force me, and in the city, then in 2006 there were almost no street stalls selling excursions. But my brother was less fortunate, everything was approximately as described in the article, and there was a morning gathering (we arrived at 3 a.m.), where everyone was brainwashed by the travel agency, this is still due to the fact that this tour operator has a very large volume of tourists and quality still decreases from quantity.
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Hello Evgeniy! Very correct and good article!!! We have not experienced everything that is written in it ourselves. But most of- happened to us too. Now, if your article had been published even earlier, when we went to Pattaya for the first time, then I’m sure we wouldn’t have fallen for their tricks))))). It’s a pity that we didn’t understand this right away and overpaid a lot of money... I think the most important reason why tourists fall for the bait of hotel guides is the first time in an unfamiliar country abroad. When we arrived in Pattaya for the first time, we were afraid of everything, and thought what if we were deceived, and what if, God forbid, something happened. On our first visit, we all ran together to the hotel conference room to meet with the hotel guide. Where we successfully immediately bought 10 excursions from the hotel guide!)))). Because neither the first time nor the second time we bought insurance at all and drove, as they say, at random, in the hope that everything would go well. Pah-pah, all three trips went very well. But we bought insurance from our state insurance company only on our third trip. Hotel guides also told us that their quality was better and safer... But they didn’t say it rudely, but persistently and convincingly... Of course, we believed it and didn’t even go to street agencies on our first trip. But fortunately, we liked the quality of all 10 excursions and everything went well - the buses arrived for us on time, the guides were not passive and almost always their stories were interesting. Our hotel guide was always located from morning to lunch right at the hotel near the reception and you could approach him with any question. Of course, he was always kind and good-natured with us - after all, we bought 10 excursions from him in one day. Maybe we were so lucky that time... As for all sorts of nonsense regarding air tickets, this didn’t happen to us. Truly pure nonsense! But during all three trips we always bought tickets ourselves for the dates that were convenient for us and only then, with the purchased tickets, went to a travel agency to book a hotel. We have never taken a tour package. Therefore, we had no problems with tickets. We ourselves called the hotel guide two days before departure and clarified the departure time and what time they would pick us up. On the third trip, we bought only one excursion from the hotel guide - to the River Kwai. All the rest were taken from a street agency. And really, we didn’t regret it. We really enjoyed the Discovery Mix excursion, and the Alcazar show generally had a big advantage - in a street agency for more cheap price they asked us what seats we wanted and showed us a diagram of the seats in the hall. We ourselves chose the row and the place in the middle. And everything went very well. And when we took the Alcazar show for the first time from a hotel guide, it was more expensive and no one asked us which rows we wanted. We came across the 6th row from the edge last places and it was inconvenient... When on the third trip we took only one excursion from the hotel guide - from Yuri from BatSiam, he did not express any dissatisfaction, at least in front of us. He just said that if we change our minds, he’s always in touch. He didn’t tell us any horror stories or bad words about street agencies. But hotel guides probably also know and see that if a tourist comes for the first time, then they need to process him ahead of time. And for those tourists who are already on their second and third time, it’s not so easy for them to be fooled. Therefore, every time, I noticed, the guides immediately asked us - is this your first time in Thailand or have you already been? When we told Yuri that we were in Tai for the third time, he probably already realized that we could do without them on our own)))). While reading this article, I had another thought (just don’t think that I am defending hotel guides and on their side)))). I dream of living in Thailand and staying there for a long time, and I would also agree to work as a guide in agencies if they hired me. And I think - what would I do if I wanted to work there and wanted to earn good money? After all, then you will also have to do what the authorities say - that is, sell excursions to tourists as much as possible. And anyone who at least somehow got hooked there at work would really like to stay and live there))))).
Alexey appeared at the hotel every day at a certain time, you could contact him with any question. One day I asked if it was possible to watch the Spartak-CSKA match on any Spanish channel next Sunday. It turned out that it was impossible; however, having learned that I was a Spartak fan, Alexey offered to watch the game on his satellite TV. On the day of the game, he picked me up in his car, bought me a beer during the game, and took me back to the hotel after the game. Yes, and Spartak won.
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Patience, versatility, strong nerves, endurance - these are just some of the guide's characteristics. If a guide works for himself and not for a tour operator, he has double responsibility. So, when you have all the necessary makings, you can think about becoming a private tour guide. What is needed for this and how to enter the world of tourism services?
Knowing yourself and developing the necessary qualities
A guide needs truly limitless patience and the ability to work 10, 12, and sometimes 18 hours a day. All this is often no less important than perfect knowledge of geography and history. A private guide must be a master of organization: he must be punctual in order to rationally plan time, and resourceful in order to help a tourist, for example, find lost luggage. Stress resistance will also be needed in case emergency situations or mood swings of the client. Of course, the guide sets the tone for the entire trip: if he is optimistic, then the tourist will have a great time.
A good private guide, which will leave a mark in the memory of the tourist, there are several qualities that are not characteristic of everyone. These include charisma, a sense of humor, talent as a performer, and the ability to win and maintain the interest of the audience. In fact, private guide- This is the leading actor, on whom the success of the entire action depends.
The ability to communicate with different types of people is important. Some tourists think they know more about a place than the guide himself. A master of his craft will react to this calmly, and will find a worthy answer to the most banal question.
Preparation
In most countries, a private guide will need a certificate to operate. You must first undergo training (from several months to two years), pass all the necessary exams and receive the coveted documents. At the same time, you can enroll in public speaking courses to make it easier to establish contact with strangers.
Clients who choose private guide services expect to receive individual approach and maximum information. That's why many tour guides specialize in a specific area: some take tourists to the best wineries, others are experts in organizing adventure tours. It makes sense to think about the direction in which development is planned. If the guide plans to organize a transfer, you must obtain a separate license and insurance for the car, and if the guide plans to also act as a translator, you must obtain the necessary qualifications.
The guide must be constantly aware of the situation. This concerns the desire to engage in self-education and the ability to navigate the changes that are happening around. For example, a guide who knows restaurants with the best cuisine or unusual attractions is more likely to receive rave reviews and recommendations from the client than a guide who offers banal excursion programs.
A competent approach to self-presentation
Ability to present yourself is part of success, and there is nothing reprehensible in the desire to advertise your services. You can create your own page on social networks or a website where all possible services will be clearly presented, photographs and reviews of satisfied tourists will be attached. But the best and most convenient way make yourself known to the world - website
An endless flow of information and a sea of new knowledge is not at all what tourists expect from an excursion and what they will remember with rapture in the future. It is much more important for them to spend time in the company of an erudite person, learn something out of the ordinary and experience fresh emotions. How the trip will go and whether unforeseen rain, hail, or force majeure will spoil it largely depends on personal guide. How can you ensure that the trip leaves a lasting impression on the client? Guide's commandments to help!
A good guide is not a uselessly droning radio, but a source of good mood and positive emotions
5 commandments of a good guide
- Look for a way out of any situation. Can not be ideal conditions, and it is impossible to clearly plan the trip: either the bus will be delayed, or the museum will be closed during the holidays. Tourists came to relax, and not “to solve problems as they arise.”
- Improvise. Excursions with guides who are not afraid to deviate from planned plans and adapt to travelers always take place in a light and relaxed atmosphere. There are no canons - only the interests of the client are a priority!
- Joke. An anecdote on the topic and a funny story in the context of the overall narrative will never be superfluous and will help you shift your attention, relax, and have a good laugh. Laughter, as you know, prolongs life, but also lifts your spirits.
- Be emotional. Retelling for the hundredth time the history of the creation of the memorial or the chronology of events, it is difficult to express one’s own interest. But nevertheless, real professionals, passionate about what they love, succeed in this: their story involves the listener and makes them empathize. This is what is called the pinnacle of mastery!
- Put yourself in the client's shoes. Lack of sleep from the flight, queues in front of museums, long walks, and in addition acclimatization - you never know for what reasons a person can be tired and nervous. Sometimes it’s enough to treat him with a cup of strong coffee or make an extra stop for rest - and there will be no conflict situations with the tourist!
A good guide will never be at a loss if his client suddenly needs medical help. His personal first aid kit always contains remedies for fever, allergies or digestive problems, and his notebook contains doctors’ phone numbers. He will gladly tell you how to protect yourself from injuries, thefts and other troubles in a foreign city, where to find the best currency exchange rate, and will do it absolutely sincerely.
4 taboos
- Do not rush. Even if an extra-interesting event is planned, but in front of you are people or children who are tired from running around, their interests and comfort come first. The main thing is not the quantity of knowledge and impressions gained, but their quality and emotional component.
- Do not argue. Every person has the right to their own opinion, even if it is wrong. When going on a trip, the last thing a tourist expects is that he will have to prove that he is right. The guide’s task is not to persuade, not to give arguments, but simply to listen.
- Don't lie. You don’t have to know everything in the world, so it’s more honest to say that you don’t know the answer to a question (or you’ve come across different versions and check it out by tomorrow!) than to invent and get out on the fly. Lies will come out sooner or later and you will lose trust.
- Do not panic. A failed visit to a museum or a broken down bus is always a reason to find a more interesting option for spending time, rather than panic. A good one always has a couple of backup routes.
In an effort to become perfect, some representatives of this profession avidly read reference books, others surf the Internet in search of “highlights”. And only the experienced understand: tourists need not only this. The personality of the guide, his charm and charisma, the ability to find a way out of any situation and a sincere sense of humor are of much greater value!
I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend about excursions in Pattaya, which touched on the topic of street agencies, tour operators and guides selling exorbitant excursions to tourists.
I was still surprised and could not understand why I would overpay several times, especially in such difficult economic conditions? Why don't people go and buy a tour from a street agency?
and give their “hard-earned money” to a greedy tour operator?
As a result, I collected different opinions on this matter, experience on different sides of the barricades, including the experience of guides, which clarifies a lot on this issue. If you are an inexperienced traveler and don’t want to be deceived, if you want to have the right to choose and understand who you are paying to and for what, then read it, I think it will be useful.
More articles about excursions in Pattaya:
How and why do tour operators and hotel guides deceive you?
A trip to Thailand on a package tour always begins with a meeting with a hotel guide, who will persistently call and even order you to come to an information meeting. The amount of pressure depends on the arrogance and experience of the guide and varies from sluggish inducements to threats on the move, from an airplane.
Let's figure it out from the very beginning. Are you required to come to the information meeting? Of course not. Can your “not coming” affect anything? No.
Please don’t listen to all this nonsense about how you supposedly need to be registered at the hotel (this is done by the hotel itself, and not by you or the guide). Or that you won’t be taken back to the airport is also a lie.
If you go to an information meeting, they begin to “work” you, tell you tall tales, put pressure on you, exhort you with the “sauce” of valuable advice, and simply blatantly lie.
Don't be offended by the guide. They are forced people, they have been given the go-ahead by the tour operator, according to which they are obliged to work.
Yes, 90% of their salary consists of interest on the excursions you purchased, yes, there is an obligation to sell “such and such” number of excursions.
All this is understandable, but it still outrages me, especially when they take advantage of human gullibility and inexperience, without leaving a person the right to choose, but in fact there is none, because a good hotel guide
knows how to talk to a tourist in such a way that there is no doubt left, you need to listen to the guide, he will not give bad advice.
I’m especially sorry for people who saved up for a trip to Thailand and overpaid for excursions simply out of inexperience, using their own money and money.
This article contains only some of the tricks and “legal” frauds that many of you, unfortunately, have already encountered. If this is not the discovery of America for someone, sorry, not all my readers
experienced travelers, many are traveling for the first time, just like we once did, so I hope someone will find my article useful.
Yes, and keep in mind that they will try to sell you everything at once, despite the fact that in normal agencies you don’t even need to pay in advance, only after the fact when the bus has arrived for you. This is simply impossible for a Tour Operator. And if you get sick or change your mind, no one will return your money, forget it!
Ways tour operators and hotel guides fool tourists
Let's start by making sure you understand that everything is serious. This is a huge business in which a lot of money is circulating and the approach is appropriate.
Before the start of the tourist season, psychologists come from Moscow and conduct two-week seminars with hotel guides, training them in the rules of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming),
They teach you to speak with tourists in the “correct” tone, insert the “necessary” words, in general, they teach you how to manipulate people.
They talk about personality types, with whom and how to speak correctly, what approach to this or that type. So some of you will be spoken to dryly and rudely, to others - softly and tearfully, everything is thought out)
And many hotel guides do an excellent job; I have no other answer to the question of why people, as if under hypnosis, spend three times more on excursions than they can.
Upon arrival, in some hotel lobby, in an assembly hall, in a comfortable environment, they will seat you and begin to process you, telling you which representatives of the “spending tour” company are honest, and which deceivers, grabbers and slobs everyone else is. Everything is standard.
Catch 1 – if you use the services of a street agency, you will not be served with insurance
Lie. You have an insurance voucher with phone numbers to call in an emergency.
The insurance company doesn’t care whether you use the services of a street agency or bought an excursion from a tour operator.
Just think about the absurdity of this statement, nonsense. You may be denied payment for an insurance claim for some reasons, one of them is management vehicle drunk, the rest are described in the memo.
Moreover! Each excursion of each street tour operator additionally insures you, because it will not be sold without this, this is the law! So, in fact, you even have 2 insurances. One is yours with a voucher, the second is from the agency with excursions.
If you don’t believe me, call your insurance company in advance and ask.
Some tour operators go so far as to even publish on their brochures an extract from the law, Article 9 of the Federal Law of November 24, 1996 N 132-FZ “On the Fundamentals of Tourism Activities in the Russian Federation”,
which is misleading, since there is nothing in this law about insurance payments.
Here's a small excerpt from there:
“In preparation for a trip, during its completion, including transit, a tourist has the right to: freedom of movement, free access to tourist resources, taking into account the restrictive measures adopted in the country (place) of temporary stay; ensuring personal safety, your consumer rights and the safety of your property, unhindered receipt of emergency medical care;”
Lie No. 2 – If you don’t buy excursions from me, you won’t be given return tickets or taken away from your hotel.
This is, of course, beyond good and evil, but it also happens. This is another lie and intimidation.
You bought a ticket, paid for it, think for yourself, how can someone deny you permission to fly? Was it your responsibility to buy excursions? No? Here is the answer.
You may not be notified when check-out will take place? No.
No. 3 – Don’t buy excursions from me – I won’t sign you up for free ones
Check right away. Free excursions are a trip to observation deck, plus several “factories” where they sell goods at 10 times inflated prices?
If so, then there is no need to be upset, you will already get such a “free” excursion for free at a street agency, if you wish.
Or Free excursion– is this something significant, like an aquarium in Bangkok or a Crocodile farm?
Look at the documents, most likely, the cost is already included in your voucher. If not, then you will save much more anyway by using the services of other street tour agencies.
Lie No. 4 – street agencies are not responsible for you! They don't have a license!
Lies. All those who did not answer were swept away a year ago, when immigration police checks and document checks of excursion sellers became more frequent.
No, there are certainly scammers selling excursions in Pattaya, I myself have fallen for the bait of unscrupulous people, but it makes sense to buy from someone trusted, through an acquaintance.
If you want a 100% verified travel agency, write to me in the comments, I will send you the contacts of the agency whose services we ourselves have been using for many years. For readers of my blog, I have agreed on discounts and bonuses on some excursions.
You don’t need to go anywhere, you don’t need to pay anything in advance. Payment is only made when the bus arrives for you. The exception is excursions with hotel prepayment.
The difference between excursions from travel agencies from the street and tour operators is that Tour Operators sell the same excursions only at several times more expensive. If the price coincides with the street price, then the excursion is completely cut off on all sides and you will be endlessly taken around the “royal pharmacies” and other sharashkas.
Tour operators do not make money from hotels, they do not make money from transfers. Tour operators earn money ONLY from excursions. Therefore, their task is to sell them to you immediately and as much as possible at any cost. After all, they need to pay
hotel guide services, driver services, services of accountants, managers, directors and their entire company.
Lie No. 5 – The aquarium doesn’t work, it’s broken
The hotel guide will not take you on some excursions simply because the tour operator could not agree on a price that would suit him.
A simple example, we will not name which company, does not take you on an excursion to the Pattaya Aquarium, citing the fact that it allegedly does not work.
Lies? Lies.
Lie No. 6 – Buy urgently, this price will not be available again!
This is exactly from the NLP practice described above.
The hotel guide treats the tourist by emphasizing what it is only now profitable proposition, just a gorgeous excursion, (describes its charms) and they say, there are only 2 places left, for you and your wife, take it,
Then you’ll change your mind, and it’ll be too late! Only with us, exclusive! And at a super price!
As a result, a tourist, worn out by a hard journey, dazed from fatigue, who is not yet accustomed to local tugriks, will not immediately understand that 4,000 baht on the nose for a boat trip is actually 8,000 rubles,
and seeing exactly the same one for 2000 baht or meeting tourists already on the island who bought it 2 times cheaper, you will feel sad.
And the mood will deteriorate, and so will the impression of Thailand. Of course, there is deception all around.
Remember. There are many more excursions than you, tourists. During the season, popular excursions run EVERY day.
And unpopular ones - less often. Well, why do you need unpopular ones?
Such “exclusives” are a dime a dozen. Don’t grab the first thing you come across, compare, don’t be afraid to be late, you’ll have time!
Lie No. 7 – If you buy a tour from a street agency, you will pay more
Hotel guides also like to scare you with the fact that if you buy an excursion in Pattaya on the street, you will lose breakfast at the hotel (and why is it interesting? Actually, you paid for the ticket, and what does the flies and cutlets have to do with it? The food is separate, and the excursions are separate, no connection)
Or that you will have to pay extra for elephant riding, for a hotel, for something else unknown, for excursions, but with us, they say, everything is included.
Lies. Street agencies also have everything included and you don’t need to pay anything extra. At least in decent street agencies, and not fly-by-night scammers.
Lie No. 8 – We have Russian guides – but they don’t!
The hotel guide will tell you that only here and only now, only they have highly professional, highly educated guides who will make your excursion fabulous.
(Aha! And every season they recruit the youngest and most inexperienced, those who are ready to plow for pennies).
You know, in so many years of traveling, I only once came across a good, educated guide from a tour operator. And there were too many bad ones to count.
But among the “street people” I personally know people who have a thorough knowledge of the history and culture of Thailand, have academic degrees in this topic and have been leading excursions for decades. Most of the most interesting and competent tour guides are among the street guides.
From a tour operator in Thailand, I remember a girl who brazenly begged for cigarettes from tourists (in packs), and they say, give me a tip, why are you being goofy, your cigarettes are cheap!
So let them tell their tales about the professional suitability of their guides to their grandmother.
Again, from my example. In the excursion agency, whose services we use, and which my readers have already successfully “tested” (so I can confidently recommend it).
Absolutely all guides are Russian. There is only one exception and it applies to everyone, including tour operators. In the royal palace and in the Wat Pho temple, only a Thai, Russian-speaking (!) guide conducts the excursion, since this is simply prohibited there.
Do you want my opinion? I’m honestly shocked that with a Russian guide + shopping, the most expensive option, where’s the logic???
I didn’t need these rotten factories and stunted pharmacies for three hundred years before, and now even more so, it’s a scam and a waste of time!!!
But apparently I'm in the minority.
There are places where a guide is absolutely not needed, or at least a Thai one. Such places are Khao Kheo, Nong Nooch, Mini Siam,
It’s interesting to hear about Bangkok, but again, if you’re lucky with a guide.
Lie No. 9 – Playing on your feelings and conscience
And the control shot for hotel guides is to play on emotions.
They are psychologists, like gypsies at a train station, and they see very well (they are told about types of people and how to conduct a conversation with which type of personality) who can and should be pressed for pity.
They’ll tell you about their difficult fate, they’ll feel sorry for you, and now you’ll feel embarrassed not to give away a pretty penny.
I ask my friends, why did you overpay five times, buy all sorts of junk excursions that are not worth the money, but I was going to help you save money and show you where to buy excursions??
Yes, it was inconvenient for us to refuse, they answer. NOT CONVENIENT. People are ready to pay extra because they are afraid of offending and do not want to refuse. Just like that.
Stop this nonsense and do what is beneficial and convenient for you. This is your vacation, your money and you have the right to spend it as you see fit without overpaying for nothing.
Lie No. 10 – you must come to the meeting with the guide!
Meet your hotel guide supposedly Everyone is required to come, including infants. Then they may give you vouchers with stamps (everything is serious!! :))) and order you not to go outside under any circumstances, and especially not to buy anything, since only the hotel guide is your friend and will register you in Thailand, and so , you will be robbed, undressed and abandoned.
You do not need any registration in Thailand during your vacation. You enter with a visa stamp for a month, and staying at a hotel is your registration at the place, so don’t believe it.
You are a free person in a free country. You can go and listen for fun to see which way the guide will fool you, with one goal - to sell at any cost, and then draw your own conclusions.
You should have heard the conversations of all these pharmacy sellers, guides and others working with tourists. Do you think they speak flatteringly of you?
Yeah. I'm honestly amazed at how much they don't respect the people who feed them.
That's all I wanted to tell you today. It's boiling.
And remember, there is no shame in saving. With the (not small) money saved from excursions, you can buy anything - go to a cafe, buy things, buy gifts for your family, you never know where you can spend money on vacation))
How to save money on a hotel or apartment on vacation?
I'm looking on the Rumguru website. It contains absolutely all discounts on hotels and apartments from 30 booking systems, including booking. I often find very profitable options, I can save from 30 to 80%
How to save on insurance?
Insurance abroad is required. Any appointment is very expensive and the only way not to pay out of pocket is to choose an insurance policy in advance. We have been registering on the website for many years, which give the best prices insurance and selection along with registration takes only a couple of minutes.
Good luck! And have a good rest!