Airport director hits back: Don Mueang has no taxi mafia!

[webfact]

Airport director hits back: Don Mueang has no taxi mafia!

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The director of operations at Bangkok's number two airport Don Mueang has hit back at suggestions that they are running a taxi mafia.

 

Suthirarat Suwannawat said that everything is above board and for the benefit of passengers.

 

But he has said that next year the busy airport will be adopting a new system more like that in operation at Suvarnabhumi.

 

Claims made by the Office of the Auditor General that irregular charges were being demanded were nonsense, he said. A report for the Auditor General is being prepared.

 

Suthirarat said that taxi drivers were required to pay 100 baht at his airport to register. They got a card with a chip that helped track who they were and ensured the safety of the travelling public, he said.

 

He admitted they were charged a 10 baht "parking fee" each time they picked up passengers. This was because the airport itself rented a holding area from another agency where cars parked before they were needed to pick up passengers.

 

It was not possible for drivers just to arrive and pick up passengers as there needed to be a system in place to ensure order.

 

There was no truth to rumors that drivers were charged 50 baht for first time use of the airport.

 

"There is no mafia operation here," he said. "It is all above board and for the benefit of passenger safety and convenience".

 

He added that there were changes in the air, however. A new system modeled on what happens at Suvarnabhumi is set to be introduced at the end of the year.

 

Tenders for two separate operators of the new system are being requested from April.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-02-06

[Bluespunk]

Yeah, right...sure, there’s no mafia. 

Edited February 6, 2018 by Bluespunk

[YetAnother]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Suthirarat Suwannawat said that everything is above board and for the benefit of passengers.

standard self-defense mechanism here; deny, deny, deny,deflect;

who would you believe ? the OAG, who has no axe to grind  here

Or this guy, who very much has an axe to grind 

[buick]

the system at DMK and BKK seem about the same to me, although DMK tends to have longer wait periods.  you get a number and wait for it to be called at DMK.  at BKK, you get a number and walk to where the taxi is parked (i've never had to wait).

 

edit:  and i've never had a 'no meter' problem.

Edited February 6, 2018 by buick

[colinneil]

DonMueang has no taxi mafia !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He even managed to say it with a straight face.

Be careful of flying pigs.

[Darcula]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

A new system modeled on what happens at Suvarnabhumi is set to be introduced at the end of the year.

 

What happens at Suvarnabhumi. Not exactly a good benchmark, that.

 

[Nong Khai Man]

 

It was not possible for drivers just to arrive and pick up passengers as there needed to be a system in place to ensure order.......

 

Just go up to the Departure Level Then......You'll See Many Dropping Off,Then " Filling Their Boots "

[worgeordie]

Maybe they should model it on Changi airport ,Singapore,

very organised,taxi  arrives,you get in ,he understands where

you want to go,puts on the meter,does not stop half way to

destination,demanding more money.or wants to take you

to hotel,where he gets commision,instead of the hotel you

are booked into .

regards Worgeordie

[mtls2005]

Airport director hits back: Don Mueang has no taxi mafia!

 

And if you mention "taxi mafia" again I'll have your legs broken.

 

Paraphrasing Mayor Carmine De Pasto.

[ChrisY1]

The experts in denial......no matter what the scam....always deny never investigate.

[LomSak27]

How long it has been … since 2013 for sure. I either take the transfer bus from Don Muang to The Swamp. If I head into town it is the A1 bus to the Moh Chit.   BTS station and sky train from there.

I have no clue about mafia but based on ugly past experience I never take a taxi. So do the locals and the independent Chinese tourists who have been advised to AVOID all taxis so the A1 is full most of the time.

Edited February 6, 2018 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[Buffy Frobisher]

Try taking an Uber from DMK. It arrives 2 mins after you file the request with the Uber app, and, surprise surprise, it's an AOT car and you're now paying a fixed fee of 1000 baht to go to Ram Intra!

 

And Uber Thailand bury their heads like ostriches if you try to complain.

 

Of course there's no mafia at Don Muang! Much!

[coulson]

Both airports have a great taxi system. You skip across the road at DMK or up to arrivals at BKK and one of 3 waiting taxis will agree to use their meter. No hassle.

 

Phuket, now that's another story 

[keeniau96]

Thank you for the info re Uber at DMK, going there next week and will make sure to avoid.

[bluesofa]

555555

You've passed the audition for a comedian, when can you start?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Airport director hits back: Don Mueang has no taxi mafia!

 

And if you mention "taxi mafia" again I'll have your legs broken.

 

Paraphrasing Mayor Carmine De Pasto.

 

He can claim forever that there is no taxi mafia at DM airport.

 

But lets' get to the real point, he does fail severely in regard to repeatedly having arriving families many with tired little kids waiting for 1 to 2 hours, and more, to get a taxi.  And repeatedly only 3 of the 6 assignment desks are manned. 

 

And given the above, he insults the intelligence of the public with his comments about changing the system next year. 

 

(Yes you can go to the departure level and possibly pick up a taxi there, but the actual system in place is a failure and someone should be punished.) 

 

FAIL!

[DM07]

There is no taxi- mafia (anywhere) and Thailand is a functioning democracy, with the rule of law obeyed an in tact!

[Thian]

Last time i arrived at DMK around midnight, there were 100-150 people in the queue waiting for a taxi.

 

So i walked outside to find a taxi which just brought passengers to the airport, they asked an extreme price....all 3 of them....even when i spoke thai to them.

 

They did it right in front of the guards who also couldn't care at all.

 

So i went back to the qeueu and lost another hour there before i could go home.

[Borzandy]

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Yeah, right...sure, there’s no mafia. 

Please note, there's no mafia in Thailand.

[HooHaa]

i take an aot car. 

life is just to short to wait for a taxi at dmk.

[yellowboat]

Unless in a time crunch, just take the bus.  Longest wait has been 15 minutes. 

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Yeah, right...sure, there’s no mafia. 

At least we learned about the only Mafia free zone in this country. 

[1337markus]

4 hours ago, YetAnother said:

standard self-defense mechanism here; deny, deny, deny,deflect;

who would you believe ? the OAG, who has no axe to grind  here

Or this guy, who very much has an axe to grind 

Another copy he must be Donald Trump number 2!

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Airport director hits back: Don Mueang has no taxi mafia!

It's called "Don Mueang" for a reason, not Mama Mia Mueang (although sometimes I call it that)

[pauleddy]

DMK is a cakewalk. Just go upstairs to departures. Cabs who are dropping people off will gladly take you. Don't worry about the police, they ignore you. It also means that you don't need to queue with newbies and tourists.

 

Presumably there is some kind of mafia, because the police ignore the pick-ups system. There were warnings of a clamp-down about 4 yrs ago, but nothing happened.

 

The same thing can still be done at Swampy, but it's more difficult because of the turnstiles upstairs. Still, it's not impossible if you are nimble and you hand your bags to a waiting cabbie.

 

Eddy

[peperobi]

Maybe is the airport staff not involved but the taxi cooperative is absolutely organized like mafia organization!

[SABloke]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

But he has said that next year the busy airport will be adopting a new system more like that in operation at Suvarnabhumi.

You mean like the one where the taxi drivers cover their meter with a cloth until a local or Thai speaking foreigners steps into the car? 

[losername]

I am a single traveller who is able to pick my own time of arrival.  During a recent series of visits to Bangkok I have always arrived in the early afternoon.  The official DMK taxi rank works well at that time, I have had no meter issues or long waits and I have experienced no Mafia problems.  In the light of such a good service, I tip well and ask that they do not mess with the current system.  No complaints (so far) except for the driving but TIT!!

[MrJohnson]

It's like that river in Egypt.

[Zack61]

No mafia but plenty of organised crime rings.