No more fleecing of tourists on Koh Samui, deputy governor tells media after taxi fare scandal

 

Image: Manager

 

Following a crisis meeting over the fleecing of tourists on Koh Samui the deputy governor of Surat Thani has said enough is enough. 

 

Suthipong Khlai-udom told Manager that cabs will use the meter in future and never again will a tourist be ripped off. 

 

The issue came to the fore earlier in the week when pictures of a sign board showing huge prices for trips around the island and to its popular beaches went viral on social media via the Andaman Princess page. 

 

A non-meter trip around Samui would cost 150 dollars or 150 Euros. The drivers made no distinction between the two currencies despite a Euro being worth about four baht more. 

 

Round trips were simply double the single fare.

 

Manager said that social media experienced a wave of criticism with the following comments:

 

"Farangs won't come to Thailand any more - they will chose to go to Cambodia and Vietnam".

 

"Thais are killing tourism because of greed".

 

"Smart operators don't have pricing like this. They are shooting themselves in the foot then complaining there are no tourists".

 

"Tourists talk to each other, compare prices and go for the best ones". 

 

Such comments prompted the deputy governor to send a representative of the island's Department of Land Transport (DLT) to investigate. 

 

Worakiti Chaichana found it was all true - the signs were in taxis that picked up tourists fresh off luxury cruise liners who had dollars and Euros in hand. 

 

But some regular taxi drivers were taking advantage of the situation in the same way and not turning on meters and fleecing tourists with huge fares. 

 

After a two hour meeting the deputy governor said he had ordered taxi drivers on the island to use the meter, dress properly and speak decently to tourists.

 

Infractions of the rules would mean immediate withdrawal of licences, he said, mentioning that such stories were damaging for tourism and would not be allowed to continue. 

 

Source: Manager

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-29

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

After a two hour meeting the deputy governor said he had ordered taxi drivers on the island to use the meter, dress properly and speak decently to tourists.

and never again will a tourist be ripped off. 

 

He must know he's taking the p*ss  

15 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

he had ordered taxi drivers on the island to use the meter, dress properly and speak decently to tourists

The least that tourists should expect is that drivers be properly dressed and polite when they rip-off, cheat and lie to passengers. 

Laughable really. The story makes it seem as if this was just an isolated incident, when in reality ripping off tourists seems to be the nations favourite pastime. There seems to be a gradual recognition that people are going elsewhere because of their behaviour, but to make up for the shortfall, you can expect these greedy folk to look to sting those remaining for even more.

The statement that tourists will never again be ripped off, is almost as stupid as the behaviour that prompted the intervention.

7 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

The least that tourists should expect is that drivers be properly dressed and polite when they rip-off, cheat and lie to passengers. 

Its only right, there should be honour amongst thieves?

"Tourists talk to each other, compare prices and go for the best ones".

And Plastered all over the Social Media dont need to talk to each other

24 minutes ago, JoePai said:

and never again will a tourist be ripped off

As we already know Thai people do not rip off fellow Thais so who are they going to rip off now if they can't rip off tourists?

I can see this plan working....for an hour.

"Honey it costs the same to drive around the island once as it does to fly to Vietnam. What do you think we should do?"

 

 

lived on the island long enough, never seen that sign.  but yet not even a little surprised.  they already said this metre thing since last december... if they were serious they would at least put up signs with a number to call if taxis refuse metres. 

but then again how safe is it to get in a taxi of someone you pissed off by reporting them?

If the governor was serious he would chase down those taxi's and put them behind bars...now he needed 2!! hours!! to say it won't happen again....

 

I bet it will continue to happen every day again, just like last 20 years. 

 

Don't worry Samui/Phuket....my family won't come anymore even if you really fix the problem...we found much better places for our holidays outside thailand.

19 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

As we already know Thai people do not rip off fellow Thais so who are they going to rip off now if they can't rip off tourists?

Maybe they'll start growing poisoned fruit/vegy because there are no rules for that.

9 minutes ago, fruitman said:

Maybe they'll start growing poisoned fruit/vegy

What are you talking about? They're doing it already, and have done so for decades

2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

What are you talking about? They're doing it already, and have done so for decades

Well in that case they can go into the fake booze business....selling fake Johnny Walker for 1000 baht a bottle, or copy copy Heineken beer, those tourists will buy it anyway...

4 minutes ago, fruitman said:

Well in that case they can go into the fake booze business....selling fake Johnny Walker for 1000 baht a bottle, or copy copy Heineken beer, those tourists will buy it anyway...

Fruitcake ?

The only way to stop this scams is to withdraw the taxi license after the second or third bust. Or even include the driver license for a couple of months.

Then these idiots can think about it, while riding the "Saleng" and selling fruits again.

Samui has polluted with too many Taxis, beside Songtauws, Mini Buses, Hotel Limousines and so on anyway.

Fewer taxis, would also help, to make an income with decent (metered) fares for the remaining.

 

I've talked to a German couple. They've been charged 800,- Baht from

Bo Phut to Choengmon Beach.

For a nice "Sight Seeing Trip" on rotten bumpy roads, through muddy/dusty construction sites, which never seem to be finished ("Smart" Thai Developing).

Some areas on the island looking like an "after" war zone!

Many tourists, who come here for the first time now, will never come back!

To turnaround, this "Effect" will takes years, if it is even possible.

That's, what those smart "Thailand 4.0-Fairytale Talking" officials should think about!

What a surprise a Thai official babbling absolute nonsense.

I have never seen a Samui taxi using meter.I visit Samui since 1992 when there were only few services available. Recent years ,Taxis appeared with METER sign which is for decoration only.I use Songtaew or minivan if not rent a car.????

Seems like nothing changed since I first went to Samui in 2003 and got in a taxi asked them to switch on meter, female driver said no meter. I pointed to taxi meter sign on roof, and she said broken. I opened the glove box to reveal a working meter, and she said we don’t use that. I got out.

Same as bkk but they give u a price without meter if u say with meter they drive off.sure it work

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

After a two hour meeting

...as if that would change anything....what a joke.
Samui has always been like this, and always stay like this.
 

The reason this is a good idea is the penalty. Unlike violations in Bangkok, a violation there means suspension of license That should get the attention of the cabbies

That's good. One less thing to worry about.

Lived on Samui for 9 years, they have never used meters here and never will, the taxis on Samui (and public transport in general) are the worst for ripping people off than anywhere I have been to in Thailand. However there are a number of tourists here who act like dickheads and deserve to be ripped off!

 

Samui has different rules than many parts of Thailand and I’m not going to speculate here on why that is but I think we all know the reasons behind this.

Americans tip...

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Suthipong Khlai-udom told Manager that cabs will use the meter in future and never again will a tourist be ripped off

He's "having a laff" 

Pure comedy gold.

"never again will a tourist be ripped off"  <------ what planet is he on ??

Yeah, they also said no more corruption in the government, vowed to crack down on taxi drivers who refuse fares, promised to reduce road fatalities and many, many wonderful things.

Yea sure...

And there will be no more suspicious deaths on Ko Tao.

 

????????????

The problem is with the whole transport system. Introducing meter taxis always seems a good idea but it conflicts with the existing transport operators. Then when there's conflict, rather than fixing the problems there's some suitable Thai compromise.

 

Hat Yai introduced meter taxis a few years ago. First issue was with the tuk-tuk drivers, the meter fares were often less than the tuk-tuk fare and you travelled in a clean a/c cab. After various confrontations it was agreed that meter taxis can't pick-up on the street, you need to phone and book. Next was the clash with the AOT airport limo service, that operates a flat fare Bht300 from the airport to town, a similar meter fare would be half that. So after various fist fights the compromise was that the meter taxis operate on a Bht250 flat fare from the airport to town.

 

Needless to say after all this the Hat Yai meter taxis are that in name only, they never put the meter on, you negotiate a price.