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

[Destiny1990]

This has been going on for decades On Samui but now only because some victim makes a photo of these scamming  taxies their price list and  post it online finally then this Governor  comes into action says it all!

[Easy Come Easy Go]

funny to see the price is the same in USD and EUR 

[natway09]

And the Land Transport Dept do? ,,,,,,,, nothing

[MaksimMislavsky]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

"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?" 

 

 

"Ah, so exciting, great idea, teerak! Drive around the island first and then we can fly to Vietnam, of course!"

[dave moir]

Same could be said for flights to Samui! They are extortionate and seems only 1 company fly to the island itself.

[Benmart]

Social media and the internet in general, will expose what has and is going on in this illusion called the Land of Smiles.

 

The greedy, the dishonest and the corrupt, do as much damage to the beauty and reputation of this land, as does the worst natural disaster

 

[PoorSucker]

Non English post removed

 

[chang1]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

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. 

Only some taxi drivers?

5 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.

Setting the bar this high is not a good idea. Maybe 2 hours was not enough to sort this out.

[MekkOne]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"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. 

A new law to forbid tourist to talk to each other is needed...

[chang1]

23 minutes ago, Easy Come Easy Go said:

funny to see the price is the same in USD and EUR 

When your being ripped off to that extent the difference is negligible.

[meinphuket]

It always takes the media and social media to highlight everything that is wrong, its never salaried, proactive officials. Anyone with reasonable eyesight can see these rip off artists' signs, so I wonder why those in charge of Samui can't, or just don't want to.

[Basil B]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

and never again will a tourist be ripped off. 

 

He must know he's taking the p*ss  

Or p*ssing in the wind...

[ronaldo0]

Yeah yeah. They said the same thing when the army was here checking the taxis about a year ago that they had meters and were wearing the appropriate clothing etc . Like a stuck record !!

Wont change until they start puting undercover police posing as customers in random taxis for months on end to catch them out and make the fines etc something to be scared off. 

[Hayduke]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

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

 

What are they going to do with the sign?

 

 

[sahibji]

like the governor tells them not to rip off tourists and the taxi drivers will say "yes sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

the problems of drivers not using their meter and cherry picking fares has yet to be solved.

 

It takes gumption to solve the problem - make the laws and more importantly enforce them. Let the violations be dealt with swiftly. severely  and equitably.

[sahibji]

5 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

 

What are they going to do with the sign?

 

 

it is going to be auctioned off as a souvenir.

[sahibji]

1 hour ago, Stocky said:

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.

Alas the curse of too much democracy and the complete lack of understanding of democracy and complete selfishness and fear of competition and free trade. operators have to learn how to take the heat when doing business 0r else get out of it.

[Basil B]

15 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

Yeah yeah. They said the same thing when the army was here checking the taxis about a year ago that they had meters and were wearing the appropriate clothing etc . Like a stuck record !!

Wont change until they start puting undercover police posing as customers in random taxis for months on end to catch them out and make the fines etc something to be scared off. 

Do not need undercover cops, just have the police pull them over or waiting for them at popular drop off points and check the meters running.

[TonyClifton]

5 hours ago, zeolephant said:

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?

Whenever I get in a taxi, the first thing I do is take a picture of the license.  I do this for several reasons, one of which is that if something is left behind, I know which Taxi I took.  With that said, I try to never take a taxi, only Grab.

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Do not need undercover cops, just have the police pull them over or waiting for them at popular drop off points and check the meters running.

 

Why would the do that? 

 

It it would involve effort & they may end up catching people resulting in more effort & paper work...  

 

.....And for what? Making life easier for people who don’t even live here & who will Just go home after spending their money. 

 

...it makes much more financial sense to keep the taxi mafia payoffs coming in and keeping those in local positions of power ‘pleased’.... 

 

[ukrules]

Too little, far too late.

[digitalnobhead]

1 hour ago, Stocky said:

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.

To be fair, for time and distance I don't find 250baht to be a bad price in Hat Yai and usually a very nice car. It can easily take 20m to 30m to say Lee Gardens on a good day so an hour round trip, plus his fuel and car rent.  A suitable compromise as you said. Also GrabTaxi works well in the other direction - 180-200baht. The situation on Samui is far far worse, a taxi from airport to say bang rak which is a stone throw can cost 400baht+, 300baht if you manage to get one from the 7/11 and ignore the booking table girls, a motorbike taxi from greenmango to a hotel a km up the road 100baht flat. 

[THE REVERAND]

Wow nothing ever surprise me in Thailand. I visit Thailand and the Touts at the airport offer a trip to Lumphini  they will do for 5ooo bht. A normal meter taxi is 400 bht and that includes a tip.

[yannee4u]

Thai govt should work seriously on transportation facilities mainly texi service to attract more tourist. Most of the taxi drivers have Mafia type attitude. 

[ronaldo0]

30 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Do not need undercover cops, just have the police pull them over or waiting for them at popular drop off points and check the meters running.

Won’t work . They have them hidden usually so all they need to do is pull the cover off them anytime they see people checking and show them as they pass through the point . Then hide it away again and charge the customer whatever they think is right not what meter says. Plus the traffic at times in samui they would have plenty warning to turn them on before a checkpoint .

[DPKANKAN]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

and never again will a tourist be ripped off. 

 

He must know he's taking the p*ss  

Translated. 'You bastards!! Why have I not been getting my cut'. ????????????????

[Jackin1960]

I blame the tourists in part as they allow themselves to be taken for suckers. It takes no time to google up and find out some facts on Thailand it's culture prices and ways to get about with costs. Then when you arrive you should know what money you have in your hand and what to expect to pay for a taxi if you must take one. I like to use Baht bus but I always ask the price 20 to 30 Baht ok more then it must be well out of town.

[Jiggo]

5 hours ago, Olmate said:

Fruitcake ?

Fake ones, I hope.

[hugocnx]

5 hours ago, happy chappie said:

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

Not even an hour, the man was talking about 'using the meter in future'. Not even the future but probably some unknown one.

[Jiggo]

28 minutes ago, TonyClifton said:

Whenever I get in a taxi, the first thing I do is take a picture of the license.  I do this for several reasons, one of which is that if something is left behind, I know which Taxi I took.  With that said, I try to never take a taxi, only Grab.

Do they have Grab in Samui.....