Patong taxi, tuk-tuk drivers asked to stop cheating, beating tourists

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

5 hours ago, balo said:

Soon there will be no tourists left anyway so they can go back and grow rice on the farms instead.

It's about all they're good for, that - beating their wives - and getting ratarsed.

[dallen52]

5 hours ago, balo said:

Soon there will be no tourists left anyway so they can go back and grow rice on the farms instead.

Is that what they grew?

No money in rice.

The government is urging farmers to grow alternatives. 

These guys have been growing rice as an alternative, for years.

 

Got to make it look legit. 

[watcharacters]

2 hours ago, helloagain said:

For cheating loose licence. For beating singapore cane them is the only answer. 50 lashes. They never do again. Look on utube

 

 

YouTube shows Phuket taxi and tuk tuk drivers getting 50 lashes?

 

What about the community?

[lvr181]

2 hours ago, captnhoy said:

I think the comments so far have covered it pretty well. 
Asking  - check
Enforcing - check

 

I would like to address the part about Thailand's IMAGE. So much here is about IMAGE and if the image is not good the money, er, people, will stop coming. How about focusing on the EXPERIENCE? If the people had a good time and were treated with respect at a fair price, then they will return, they will tell all their friends and their friends will come too. Then the sheer beauty of the Phuket area will not have to do all the work because the EXPERIENCE was all good.

Smart 'farang' thinking. Unfortunately not welcomed in LOS! These folks are the only people I know who want to re-invent the wheel, rather than copy and/or improve it. They won't learn (or don't want to) from 'farang' BUT they could learn much from their asian neighbours!

 

Is it a 'cultural' problem for big fish in a small pond? Myopia rules, sadly. ????

[dallen52]

Airport to Kata, 1000 baht.

Non negotiable. 

Kata to Patong 300 baht.

Non negotiable. 

 

Beating and kicking and possible molestation/rapes,  free.

[mercman24]

its country wide, and we know it, just look last week a taxi driver charging 3 ladies 500  baht each to go a short distance. they all prey on tourists who know no different.  and this will never stop. when i lived in Bangkok they all wanted 300 baht for a 60 baht ride. there use to be a nice cop by soi 3, who would wave taxis down, and demand they take patrons home using the meter, i have stood by him to see taxis coming along Sukhumvit road, see him, and quickly turn off their FOR HIRE lights

[TMNH]

39 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Isn't it amazing that this question even needs to be considered, let alone asked.

Yes- dumb-founding to be exact. Either you control the rip-off people, OR you will be faced with the reality that no one wants to come there. What is it that you are not getting?

[TMNH]

Yet you suck the "whatever" out of tourists. Fine..when they stop coming, then you have no one to blame but your idiotic selves.

 

[ujayujay]

Made my Day????????????

[sydneyjed]

The whole of the Phuket tuk tuk and taxi business is run by the Islands mafia..everybody knows that.Many have tried to address the on going corruption but all have failed.Larry Cunningham the ex Australian Honourable Consulate General highlighted and tackled many of these rorts,even bringing in the big boys from Bangkok for organised forums.In the end he realised he would get no where and stood down his position after death threats were made.The place is a lawless shithole now with no hope in sight unfortunately!

[wreckingcountry]

Asked to? That’s the sum of law in the fake place


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[SuwadeeS]

Arrest them all for bending the laws. I thought the PM wanted to clean up his country.

 

<deleted>. Can't even control the police to enforce the laws. Stone age.

 

I hope thez lose all the tourist to the other nice asian countries to learn their lesson.

[moutamine]

Foreigners and tourists can solve this problem real quick... stop using Tuktuk and taxis!  Use Grab or public transportation, problem solve.  All these animals will go back to their holes.

[arithai12]

Unfortunately, they won't: they will beat up the Grab drivers.

As for public transportation, I use it as much as possible (smart bus airport to Rawai) but I have to say the drivers aren't much more honest: half of the time they accept cash from the passenger and just put it in their pocket.

[dotpoom]

Everytime ..first out of the traps.

[Bournville]

There's a headline I've never seen before... Police asked taxi drivers to stop beating customers. 5555 priceless. It must be the wonderful Buhdist side of Thai people (some) that promote this violence. 

[TMNH]

24 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

its country wide, and we know it, just look last week a taxi driver charging 3 ladies 500  baht each to go a short distance. they all prey on tourists who know no different.  and this will never stop. when i lived in Bangkok they all wanted 300 baht for a 60 baht ride. there use to be a nice cop by soi 3, who would wave taxis down, and demand they take patrons home using the meter, i have stood by him to see taxis coming along Sukhumvit road, see him, and quickly turn off their FOR HIRE lights

and in blunt terms- <deleted>. <deleted>...screwers. Your country is <deleted>. No one in their right mind would want to go there. And then...what will you do? Continue with your grifter  mentality. And then most would say that you either lack common sense OR your whole country is OK with ripping people off. Laughable- whether you hate tourists or not, your bread and butter depends on it. So either decide whether you can do without tourism or if not, then "when" people in your country cast a negative light upon prospective tourists, then either educate yourself OR figure out how to make money without tourists. It's quite simple- actually. Warning to mafia-driven businesses. You will be taken out- one by one:)

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, wisperone said:

Waiting for the Thai apologists to chime in..."Taxi drivers beat up tourists in other countries also"????

I'm waiting for the Phuket "tuk-tuk driver" returns 5 million baht to tourist in tomorrows news!

[ZAKY]

I never had such a problem with tuk-tuk , never got beaten by them coz i leave this for others, myself never ride on one! Simple!

[UASCB500BIKER]

Fine them 5,000-10,000B if theirs Blood or a Video.....problem,,,EASY,,,all about the $$$$$$ ... HA they would PROTEST,,  look bad ...

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

After recently traveling to Burma and spending a few days there all I can say is that the people really were more genuinely friendly, honest and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble, there was no rolling of eyes or expelling of air when carrying out a simple request, no rip-off prices for standard services (not once!) and there even seemed to be a real and unsullied interest in outsiders. My companions and I were regarded with kindly intrigue and the utmost politeness at every turn - and this is not an exaggeration. It was incredibly refreshing - and I imagine, what Thailand was probably once like - perhaps four or five decades back.

 

The big difference is they have not had a fraction of the tourism that Thailand has, nor the foreign investment, and are overall a poorer and more embattled people. On the one hand I can understand why certain sections of Thai society have had enough of us foreigners, but on the other hand a major part of their economy is solely reliant on tourists, so the fact that so many working in the industry act so poorly towards their customers is quite incredible and NOT the norm in many other parts of the world.  Perhaps it's a fucntion of time and exposure that a jaded slide into cynicism and perfidy is inevitable? The Thais are renowned for it around the region however, and for good reason. The whole country is built on corruption and intimidation, from the bottom to the very top.

 

If Thais operating in the tourism industry particularly, can't behave themselves or control their venal impulses then they must be punished - and since the good-for-nothing RTP won't do jack about it, it is up to the tourists to vote with their feet. If Thailand lost half of its Western and Japanese/Korean tourism overnight then they would soon buck their ideas up. Complacency, born of the seemingly endless stream of tourists, has lead them to become increasingly lazy, aggressive, cocky and, I supsect, - jaded. Remove their incomes and they'd soon change their tune, however. Fake smiles would soon return to replace gruff retorts and casual arrogance. Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia are already taking more and more of their annual tourist quota, and I can see just why.

By the time the likes of the Phuket tuk-tuk oaths wake up to the fact that their neighbours have usurped them and their business is all but dead it will be a fait accompli, and they'll have to head back to the farm, or in their case - the cave!

 

[TSF]

Well that's jolly good of them to ask the taxi/tuk tuk mafia to stop beating up the tourists. I hope they were asked nicely.

[TMNH]

1 hour ago, lvr181 said:

Smart 'farang' thinking. Unfortunately not welcomed in LOS! These folks are the only people I know who want to re-invent the wheel, rather than copy and/or improve it. They won't learn (or don't want to) from 'farang' BUT they could learn much from their asian neighbours!

 

Is it a 'cultural' problem for big fish in a small pond? Myopia rules, sadly. ????

I would like to address the part about Thailand's IMAGE. So much here is about IMAGE and if the image is not good the money, er, people, will stop coming. How about focusing on the EXPERIENCE? If the people had a good time and were treated with respect at a fair price, then they will return, they will tell all their friends and their friends will come too. Then the sheer beauty of the Phuket area will not have to do all the work because the EXPERIENCE was all good.

 

In your dreams...not reality. Surely, you disavow anything that is legitimately said. therefore, you are either not reading, OR your slanted version of some off-the-wall of a person's visit lends you to believe that all is good. Nope- it is not.

[johnarth]

am I glad I only holidayed in the tourists' areas I too old for all that sh-- in this area if you have too much to drink and don't have friends to take you to your hotel or home you get a gray ute but you do not get taken to hotel or home it works very well lol

[JMSIII]

I wonder what would happen to Thai society, Thai tourism, and not to mention Thailands reputation, if the police actually....policed!

[SiSePuede419]

I want to get a work permit to be a Patong Tuk Tuk driver....

 

I figure if you can't beat them, join 'em 

[TMNH]

1 hour ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

After recently traveling to Burma and spending a few days there all I can say is that the people really were more genuinely friendly, honest and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble, there was no rolling of eyes or expelling of air when carrying out a simple request, no rip-off prices for standard services (not once!) and there even seemed to be a real and unsullied interest in outsiders. My companions and I were regarded with kindly intrigue and the utmost politeness at every turn - and this is not an exaggeration. It was incredibly refreshing - and I imagine, what Thailand was probably once like - perhaps four or five decades back.

 

The big difference is they have not had a fraction of the tourism that Thailand has, nor the foreign investment, and are overall a poorer and more embattled people. On the one hand I can understand why certain sections of Thai society have had enough of us foreigners, but on the other hand a major part of their economy is solely reliant on tourists, so the fact that so many working in the industry act so poorly towards their customers is quite incredible and NOT the norm in many other parts of the world.  Perhaps it's a fucntion of time and exposure that a jaded slide into cynicism and perfidy is inevitable? The Thais are renowned for it around the region however, and for good reason. The whole country is built on corruption and intimidation, from the bottom to the very top.

 

If Thais operating in the tourism industry particularly, can't behave themselves or control their venal impulses then they must be punished - and since the good-for-nothing RTP won't do jack about it, it is up to the tourists to vote with their feet. If Thailand lost half of its Western and Japanese/Korean tourism overnight then they would soon buck their ideas up. Complacency, born of the seemingly endless stream of tourists, has lead them to become increasingly lazy, aggressive, cocky and, I supsect, - jaded. Remove their incomes and they'd soon change their tune, however. Fake smiles would soon return to replace gruff retorts and casual arrogance. Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia are already taking more and more of their annual tourist quota, and I can see just why.

By the time the likes of the Phuket tuk-tuk oaths wake up to the fact that their neighbours have usurped them and their business is all but dead it will be a fait accompli, and they'll have to head back to the farm, or in their case - the cave!

 

And the lesson here is? Go elsewhere...there is nothing in Thailand to warrant tourism. The beaches are strewn in garbage and waste....every day, either lady-boys rip off unsuspecting visitors...taxi drivers attempt to screw any non-Thai visitor...dual pricing for tourist sites.....And finally, <deleted> abusing elephants for the tourist trade. Thais are the least of any character-based people. No surprise as many Thais are ignorant...uneducated,....and employ 3rd world tactics in a supposedly- acquiring attraction of big money there. Then again, they will have private butlers. Not like most natives. Tired......and pathetic with all of the never-ending excursions into illicit behavior. Yet the lame-brain junta thinks they know whatever. You do not. And your country is no different. Your priorities need be to be reassessed.

[Libai]

I was staying in Pattong last year and asked a 'Tuk Tuk' driver to take me and my wife to an address in the middle of town.  His quote 400 BHT.   I refused so we walked to the address a mere 15 minute walk, along with high prices in the bars we will never be tempted to return to Phuket.   

Oh and why are the police asking?   Do they not understand the law?    

[TMNH]

Just now, Libai said:

I was staying in Pattong last year and asked a 'Tuk Tuk' driver to take me and my wife to an address in the middle of town.  His quote 400 BHT.   I refused so we walked to the address a mere 15 minute walk, along with high prices in the bars we will never be tempted to return to Phuket.   

Oh and why are the police asking?   Do they not understand the law?    

And yet another example of Thailand and their grifting ways. there is NO law- except when the junta decides that in their own <deleted> up way that 'today" we will bear down on un-licensed bars.."today", we will bear down on over-stays. Meanwhile, bars are rampant with prostitution....welcome to Thailand!

 

[TMNH]

1 minute ago, TMNH said:

And yet another example of Thailand and their grifting ways. there is NO law- except when the junta decides that in their own <deleted> up way that 'today" we will bear down on un-licensed bars.."today", we will bear down on over-stays. Meanwhile, bars are rampant with prostitution....welcome to Thailand!

 

And the proverbial king in theory is doing "what"? The last king had a bunch of integrity....and now? The successor simply employed multiple titles upon a former airline stewardess. Such is the life of a king and his post-divorce whatever. Meanwhile, his country is going to shit.