Aussie tourists ripped off 1,500 baht each for a van ride in Phuket

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Aussie tourists ripped off 1,500 baht each for a van ride in Phuket

By The Thaiger

 

 

A Facebook post in the “Phuket People Voice“ page has published the photos of two Australians who reported to Kaon police after being ‘ripped off’ in a van ride from the airport to their Kata hotel.

 

A policeman at Karon says… “An Australian citizen came to report the situation in Karon saying that they ‘called’ (hired) a van from Phuket Airport to send them to their hotel at Kata. Arriving at the hotel, the driver demanded 3,000 baht for the journey, which is a very high price.“

 

That’s 1,500 baht each.

 

The distance from Phuket International Airport to the Kata area is approximately 46-47 kilometres, which should usually cost 800-1000 baht max. Advertised prices at the airport say the maximum price for a private minibus from the airport to Kata/Karon is 1,600 baht. Other advertised services at the airport say you can catch a min-bus, with other passengers, for 200 baht to Kata/Karon. A taxi from the airport has a rate set at 1,000 baht, 500 baht each for the two Australians.

 

Facebook users have been happy to share their opinions, some saying that by doing this “you destroy the image of Phuket tourism”.

 

 

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/aussie-tourists-ripped-off-1500-baht-each-for-a-van-ride-in-phuket

 

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-07-18

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[trainman34014]

The way things are going Karma will be along soon and there will be Zero Tourists to rip off.    Perhaps these drivers would like to go back to planting rice !

[NCC1701A]

nice clear photo of the girls for facial recognition.

 

they will be reporting from immigration detention room soon.

[Denim]

The great leaders recent words about not ripping off tourists have fallen on deaf ears. One word from Prayuth and they do as they like.

 

 

 

 

[totally thaied up]

Just dumb and dumber for the operators- you are all wondering why 'good farang' are bypassing Thailand to go somewhere different? Have a close look within and see why? Reporting like this goes far and wide and this has been going on for years but the powers to be see nothing!

 

Thailand is just getting paid back now what it has sown. Fewer farang tourists due to incidents like this.

[madmen]

It's never going to change. Punters need to always always ask how much BEFORE buying even a kilo of tomatoes.

It's always been that way but social media will become there undoing now

[Cadbury]

Two more walking advertisements giving free publicity to potential tourists to keep away from the Thailand because of thieves, cheats and scammers who lurk within.

And there is nothing you can do about it Mr. PM other than utter your usual platitudinous promises that you will fix the problem; just like you promised to fix all those other problems that still exist.

[arithai12]

Why are their eyes slightly blurred in the first picture, then clear in the second one?

Good of you to take it smiling girls, welcome to Thailand.

[Thailand Noobie]

It's easy and cheap to take aircon bus front of Phuket airport, no rip off.

[LivinginKata]

Clearly never made an research in Google. Shared minibus to Kata 200 baht each. Public bus much the same price. Meter taxi 800 baht.

[Mavideol]

timing is everything.... today news """""PM Prayut speaks out! No more ripping off of tourists - it's bad for Thailand's wonderful image

maybe it takes a little long to get the news in Phuket

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

Why are their eyes slightly blurred in the first picture, then clear in the second one?

Good of you to take it smiling girls, welcome to Thailand.

camera effect  555 the IMO was shaking when looking at 2 beautiful blondies

[mok199]

Apparently this driver didn't get Prayuts memo

[ChipButty]

The question is will they get their money back? Silly question I know 

[bristolgeoff]

these drivers will always try and scam every farang.word gets around quick  where and when it happens.grab will be In  that area  one day and then or now, u will see the protest  and drivers will wonder why no trade or tourist for them

[islandguy]

Perhaps they didn’t book anything when the van made its surprise stop at a travel agency on the way to their destination?

[Emdog]

"Facebook users have been happy to share their opinions, some saying that by doing this “you destroy the image of Phuket tourism”."

Doesn't destroy the image. Confirms it.

[ChipButty]

12 hours ago, islandguy said:

Perhaps they didn’t book anything when the van made its surprise stop at a travel agency on the way to their destination?

Do they still do that? It happened to me a couple of times long time ago

[inThailand]

Keep f... people and keep reporting it. Their days of good business is going soon. Som na naa.

[soalbundy]

What are they complaining about, they weren't attacked.

[Sametboy2019]

13 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

What are they complaining about, they weren't attacked.

That usually follows on refusal of payment.

[inThailand]

42 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

What are they complaining about, they weren't attacked.

not yet

[30la]

It is absolutely normal for these characters to steal money from tourists and not only that, 5 years ago I had to pay Samui 600 Baht to go to Nathon to Hua Thanon, about 20 km!
Thieves, thieves, thieves!

[xen]

Girls, you should have negotiated a reasonable fare at the airport before you hoped in and you were able to walk to the next taxi to negotiate a reasonable price.. Even if the price suddenly rises at the destination at least you will have the satisfaction of being able to say it was such and such a price and have at least a price to renegotiate again. They are real <deleted> these drivers. Absolutely no honour.

[Lucius verus]

Whatever happened to hotel transfers ? Everyone knows Phuket is a tourist trap so why don't they stay in hotels that pick up and return you to the airport.

[Deli]

On Phuket there's nothing else as bad as the taxi and tuk tuk mob but nobody dares to clean that up. Too many envelopes handed out.

[AntipodeanThai]

They go back home and talk to friends who talk to other who decide not to come to Phuket because of it. The driver will probably get a 1k fine so about 1.2 ahead of the proper fare but Phuket will loose tourists from it, as I now from friends who don't go there. wake up Phuket officials or your tourism will go down a lot further than 30% in 6 months and clean the drab place up.

[sawadeeken]

17 hours ago, Mavideol said:

timing is everything.... today news """""PM Prayut speaks out! No more ripping off of tourists - it's bad for Thailand's wonderful image

maybe it takes a little long to get the news in Phuket

Don't you know that it is this 'Phayut govt' thaty has caused all this.?????  He is wanting to Make Thailand so 'PURE' and clean for 'respectable tourists' (seems mostly non-spending indian/chinese) that all the past tourists who liked Thailand 'as they knew it 'don't enjoy Thailand anymore'......  IT IS TOO PURE, AND STERILE........... THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.............

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Two more walking advertisements giving free publicity to potential tourists to keep away from the Thailand because of thieves, cheats and scammers who lurk within.

And there is nothing you can do about it Mr. PM other than utter your usual platitudinous promises that you will fix the problem; just like you promised to fix all those other problems that still exist.

Every country that depends on tourism has these crooks, I think you will find that a lot of these scumbags come from other parts of the country to the likes of Phuket and Pattaya to prey on tourists.

[tlandtday]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

Every country that depends on tourism has these crooks, I think you will find that a lot of these scumbags come from other parts of the country to the likes of Phuket and Pattaya to prey on tourists.

Yeah just like many of the low life farang congregate in places like pattaya you will find many low life thais also gravitate to these places.  Problem is the good people get shafted as well.