The Vanguard: Phuket tourism leaders speak out on airport van,taxi fares

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai faces the press at Karon Police Station last Thursday (July 18). Photo: Tourist Police
 

PHUKET: Leading figures in Phuket’s tourism industry have spoken out over the handling of the incident that saw two Australian tourists file a formal complaint against a passenger van driver for allegedly overcharging them to take them from Phuket International Airport to their hotel in Kata.

 

Reports of the incident spread across the internet like wildfire, and saw Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha overnight calling for all people, and especially officials, to take action to prevent any scams or deceitful behaviours that take advantage of tourists.

 

The tourists, Kate Chipperfield and Lauren Meinties, filed their complaint saying they were charged B3,000 for the journey – a figure strongly denied by the van driver, Phuriphat Chankaew, at Karon Police Station last Thursday (July 18). Police did not reject to Phuriphat’s claim.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/the-vanguard-phuket-tourism-leaders-speak-out-on-airport-van-taxi-fares-72281.php#EPOze8jrFFs4rAux.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-07-27

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Quote from the above article:

“The Phuket Land of Transport Office (PLTO) Chief should prevent such incidents from happening again. This problem does not happen in a country where laws are strictly enforced,” said Thanusak Phungdet, President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, told The Phuket News.

 

Phuket tourism stalwart Bhuritt Maswongssa, General Manager of the Patong Resort Hotel and key member Tourism Development Committee of South Andaman Tourism Development Area under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, openly admitted that the issue of tourists being overcharged by transport drivers at the airport was not new.

“We have had this problem for a long time,” Mr Bhuritt told The Phuket News.

 

They always say admitting you have a problem is the first step.

Well this should be entertaining. Folks at the top are slowly waking up to the fact that when you overcharge people continuously, word gets out and obviously it is negative, and an obvious reason why numbers are falling. Anyone with a brain can work out that making things fair and transparent is likely to breed confidence in travelers, though the Phuket crowd have been ripping people off for so long, I expect howls and squeals of anguish from them, at the very idea that they should charge fair prices. I somehow suspect that despite authorities efforts, this will not be the last time we hear of tourists being stung by these mafia types.

The army, when they came to power tried to address this problem.

They failed miserably, so, what hope that anyone else can rectify this?

Scamming and corruption is a cultural thing here, but it doesn't work with tourists. There's one explanation of their ambivalence towards foreigners.

24 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

The army, when they came to power tried to address this problem.

They failed miserably, so, what hope that anyone else can rectify this?

In fact in many cases the army jumped on the bandwagon!!

Voila.... Uber!

This may be followed by the ''Stern warning''....

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

calling for all people, and especially officials, to take action to prevent any scams or deceitful behaviours that take advantage of tourists.

I've lost count the number of times I've heard that "call"... I'll add one more to the tally !

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Anyone with a brain can work out that...

I think you just nailed it.

10 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Well this should be entertaining. Folks at the top are slowly waking up to the fact that when you overcharge people continuously, word gets out and obviously it is negative, and an obvious reason why numbers are falling. Anyone with a brain can work out that making things fair and transparent is likely to breed confidence in travelers, though the Phuket crowd have been ripping people off for so long, I expect howls and squeals of anguish from them, at the very idea that they should charge fair prices. I somehow suspect that despite authorities efforts, this will not be the last time we hear of tourists being stung by these mafia types.

Regrettably when authorities are not consistent on their enforcement the desired effect of cleaning up the industry isn't reached and these guys are always ready to scold and point fingers that they are just as likely to endorse when they get a direct benefit. 

15 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Scamming and corruption is a cultural thing here, but it doesn't work with tourists. There's one explanation of their ambivalence towards foreigners.

It worked for decades, or even generations. So you can imagine, how big the shock must be for them. 

 

It's not just Farang's they try it on with Thai's a friend of mine the other day wanted  a Tuk Tuk to get from Debuk Road to Central 600 Baht

I expect some stiff 200 baht fines to be handed out to taxi and van drivers in a "crackdown". 

On 7/27/2019 at 1:52 PM, Joe Mcseismic said:

The army, when they came to power tried to address this problem.

They failed miserably, so, what hope that anyone else can rectify this?

Yes I rember a few of the Salas the layabouts inhabited were removed, only to reappear a short time later.

On 7/27/2019 at 2:09 PM, P Funk said:

Voila.... Uber!

Grab is actually more expensive than regular taxis in Phuket. Not sure if due to lack of competition/drivers, or price setting.