Australian pair’s ‘misunderstanding’ puts Phuket Airport taxis and van services in spotlight

[rooster59]

Australian pair’s ‘misunderstanding’ puts Phuket Airport taxis and van services in spotlight

By The Thaiger

 

 

When Australians Kate Chipperfield and Lauren Meinties filed their complaint about a 3,000 baht van fare from Phuket Airport to Kata, they had no idea of the chain of events that would follow.

 

Even the Thai PM got involved ordering Phuket officials to clamp down on rorts, and taxi and van drivers to stop ripping off tourists.

 

As the central character in the drama, van driver Phuriphat Chankaew said he never charged them 3,000 baht. It was 2,000 baht and there was a “misunderstanding”. In the end he was fined 2,000 baht by police, but not for any overcharging, instead he was fined for illegally picking up passengers at the airport.

 

Media were locked out of meetings between police, the van driver and the two Australian tourists.

 

The airport tout that intercepted the two Australian passengers, Narumon Jumpatong was also fined 2,000 for illegally soliciting customers. He was allowed to roam the areas inside the terminal. How?

 

President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Thanusak Phungdet spoke out during the week saying that there should be signage clearly available for passengers when they arrive signalling the prices (there already is) and that the prices should be clearly laid out in many languages. He laid the blame at the feet of the Airports of Thailand who manage the airport.

 

Phuket International Airport website

 

Just one of many signs around the airport arrivals area

 

Other local tourism industry luminaries have spoken out during the week telling the media that the incident with the two Australian tourists had “reflected badly on Phuket’s tourism image”.

 

Phuket public transport continues to be out of step with much of the rest of the country where taxis will routinely cost two to three times more than for the same distance travelled in Bangkok and Tuk Tuk prices can reach extortionate levels for short journeys around Patong and between towns on the west coast of the island.

 

Even Grab Cars in Phuket have had to adjust their fares to match the high fares demanded by the island’s taxi cabals.

 

Both Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK) seem to manage much more orderly taxi and public transport systems. In Don Mueang people taking a taxi receive a queue number, have an air-conditioned room with seating to wait, a line of customer service attendants to serve you and an orderly queue of polite, uniformed taxi drivers waiting to take passengers where they want to go.

 

Users of this excellent service wonder why the same infrastructure can’t be set up in Phuket, given that both Phuket International Airport and Don Mueang are operated by Airports of Thailand.

 

Scams and over-pricing from airport taxi drivers from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang are few, compared to the daily complaints Phuket officials receive about rorts and poor service from Phuket Airport public service providers.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/australian-pairs-misunderstanding-puts-phuket-airport-taxis-and-van-services-in-spotlight

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-07-28

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[wreckingcountry]

So everything is honest and good at DM and Swampy airports ! Who writes this ****?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

[Lucius verus]

I never go near that awful place but why don't tourists book with hotels that have transfers from Phuket airport to downtown? Any extra cost is well worth it not to mention stress free arrival.

 

[bendejo]

"oh, that's nothing, we don't read signs in Thailand"

 

 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Could they not have a Farrang or an English speaking person to proof read their rate sign? (From Phuket Airrort )

 

[Sujo]

8 minutes ago, Lucius verus said:

I never go near that awful place but why don't tourists book with hotels that have transfers from Phuket airport to downtown? Any extra cost is well worth it not to mention stress free arrival.

 

I have tried that, the hotel driver didnt turn up. At hotel said they forgot.

 

One time I asked about pick up and it was more expensive than the normal taxi fare quoted.

[RotBenz8888]

 

51 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Both Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK) seem to manage much more orderly taxi and public transport systems. In Don Mueang people taking a taxi receive a queue number, have an air-conditioned room with seating to wait, a line of customer service attendants to serve you and an orderly queue of polite, uniformed taxi drivers waiting to take passengers where they want to go.

Another misunderstandings....

[tracker1]

They have a sign Metered Taxi Stand then quote the average fares ! should quote if the meter is used otherwise hmmmm

[bluesofa]

26 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Could they not have a Farrang or an English speaking person to proof read their rate sign? (From Phuket Airrort )

No one here will volunteer to lose face.

Don't you mean poof leading?

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Even Grab Cars in Phuket have had to adjust their fares to match the high fares demanded by the island’s taxi cabals.

 

Why?When grab are holding hands with the cops why then do they have to raise their prices to much higher than normal?Are they afraid the customers will say no thanks that's to cheap for us were prefer to pay a higher price thank you very much?

Edited July 28, 2019 by FarFlungFalang
Correction

[darksidedog]

It is interesting that both Phuket and Pattaya have problems with taxis and other transport providers ripping their customers off continuously, while at the same time both places are suffering from a serious lack of customers. One wonders if the penny will ever drop and the connection between the two made.

[ourdon]

I don't know if the connection between being ripped off by the transport providers and the drop in tourist customers is direct but there is a connection, direct or indirect.  I've always just considered it a slight continuing irritation.  I can see it being one more item in the list of reasons not to come back.

 

Since I'm on the West coast I'm a big fan of the smart bus.  I've used it several times successfully.  I find it quite useful for the airport.  It's a 150 Thb for Kamala to the airport.  Each time I use it I consider it a small victory in the fight against the taxi mafia.

[Phuketshrew]

I stopped using taxi's at Phuket airport a long time ago for two reasons:

1. I was tired of being gouged - 700 baht for a one way trip to Koh Kaew.

2. Safety - Too many looneys at the wheel - you can see this every day on Thep road.

 

I now either get wife/son to drop me/pick me up or I take the Airport bus.

 

It's 100 baht on the airport bus, which travels fairly slowly so is a much safer option.

I have also used the airport bus to travel from Kho Kaew into and from Phuket Town. At 30 baht a pop it's pretty good value.

[metisdead]

A post containing a disallowed reference to the PM has been removed.

[Deli]

People here should not try to make Thailand an over-regulated country like in the Western hemisphere. BUT: The Taxi Mafia in Phuket is unbearable, Pattays is a piece of cake in comparison. I just wish one day tourists would stop using them.

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Could they not have a Farrang or an English speaking person to proof read their rate sign? (From Phuket Airrort )

 

The tip of the iceburg. So many ridiculous signs all over Pattaya and one on Highway 7 heading towards Pattaya.  It denotes lanes as "Trough" instead of "Through", to Pattaya.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Benmart
Spelling

[pokerface1]

If they were serious about protecting tourists about ripp offs they would give passengers a warning guide on the plane before it lands. But they won't because the money reaches all the way to the top officials. That's a fact 

[Emdog]

Maybe taxi driver meant to charge 300 baht but "misunderstood" how to say sam roi and said sam pan by mistake. I'm sure that is what caused the "misunderstanding"

[Oziex1]

3 hours ago, Sujo said:

I have tried that, the hotel driver didnt turn up. At hotel said they forgot.

 

One time I asked about pick up and it was more expensive than the normal taxi fare quoted.

In other words any one offering a fair transport cost, will risk having a visit from the boys who would like to have a quiet word or two.

[Joe Mcseismic]

Misunderstanding = Yes, you caught us cheating, but, we don't want to lose face by admitting guilt.

[Phuketshrew]

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

The tip of the iceburg. So many ridiculous signs all over Pattaya and one on Highway 7 heading towards Pattaya.  It denotes lanes as "Trough" instead of "Through", to Pattaya.

Maybe it's the route MP's use to get to the trough?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Users of this excellent service wonder why the same infrastructure can’t be set up in Phuket, given that both Phuket International Airport and Don Mueang are operated by Airports of Thailand.

Don Mueang taxi services are operated by the airports... 

Phuket the taxi services are operated by the mafia.... simple difference.

[simtemple]

2 hours ago, Deli said:

People here should not try to make Thailand an over-regulated country like in the Western hemisphere. BUT: The Taxi Mafia in Phuket is unbearable, Pattays is a piece of cake in comparison. I just wish one day tourists would stop using them.

If there is one country that needs regulations, it's Thailand. The country is full of recalcitrants and thieves, who deserve public flogging morning, noon and night. 

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, wreckingcountry said:

So everything is honest and good at DM and Swampy airports ! Who writes this ****?

Indeed, to quote you, "who writes this ****?"  The article did not say that "all is good and honest" there, it did say...

"Scams and over-pricing from airport taxi drivers from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang are few..."

...big difference between the facts and your imagination.

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Could they not have a Farrang or an English speaking person to proof read their rate sign? (From Phuket Airrort )

 

Let's hope you don't get the job!  "FaRRang"?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Benmart said:

The tip of the iceburg. So many ridiculous signs all over Pattaya and one on Highway 7 heading towards Pattaya.  It denotes lanes as "Trough" instead of "Through", to Pattaya.

The tip of the "iceburg"?  That's ironic in the context of your ridicule of Pattaya's authorities.

[Bangkok Barry]

We can write on here all we want, and officials can talk all they want, but everyone knows that in five, 10 years and into infinity nothing at all will change.

[Bruce G]

Never going to Thailand’s again, here in Phuket today police take my passport and demand 1000thb for riding motorcycle, the country is corrupt, you lose thailand 

[trainman34014]

Now i wonder how we all knew this would be 'A terrible Misunderstanding' ?    Lol.

[Pilotman]

10 minutes ago, Bruce G said:

Never going to Thailand’s again, here in Phuket today police take my passport and demand 1000thb for riding motorcycle, the country is corrupt, you lose thailand 

why did they fine you, no helmet, no licence or insurance, doing something against the traffic laws.  They always have a reason to stop you.  If you were in the wrong, whatever happened with the cops, it was your fault that you got caught in the first place.