Central caves in to Phuket taxi drivers’ demands

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The protest lasted just 10 minutes before shopping mall management arrived to discuss the issue. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET:-- Central Phuket has agreed to no longer operate its free shuttle service to bring tourists to the island’s main shopping mall following a protest by some 50 taxi drivers yesterday afternoon (Dec 9).
 

The taxi drivers massed in front of the Central Festival building at about 3:30pm, calling for the mall’s management to end the free shuttle service from hotels around the island, saying that the service severely affected their incomes.

 

Not allowing the situation to escalate, Central Phuket Assistant General Manager Kitt Thivavipat presented himself just 10 minutes later to talk with the taxi drivers.

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/central-caves-in-to-phuket-taxi-drivers-demands-73949.php#wCKL5A2zF83eKC1d.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-12-10

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Guess who runs Phuket.

Hint it is not the governor.

Let us hope the tourists boycott Central for making them having to pay taxi fares.....stay away

Many other places to shop at lower prices without paying off taxi mafia.

Phuket public transport is the worst in Thailand,  the most expensive and most thuggish.

6 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Phuket public transport is the worst in Thailand,  the most expensive and most thuggish.

Yup...

 

Just came back from Phu Quoc, didn't get taxi scammed once....and grab works fine too - it's magic.

Their tuktuks are decent 6 seater golf carts....

I stopped going to phuket mainly because of pathetic taxis there...

Next chapter! Taxi drivers storm the parliament and Prayut agrees to their demands.

This is an appalling indictment on the state of Thailands ability to control / Police its thugs. 

 

It is also an appalling indication of the sense of entitlement these thugs have. 

 

Without central there would be no route in the first place - A free bus to somewhere which never previously existed has no impacts on the business of taxi drivers. 

 

 

These scum are the reason I rarely visit places like Phuket and when I do the first step is to hire a car at the Airport. 

shop online! 

26 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This is an appalling indictment on the state of Thailands ability to control / Police its thugs. 

 

It is also an appalling indication of the sense of entitlement these thugs have. 

 

Without central there would be no route in the first place - A free bus to somewhere which never previously existed has no impacts on the business of taxi drivers. 

 

 

These scum are the reason I rarely visit places like Phuket and when I do the first step is to hire a car at the Airport. 

Agree with parts of your post, but the free shuttle from Central Patong to Central Phuket town does affect them.

I am surprised to see Central (which is owned by one of Thailands most influential families) cave in to taxi thugs? The gross rip offs by Phuket taxi drivers, not to mention frequent beating up of tourists, needs to stop.

 

Do the taxi drivers run the country?

Just leave this here.

My work is done.

 

4 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Just leave this here.

My work is done.

 

Last time i tried grab in phuket it was also taxi mafia with the same stupid prices.

ONLY 1 word needed....'PATHETIC'

9 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Do the taxi drivers run the country?

Looks like it 

Ho much does Central pay in commission on the "free" taxis? That is the question.

The songthaews from Patong and Karon/Kata go very close to Central. Will they be next?

Whose the strongest of the land ?   TAXI

Looks like the tail's wagging the dog, again!  Not surprising; is anybody in the government going to grow a pair, and do what they are paid to do - GOVERN!

Yep. Forget Grab in Phuket. I use them in other provinces but not here. Why? To go ONE block from my home to Dibuk Hospital, 458b. To drive 3-4 km in Chiang Rai? 100b or about.

 

As another poster stated, the Grab folks in Phuket are the same mafia group as the rest of them in Phuket.

I have some sympathy for the honest merchants and hoteliers in Phuket. They are suffering from the actions of others. 
 

Due to the mafia control of many aspects of the Phuket economy, I have never visited Phuket. Nor am I likely to. 
 

What’s more, I have warned off many potential visitors. There are so many other, more welcoming places to spend tourist cash.  

15 hours ago, stevenl said:

Agree with parts of your post, but the free shuttle from Central Patong to Central Phuket town does affect them.

 

 

No it doesn't - If central did not build the store in the first place the taxi thugs would not be complaining about this. 

They are already doing better from the journeys they do get - but they want 'all the journeys' - that's just greed and their sense of entitlement has been propagated. 

 

Central Built the store which doesn't automatically mean taxi drivers have an entitled right to that journey - Central doesn't want to see its customers ripped off and I don't blame them. 

 

 

 

I will be bringing out the popcorn when Phuket starts to build the light rail transit.

Next we will have these self entitled taxi thugs protesting to ban all private transport on the Island as this subtracts from their potential income.... 

seriously ?  is it because the scammers ask 500 baht for 100 meter or 2000 baht for 10 km ?

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

No it doesn't - If central did not build the store in the first place the taxi thugs would not be complaining about this. 

They are already doing better from the journeys they do get - but they want 'all the journeys' - that's just greed and their sense of entitlement has been propagated. 

 

Central Built the store which doesn't automatically mean taxi drivers have an entitled right to that journey - Central doesn't want to see its customers ripped off and I don't blame them.

If Central did not build the shop in Patong there would be no free shuttle, and tourists would be taking taxi's to the Phuket Town shop.

21 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

21 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Phuket public transport is the worst in Thailand,  the most expensive and most thuggish.

Yup...

 

Just came back from Phu Quoc, didn't get taxi scammed once....and grab works fine too - it's magic.

Their tuktuks are decent 6 seater golf carts....

I stopped going to phuket mainly because of pathetic taxis there...

Edited 21 hours ago by ThomasThBKK

 

agree, was there but finally rented a bike to move around at will. great food there especially at the seafood night market. clean, clear beautiful warm water, nice new airport.

19 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

I am surprised to see Central (which is owned by one of Thailands most influential families) cave in to taxi thugs? The gross rip offs by Phuket taxi drivers, not to mention frequent beating up of tourists, needs to stop.

 

Do the taxi drivers run the country?

 

you could say that, revised to "assorted thugs run the country"

in cebu philippines recently and some mall chains have many free shuttle buses and you dont see taxi drivers upset.

 

perhaps something to do with the massive armed mall security and their president mr. duterte telling the public its perfectly ok to shoot the corrupt but don't aim to kil.

Will Central's prices be reduced to reflect them not paying for the sbuttles, or the fact that tourists have to pay for taxis now?