Phuket Opinion: Driving prices

By The Phuket News

 

Just getting transport prices right would be a giant step in the right direction in attracting Thai tourists. Photo: Patong Municipality

 

PHUKET: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Executive Director ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Region, Kulpramote Wannalert delivered an interesting presentation on “TAT’s Tourism Plan and Updates during the COVID-19 pandemic for Expats living in Thailand” at the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham Thailand) Joint Chambers Phuket Briefing and Sundowners at Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort, south of Patong, on Friday (Sept 18).

 

Ms Kulpramote highlighted what efforts are being made by the TAT’s 80-odd international offices around the globe to increase confidence among potential tourists to choose Thailand as a holiday destination once international travel resumes.

 

Ms Kulpramote also explained what role the TAT was fulfilling in helping to boost domestic tourism, especially provinces such as Phuket whose residents heavily depend on tourism just to make ends meet. Especially highlighted was the domestic expat market, for which the TAT was seeking suggestions from expats themselves on what they would like to see offered in order to inspire or encourage them to travel within the country.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-opinion-driving-prices-77377.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-09-20

 

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Quote from Phuket News: While The Phuket News is open to criticsing the government where need be, this problem is for Phuket to fix. How is anyone going to convince people that Phuket is not expensive when social media will let visitors tell everyone themselves exactly how expensive it is to visit here.

 

Self explanatory really, if it was only an isolated report people would not take any notice, but ...........LOL

The Phuket taxi/tuk-tuk mafia have always been greedy, robbing b4stards.......... and always will be.

Maybe the same discounts and prices for entrance as Thais. Simples really...make expats feel welcomed rather than being ripped off or treated like a cash cow.

Add the hospitals to your list of double pricing.

I wonder how the association president is making out these days with the association members having a hard time coming up with the monthly dues.

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

TAT was seeking suggestions from expats themselves on what they would like to see offered in order to inspire or encourage them to travel within the country.

Simply being able to stay here and support my family without jumping through a ridiculous myriad of hoops at immigration would be a start!

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Add the hospitals to your list of double pricing.

And golf courses

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Add the hospitals to your list of double pricing.

 

Last week I had my annual eye checks in BKK hospital. I asked in accounts if any discount and she showed there was an automatic 15% discount on my bill. And the bill was not inflated. Cheaper than last year. 

If the taxi/tuk-tuk gangs what to survive, they will need to completely revamp their pricing. I would much rather take a taxi door to door, rather than drive and deal with parking.  Slash the current pricing by 75%, and then we'll talk. 

 

 

I have been to Phuket twice and will never go again. The price gouging is outrageous. It starts at the airport with the taxi touts and tuk tuks. It's in bars and restaurants on the beaches, hospitals. No point picking individual places it's everywhere. I advise friends from the UK not to go there. Even the weather is worse than most seaside resorts as it is not protected by mountain ranges like say Hua Hin or Pattaya. 

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Especially highlighted was the domestic expat market, for which the TAT was seeking suggestions from expats themselves on what they would like to see offered in order to inspire or encourage them to travel within the country.

3 words: STOP SHAFTING US

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Especially highlighted was the domestic expat market, for which the TAT was seeking suggestions from expats themselves on what they would like to see offered in order to inspire or encourage them to travel

They should ask everyone not a chosen small demographic of "friendly" foreigners. They have the perfect opportunity to make things "better", in meaningful way, whilst in this financial maelstrom, but will they? No, nothing will change I suspect, but I hope for the opposite eternally. 

'Thais-only' policy is racism, pure and simple

"If they are foreigners, they cannot board the bus," she said, adding the rule requires all passengers to show an identification card to prove they are Thai.
I telephoned the company's call centre and the female operator just confirmed with a simple "yes". She also said the weird rule applied to all expats who have been living here for decades.

You just have to compare taxi rates in Bangkok to Phuket . You arrive at the airport, scammed. At the different areas, Kata, Naiharn, Patong, the rude taxi drivers look at you, state the price, and you take it or leave it. You are also very lucky if they are not drunk, or on y’a ba . And look at the pile of Chang bottles next to the tuk tuk  stand ! Remember what happened when the local council organisée a small bus from Kata to Patong. The first day a group of taxi thugs stopped the bus in Karon and chased the terrified driver away .! Kata beach afternoon, a tourist parked near the beach, not knowing that all space in Kata belongs to the taxis and tuc tucs ( joke). An innocent  family with children were attacked with bars and heavy sticks,  injuring the driver and terrifying the children. It’s mostly the tourists at risk as local expats and return guests know to keep well away from,them. I loved Phuket, spent nearly 20 years of winters there, but I left for lack of transport and the behavior of the criminals that run the taxis. I moved elsewhere where they have decent transport .

2 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

I have been to Phuket twice and will never go again. The price gouging is outrageous. It starts at the airport with the taxi touts and tuk tuks. It's in bars and restaurants on the beaches, hospitals. No point picking individual places it's everywhere. I advise friends from the UK not to go there. Even the weather is worse than most seaside resorts as it is not protected by mountain ranges like say Hua Hin or Pattaya. 

Don't exaggerate 

GPS wrist bands or ankle monitors should do the trick.  Can't be too careful with farangs moving freely about the country...

8 hours ago, fulhamster said:

And golf courses

There is a difference, hospitals are necessary sometimes, you can't say from golf courses.

TAT's one and only job is to add zeros to arrivals now they can't just minuses pay us to come back is the only way with these current lunatic rules and restrictions ???? 

9 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Last week I had my annual eye checks in BKK hospital. I asked in accounts if any discount and she showed there was an automatic 15% discount on my bill. And the bill was not inflated. Cheaper than last year. 

How much did it cost with the 15% off?

On 9/20/2020 at 1:17 PM, JusticeGB said:

I have been to Phuket twice and will never go again. The price gouging is outrageous. It starts at the airport with the taxi touts and tuk tuks. It's in bars and restaurants on the beaches, hospitals. No point picking individual places it's everywhere. I advise friends from the UK not to go there. Even the weather is worse than most seaside resorts as it is not protected by mountain ranges like say Hua Hin or Pattaya. 

After being there three times with my Thai Lady who lived there, I agree with you. I'm pretty sure it rains there 7/24/355. Prices are ludicrous, traffic terrible and beaches invisible under the rippling layer of human flesh. 

 

Count me out for good on that place. 

23 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Don't exaggerate 

I think he was understating it.

On 9/20/2020 at 3:53 AM, rooster59 said:

“TAT’s Tourism Plan and Updates during the COVID-19 pandemic for Expats living in Thailand”

T T P U C E T .! 

21 hours ago, RocketDog said:

After being there three times with my Thai Lady who lived there, I agree with you. I'm pretty sure it rains there 7/24/355. Prices are ludicrous, traffic terrible and beaches invisible under the rippling layer of human flesh. 

 

Count me out for good on that place. 

You should see the place now, no tourists, not bad traffic and nobody on the beaches. All the tourists that are here, are at immigration trying to get new visas before the 26th September 2020.

As Murray Walker the F1 Grand Prix commentator would call immigration, it's pandemonium, pandemonium, pandemonium.

17 minutes ago, Inepto Cracy said:

You should see the place now, no tourists, not bad traffic and nobody on the beaches. All the tourists that are here, are at immigration trying to get new visas before the 26th September 2020.

As Murray Walker the F1 Grand Prix commentator would call immigration, it's pandemonium, pandemonium, pandemonium.

I assumed that would be true. The beaches were just literally crawling with people every time I was there. Huahin noise and traffic has reduced considerably as well. Truth to tell, I don't mind the change at all but can see the negative economic impact it has on the local Thai and feel bad about that.

I did my 90 Day report a few days early yesterday at Huahin IO and was still surprised how much traffic there was.  A normally 15 minute job took nearly 40.

 

Still, rain and localized flooding are a constant in Phuket. Food prices are/were about 30-40% higher than where I live.

18 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Food prices are/were about 30-40% higher than where I live.

Not iff you know where to go I pay normal Thai prices around Rawai 60 baht average 50 baht Tiger beer

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Not iff you know where to go I pay normal Thai prices around Rawai 60 baht average 50 baht Tiger beer

Thanks. But again my main complaint is weather. So I'll never be around Phuket long enough to know the best places. Even then, in normal times it may not be worth challenging the traffic to get there.