Governor orders probe into Phuket airport taxi fares

[webfact]

Governor Narong has tasked officials to investigate the fares charged by taxis operating out of Phuket International Airport. Photo: PR Phuket

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has ordered an investigation into the fares charged by taxi drivers operating out of Phuket International Airport.

 

The order came at a meeting on Monday (July 5) to discuss the case of a foreign tourist sharing a message online in a popular Facebook group focussed on Phuket Sandbox asking about the price of taxi fares from Phuket Airport to a hotel in Patong.

 

The tourist explained that the price of B900 had been given, and wanted to know whether or not that was too expensive.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/governor-orders-probe-into-phuket-airport-taxi-fares-80587.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-07

 

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[smedly]

like he has no idea...................................pants on fire

[Cake Monster]

Yet another Knee Jerk move to quell all the bad publicity surrounding the Sandbox rip off with Taxi mafia.

And next week, it will be a different rip off, and another Investigation.

 

[chalawaan]

Something something Prayut and Taxi Mafia

 

Another courageous army victory against corruption!

 

I wonder how that "return the peoples happiness" project is going?

[ukrules]

It's already failing, give it a week or two....

[Surelynot]

Phuket ready for the Sandbox! But PM says “don't let mafia" spoil the party.....that went well.

[TheFishman1]

Thailand overcharging foreigners ridiculous TIT

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has ordered an investigation into the fares charged by taxi drivers operating out of Phuket International Airport.

Asked by the PM explicitly not to allow taxi mafia to spoil the opening days and guess what...

Governor took his eye off the ball, or is on the same team, hard to tell sometimes.

 

[Paul Henry]

I didn't get my cut nobody is thinking of me very upset. Start an inquiry now to put everything back on track. I am very unhappy!

[Bangkok Barry]

There is a simple way of dealing with this, which will never happen.

 

Every taxi must use the meter. Every taxi must have a sign saying, in English, that if the driver refuses to use the meter call ***, which will be answered by an English-speaker.

 

It won't work because the driver will remove the sign. It will not work because no-one will do spot checks to see that the sign is there. It won't work because no-one will answer the phone, and if they do they will be told to call the tourist police (as happened to me in Bangkok), And it will also not work because, as also happened to me in Bangkok, the driver if forced to use the meter will simply take the long way round to generate what he wanted to charge anyway. And, if someone does answer the phone, nothing will be done even if a note is taken of the driver's number.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Bangkok Barry

[PETERTHEEATER]

The 'probe' must be worn out from friction by now yet still no positive outcome. Thank heavens this could never happen in Koh Samui......

[nkg]

12 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

There is a simple way of dealing with this, which will never happen.

 

Every taxi must use the meter. Every taxi must have a sign saying, in English, that if the driver refuses to use the meter call ***, which will be answered by an English-speaker.

 

It won't work because the driver will remove the sign. It will not work because no-one will do spot checks to see that the sign is there. It won't work because no-one will answer the phone, and if they do they will be told to call the tourist police (as happened to me in Bangkok), And it will also not work because, as also happened to me in Bangkok, the driver if forced to use the meter will simply take the long way round to generate what he wanted to charge anyway. And, if someone does answer the phone, nothing will be done even if a note is taken of the driver's number.

 

It won't work because 95% of private hire vehicles in Phuket don't have meters. Mostly supposedly fixed cost "airport limos", vans and tuk tuks.

[Bangkok Barry]

16 minutes ago, nkg said:

 

It won't work because 95% of private hire vehicles in Phuket don't have meters. Mostly supposedly fixed cost "airport limos", vans and tuk tuks.

Any public hire vehicle must be fitted with meters. Which they won't be. And so the rip-offs will continue until the end of time, in the traditional way that Thailand welcomes guests.

 

Happens elsewhere, of course, before anyone jumps in to say so, but this is about Thailand.

[MajorTom]

I had a dispute with one of the prepaid Airport taxis once. The driver wanted to take two passengers on the same trip (both had paid full price 800B each) When i objected he got super aggressive. I left, went back to the counter and tried to complain. No help. No refund. I also tried to call the complaint number printed on those red tickets you get when you pay: Number not in use..

[nkg]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Any public hire vehicle must be fitted with meters. Which they won't be.

 

Really? Last time I got a tuk tuk in Bangkok, I don't recall seeing any meter. Or are there exceptions to your rule?

 

[Deli]

Taxi / Tuk Tuk mob has already taken over Patongs roads again with their tin boxes and stone age cars. This scum runs the place and it will never change. It sucks big time.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, nkg said:

 

Really? Last time I got a tuk tuk in Bangkok, I don't recall seeing any meter. Or are there exceptions to your rule?

 

I thought we were talking about public service vehicles in Phuket.