Police confirm action against taxi driver over threats after overcharging case in Phuket

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Phuket's infamous "Taxi Mafia" are in the news again after a video hit social media that is being called the case of "Dr Sanil's Son".

 

In the video a group of aggressive taxi drivers in Kamala are arguing with a Thai man of Indian descent about charging 600 baht to go from there to Patong.

 

The fee should be 400 baht and even that can be bargained, said officials.

 

Complaints were made to the Kamal police. 

 

Police have called in the van driver who made threats - named only as Jessada - who denied everything. 

 

Pol Maj-Gen Sermphan Sirikhong assured the public that the police would take action. The provincial chief of Phuket said that tourists could have confidence in the force.

 

Provincial governor Narong Wunsew told Thai Rath that he had called on his deputy to call a meeting of the state and private sector.

 

He acknowledged that the overcharging of tourists was a long running problem that did damage to the image of tourism in Phuket as the current case had done on social media. 

 

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[darksidedog]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police have called in the van driver who made threats - named only as Jessada - who denied everything. 

What a huge surprise that is.

Taxis and others who are aggressive and try to overcharge tourists are seemingly too dumb to recognise the golden goose for what it is. The cops everywhere have had forever to fix this problem, but their apathy has only helped it continue. I stopped taking taxis a long time ago because it was too much drama to get somewhere without being fleeced.

[RandiRona]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police have called in the van driver who made threats - named only as Jessada - who denied everything

Common man, this poor taxi driver is trying to make a dishonest living so what's wrong in that?? Being a cop he should able to empathize with a fellow crook!! What kind of world we are in now, cant even fleece in Phuket now?? What next, Pattya ?? Bangkok?? 

[Henryford]

Just now, darksidedog said:

What a huge surprise that is.

Taxis and others who are aggressive and try to overcharge tourists are seemingly too dumb to recognise the golden goose for what it is. The cops everywhere have had forever to fix this problem, but their apathy has only helped it continue. I stopped taking taxis a long time ago because it was too much drama to get somewhere without being fleeced.

Exactly. If i go to Phuket. which is unlikely, i will arrange a centrally located hotel, where i don't need transport, or plan to hire a bike/car.

[sammieuk1]

The priorities of the RTP is mindboggling to me ???? 

[clivebaxter]

So only ripping off customers for 400 baht is OK then as that can be argued over. Should all be metered, Phuket is 40 years behind the times

[LivinLOS]

16 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

The priorities of the RTP is mindboggling to me ???? 

Money... simple.. 

[LivinLOS]

Follow the money..

10 years ago only Patong had 600 tuktuks.. Each tuktuk pays 10,000 baht per month to be in the club... Thats 6 million baht a month going somewhere ?? Whose benefitting from that ??

If you pay 10,000 baht a month you expect something for it, that something is to charge what you like, act how you like, park where you like, and be totally protected from any consequences by the authorities you have paid off.. Its simple, they have paid for the right to that captive island market, they have paid for the right to beat up and threaten any free market alternative. They have paid for the right to sustain on 2 - 3 rides per day only and sleep in the sala all afternoon, they have paid for the right to hold remote hotels hostage, they have paid for the right to talk abusively to customers (and thier companions) they have paid for the right to operate like the cowboys they want to be, protected from on high.. Then in turn the job attracts those whose lack of skills and ambition matches a desire for acting tough and bully boy attitudes where they know they are fully protected. Anyone who likes to dish it out a bit as a bully (in a group with weapons) can be celebrated as an enforcer in that clan.. Its a perfect match. 

Why does no Thai journalist do an under cover expose ?? Why does no local paper connect the dots ?? Why is the entire society afraid of the power these people hold and not a single person willing to act to shine a light on these aspects of 'Thainess'.. Because to do so is to shine a light into fundamental aspects of the Thai character. Clan loyalty trumps morals or laws, not even a casual respect for fair service for fair work, everything is about monopoly and use of force to protect it, everything is about abusing a position of power to extract the maximum personal gain possible with the least effort.

This is much deeper rot than a single loudmouth thuggish taxi, its a 'locals first' culture that promotes cartels and monopolies protected by lawless / above the law forces who have bought and paid for that right. This is why the issue never seems to go away..  You have to fix the culture to fix the taxis.

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by LivinLOS

[Gottfrid]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

The fee should be 400 baht and even that can be bargained, said officials.

Pure BS! Officials agree with criminal taxi drivers that do not want to use a meter?? Amazing! Taxis should be bound to use meters, or otherwise be taken off the streets. Here we are talking about a ride, that might be about 7 - 8 km, for 400 baht??? Turn on the meter, and see the price stop at 200 - 250 baht maximum.

[schvonsky1]

2 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Common man, this poor taxi driver is trying to make a dishonest living so what's wrong in that?? Being a cop he should able to empathize with a fellow crook!! What kind of world we are in now, cant even fleece in Phuket now?? What next, Pattya ?? Bangkok?? 

Don’t be a douche all ya sad life 

[khunPer]

I can't see the huge problem about discussing a taxi price, the driver just turns on the meter, which will show the price at the end of the trip. If a police officer checks a taxi arriving with passengers and the meter is not on, then the trip is free of charge...

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Pol Maj-Gen Sermphan Sirikhong assured the public that the police would take action. The provincial chief of Phuket said that tourists could have confidence in the force.

Let me guess: That is the first time that the police heard about someone be overcharged, correct? Because otherwise such thing obviously doesn't happen in Phuket. Really? 

And somehow I got the impression Phuket's mafia is worse than Sicily. 

[zig]

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Pure BS! Officials agree with criminal taxi drivers that do not want to use a meter?? Amazing! Taxis should be bound to use meters, or otherwise be taken off the streets. Here we are talking about a ride, that might be about 7 - 8 km, for 400 baht??? Turn on the meter, and see the price stop at 200 - 250 baht maximum.

If they would turn on the meter then for 7-8 km it would likely be less than 100 baht

[steven100]

taxi driver scum 

[The Hammer2021]

Come to Pattaya.  10 baht bus. Cheap motosai  and cheap Bolt Taxi.

[klauskunkel]

"The provincial chief of Phuket said that tourists could have confidence in the force to take good care of itself."

[TimBKK]

4 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Follow the money..

10 years ago only Patong had 600 tuktuks.. Each tuktuk pays 10,000 baht per month to be in the club... Thats 6 million baht a month going somewhere ?? Whose benefitting from that ??

If you pay 10,000 baht a month you expect something for it, that something is to charge what you like, act how you like, park where you like, and be totally protected from any consequences by the authorities you have paid off.. Its simple, they have paid for the right to that captive island market, they have paid for the right to beat up and threaten any free market alternative. They have paid for the right to sustain on 2 - 3 rides per day only and sleep in the sala all afternoon, they have paid for the right to hold remote hotels hostage, they have paid for the right to talk abusively to customers (and thier companions) they have paid for the right to operate like the cowboys they want to be, protected from on high.. Then in turn the job attracts those whose lack of skills and ambition matches a desire for acting tough and bully boy attitudes where they know they are fully protected. Anyone who likes to dish it out a bit as a bully (in a group with weapons) can be celebrated as an enforcer in that clan.. Its a perfect match. 

Why does no Thai journalist do an under cover expose ?? Why does no local paper connect the dots ?? Why is the entire society afraid of the power these people hold and not a single person willing to act to shine a light on these aspects of 'Thainess'.. Because to do so is to shine a light into fundamental aspects of the Thai character. Clan loyalty trumps morals or laws, not even a casual respect for fair service for fair work, everything is about monopoly and use of force to protect it, everything is about abusing a position of power to extract the maximum personal gain possible with the least effort.

This is much deeper rot than a single loudmouth thuggish taxi, its a 'locals first' culture that promotes cartels and monopolies protected by lawless / above the law forces who have bought and paid for that right. This is why the issue never seems to go away..  You have to fix the culture to fix the taxis.

 

An early nominee for Post of the Year, think you hit the nail on the head.

Edited February 1, 2022 by TimBKK
Grammar

[Regain]

It needs exposing by a youtuber and smart camera work.

 

social media is the only leverage that works now.

[Gottfrid]

59 minutes ago, zig said:

If they would turn on the meter then for 7-8 km it would likely be less than 100 baht

Yeah, maybe I am used to the manipulated ones. Not went with Taxi since 7 year back, so thought the price went up.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He acknowledged that the overcharging of tourists was a long running problem that did damage to the image of tourism in Phuket as the current case had done on social media.

Yet after many years of meetings seems to continue, how about stop the meetings and actually do something?

[Unify]

I just checked on Grab, from Phuket Town to Patong Beach (9.32 kilometers) is 367 baht. This is at about 4 PM. There's another setting on Grab that offers cheaper trips, but I've never gotten anyone to pick me up with it. Prices are lower when it's not a peak time -- under 300, a lot of the time for this same trip.

 

Things have improved a lot in the past few months, on Grab. I no longer find taxi prices a big problem in Phuket.

 

InDriver and Bolt here, too. You can beat Grab prices by quite a bit, if you like. Frankly, I don't mind paying a fair price.

 

But if you're wandering around on the street and ask a taxi driver, yeah. Chances are good they'll try to double the price.

 

 

[The Old Bull]

I hired a taxi in Bangkok to take me to a Bangkok Bank ATM and return to my hotel. By the time he found one there was ฿75 on the meter so I figured the total would be ฿150 but he took off in a different direction, cut through a back lane and landed me to the hotel for a total of ฿100.

Not all taxi drivers are crooks.

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He acknowledged that the overcharging of tourists was a long running problem

Yes. And the same thing will be said 10 years from now. I've lost count of the number of times over the years when friends have asked me where I suggest they visit in Thailand, I've replied 'Anywhere but Phuket'. There is very little 'Thai' about the place, except for the scams. Which are worse there than anywhere else.

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

So only ripping off customers for 400 baht is OK then as that can be argued over. Should all be metered, Phuket is 40 years behind the times

Meters need to be turned on. They have them in Pattaya but they've probably seized up and rusted due to lack of use. Probably the sea air is to blame.

[Anant72]

I have crossed Phuket, Pattaya and koh Samui off my list of places to visit or to stay at a long time ago and have warned friends about the rip off scams in those places. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Anant72

[thurien]

full name and Taxi Driver ID should be officially published so that those familiar with Thailand and Phuket know who is behind the wheel

[jaiyen]

Why not hire a car at the airport for 1000 baht a day ? Far more convenient and cost effective, We have always hired from Nine Car Rent. Always had a new car and a good company.

[Adumbration]

10 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

This is much deeper rot than a single loudmouth thuggish taxi, its a 'locals first' culture that promotes cartels and monopolies protected by lawless / above the law forces who have bought and paid for that right. This is why the issue never seems to go away..  You have to fix the culture to fix the taxis.

 

I don't know why your post received so many likes.  This is not a cultural issue at all.  It is a morality issue.  All Thais know that corruption is wrong, but very few have the moral fortitude to do anything about it.  Thais will chose wrong over right every time...if there is money involved.

[RandiRona]

9 hours ago, schvonsky1 said:

Don’t be a douche all ya sad life 

Thanks , I will try , you be jolly !!

[Dumbfounded]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

In the video a group of aggressive taxi drivers in Kamala are arguing with a Thai man of Indian descent about charging 600 baht to go from there to Patong.

 

The fee should be 400 baht and even that can be bargained, said officials.

200 baht covid insurance? wonder what the markup would have been for a falang? ????