Taxi drivers in Phuket say they get it about allowing application hailing services to operate

[webfact]

Daily News caption: Fostering understanding

 

A delegation of top police and land transport authorities went to Soi Ta-iat condos and hotels to try and explain to taxi drivers about how things were going to work from now on.

 

This followed a much publicised spat between what is known as the local taxi mafia and a Thai tourist that caused the authorities to do a mass scurry.

 

Deputy Phuket provincial chief Pol Col Jirasak Siamsak was with Phuket provincial land transport office rep Kornphitak Asanasuwan on the "fostering understanding" mission, reported Daily News.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Jirasak explained what it was to be a responsible cabbie. 

 

And most importantly of all the fact that now things had changed - tourists could now use ride hailing apps legally.

 

He said the prices were not all that different.

 

One company given permission to operate is Hello Phuket Service. Others are in the offing.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Jirasak also said the authorities were in the process of bringing more order to taxi ranks.

 

The cabbies spoken to said they understood and were prepared to cooperate with the new rules. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that this spirit of concilliation remains to be seen. 

 

Taxi drivers have been a law unto themselves on the holiday island for decades with tourists frequently claiming big rip-offs. 

 

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[RandolphGB]

Crush the taxi mafia and their fixed prices. Apps = free market competition. 

 

[AhFarangJa]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said the prices were not all that different.

I cannot comment on Phuket as it has been many, many years since I was there. However, in Hua Hin the price difference is significant. As an example, if we take a normal taxi from our house into town the fare is 350 Baht. A grab taxi is 97 Baht. If we go from town to our house, which is about 7 km. a normal taxi is 250, whereas a grab taxi is about 85 Baht on average. 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

If we go from town to our house, which is about 7 km. a normal taxi is 250, whereas a grab taxi is about 85 Baht on average. 

Similar story from Samui.

Taxi to the airport for our guests - 400 baht.

Grab - 150 baht or there abouts.

The problem is that with Test and Go in December/January, Grab taxis are as rare as hen's teeth.

The taxis are all queuing up outside hotels/ferries again.

A few taxis are now using the meter from time to time. (First time that I have seen this for 20 years.) However, the meter rates are higher than say Bangkok.

[chuang]

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

Yes......linked one way and another and have been for years.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A delegation of top police and land transport authorities went to Soi Ta-iat condos and hotels to try and explain to taxi drivers about how things were going to work from now on.

Good luck with that one... try to explain to them....

how about TELLING them how it's going to play-out if they don't stop their games.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Jirasak also said the authorities were in the process of bringing more order to taxi ranks.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Taxi drivers have been a law unto themselves on the holiday island for decades with tourists frequently claiming big rip-offs. 

And will continue to do so.

[Jimbo53]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

 

And will continue to do so.

But the Thai Police are doing a great job!

Their chief said so!????????????.

Just another face saving PR exercise by the B.I.B. after the Youtuber exposure!????????

[stigar]

8 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I cannot comment on Phuket as it has been many, many years since I was there. However, in Hua Hin the price difference is significant. As an example, if we take a normal taxi from our house into town the fare is 350 Baht. A grab taxi is 97 Baht. If we go from town to our house, which is about 7 km. a normal taxi is 250, whereas a grab taxi is about 85 Baht on average. 

I took a taxi from sukumvit 7/1 to sukumvit 31 .The first taxi asked for 600 bath.I said NO WAY..so i took another taxi with taximeter.Cost me 39 bath.

[PETERTHEEATER]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The cabbies spoken to said they understood and were prepared to cooperate with the new rules.

What? both of them?

[PETERTHEEATER]

7 hours ago, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

No, they're in cahoots. In Rome they're in cohorts.

[JayClay]

9 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I cannot comment on Phuket as it has been many, many years since I was there. However, in Hua Hin the price difference is significant

The price on a car hailing app is not that different to what taxis are supposed to charge. It's a whole world of difference, however, to what they actually charge.

[Tbone999]

To stop the taxi ripoffs is pretty simple really. Like they do in Singapore, integrate them into very apps they so hate, so even though they don't get to rip off everyone, they can still benefit from the service, just cuts out the higher up payment schemes...the digital age is almost on them and they'd better change their views or go do something else...

[The Hammer2021]

8 hours ago, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

There are cohorts in cahoots

[stuarty]

8 hours ago, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

Cahoots? yes

[Dumbfounded]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

And most importantly of all the fact that now things had changed - tourists could now use ride hailing apps legally.

 

He said the prices were not all that different.

 

One company given permission to operate is Hello Phuket Service. Others are in the offing.

Does this sound like the taxi mafia is starting its own ride hailing service with prices closely resembling the current rip off fares? And is Grab still able to operate without threat?

[Jimbo53]

11 hours ago, Tbone999 said:

To stop the taxi ripoffs is pretty simple really. Like they do in Singapore, integrate them into very apps they so hate, so even though they don't get to rip off everyone, they can still benefit from the service, just cuts out the higher up payment schemes...the digital age is almost on them and they'd better change their views or go do something else...

Like in Singapore!!!!..lol...Yeah..they need to start using younger drivers,or have them work less hours there,they have lots of elderly taxi drivers,i was in one with my gf years ago when working there,going to Clarke Quay,and was wondering why the cab never moved when the traffic lights turned green...the 70+ year old driver had fallen asleep at the wheel!!! I had to waken him up to get moving again ????????

[eezergood]

Hands up who believes this nonsense? 

[DrDave]

On 2/3/2022 at 7:03 AM, Tbone999 said:

To stop the taxi ripoffs is pretty simple really. Like they do in Singapore, integrate them into very apps they so hate, so even though they don't get to rip off everyone, they can still benefit from the service, just cuts out the higher up payment schemes...the digital age is almost on them and they'd better change their views or go do something else...

Nothing in Thailand will ever operate like Singapore. Corruption is so deeply embedded in all levels of the public sector, from the very bottom to the very top (and beyond). The only way to become more Singapore-like would be to have a complete purge of local and national government personnel as well as the police and military, and start over with a new no-nonsense PM, ala Lee Kuan Yew.  Not gonna happen.

[Tbone999]

On 2/4/2022 at 7:00 AM, Jimbo53 said:

Like in Singapore!!!!..lol...Yeah..they need to start using younger drivers,or have them work less hours there,they have lots of elderly taxi drivers,i was in one with my gf years ago when working there,going to Clarke Quay,and was wondering why the cab never moved when the traffic lights turned green...the 70+ year old driver had fallen asleep at the wheel!!! I had to waken him up to get moving again ????????

Haha, I remember those dang awful ding dong sounds when they went past 60mph, used to drive me nuts...

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:57 AM, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

The government are exactly the same. Just look at them and who they are.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:57 AM, chuang said:

Why the authority allows such thuggery...are they  in cohorts....

There is proof of complicity in a number of scams in Thailand between local authorities, incl. cops, and thugs. One of the better publicised ones is (was) between the Pattaya jet-ski scammers and the local cops, so what are the odds that Phuket authorities are not involved in this taxi-mafia business? After all, the problem has been publicised for decades now, and has caused damage to income from tourism (well, for others, anyway), but not much has been done by authorities to solve the problem.

Edited February 13, 2022 by StayinThailand2much