By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Phuket – The Phuket International Airport has clarified after a story of passengers who were asked to get out of a minivan has gone viral in social media.

 

The story went viral in social media this morning (September 29th) with a video and a message, “A minivan driver arrived at the airport to pick up customers who booked online. Airport staffers stopped the minivan at the airport exit before they asked the passengers who had booked online to get out of the minivan and take a registered taxi from the airport directly.”

 

The Phuket International Airport has issued a press release this afternoon which concluded, “Yesterday (September 28th) a minivan taxi arrived at the domestic terminal to pick up passengers who booked via an online application.”

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/09/29/phuket-airport-clarifies-after-passengers-asked-to-get-out-of-minivan/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-09-30

 

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So, the Phuket taxi mafia, the one that the army govt supposedly "cracked down" on is still alive and well!

800 baht taxi

 

I shared with 2 others

 

 

Bolt. Cape Panwa to the airport. 600 Baht.

A Bolt driver who dropped me at HKT airport told me that if caught picking up someone via the Bolt, InDriver or Grab app, he would be fined 2,000 baht. That's what scares the drivers away from coming to pick people up at the terminal. Instead they ask passengers to walk to the road where it's "legal" to pick them up.

 

Not exactly a tourist friendly airport or process. 

Simple answer, all passengers get out, leave the bags in the vehicle, walk to the kerb side outside the airport, and the minibus picks them up again.

The event caused much discussion and anger on social media, with many commenters feeling that the forced registration system traps customers to limited choices and high pricing versus allowing the customer to choose how they will travel, such as on an online application.

 

Yes. That's the whole point. What the passengers should have done is refuse to leave the van they arranged. Instead, they were intimidated before they'd even left the airport. Welcome to Paradise, where the airport authorities have joined forces with the taxi mafia.

 

Whenever any of my misguided friends have told me they're planning a trip to Thailand I always tell them to avoid Phuket at all costs.

Message is clear. Go somewhere else instead of Phuket. If their mindset is to put the squeeze on all tourists they don't deserve any.

23 minutes ago, Denim said:

Message is clear. Go somewhere else instead of Phuket. If their mindset is to put the squeeze on all tourists they don't deserve any.

Yes, Phuket is way over rated!

It's another indictment on the way things in LOS aint' all smiles. Sad huh?!

Its sad to see how some locals are just amoral sharks and have a less-than stellar moral code, hurting the reputation of their own nation and incomes in the long-run, aided and abetted by those in authority they co-grift with or buy-off.

 

 I've learnt, at times the hard way which as driven me to practice great circumspection when it comes to interactions with and getting close (being indebted/vulnerable to most Thai's on the island. There are lovely kind Thai's here but I'd hazard a guess not many frequent the airport and near vicinity.

 

I've used a local family from Surin for quite some years who'd come at the drop of a hat any time of day or night and drive me (sanely and safely) to my abode's over the years at 500 baht.

I now have an Elite car to and from airport as part of that program so thankfully unlike (probably millions of passengers coming and going) I pass through this shameful sad stuff.

 

I feel for the industrious self-actuating Thai's who have Grab businesses, work hard and long hours, and other small private freelance van businesses (although the later I'm willing to bet a few pennies on, have to grease the palms of officials at the airport to get a look in).

 

I'll never forget the first time after 30 years absence from LOS and the island how I took a cab and paid about 1000 baht holy cow! and the idiot nearly killed us both about 3 or 4 times on my journey to Merlin Beach. 

 

How to run an airport 

If they can't fix such minor issue.

“The Phuket Airport is an aircraft control area as stated in the Ministerial Regulations. The minivan driver has offended the regulations.”

But - most airports globally are 'aircraft control areas' and yet allow public transportation to pick up and let out passengers.  This is one of the reasons I tell my friends to avoid Phuket entirely.  From the top down, it's set up to separate tourists from their money starting from the moment they exit the airport.

Quote

“The Phuket Airport is an aircraft control area as stated in the Ministerial Regulations. The minivan driver has offended the regulations.”

 

“Taxi vehicles are not allowed to enter the airport except when they have permission from the airport. The airport has a registration system for taxi drivers. Regulations have been clearly communicated to passengers and taxi drivers.”

 

IF this ‘aircraft control area’ was so important only approved vehicles would be permitted to drop off passengers, no private vehicles would be allowed to drop off or pick up.

 

Without any doubt this is ‘taxi’ rule exists for the single reason of forcing passengers to take the airport taxi’s.

 

This of course empowers the taxi drivers at the airport to rip off the tourists. 

 

At which point do the existing taxi drivers at the airport stop people from picking up the friends?

We’ve seen this behaviour already outside hotels where ‘friend picking up their friends’ were blocked because the taxi drivers thought they were grabcar drivers. 

 

 

Surely the "Airport Control Zone" must exist at all airports in Thailand?

But private taxis are allowed, at all other airports? Why is only Phuket a scam airport?
Boycott Phuket, well at least the airport!

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Welcome to Paradise, where the airport authorities have joined forces with the taxi mafia.

Let the gouging begin.. welcome to paradise.

Another reason to give Phuket also in the future a miss.

Vote with your feet and choose alternatives; plenty everywhere ???? 

Thailand's tourism will never get there where it was once and obvious daylight corruption on all levels are living proof! 

Taxi mafia at work.

8 hours ago, 2baht said:

Yes, Phuket is way over rated!

Its fine for a few nights. You cant fly to Thailand same day via scoot unless phuket. 

 

Still better than Sing.

 

My 500 baht room was great. 

Phuket airport can set whatever rules they like - is it such a big deal to go to an "official" desk, book an "official" taxi at the advertised "official" fare and be on you way with no dramas. The things that people put themselves through to save a couple of hundred Baht - everyone knows the situation so take it or leave it.

(I'm looking forward to my visit in a couple of weeks)

 

Taxi Graft happens pretty much worldwide … there are many that are honest hard working … it’s the few that murk it up for the masses

On my first trip to LOS over 20 years ago I was warned that we'd face problems from Phuket airport if we hadn't pre-booked accommodation. Like an idiot I didn't listen, and sure enough we were forced to stop off at a tour office and book a hotel before the taxi would drive us on to Patong. 

 

Just weird! I don't know if they still pull that trick or not. 

That driver had El Grande Huevos to even attempt the pick up.

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket International Airport Authorities said, "Taxi vehicles are not allowed to enter the airport except when they have permission from the airport."

I wonder what that costs?

 

Shameful that they enable taxi fares that in many cases exceed the cost of a domestic flight to Phuket. 

 

On our single flight there, we avoided the taxi mafia by renting a car. They can be booked for around 1,000 baht for 24 hours and give extra mobility along with an <deleted> to the taxi mafia. 

2 hours ago, London Lowf said:

Phuket airport can set whatever rules they like - is it such a big deal to go to an "official" desk, book an "official" taxi at the advertised "official" fare and be on you way with no dramas. The things that people put themselves through to save a couple of hundred Baht - everyone knows the situation so take it or leave it.

(I'm looking forward to my visit in a couple of weeks)

 

Enjoy overpaying at Phuket. The same fare in Bangkok would likely run 350 Baht. 

 

3 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Enjoy overpaying at Phuket. The same fare in Bangkok would likely run 350 Baht. 

 

I most certainly will - I definitely won't be changing my entire two-month holiday itinerary in order to save a few hundred Baht.

 

You enjoy Bangkok and Pattaya, and I'll enjoy Phuket. Each to their own......

Earlier I mentioned London Heathrow - this is from their website.....

 

The drop-off charge does not affect passenger pick-ups, which will continue to take place via the car parks. You cannot pick up passengers from the drop-off zones.

 

Also as I said, they're all free to impose there own conditions, same as your local supermarket car park.

I always either rent a car at at the Phuket airport or bring a rental car to Phuket. It pays for itself after half a day.

All tourists flying in should do this. Taxi and tuk tuk prices on Phuket are one of the biggest ripoffs in all of Thailand.

Rip off mafia taxis.  Yeah, walk out of the airport with your bags and get picked up outside.  

But I am sure if too many tourists do that there will be some shootings and murders.