Phuket Taxi Mafia still out of control: Female foreign tourist terrified after altercation with ride hailing woman driver

[Sigma6]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Personally I think if you notice that taxis charge 2 or 10 times as much as they do i.e. in Bangkok then you realize that is a big rip-off. I don't mind if people earn money. But overcharging way too much is just annoying. For most people that starts with the taxi from the airport. 

Whilst I agree that Phuket taxis cost more than they should, I don't think Bangkok is the right comparsion.  I've found that going to any other city in Thailand - Chiang Mai, Udon, Ubon, Pataya - pretty much everwhere where a meter rate isnt enforced, you will pay more than you would in Bangkok.  So it seems Bangkok is the exception. not the rule.

 

Another valid point is that most Phuket taxis do not run on LPG - useless for carrying luggage on a tourist island, and as you know every bangkok taxi does.

For me; airport to Patong should be 500-600b.  Its a 45 min, 40km drive.
 

[spermwhale]

Every time I go to Phuket, I rent a car at the airport and that's how I get around the Island and to other nearby provinces. You can score a Yaris for about 1,000 baht a day. 

 

The price alone for convenience and not having to deal with the outrageous songtaew and taxi prices is worth it. 

[still kicking]

12 hours ago, me4175 said:

Where are the yellow/red cards for Thais?? 

They only get green ones 

[biervoormij]

Thailand often talks about things that will hurt Thailand's reputation for tourism but does nothing about the mafia in Phuket.  Just the common use of the word mafia does more harm than one guy getting hit by a bouncer over a bottle of water.

[RichardColeman]

22 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

Guessing it's Bolt.

We (family of 3) just started using Bolt, 60 baht from Central Pattaya to the Dark side in a car, taxi cannot beat that - or motorbike. That said we always make it up to 100, 60 baht seems such a steal !

Taxi people need to adjust to society, not sit on their backsides waiting for a fair

[ChipButty]

7 hours ago, spermwhale said:

Every time I go to Phuket, I rent a car at the airport and that's how I get around the Island and to other nearby provinces. You can score a Yaris for about 1,000 baht a day. 

 

The price alone for convenience and not having to deal with the outrageous songtaew and taxi prices is worth it. 

I always recommend that to our guest, it works out cheaper and more convenient, many dont listen, I've got a guest due to arrive this weekend I'm trying to help them but no they insist on using Bolt, see how long it takes them to get here since they have to go outside the airport to use Bolt,  

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

but found herself charged with operating a service that was still not officially registered.

So if the Phuket taxis allegedly don't use their meters, who is responsible to oversee that ? 

Oh, and who is the head of the Taxi Mafia? and who is in between the two of them.? 

[rabiedabruce]

On 3/29/2023 at 10:03 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I visited Phuket the first time almost 30 years ago. It was a rip-off. I was there again maybe 10 years ago, it was a bigger rip-off. And as far as I know nothing changed.

This obviously only works because the authorities are part of the problem. Nobody who could solve the problems wants to solve the problems.

What I think is most surprising how many people visit that island - and not just once. Are you not fed up with all the rip-offs? Do you enjoy if when you realize everybody only wants your money? And not with reasonable prices, everything is way too expensive. 

An Official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said to me 'Phuket, small province, big problem'. That was ten years ago so they know but too much money flowing upstairs to do anything about it.

[London Lowf]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:20 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

But how do you feel when you know the same trip in Bangkok would cost maybe 200B?

Apart from transitting through the airport I have no interest whatsoever in Bangkok and couldn't give a hoot what the taxis cost.

[London Lowf]

On 3/29/2023 at 12:15 PM, OttoPollmann said:

Ah, the old comparison with your home country. 

Ah, the old comparison between the average income in my home country compared to Phuket.

 

Millions of tourists visit Phuket every year and many realise that it is far more expensive than other parts of Thailand. Take it or leave it - i'll take it!

 

What I can never understand is why so many come on to the Phuket section to put it down and try to dissuade people from visiting - I do not go on any other regional forums just to spout negativity.

Edited March 30, 2023 by London Lowf

[spermwhale]

On 3/29/2023 at 5:55 PM, ChipButty said:

I always recommend that to our guest, it works out cheaper and more convenient, many dont listen, I've got a guest due to arrive this weekend I'm trying to help them but no they insist on using Bolt, see how long it takes them to get here since they have to go outside the airport to use Bolt,  

Agreed. It's not hard to drive around Phuket. The learning curve is quick even for people who are used to driving on the right hand side of the road. Traffic isn't nuts like BKK and since every phone has GPS, it's easy to get around. Plus you have the freedom to just run to a store and buys some provisions like extra water, beer and snacks for your room. Those places are not always within walking distance. 

Edited April 5, 2023 by spermwhale

[Damrongsak]

On 3/28/2023 at 11:03 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I visited Phuket the first time almost 30 years ago. It was a rip-off. I was there again maybe 10 years ago, it was a bigger rip-off. And as far as I know nothing changed.

This obviously only works because the authorities are part of the problem. Nobody who could solve the problems wants to solve the problems.

What I think is most surprising how many people visit that island - and not just once. Are you not fed up with all the rip-offs? Do you enjoy if when you realize everybody only wants your money? And not with reasonable prices, everything is way too expensive. 

We only visited Phuket  for part of a day back in mid-2002, I think it was.  We came down from Khao Lak in Phang Nga, a couple years before the Tsunami. Not going back again ...

[stuarty]

On 4/6/2023 at 12:07 AM, Damrongsak said:

We only visited Phuket  for part of a day back in mid-2002, I think it was.  We came down from Khao Lak in Phang Nga, a couple years before the Tsunami. Not going back again ...

Thanks for your considerable and elaborate insight.

[herfiehandbag]

On 3/29/2023 at 12:00 PM, beechbum said:

"What I think is most surprising how many people visit that island - and not just once"

After you post that you've visited twice...not the sharpest tool in the shed hey ????

Well there was a 20 year gap between visits.

 

The "authorities" make enough noise about tackling these rip offs so it is not that unreasonable to visit again in 20 years.

[herfiehandbag]

On 3/30/2023 at 7:40 AM, RichardColeman said:

We (family of 3) just started using Bolt, 60 baht from Central Pattaya to the Dark side in a car, taxi cannot beat that - or motorbike. That said we always make it up to 100, 60 baht seems such a steal !

Taxi people need to adjust to society, not sit on their backsides waiting for a fair

That, seems to be the case the world over. The world over the licencing authorities are also stuck in the dark ages.

 

I had a private hire vehicle for a few years. In my licensing area (Bath) there were both private hires (hired through and controlled by a call centre) and Hackney cabs - hailed on the streets or picked up at a rank. The vehicle requirements, drivers licensing, knowledge exam ( admittedly Mickey Mouse compared to London) and fares were identical. The difference was that the number of Hackney plates was capped, at I think, 75. That gave them a value, if you wanted a Hackney plate you had to buy it from a driver. In theory a retiring driver was supposed to hand in his plate to the council who would then issue it out again; in practice they were sold for over £10,000, with the collusion of the council licensing office.

 

There was an annual registration fee for both types of taxi, of around £400. In an attempt to increase the number of wheelchair accessible taxis the council introduced a policy of waiving the fee on wheelchair accessible Hackney cabs. A number of very tired ex London Cabs appeared on the ranks. I had a brand new Citroen minibus (8 seater) fitted with wheelchair ramps and securing clamps.

 

I asked (at the annual council/drivers liaison meeting) why the same waiver was not applicable to Private Hire Vehicles, after all, if you are in a wheelchair you are far more likely to ring for a taxi to pick you up from home than you are to wheel yourself halfway across town to a rank in the hope that a piss stained third hand old Black Cab, whose driver hadn't "forgotten to bring his wheelchair ramps with him" pulled up on the ramp!

 

Goodness me, you would have thought that I had suggested a slaughter of the firstborn! I was literally shouted down by the hackney drivers. The council officer simply refused to answer the question; and I received anonymous threats stuck under my windscreen wiper threatening that my vehicle would be smashed up and I would be beaten up if I persisted! Neither the council nor the police (who had a representative at the meeting) were minded to do anything. In fact, the hackney fraternity managed to persuade First Great Western to bar me from loading or unloading wheelchair passengers on the station forecourt, I had to wheel them a couple of hundred metres down the road from the nearest place I could park, and invariably risk a parking ticket from the parking Gestapo. My one victory was to refuse to pay the parking fines, and to threaten to take the council to court over them. They backed down. A very influential wheelchair bound chap who I had to wheel 200 metres in pouring rain took up my case with the railway and they lifted the ban.

 

A bit of a rambling tale I know, and Bath is a long way from Phuket(!) but having worked in the business I would suggest that the majority of taxi drivers worldwide are grasping, dishonest, often not averse to thuggery and are in cahoots with their licensing authorities!

Edited April 9, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[BangkokReady]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:46 PM, Thingamabob said:

However, foreigners being charged more than Thais for taxis, entry fees, accomodation etc etc has never bothered me. Only small money, not worth worrying about. 

I believe it's not the amount so much as the racism.  It's not really any different to a local taking a few hundred Baht out of your pocket because you are Western so they're entitled to your money.

[spidermike007]

They have proven over and over again, the Thai taxi mafia is far more powerful than the anemic, weak, pathetic Thai army, the RTP goons, or any other so called law enforcement. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by spidermike007

[Adumbration]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:49 PM, iaminwa said:

Phuket has always been a <deleted> hole for taxi mafia. Good luck if you decide to live there.

 

It was sufficient for you to just post your first seven words.