Foreign Tourist in Phuket Forced out of Minivan Over Passenger Disputes Between Rival Drivers

[webfact]

 

Phuket — A lone foreign female tourist was forced out of a minivan in Phuket by drivers of other vans operating at the Phuket Rassada Port. The drivers claimed the tourist’s app-hailing van driver could not pick up passengers at the port and told the tourist to drag her suitcase out of there if she intended to use app-hailing services.

The incident which was widely shared on social media and went viral happened on June 3rd at the Phuket Rassada Port in Phuket. The unidentified driver of a public minivan who posted the incident claimed that he was stopped by a group of 5-6 men as he was about to take his female foreign passenger to her destination from the port.

 

The driver who had required yellow license plates and operated as what he says is a legal app-hailing driver stated that the men surrounded his minivan and told his passenger, a lone female traveller, to get out of the van and drag her suitcase out of the port area if she intended to use services from app-hailing drivers.

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2023/06/04/foreign-tourist-in-phuket-forced-out-of-minivan-over-passenger-disputes-between-rival-drivers/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2023-06-05

 

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[harleyclarkey]

Great image for Phuket. 

A load of thugs that act with total impunity. This points to a large pay off to those in charge for protection.  

Rotten to the core and nobody is doing a darn thing about it. 

[harleyclarkey]

A lone female tourist. Yeh, 4/5 tough guys 

Pity they didn't pick on a van full of US marines! 

[cardinalblue]

Expected behavior from a third world country…

[firemans35]

My first question would be why aren't the 5-6 men on the ride hailing app? If they were it would show where the customer was and they could compete for the fare. 

[KCPhuket]

13 minutes ago, harleyclarkey said:

Great image for Phuket. 

A load of thugs that act with total impunity. This points to a large pay off to those in charge for protection.  

Rotten to the core and nobody is doing a darn thing about it. 

We hope it will change as Move Forward has stated this as a goal for Phuket. It has long been a sickening sore spot indeed.

[Homburg]

Welcome to the land of smiles....

[sikishrory]

These Neanderthals are on the way out and they know it.

I think Move Forward won all of Phuket and seem to have plans to change these idiots as well.

During covid it became clear that they literally have no other skills or way to make money in life. Except for sitting around all day being losers and ripping people off.

I'd love to see them all vanish.

 

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

Expected behavior from a third world country…

I baulk at this term for Thailand (because it ain’t), but instances such as this, dogs on streets etc, have it erring that way. The rip off transport situation on Phuket is a disgrace. Mafia is not the right word for these people; they are greedy grubby little scoundrels enabled by the system there. As above, hopefully a mature, non self-serving government can put paid to this carry-on. 

[TheFishman1]

No surprises here. TIT.

[sikishrory]

I have noticed a purple sticker on a lot of their vans saying "car app".

No idea what it is but had me wondering if they have somehow got someone to make them a crappy version of grab with pricing better suited to their needs.

Tried to find out online but can't.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The driver who had required yellow license plates and operated as what he says is a legal app-hailing driver stated that the men surrounded his minivan and told his passenger, a lone female traveller, to get out of the van and drag her suitcase out of the port area if she intended to use services from app-hailing drivers.

Time to get the governor of Phuket off his fat backside and start cleaning up his back-yard.

Or remove him from office.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

Great image for Phuket. 

A load of thugs that act with total impunity. This points to a large pay off to those in charge for protection.  

Rotten to the core and nobody is doing a darn thing about it. 

MFP might in time if they don't get silenced by the mob.

[kcpattaya]

Welcome to Phuket...

It's known to be mafia poised, this island in the land of smiles... ????

[rwill]

2 hours ago, firemans35 said:

My first question would be why aren't the 5-6 men on the ride hailing app? If they were it would show where the customer was and they could compete for the fare. 

You answered your own question.  They have no intention of competing for fares.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

I baulk at this term for Thailand (because it ain’t), but instances such as this, dogs on streets etc, have it erring that way. The rip off transport situation on Phuket is a disgrace. Mafia is not the right word for these people; they are greedy grubby little scoundrels enabled by the system there. As above, hopefully a mature, non self-serving government can put paid to this carry-on. 

Thailand has a corrupt police force, corrupt local government (hence this report), corrupt immigration officers, corrupt everything, really. In what way isn't it a third world country? A few tall, shiny glass buildings in Bangkok don't change that. As long as people are allowed to operate with impunity, not only in Phuket, with absolutely no action by the authorities and sometimes even assisted by them, then Thailand will remain a third world country.

[Iron Tongue]

2 hours ago, firemans35 said:

My first question would be why aren't the 5-6 men on the ride hailing app? If they were it would show where the customer was and they could compete for the fare. 

You can't figure it out?

If they joined an app service, they'd have to give the firm a cut of the fee, but far worse, they'd have to accept rates calculated by the app and then tracked via GPS.

No more charging 3,000 baht rides to drive tourists 2KM down the road.

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

because it ain’t

There are many who would disagree. Thailand sure acts a 3rd World/3rd Rate country, even if it technically "ain't"...which is debatable. Regardless, no denying it's still a developing country with a LONG way to go and a damn far cry from 1st World or 1st Rate. 

[stoner]

3 hours ago, KCPhuket said:

We hope it will change as Move Forward has stated this as a goal for Phuket. It has long been a sickening sore spot indeed.

not much at all will change. move forward also campaigned on sec 21 and well..... we all know how that is turning out. 

[ChipButty]

Dont just blame the drivers, the hotels need looking at they are also at it, A 5 star hotel in Karon the other week said 2000 Baht for a minivan to the airport (one way) 

[NorthernRyland]

26 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Thailand sure acts a 3rd World/3rd Rate country, even if it technically "ain't"...which is debatable.

"3rd world" isn't a place, it's a state of mind.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

"The drivers claimed the tourist’s app-hailing van driver could not pick up passengers at the port and told the tourist to drag her suitcase out of there if she intended to use app-hailing services."

 

So the so called 'drivers' can just make up any rules that suits them?

The taxi mafia are taking things to a new level and what do the police and governor do? NOTHING!

 

[Colabamumbai]

They would do the same to their mothers. 

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, Homburg said:

Welcome to the land of smiles....

Smiles are OK, its what's in their hands behind their backs that worries me !

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thailand has a corrupt police force, corrupt local government (hence this report), corrupt immigration officers, corrupt everything, really. In what way isn't it a third world country? A few tall, shiny glass buildings in Bangkok don't change that. As long as people are allowed to operate with impunity, not only in Phuket, with absolutely no action by the authorities and sometimes even assisted by them, then Thailand will remain a third world country.

Exactly.  Step away from the posh malls, visit the places where most regular Thais shop, get outside of Bangkok, etc, not a huge difference between Thailand and Laos.  There's a lot more money in certain parts of Thailand, but that doesn't change the whole country.

[ikke1959]

soft power to  attrack tourists

[Frankie baby]

Hope this lot get binned along with the junta, "change is in the air".

[brianthainess]

Very lucky no one was shot, in this Land Of Shootings/Stabbings awash with illegal guns and

man-children. I hope she gave the driver a tip. 

[berrec]

Ok, enough of this screwing around with the Phuket Mafia and corrupt Phuket government officials.

 

 

Time to bring in the Big Gun (Joe) in to clean the rotten place up.

 

You want Phuket to have the tourist family friendly image that the TAT tries to continually promote.

 

Well, the only way is to out all these criminals from Phuket!

 

And yes, monitor all their replacements carefully and regularly.

 

 

[ChipButty]

I dont get this, How can Tourist be held responsable to check if a taxi is legal or not, this was posted on FB Im not sure if I can post the link on here,

 

Just a reminder that in addition to cracking down on illegal drivers, PLTO has also warned tourists about the consequences for them if they just jump into a taxi without properly checking if it is legal or not.