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

[keysersoze276]

I warn all my friends back home to avoid Thailand, unless they are very close friends or family that I will stay next to from their arrival to their safe departure.  I also warn my worldwide colleagues to avoid Thailand. Why?  Well, this <deleted> is way out of control. Thailand is NOT a tourist destination. I repeat, Thailand is NOT a tourist destination and F what the TAT says!

[renaissanc]

IThe Governor should have dealt with this kind of situation ages ago. But when you get comfortable in a position with lots of loot flowing in, I suppose you can't be bothered.

[bignok]

Bolt driver told me 500 baht fine to pickup at airport. Have to walk 400m to get in.

 

So just do that at piers too. A 25yo should be able to walk 400m. End of problem.

 

She is just trying to be another youtube star. Too cheap and lazy.

[bignok]

21 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

I warn all my friends back home to avoid Thailand, unless they are very close friends or family that I will stay next to from their arrival to their safe departure.  I also warn my worldwide colleagues to avoid Thailand. Why?  Well, this <deleted> is way out of control. Thailand is NOT a tourist destination. I repeat, Thailand is NOT a tourist destination and F what the TAT says!

Load of nonsense. Taxi is 150 baht Chiang Mai. Bolt in city 60 baht long way. Isaan has Grab. Hotels $25 to 50 are great value.

 

Phuket use Bolt in city. Walk 400m from airport or boat piers, save 200 baht. Good exercise too.

 

Canceling holidays over a few taxi thugs 555

 

 

[bignok]

5 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

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

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

What are US marines going to do?

[jesimps]

4 hours 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. 

"I baulk at this term for Thailand (because it ain’t)"

 

Oh I don't know. Military coups, rigged elections, chaotic roads, corruption, lack of common sense, stray dogs, inept police, noise pollution from bass-heavy speakers. I could go on. Saying that, I love it here. Never a dull moment and certainly never bored. Have to get that in before some no-all tells me to go back to my own country.

[bignok]

2 hours 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.

Then don't live in Thailand if it is so bad.

[Zack61]

A festering, pus ridden sore that needs to be addressed but never will. 

[DUNROAMIN]

Phuket is fast becoming totally overrun by Mafia thugs.

[LALes]

Russian tourists using Russian ride hailing app and Russian rent-a-car

service, too.  Cuts the Thais completely out of the loop in Phuket and Pattaya.  Friction was bound to ensue and here we go.

[JohnHans]

Thais behaving badly, giving Thailand a well deserved bad reputation.

[ChipButty]

17 minutes ago, LALes said:

Russian tourists using Russian ride hailing app

Which one is that? 

[Straight8]

5 hours ago, Homburg said:

Welcome to the land of smiles....

Every man's Utopia

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

"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!

 

Same thing happened at the airport a few months back. Whenever anyone I know tells me they are thinking of coming to Thailand I tell them to avoid Phuket.

[greeneking]

1 hour ago, renaissanc said:

IThe Governor should have dealt with this kind of situation ages ago. But when you get comfortable in a position with lots of loot flowing in, I suppose you can't be bothered.

I imagine he is very bothered.  I expect he is one of many who made large investments  for positions and they now await lucrative returns.

[dddave]

The comments here show many really do not understand the depth of the problem, not only in Phuket but in most Thai tourist areas.  It's not just the taxi and van drivers.  All the major hotels and resorts as well as other public facilities like the piers demand payments from the drivers who "work" their property.  The taxis who line-up at any particular hotel, pay that hotel (or the corrupt manager) fees of several thousand baht just to be allowed to pick-up passengers at that location.  In the instance of the OP, I'd be willing to bet the drivers were angry because they paid big baht to whoever controls the pier to have exclusive rights to pick-up passengers there.

This is why it's not just a problem of the "Taxi Mafia", it's the entire network of systematic profiteering from every aspect of the tourism business in Phuket.  

[Mavideol]

Welcome to LOS (Land Of Scams)... great advertising for TAT, with this type of scams by local transport mafia, am sure the tourist numbers will skyrocket  555

[Mavideol]

7 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Expected behavior from a third world country…

something similar to the "" cut off your nose to spite your face"" which is a very common activity in Thailand by locals

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

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

if that's the case I will place Thailand in 4th or 5th world type country, same as some African countries where the law of the jungle prevails  555

[ujayujay]

7 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

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

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

The last time I saw a fight between US Marines and some Muai Thai blokes, it painted a rather sad picture for the Marines????????????

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, keysersoze276 said:

I warn all my friends back home to avoid Thailand, unless they are very close friends or family that I will stay next to from their arrival to their safe departure.  I also warn my worldwide colleagues to avoid Thailand. Why?  Well, this <deleted> is way out of control. Thailand is NOT a tourist destination. I repeat, Thailand is NOT a tourist destination and F what the TAT says!

so how do you account for the tourists that come here ?  Did they get lost on route to somewhere else?

[ChipButty]

There is a New app coming out shortly here in Phuket, I cant remember the name but I saw it advertising for staff on FB, 

[IamNoone88]

Dinosaurs. Soon to be fossils.

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

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

Or remove him from office.

Has he run out of red cards?

[tandor]

9 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Expected behavior from a third world country…

if they can't count to six correctly...sort of tells you something

[BEngBKK]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

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

Or remove him from office.

He do not want to lose his "commission"

[BEngBKK]

I guess these people do not have a university degree 

[BritScot]

7 hours 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 is a third world country, why baulk at that? It is part of it's charm sometimes. 

[Goat]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

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) 

Common for the hotel staff, especially in 4/5 star, to negotiate the lowest price from the drivers and then pocket the often large difference in Phuket.

[alanrchase]

9 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Expected behavior from a third world country…

Similar to Heathrow. Only black cabs are authorized to pick up at the terminals. If you want to use ride hailing apps then pick up is at the single authorized vehicle area on the perimeter of the airport.