Phuket Taxi Drivers Asked to be More Polite to Tourists Following Viral Incident

[webfact]

 

Phuket – Taxi drivers in Phuket are being asked by officials to be more polite after a foreign female tourist was forced out of a minivan in Phuket by drivers of other vans operating at the Phuket Rassada Port.

 

The Phuket City Police Chief Colonel Pratueng Ponmana on Sunday (June 4th) went to the Rassada Pier with officials from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO).

 

Mr. Kornpitak Artsuwan, the Acting PLTO Chief, told the Phuket Express that The minivan with his foreign passenger used the ‘Bolt Application’.

 

The local taxi drivers at the pier misunderstood and they did not realize that the Bolt application has already been approved by the PLTO and is not illegal in Phuket.

 

However, after they have been informed, they now understood. There was no serious situation only a verbal argument. Taxi drivers have been told to be polite with each other for a good image to tourists.

 

By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2023/06/05/update-phuket-taxi-drivers-asked-to-be-more-polite-to-tourists-following-viral-incident/

 

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

 

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[Crossy]

Ah yes, "all a misunderstanding" what a surprise

[flyingtlger]

That's like asking a crab to walk straight (they can only walk sideways).....

 

[Henkjan2]

Bolt in Phuket.  Very good to know !!!

[tandor]

ORDERED to be more polite...would be more appropriate

[hellohello123]

"Im terribly sorry but the meter is not working due to technical difficulties, would you kindly accept 1500 baht for this 3 minute trip, and have a nice day"

[ChipButty]

21 minutes ago, Henkjan2 said:

Bolt in Phuket.  Very good to know !!!

Been here a while and works good, 

[waders123]

If only the government would set a reasonable flat rate to and from the airport in Phuket and enforce it with a strong conviction, then you might be able to get this mafia taxi out of Phuket or at least reduce them.   Meters are great but it is harder to enforce them.  A flat rate with BIG signs everywhere stating the rates, (including on the taxi itself), then there would be less price gouging.   But after this "asking" to be nice business they will go back to their usual monkey business and continue gouging their customers.

[NORDO]

What a riot..."lets tell the mafia to play nice".   What kind of an under-educated, short puckered flatlander came this concept.   Like telling Al Capone to smile when he wastes someone.   What a fricken joke.

[MrJ2U]

6 hours ago, save the frogs said:

you could probably take a jaunt over to Cancun and meet women from all over the world there.

it's one of the busiest airports on the planet, i think. 

I was there.  Incredibly overpriced.

 

I'm happy in Asia and prefer petite Asian ladies.

 

Mexico is definitely not my cup of tea. 

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Taxi drivers have been told to be polite with each other for a good image to tourists.

Headline says "Phuket Taxi Drivers Asked to be More Polite to Tourists"

 

Presumably a compromise has been reached whereby taxi drivers are consistently rude to everybody

[sungod]

Phuket on my avoid list solely down to taxi drivers.

[Dickie Dee]

Be nice to drunken Russians?  

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Taxi drivers in Phuket are being asked by officials to be more polite after a foreign female tourist was forced out of a minivan in Phuket by drivers of other vans operating at the Phuket Rassada Port.

Pathetic....

[LivinLOS]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The local taxi drivers at the pier misunderstood and they did not realize that the Bolt application has already been approved by the PLTO and is not illegal in Phuket.

 

However, after they have been informed, they now understood.

Ohh <deleted>.. 

[Gknrd]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

I was there.  Incredibly overpriced.

 

I'm happy in Asia and prefer petite Asian ladies.

 

Mexico is definitely not my cup of tea. 

Yeah, I am fixing to head to Mexico. Definitely much more expensive than Thailand. And the women are not all that. But, you can breathe and the beaches and general scenery puts Thailand to shame. But, I hear ya..

But, Cancun and the Mexican Riviera are high end. And way over priced. Problem is most folks don't have transportation in Mexico. I drive down and bypass the tourist areas. But, again the women suck compared to Thailand.

[Denim]

6 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

But, again the women suck compared to Thailand.

Sounds pretty good. Where's the beef ( hmm...don't answer that, I get the idea )

[ChipButty]

Unfortunately it's the one thing tourist always remember about Thailand being constantly ripped of by taxi drivers, It always come up in conversations with guest how to avoid it, I always recommend renting a car, some dont want to drive after they see the performance with other road users.

 

[AustinRacing]

Regardless, if the morons were not happy the right thing to do was to call the authorities and not handle it their own way-the mafia way. It is a poor reflection on police to ask them to be polite. 

[Darksidedude]

As seen all around Thailand taxi drivers waiting about to rip off a tourist, number one rule don't go up to a taxi waiting about.

 

Thank god for Taxi APPS, used to be a pain before these taxi APPS come on the scene.

[Accidental Tourist]

What a joke...Island Mafia all over this Country, and centuries goes by...

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

That's like asking a crab to walk straight (they can only walk sideways).....

 

Is that a ”fiddler” crab...? ????

[Chongalulu]

41 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

But, again the women suck compared to Thailand

I suggest that should be the minimum expectation in either venue. ????

[ChipButty]

15 minutes ago, Darksidedude said:

As seen all around Thailand taxi drivers waiting about to rip off a tourist, number one rule don't go up to a taxi waiting about.

 

Thank god for Taxi APPS, used to be a pain before these taxi APPS come on the scene.

I wouldn't say all around Thailand, Phuket yes

[Dan O]

Love how they claim it was not a serious situation only a verbal argument. I can guarantee the lady it happen to was frightened beyo d belief at a gang of thugs yelling and screaming and making her get out of the van and take her luggage out of the van and walk. They should fineall the taxi drivers involved but they won't. It's just a misunderstandingso it's OK. TiT

[kennw]

31 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I wouldn't say all around Thailand, Phuket yes

You obviously dont live in Bangkok.

 

 

[ChipButty]

Just now, kennw said:

You obviously dont live in Bangkok.

 

 

I did do for 3 years, 

[IamNoone88]

Yellow card system for taxi driver complaints ... individual and company level .... if errant tourists get warned so should others.

[Scouse123]

They shouldn't be ' requesting ' anything from the taxi mafias that operate there through fear and intimidation and bullying.

 

They should completely break up these mafia cartels operating there with impunity, ...............................however, they won't!

 

The tail is wagging the dog down in Phuket and that's why we stopped going. Not only taxi mafias, restaurant scams, jet ski scams etc, it makes you feel uncomfortable and women especially do not feel safe as solo travellers with this kind of behaviour.

 

All a misunderstanding my Harris!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gknrd]

45 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

I suggest that should be the minimum expectation in either venue. ????

Thailand the women are easy and a dime a dozen, Mexico much harder and not as petite. Depends what you want. Mexican women are verrrry passionate compared to Thai women. What do you think of that Nchuckie.