2000 Taxi Drivers Stage Protest At Airport

[sriracha john]

A group of taxi drivers showed a permit allowing vehicles to pick up passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport. The permit was seized from another driver during a chaotic dispute yesterday over the airport's reallocation of the permits to a new group.

Bangkok Post

SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT

Cabbies protest service changes

Passengers were stranded and traffic was paralysed at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday as about 2,000 taxi drivers protested against abrupt changes in taxi service management. The protesting drivers refused to pick up passengers. They gathered at the Public Transport Centre and later moved to the airport's arrival terminal to block traffic arriving at the airport. The protest began about 8am after licensed taxi drivers holding airport permits were told to return them and to park their cars at a new site 5km away from the airport. The new site is no longer provided free of charge. The taxi drivers became furious when airport management let unlicensed taxis in to pick up stranded passengers. They tried to block other taxis from entering the airport. The airport currently pays a private company 700,000 baht a month to manage taxi queues. It also foots a monthly bill of 300,000 baht for water, electricity and cleaning of the taxi parking lot.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/26Dec2007_news14.php

[xbusman]

Am I just being cynical or does anyone else think that paying one million baht per month to an unknown contractor to manage the taxi line and clean the parking lot smacks of some serious corruption. Considering how terrible they do the job, someone must be skinning a fat hog somewhere. I would guess that company also collects the fees from the taxi companies for redistribution as well.

[mrtoad]

It also foots a monthly bill of 300,000 baht for water, electricity and cleaning of the taxi parking lot.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/26Dec2007_news14.php

Bloody hel_l , thats a pretty expensive bill considering the set up that they have there.

[sriracha john]

Am I just being cynical or does anyone else think that paying one million baht per month to an unknown contractor to manage the taxi line and clean the parking lot smacks of some serious corruption. Considering how terrible they do the job, someone must be skinning a fat hog somewhere. I would guess that company also collects the fees from the taxi companies for redistribution as well.

Utilizing thaivisa's designated font (Century Gothic) for facetious posts...

Yeah, but have you tried pricing a book of little paper chits at a stationery store? They want upwards of 25 baht for a book of a 1,000!!!

[jonniebkk]

is not this like the 2nd or 3rd time in the past few months that these drivers have staged demos at the airport for one reason or another and blocked access to the terminal for some period. feel sorry for anyone who had flights to make...did they really prevent people from reaching the departure level?

place has been open for what, 2 years or thereabouts, and still can't get the transport services sorted out. they always seems to be fighting about the split of the money

Edited December 26, 2007 by jonniebkk

[torrenova]

Hang on, the airport pays someone ? Surely someone should be paying the airport ?

There is a Bt50 premium on airport taxi fares which I always thought was retained by the taxi concession (paid first by the taxi driver) for the priviledge of him being able to pick up at the airport. If that is the case, then they are raking it in.

[pointofview]

Hang on, the airport pays someone ? Surely someone should be paying the airport ?

No your thinking logicaly - remember thai logic is the complete opposite of earthly logic!

[torrenova]

I recognise the irony but was surprised that no-one else had mentioned it. Corrupt from top to bottom.

[Spee]

What a clusterf*ck! When neither the seller nor the buyer have a say in the market dynamics, then something is seriously messed up. The bureaucrats and corruption have got to go. Sounds like the only option is to enter the country via Phuket or Chiang Mai and avoid Suvarnabhumi if at all possible.

[sriracha john]

Taxi mob to pose 3 demands on Suvarnabhumi Airport

Leader of the taxi cab drivers of Suvarnabhumi Airport protest group Vinai Songkratoke revealed that the combined alliance of 29 separate taxi driver groups will jointly submit 3 demands to the executives of the international airport. The demands follow a day of protests that saw thousands of cab drivers threatening to no longer take passengers, citing being muscled out of fares by unregistered “black sign” cabs.

The first of the demands posed states that Suvarnabhumi Airport must clearly outline punishments for violations related to taxis. The second demand asked that serious steps be taken to combat the “black sign” taxis and rid them from the airport. The final demand was to know how ready the airport was to regulate and manage taxis.

The draft of demands stated that if Suvarnabhumi Airport is not ready to regulate and manage taxis operating within its premises, it must allow for cabs to instate their own regulations.

- ThaiNews

[sriracha john]

Deputy Minister of Transport inspected taxi gangs at Suvarnabhumi Airport

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Songsak Thongsri), inspected the passenger terminal and the public taxi service at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday.

Referring to the complaints against the gangs of illegal taxis in Suvarnabhumi Airport, Songsak says he did not find any illegal taxi operation during his inspection. :D

However, he believes that the problem still exists, and it needs to be addressed soon.

He says if certain officials from the Airports of Thailand (AOT) are behind the illegal taxi operations in Suvarnabhumi Airport, they will be penalized accordingly. :D

He says a committee will be formed to solve this particular problem.

The Deputy Minister of Transport says the plan to abolish the long-standing taxi surcharge of 50 baht that drivers impose on their passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport will also be revised, since the passengers have already paid for the airport’s surcharge. However, the opinions of taxi drivers would also be taken into account.

- ThaiNews

[mrtoad]

Deputy Minister of Transport inspected taxi gangs at Suvarnabhumi Airport

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Songsak Thongsri), inspected the passenger terminal and the public taxi service at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday.

Referring to the complaints against the gangs of illegal taxis in Suvarnabhumi Airport, Songsak says he did not find any illegal taxi operation during his inspection. :D

However, he believes that the problem still exists, and it needs to be addressed soon.

He says if certain officials from the Airports of Thailand (AOT) are behind the illegal taxi operations in Suvarnabhumi Airport, they will be penalized accordingly. :D

He says a committee will be formed to solve this particular problem.

The Deputy Minister of Transport says the plan to abolish the long-standing taxi surcharge of 50 baht that drivers impose on their passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport will also be revised, since the passengers have already paid for the airport’s surcharge. However, the opinions of taxi drivers would also be taken into account.

- ThaiNews

<deleted>, sounds just like Paiboon when he went to Panthip in search of illegal DVD'S and Patpong in search of illegal activities. Is a prerequisate to be blind and deaf to secure a government job? No wonder they can't rectify problems, it's because they cant even see them.

[sriracha john]

[Big A]

The airport currently pays a private company 700,000 baht a month to manage taxi queues.

Jesus Christ!! I'll do it with my missus for B50,000 a month!! Just give us a uniform, a couple of whistles and an electric cattle prod. We'll sort it out!! One hint of corruption or malfeasance will result in a pair of sore bo**ocks!!

Edited March 8, 2008 by Big A

[mamanoodle]

No your thinking logicaly - remember thai logic is the complete opposite of earthly logic!

Is there any such thing as "Thai logic"? Seems totally illogical to me!!!

[Tony Clifton]

The airport`s roof could be made of silk and the floors of gold, it would still be a joke.

Has anyone seen the Thai engineers on ASTV last week?

They have just completed a one year inspection of the place, every corner.

They had at least 8 very thick binders on the table, filled with pictures of deathtraps and construction nightmares, sprinkler systems that would shower down on electrical and zap anyone soaked below were they to go off, and on and on.

They have been trying for months to find who is responsible for this and that, not one person or company responsible for the mess can be found or questioned.

[PadThaiGuy]

A group of Taxi drivers telling the Airport Management what to do?

The corruption runs so deep that no Thai can handle it.

It's time to hire a group of experienced, foreign managers to take over that Airport.

[sriracha john]

The airport`s roof could be made of silk and the floors of gold, it would still be a joke.

Has anyone seen the Thai engineers on ASTV last week?

They have just completed a one year inspection of the place, every corner.

They had at least 8 very thick binders on the table, filled with pictures of deathtraps and construction nightmares, sprinkler systems that would shower down on electrical and zap anyone soaked below were they to go off, and on and on.

They have been trying for months to find who is responsible for this and that, not one person or company responsible for the mess can be found or questioned.

Were the personnel all wearing Chip and Dale t-shirts?

[Big A]

A group of Taxi drivers telling the Airport Management what to do?

The corruption runs so deep that no Thai can handle it.

It's time to hire a group of experienced, foreign managers to take over that Airport.

That's gonna set the cat among the pigeons in the forum!!

[wpcoe]

The demands follow a day of protests that saw thousands of cab drivers threatening to no longer take passengers, citing being muscled out of fares by unregistered “black sign” cabs.

The second demand asked that serious steps be taken to combat the “black sign” taxis and rid them from the airport.

Okay, what the heck are "black sign" taxis?

[barryofthailand]

Now you know why the price of a taxi remains the same if not more than it used to be to Pattaya.

Barry

[ballbreaker]

The demands follow a day of protests that saw thousands of cab drivers threatening to no longer take passengers, citing being muscled out of fares by unregistered “black sign” cabs.

The second demand asked that serious steps be taken to combat the “black sign” taxis and rid them from the airport.

Okay, what the heck are "black sign" taxis?

Private cars (black on white license plate) that owner is offering service as taxi. They are represented by one of those nice and some not so nice people that approach you after you exit customs and ask if you want a taxi. Usually dressed in nice blazer, can be male or female, and tend to clog the arrivals area. Some people refer to them as mafia taxi.

[think_too_mut]

Private cars (black on white license plate) that owner is offering service as taxi. They are represented by one of those nice and some not so nice people that approach you after you exit customs and ask if you want a taxi. Usually dressed in nice blazer, can be male or female, and tend to clog the arrivals area. Some people refer to them as mafia taxi.

Arriving on Sep 14th, I had to pick up my rentacar at exit 3. Being a non-arriving passenger, my wife could not get into the area, security told her that no way anyone can be there to rent anything, that rentacar company is wrong, they banned and fenced off all those, including taxi touts.

Indeed, I caled the rentacar company and they sent their staff (with airport security badge) to come and direct me to pickup point (which was just outside exit 3).

[gk10002000]

I might be there in about one week. I usually take the bus (Bell or the other one) straight to Pattaya. Can the buses get through or are the roads completely blocked?

[tornado40]

To put a more positive spin on things, although after the day of the strike - flight from Heathrow to BKK arrived on Monday and all passport desk open, no que, public taxi would not put on meter, asked how much I would pay, and agreed on 200 thb to the convenient hotel in latkrabang.

Thought that compared to Heathrow, excellent service all round IMO!