500 Angry Taxi Drivers Protest At Suvarnabhumi

[george]

Some 500 taxi drivers protest at Suvarnabhumi airport

SUVARNABHUMI: -- Some 500 taxi drivers demonstrated at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for three hours late Wednesday night urging the airport to ban illegal taxi drivers from soliciting customers there.

The taxi drivers began their demonstration in the airport compound at 10 pm.

They dispersed at 1 am Thursday after Narongchai Thanadchangsaeng, deputy director of Airports of Thailand Plc, promised to ban illegal taxi drivers from soliciting customers at the airport.

Samut Prakan police chief Pol Maj Gen Witthaya Prayongphan also promised not to take legal action against the protesting taxi drivers.

-- The Nation 2008-03-06

[kurgen]

bet they left the meter running

[mickmac]

Wait until the rail link gets up and running!!!

[hansnl]

Wait until the rail link gets up and running!!!

When, or maybe if?

Who knows, TIT

[BigSnake]

Yep, so they can continue poor service with no Comp.

[hkt83100]

Wait until the rail link gets up and running!!!

I hope it will be running better than the public bus connection between Patong and Karon.

[DragonQuest]

I was there, I thought they wanted a pay increase lol

[gunnyd]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

GunnyD

[Scott]

Nothing scares me more than an angry taxi driver!

[Shah Jahan]

which ones are the illegal ones?

the signs in luggage pickup would have you believe that anything except the 800 BAHT AOT taxi is illegal

so who is illegal?

personally I like the ones in the departures floor because they dont complain about how long they have had to wait ;-)

[Tony Clifton]

Next time one tells you he`s been waiting for four hours, tell him that`s just about enough time to find a new job.

[MrSnrang]

Wait until the rail link gets up and running!!!

When, or maybe if?

Who knows, TIT

Then they'd just bitch about 'illegal' taxis at the train stations.

[mrtoad]

which ones are the illegal ones?

the signs in luggage pickup would have you believe that anything except the 800 BAHT AOT taxi is illegal

so who is illegal?

personally I like the ones in the departures floor because they dont complain about how long they have had to wait ;-)

That sign is very misleading, but I'm sure that thousans of people fall for that bullshit.

[PadThaiGuy]

Who put that sign up there I wonder?

Sombody is misleading visitors.

Disgusting.

[Crushdepth]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

The drivers who pick up at the departure level have to pay the guards for the priviledge or they risk being assaulted.

[robblok]

I always go above, because my house is in Bangyai they wont drive there with the meter on. The overscharge and ask for 600 instead of the 350 with the meter on. So i just go to the illigal ones.

[samtam]

Will the new airport rail link actually go to the airport, or to a terminal from which one will then have to take further transport to the airport? Does anyone know? I think based on the "planning" of so many of these projects it's going to be a bit of a white elephant, (lucky in Thailand), but with different conotations elsewhere.

[Krub]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

The drivers who pick up at the departure level have to pay the guards for the priviledge or they risk being assaulted.

I came back last night and went to the taxi line at arrival level (around 11pm). It was VERY long and moving VERY slowly. The Thai Airways attendant pushing my bags said 'lets go upstairs'.We took the elevator (I think number 2) to departure level. Near the exit of the elevator (it must be about in the middle of the terminal) there is a door leading to the curves (the first curve is for private cars and limos only). We cross the first 'road' and we come to the second one where a couple of 'security' guards are shouting in their hand held loudspeakers to the taxis and buses to move along to not stand there. BUT there is a group of 5 or 6 taxis just beside them not moving with the drivers standing next to the open doors WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS !

The driver agreed to use the meter (I live near, in Bang Na, less than 200 baht) but he made sure I agreed to pay the 'extra' 20 baht he had to give the guards....

[PadThaiGuy]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

The drivers who pick up at the departure level have to pay the guards for the priviledge or they risk being assaulted.

I came back last night and went to the taxi line at arrival level (around 11pm). It was VERY long and moving VERY slowly. The Thai Airways attendant pushing my bags said 'lets go upstairs'.We took the elevator (I think number 2) to departure level. Near the exit of the elevator (it must be about in the middle of the terminal) there is a door leading to the curves (the first curve is for private cars and limos only). We cross the first 'road' and we come to the second one where a couple of 'security' guards are shouting in their hand held loudspeakers to the taxis and buses to move along to not stand there. BUT there is a group of 5 or 6 taxis just beside them not moving with the drivers standing next to the open doors WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS !

The driver agreed to use the meter (I live near, in Bang Na, less than 200 baht) but he made sure I agreed to pay the 'extra' 20 baht he had to give the guards....

So, the guards are running their own little taxi service at departures now?

[Krub]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

The drivers who pick up at the departure level have to pay the guards for the priviledge or they risk being assaulted.

I came back last night and went to the taxi line at arrival level (around 11pm). It was VERY long and moving VERY slowly. The Thai Airways attendant pushing my bags said 'lets go upstairs'.We took the elevator (I think number 2) to departure level. Near the exit of the elevator (it must be about in the middle of the terminal) there is a door leading to the curves (the first curve is for private cars and limos only). We cross the first 'road' and we come to the second one where a couple of 'security' guards are shouting in their hand held loudspeakers to the taxis and buses to move along to not stand there. BUT there is a group of 5 or 6 taxis just beside them not moving with the drivers standing next to the open doors WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS !

The driver agreed to use the meter (I live near, in Bang Na, less than 200 baht) but he made sure I agreed to pay the 'extra' 20 baht he had to give the guards....

So, the guards are running their own little taxi service at departures now?

It really looked like it and the Thai Airways attendant knew about it as he said no need to wait in line lets go to 4th floor although I was reluctant to loose my turn in the queue....Very organized though on the 4th floor and no waiting !

[PadThaiGuy]

They are probably mad at the taxi drivers that pick up fares on the departure level taking people back into BKK. After all day waiting for a fare and someone smart gives a driver from the city the fare, instead of them driving back to the city with an empty cab. It was a tip given on this very site.

The drivers who pick up at the departure level have to pay the guards for the priviledge or they risk being assaulted.

I came back last night and went to the taxi line at arrival level (around 11pm). It was VERY long and moving VERY slowly. The Thai Airways attendant pushing my bags said 'lets go upstairs'.We took the elevator (I think number 2) to departure level. Near the exit of the elevator (it must be about in the middle of the terminal) there is a door leading to the curves (the first curve is for private cars and limos only). We cross the first 'road' and we come to the second one where a couple of 'security' guards are shouting in their hand held loudspeakers to the taxis and buses to move along to not stand there. BUT there is a group of 5 or 6 taxis just beside them not moving with the drivers standing next to the open doors WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS !

The driver agreed to use the meter (I live near, in Bang Na, less than 200 baht) but he made sure I agreed to pay the 'extra' 20 baht he had to give the guards....

So, the guards are running their own little taxi service at departures now?

It really looked like it and the Thai Airways attendant knew about it as he said no need to wait in line lets go to 4th floor although I was reluctant to loose my turn in the queue....Very organized though on the 4th floor and no waiting !

The security is busy running their own little enterprise....meanwhile, they would probably let Bin Laden thru with a Nuclear Weapon for the price of a bowl of noodles.

Like I've said in the past. The Airport needs foreign managers.

[brahmburgers]

...the airport and a lot of other things here (dare I say the Thai gov't itself?) needs foreign managers.

...and foreigners overseeing security. Are things still getting stolen in baggage handling at the airport?

[aussiep]

Just flew in to BKK on Saturday 15th.

Went to the lowest level where the taxies were last time (October 07)

On the way was offered 600THB into town by every tout.

No Taxies on lowest level so went up to departures as I came out the door was offered 400THB

But had no trouble getting a metered taxi into town, just had to be a bit quick getting in thats all.

Looks like the official metered taxies are no more.

[samran]

Just flew in to BKK on Saturday 15th.

Went to the lowest level where the taxies were last time (October 07)

On the way was offered 600THB into town by every tout.

No Taxies on lowest level so went up to departures as I came out the door was offered 400THB

But had no trouble getting a metered taxi into town, just had to be a bit quick getting in thats all.

Looks like the official metered taxies are no more.

they aren't on the lower level anymore. They are up in the daylight, on the same level as the arrivals.

Admittetly the tout problem is only getting worse and the taxi's themselves even in the meter queue are asking for 400 baht into town for newbies who aren't used to insisting on the meter. Chatting to a few taxi drivers, I've found out this is because the wait at the new airport for taxi drivers is quite long, and fuel prices have gone up, cutting into their meter rates which haven't risen for the past 10 years.

I though the heros of the Taxi drivers, Thaksin and Samak (mawh ha ha ha ha) were going to make it all better for them, apparently not.

Given their original plan when the airport opened to put the taxi rank a mile away and let passenger hike there by bus versus getting a 1000 baht AOT taxi at the arrivals area, it doesn't really surprise me that this government has no interest in helping the people they conned into supporting them at the last election. But oh well...that is their problem, not mine.

[0Mix1up]

Does displaying an Amulet ward off touts and get a metered taxi ?

No I'm just being serious