Over 1,000 Unlicensed Taxis, Guides Arrested At Suvarnabhumi

[markokang]

Whilst Suvarnanbhumi is the worst and most blatant in terms of airport scams Soekarno-Hatta is not entirely problem free either.

And for discourteous airport security people New Zealand has got to take the award for being the worst. So bad that I think that they recruited their staff from the Gestapo and SS

I'm a Kiwi and I have to admit... you're right! NZ and Australian customs are anal and gestapo-like... Sure they have a job to do but they are overly serious and unfriendly when carrying it out! There job is customs but they are also the first NZ people that foreigners meet, so by default their job is also PR!

They need to change their attitude without compromising their integrity... surprisingly, not hard to do!

On behalf of NZ'ders I apologize for any offense you may have received from the staff at the airport. Normal NZ'ders are warm and welcoming and I'm sure you've had a chance to meet them if you have been there, right?

[HYENA]

The holding cell at Ratchathewa police station must be bursting at the seams.

Not necessarily. Does 1000 arrests mean 1000 individuals? Perhaps they have just been arresting the same 30 people every day for the last month - its much easier and more profitable that way :-)

Anyway - at least for the moment it is having an effect. I came through on Monday and the only hassle I got was from the AOT Limo counter who are still hijacking dazed tourists just past customs.

How many times have Politicians etc made statement that were not factual? How many times have any "crackdowns" been enforced? I hear/read this but honestly I wonder if it's just not more "spin." Many realize the more often a lie is stated the more seemingly real it becomes. Let's see the consequences of said actions please.

Oh like the free perks for tourists back when that out of control group closed the airport? (do that in my country and get mowed down for closing an airport)...it's a chaotic mess with no rule of law whatsoever.

It is the most ineffective and inefficient reactionary policy i've seen...and that's with the past 3 governments and constitutions!

It's all just posturing and looking good with absolutely noting to back it...no rule of law. They like it this way or they'd have changed it loooooong ago. Everyone is warm and comfy with whatever payoffs they're getting.

Edited September 9, 2009 by HYENA

[Arkady]

1. These statistics are nonsense and not even worth discussing.

2. AOT has admitted that it has effectively no security in place. Cleared staff are allowed to give their passes to touts to come into the terminal and harass travellers. Baggage handlers are allowed to act as touts for illegal taxis and guides. A criminal gang is allowed offices on the fourth floor (Sunday Post article). Illegal taxis are allowed to loiter for hours on the airport approach road without any security checks within easy rocket range of the terminal and the runways. This airport could so easily be the scene of a terrorist attrocity that I am surprised some Western airlines don't refuse to fly there until security is improved.

3. AOT is a listed company and its directors, according to Bkk Post, allow criminal gangs paying protection money to AOT executives to operate at the airport. How can shareholders expect to receive their fair share of income? Is this company really fit to be a public or listed company? What would the Singapore Stock Exchange say if it applied for a listing there?

[sedeflonga]

lets change the 1000 Baht fine to a 10,000 Baht fine and see 'who will flood the airport' when the steam is gone.

Be flexible!

[cutz]

But one area where it was difficult to conduct surveillance was around the baggage carousel where porters with clearance passes who work for the airlines could approach passengers to help them with their luggage.

Mr Niran said many of the porters were like "outsourced" workers for the gangs and it was difficult to expose them.

If those workers feels necessary to be outsourced it is because of their low salary... start to pay them better and they wont need this extra job ! Could you live with 6.000 / month ? What those people are doing is just trying to survive...

defending this behavuer,,,,, come on..... i think there are other ways to earn a hounest bath? surviving also have moral!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so if i think... ohhh im surviving... i can do anything...... inclouding destroying

autsiders wiev on thailand chan lak patee thai mac makk but there are meny ways to do things wrong but only 1 way to do it right!!!! exquise me where is budisem in this?? steeling???? i rather be sitting on the streets begging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Arkady]

taxi meter pre paid who charge 50 bhatt extra also jump meter

i have taken so many time taxi meter from city to aiport for that i have always pay

45 bhatt + 25 bhatt= 70 bhat for toll way and 280 - 320 for taxi faer while coming from city to airport

but if u take taxi metere from pre-paid airport level 3 /4 whear they charge 50 bhat extra

they jump the meter and i have taken 02 time for going same place / same distance in morning time no traffic i have pay 500 bhatt

and 525 bhatt..

they taxi driver play a very good game at bangkok airport...

from next time i take taxi from travel agency they charge 900 bhatt with tool and parking but its not a yellow plate

if i go on yellow plate may b they chage more then 900 bhatt...

Translation anyone please.

[reallyok]

An honest and thorough Thai Crackdown is something like being half pregnant.................It just cannot happen !

Whats this ?..........Planned transfer..................................Sack em !

Illegal taxi drivers .................................. Conviscate the car !

Illegal tour guides .................................. Bang em Up !

Baggage porters touting ................................... Sack em . one job at a time !

Until these things happen there will be no change, the workers have to make their minds up wether they want a secure honest job or not.

[reallyok]

Whilst Suvarnanbhumi is the worst and most blatant in terms of airport scams Soekarno-Hatta is not entirely problem free either.

And for discourteous airport security people New Zealand has got to take the award for being the worst. So bad that I think that they recruited their staff from the Gestapo and SS

Did you notice any Indians there ?.................i did.

[hansnl]

I see the majority on this forum applauds the crack down on "illegal" taxidrivers.I assume they have no objection at all that next time they will have to pay 3500 baht instead of 1000 baht to get from the airport to pattaya.

This is a very rich one.

Must be given to the toutmasters.

The official tariff for going anywhere in the country can be found somewhere in the taxi, most of the times.\

It comes down to around 10 baht per kilometer.

In the not to distant past had to be home rather fast, the tariff was on the card, plus 50 baht airport fee.

Edited September 9, 2009 by hansnl

[Brewsta]

I see the majority on this forum applauds the crack down on "illegal" taxidrivers.I assume they have no objection at all that next time they will have to pay 3500 baht instead of 1000 baht to get from the airport to pattaya.

even 750 bth if you try real hard.

rgdz,

Brewsta

[Huey]

Good! it's about time they smack those scammers down. Theres no reason why Suvarnabhumi, can't be on the same level as Dubai or any other worth while international airport. Good Work, lets hope it sticks.

[nurgut73]

I agree that these guys can be a pain in the backside, especially for first time tourists. But honestly I believe that this country has other, more serious problems they should take care of. And then again, maybe starting with the airport could be a good idea...

[jb5music]

All well and good but can I get a taxi from the arrival area like always? I don't know where the taxi stand is but I've used the arrival level taxis more than 20 times the past three years with absolutely no problems.

At the arrival area, go outside, queue up at the "Public Taxis", tell where you want to go and board the taxi. You have to pay 50 THB on top of the usual fare.

At the departure floor, jump in the first the best taxi who's dropping off a client, and tell him where you want to go. You save 50 THB but you have no guarantee that your claim, in case of a problem, will be heard. Just note the taxi number plate whilst sitting in the taxi in case... You never know although I never had any problem.

Except for once that I went to the airport and the taxi, having dropped me off at the departure platform and after being paid, sped off with my briefcase and my camerabag in his trunk. The next day I got my briefcase back but my camerabag (new camera NIKON D80 and all accessories): "he never saw something like this..."

Police at Suvarnabhumi even refused to register my claim although it was with a smile as for saying "som nam naa"! Maybe

Dude - you can read and write Thai? Like no way dude. Totaly. What other tourists do you suppose can read and remember the squiggles on a Thai license plate.

They're in Thai.

[robokop]

What I cannot get over is the numbers.... holy moly! Over a thousand arrests, it sounds like the there are more illegal "workers" than legal workers. I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

How does one know if driver is licensed??? I arrive and have taxi meet me from Pattaya and have used same driver for 5 years. I would not even know what to ask him if he is licensed and really, do not care.

[Somchai2500]

Whilst Suvarnanbhumi is the worst and most blatant in terms of airport scams Soekarno-Hatta is not entirely problem free either.

And for discourteous airport security people New Zealand has got to take the award for being the worst. So bad that I think that they recruited their staff from the Gestapo and SS

Being a Kiwi (now live OZ) I am ashamed of the Airport staff in NZ. Took my sons to visit NZ and attend a school reunion. No help from staff when they moved transit counter to a booth near the rental cars. bloody little hitlers.

[jb5music]

All well and good but can I get a taxi from the arrival area like always? I don't know where the taxi stand is but I've used the arrival level taxis more than 20 times the past three years with absolutely no problems.

At the arrival area, go outside, queue up at the "Public Taxis", tell where you want to go and board the taxi. You have to pay 50 THB on top of the usual fare.

At the departure floor, jump in the first the best taxi who's dropping off a client, and tell him where you want to go. You save 50 THB but you have no guarantee that your claim, in case of a problem, will be heard. Just note the taxi number plate whilst sitting in the taxi in case... You never know although I never had any problem.

Except for once that I went to the airport and the taxi, having dropped me off at the departure platform and after being paid, sped off with my briefcase and my camerabag in his trunk. The next day I got my briefcase back but my camerabag (new camera NIKON D80 and all accessories): "he never saw something like this..."

Police at Suvarnabhumi even refused to register my claim although it was with a smile as for saying "som nam naa"! Maybe

Edited September 9, 2009 by jb5music

[jb5music]

All well and good but can I get a taxi from the arrival area like always? I don't know where the taxi stand is but I've used the arrival level taxis more than 20 times the past three years with absolutely no problems.

At the arrival area, go outside, queue up at the "Public Taxis", tell where you want to go and board the taxi. You have to pay 50 THB on top of the usual fare.

At the departure floor, jump in the first the best taxi who's dropping off a client, and tell him where you want to go. You save 50 THB but you have no guarantee that your claim, in case of a problem, will be heard. Just note the taxi number plate whilst sitting in the taxi in case... You never know although I never had any problem.

Except for once that I went to the airport and the taxi, having dropped me off at the departure platform and after being paid, sped off with my briefcase and my camerabag in his trunk. The next day I got my briefcase back but my camerabag (new camera NIKON D80 and all accessories): "he never saw something like this..."

Police at Suvarnabhumi even refused to register my claim although it was with a smile as for saying "som nam naa"! Maybe

Thanks Dude. That's what I have always done. In my post I was not clear and was thinking passenger arrivals on the top floor not aircraft arrivals on the lower level.

Arrivals are the people landing in airplanes at the airport. Departures is what they call the area where the people get on the planes and fly out.

They don't call the people arriving at the airport in taxis"arrivals" because they are "departing" for other destinations.

[parallaxtech]

This will be a short-term fix until they enact laws with teeth, i.e. quite harsh penalties. A 1000 baht fine is chicken feed and has no deterrent effect whatsoever. Make it 100,000 baht or more in addition to jail time of at least 1 year and really enforce that law and they can then clean it up. Many laws here have paltry fines and have not been updated for years. 1,000 baht may have been a lot 30 years ago, but it's chicken feed today.

It wouldn't be too hard to push through such a law in Parliament I would think especially because these vultures tarnish the image of the country and as we all know, first impresssions are everything.

Agree with you completely, but will never happen here. Lived in Jamaica in the 1980s and they had similar problems with a loss of over 40% of their tourism dollars. Parliament passed a one year mandatory sentence on anyone targeting a tourist -- result was an immediate rise in tourism. Another good, but for some, strange destination where tourists are completely safe is Cuba. Castro has secret police everywhere protecting the tourists -- anyone caught bothering a tourist is immediately hauled off to prison. These countries know how to protect a precious resource, the farang, and realize they will be sunk without them.

[BlueSmurf]

But one area where it was difficult to conduct surveillance was around the baggage carousel where porters with clearance passes who work for the airlines could approach passengers to help them with their luggage.

Mr Niran said many of the porters were like "outsourced" workers for the gangs and it was difficult to expose them.

If those workers feels necessary to be outsourced it is because of their low salary... start to pay them better and they wont need this extra job ! Could you live with 6.000 / month ? What those people are doing is just trying to survive...

These people are put there by the gangs who run the airport nothing to do with "could you live on 6,000 baht a month"! These people are part of the problem which is making Thailand poorer..

[SNGLIFE]

"The maximum fine that could be imposed on the illegal operators was 1,000 baht."

So, if I'm one of the illegals, I budget THB 2,000-3,000 per month as bribe money (cost of doing business) and keep going. A few hundred of my mates do the same and pay the same few officials at the airport. Everybody is happy except the foreigner I rip off.

The clamp-down with a fine as punishment will never work. There are too many desperate people needing work.

So, if I'm making the rules and in charge of enforcement, instead of a fine, I impound their vehicles AND charge them a fine of THB 2,000 (in addition to towing and storage fees paid direct to the impound companies) to get it back AFTER 7 days. It becomes economically impossible to continue their trade, AND I create more jobs, AND those who are doing the towing have an incentive to police my enforcers.

Problem solved.

[Brewsta]

All well and good but can I get a taxi from the arrival area like always? I don't know where the taxi stand is but I've used the arrival level taxis more than 20 times the past three years with absolutely no problems.

At the arrival area, go outside, queue up at the "Public Taxis", tell where you want to go and board the taxi. You have to pay 50 THB on top of the usual fare.

At the departure floor, jump in the first the best taxi who's dropping off a client, and tell him where you want to go. You save 50 THB but you have no guarantee that your claim, in case of a problem, will be heard. Just note the taxi number plate whilst sitting in the taxi in case... You never know although I never had any problem.

Except for once that I went to the airport and the taxi, having dropped me off at the departure platform and after being paid, sped off with my briefcase and my camerabag in his trunk. The next day I got my briefcase back but my camerabag (new camera NIKON D80 and all accessories): "he never saw something like this..."

Police at Suvarnabhumi even refused to register my claim although it was with a smile as for saying "som nam naa"! Maybe

Dude - you can read and write Thai? Like no way dude. Totaly. What other tourists do you suppose can read and remember the squiggles on a Thai license plate.

They're in Thai.

so use your mobile camera or digi camera, dude. Like you don't have a mobile or a digicam? - Like not true surely?

TotalLy,

Brewsta

Edited September 9, 2009 by Brewsta

[BlueSmurf]

What I cannot get over is the numbers.... holy moly! Over a thousand arrests, it sounds like the there are more illegal "workers" than legal workers. I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

How does one know if driver is licensed??? I arrive and have taxi meet me from Pattaya and have used same driver for 5 years. I would not even know what to ask him if he is licensed and really, do not care.

Well Robokop that not the same! You have arranged to have a Taxi/friend meet you to collect YOU! Not the same as a unlicenced car coming to collect anyone. Also you have lived here for a long time also not the same for the usual tourist...

[basjke]

What I cannot get over is the numbers.... holy moly! Over a thousand arrests, it sounds like the there are more illegal "workers" than legal workers. I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

How does one know if driver is licensed??? I arrive and have taxi meet me from Pattaya and have used same driver for 5 years. I would not even know what to ask him if he is licensed and really, do not care.

Well Robokop that not the same! You have arranged to have a Taxi/friend meet you to collect YOU! Not the same as a unlicenced car coming to collect anyone. Also you have lived here for a long time also not the same for the usual tourist...

I think you are wrong on this one David,otherwise why are empty taxis not allowed to drive up to the arrival hall.Or why is it that when I use my regular taxi company from pattaya,Mr T.that he tells me he actually is not allowed to come pick me up.

[Sherlocke]

... I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

Actually the report stated that porters, with security passes, are working in the baggage area. This is where they are supposed to be. The problem is that they can also work "on the side" for the gangs - perhaps directing tourists to illegal taxis or tour guides, for example, and receiving a commission.

Cheers,

Mike

So basically there is no real process for weeding out thoseunsuited for clearance. So no matter how many people they arrest or whatever, the gangs will just find another group of people , get them registered and start again

[toptuan]

I agree with others above: a 1,000 baht fine? What a joke.

The illegal operators will just consider it a "tax on doing business" and keep operating. I'm sure they can make that amount many times over in a month's time.

[sassienie]

Why not just impound the vehicles?

Give the owners 3 months to cough up with 50000 baht for the release and return of their vehicles, after that auction them off.

Either way it pays for the police time, vehicle storage fees.

Problem solved.

[snooky]

QUOTE (jb5music @ 2009-09-09 15:31:44)

QUOTE (dude007 @ 2009-09-09 11:32:09)

QUOTE (grantbkk @ 2009-09-09 09:56:33)

All well and good but can I get a taxi from the arrival area like always? I don't know where the taxi stand is but I've used the arrival level taxis more than 20 times the past three years with absolutely no problems.

At the arrival area, go outside, queue up at the "Public Taxis", tell where you want to go and board the taxi. You have to pay 50 THB on top of the usual fare.

At the departure floor, jump in the first the best taxi who's dropping off a client, and tell him where you want to go. You save 50 THB but you have no guarantee that your claim, in case of a problem, will be heard. Just note the taxi number plate whilst sitting in the taxi in case... You never know although I never had any problem.

Except for once that I went to the airport and the taxi, having dropped me off at the departure platform and after being paid, sped off with my briefcase and my camerabag in his trunk. The next day I got my briefcase back but my camerabag (new camera NIKON D80 and all accessories): "he never saw something like this..."

Police at Suvarnabhumi even refused to register my claim although it was with a smile as for saying "som nam naa"! Maybe

Dude - you can read and write Thai? Like no way dude. Totaly. What other tourists do you suppose can read and remember the squiggles on a Thai license plate.

They're in Thai.

Every taxi that I have been in lately has the taxi number and a letter pasted under the rear side window of the car (back seat). Should be no problem to copy it.

[samjaidee]

What I cannot get over is the numbers.... holy moly! Over a thousand arrests, it sounds like the there are more illegal "workers" than legal workers. I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

Who said the personnel are unauthorized?

This is the excerpt from the article that you forgot to read.

But one area where it was difficult to conduct surveillance was around the baggage carousel where porters with clearance passes who work for the airlines could approach passengers to help them with their luggage.

Mr Niran said many of the porters were like "outsourced" workers for the gangs and it was difficult to expose them.

The preposterous thing is you inability to absorb all the information in the original post.

[Munted]

But one area where it was difficult to conduct surveillance was around the baggage carousel where porters with clearance passes who work for the airlines could approach passengers to help them with their luggage.

Mr Niran said many of the porters were like "outsourced" workers for the gangs and it was difficult to expose them.

If those workers feels necessary to be outsourced it is because of their low salary... start to pay them better and they wont need this extra job ! Could you live with 6.000 / month ? What those people are doing is just trying to survive...

If this is true for sure 1/6th is a hefty chunk out of the month. So no surprise they are 'difficult to expose'

[rethaired]

To understand these statistics. the key question that needs to be asked is how many of the illegal taxis and guides arrested were soliciting ARRIVING customers. From what I could see, all the authorities did was target the unregistered limousines and cars from hotels and other drivers from Pattaya and Bangkok who were DROPPING OFF passengers ie easy targets and a fairly honest bunch.

Of course, the real thugs targetting the ARRIVING passengers are not touched. An arriving passenger is a golden goose - who wants a departing customer who has already discovered the pricing and currency in Thailand? You need to get them "fresh" to really rip them off.

The crackdown is a joke - everyone in the airport is in on the scam. Similarly, have you ever tried to find the "cheap" river taxi on the Chao Praya river in Bangkok? Every single person you ask, be they an official selling the ferry tickets, to the flower sellers , to the police, will guide you to the long-tails waiting to give you a private tour of the river at an inflated price (to pay off everyone in the chain).

Come on, Thailand, all this corruption is hurting the country more than you can imagine. And its like a slap in the face to those who their work diligently and honestly.

Very good point!

Is this crackdown an exercise in "marketing" or show or is it a well thought out plan to remove the problem and remove the problem FOR GOOD!

How many tourists in Thailand can claim not to have been ripped off when arriving for the first time in LOS? While I can understand that taxi drivers are probably rolling into millions of B., it would help the public transport system to evolve with all the positive consequences that would imply.

This is a positive development, but let's see if it will change things for the long-term.