Phuket Tuk-tuk Driver Attacks French Family

[Cnxforever]

Can anyone say anything positive about any tuk-tuk anywhere in Thailand?

They are noisy, dirty (terrible pollution!) , rude, dangerous, dishonest and all around bad news.

I guess it may be part of Thailand's identity, but I feel they should make Tuk Tuks a thing of the the nostalgic past.

Yes, I can. The tuk tuk drivers in Suratthani are polite, helpful and cheap. That is also directly proportional to the amount of Thai you speak and how polite you are to them.

I live in Thailand and my first and last visit to Phuket was 12 years ago when I saw western tourists procuring young boys from Thai pimps at a bus shelter.

Phuket is not Thailand it is some horrible nightmare place that is nothing to do with the country I love and will never leave.

But that is the whole story......once you make a beautiful are3a a tourist resort it is no longer a beautiful area.

I absolutly agree with you - have been to Phuket 2 month ago with my small family - first time and last time - I can assure you.

We where made aware about the tuk tuk mafia so we rented a car, as a tourist and not knowing the place one is of course constantly on the look out for parking space - instead of help we got rude coments from locals or tuk tuk drivers who seem to own Phuket and would not allow us to park in certain places just because they think they own the place. At one instant we called the police - I have never anywhere else in the world - even in Thailand - come accross such an unprofessional, useless " Mafia" policeforce than in Phuket - they are nothing but gangsters!

Phuket is a dump - a tourist trap where the rip off never ends - driving along Patong Beach all you see is tuk tuks - there are many other places in Thailand to visit which are friendly and beautiful. Who wants to spend his holidays among (mostly) unfriendly people having constantly the feeling of being ripped off!

Not me - I will never ever go to Phuket again and I have warned all my friends not to do so either - we will enjoy our holidays elsewhere!

[LivinLOS]

BUT there is a very simple answer to all this from a one-time tourist point of view. Run a bus service from Kata/Karon and Surin areas to/from Patong.

There are buses sitting in Kata all day long not moving waiting for people to go to Phuket City, and buses run from Patong to Phuket, why can't a bus service run between the beaches? Or would this be too easy??

That would wipe the smiles off the tuk tuk drivers faces.

WOW.. No ones ever thought of that before.

The last time this happened.. The bus service was running for a day or two and the driver was pulled from the bus and beaten half to death..

Since then the concession for the bus service hasnt had a tener.. odd that huh ??

[moetownblues]

Hope they catch the man who attacked these Tourists.

Having said that though, It is like Parking the Car on a Motorcycle Taxi Rank - There are no signs telling us not to, we just use our common sense really and not park there to avoid this type of trouble.

The tourists on holiday should have moved on really to avoid this, afterall, they are visitors in this Country.

That is what I think anyway.

...and you think that beating tourists is a good way to say "welcome to our country"? Tourists are visitors, that's right, and you must treat visitors with respect, not only take their money.

tourists are visitors yes invited by the government of Thailand but the hosts are the general population who deserve to be treated with just as much respect and you expect for yourself. If you came into my home and disrespected my family or me would you expect me or my family to bow down and kiss your feet? If you do then you are terribaly mistaken and misguided.

[basjke]

when I read this thread and see the other headlines on the tv homepage it almost looks like T.A.T has started a promotion campaign.Or do I see this wrong?

[craigt3365]

Same thing has happened to me several times. There are no signs, but they AGGRESSIVELY tell you to move. I moved, mainly because the wife said to do it or come back to a damaged car. Phuket...heck many parts of Thailand...have got to clean up their act. Unreal how these guys can get away with this. Very sad and I feel sorry for the family.

[MyFriend You]

Can anyone say anything positive about any tuk-tuk anywhere in Thailand?

They are noisy, dirty (terrible pollution!) , rude, dangerous, dishonest and all around bad news.

I guess it may be part of Thailand's identity, but I feel they should make Tuk Tuks a thing of the the nostalgic past.

I lived in Bangkok for 3 years and took Tuk Tuk's everywhere, especially from the Big C area past Central Mall - mostly for convenience as they take the side roads that the taxi's don't want to go on - When you are in someones elses house, you always ask them if you can use their bathroom, don't you?? Well, never get in a tuk tuk or on a motorcycle taxi before you negotiate the price, then there will be no surprises..........I find if you treat people firm but polite, they usually come your way, you get beligerant, you get your a*ss kicked, and normally by more than one driver...........a previous poster put it right, don't underestimate these little guys, remember, they live on the street so will have a few tricks up their sleeve.............or just walk away and find another one, or in this case drive away and find another parking place - :D

[marijka]

BUT there is a very simple answer to all this from a one-time tourist point of view. Run a bus service from Kata/Karon and Surin areas to/from Patong.

There are buses sitting in Kata all day long not moving waiting for people to go to Phuket City, and buses run from Patong to Phuket, why can't a bus service run between the beaches? Or would this be too easy??

That would wipe the smiles off the tuk tuk drivers faces.

WOW.. No ones ever thought of that before.

The last time this happened.. The bus service was running for a day or two and the driver was pulled from the bus and beaten half to death..

Since then the concession for the bus service hasnt had a tener.. odd that huh ??

Ok thought that may have been the case. Well we are off to Malaysia - cheap transport though accommodation is more expensive. I hope you farangs get off your visa runs before the tuk tuk mafia are curbed!!

[torrenova]

I am deeply saddened by this story but not surprised. I am far more angered by responses such as that posted by Pattaya Girl who seek to justify the actions of the attacker, whatever the provocation. Too many people, usually guys getting their first fix of sex in years or decades, lose the plot and try to become more Thai than the Thai. Sometimes I think the females have lost the plot more than the guys with their vehement defence of all things Thai. Pattaya Girl shows that here spectacularly.

Phuket is the "jewel in the crown" of Thai tourism but it is a virtual mobster town. One poster commented on their being a feeling of something, perhaps anticipation, perhaps danger and I understand that. Despite living in Pattaya and elsewhere in Thailand for a good few years and having visited Phuket on a number of occasions over the last 2 decades, I agree. Whereas in Pattaya there is perhaps a feeling that the tourist is up to be milked, the feeling in Phuket feels as though the tourist has to stand there and be milked or else violence will ensue. Largely related to transport I know but also in many other aspects of tourist life.

I have spoken to business owners who do state they are being charged money. Some bars have to allow these mafia types to bring in customers and rip them off or else the business would suffer violent attacks. The feeling in the nightlife areas is not the same as Pattaya, it is threatening and unpleasant.

The simple fact is that were there parking restrictions in place, then it is not the job of the tuk tuk mobster to point them out. That is the job of special wardens or the police and there are presumably set penalties for breaking those rules. To defend any violent intervention by mafioso vested interests is intolerable and those suggesting so should be ashamed.

I avoid Phuket more than I would otherwise do so. I would never take my family there. I find things overpriced and very poor value but that in itself would not deter me. It is the public menace of those who run the town through a government backed and supported mafia who must be on the take which keeps me away and why I advise people to go to almost anywhere else instead. It is the worst of Thais in the worst of Thailand.

[Lovedog100]

Yes I am a first time poster, though I have been reading thaivisa for about 8 months.

I came to Phuket for the first ( and probably last) time in October.

Because of all I had read here and in other forums we hired a driver during our 2 weeks there. The most it cost was 1000 bht a day including tip. This was very reasonable, considering a tuk tuk from Kata to Patong is 400 bht. We did have a problem in that the driver had only been in Phuket for a week ( from Pattaya) and couldn't speak English, and his girlfriend accompanied us everywhere. This turned out to be a good thing because although she didn't speak English either she somehow usually made out what we were saying. In a stalemate we just rang his boss who should have been our driver!!

We are Aussies, and no we dont steal bar mats. We didn't even go to that street.

I have read all 7 pages of posts here. The tourists shouldn't have been attacked. The tuk tuk driver should be charged. The tuk tuk mafia should be controlled. The police should not be corrupt.

BUT there is a very simple answer to all this from a one-time tourist point of view. Run a bus service from Kata/Karon and Surin areas to/from Patong.

There are buses sitting in Kata all day long not moving waiting for people to go to Phuket City, and buses run from Patong to Phuket, why can't a bus service run between the beaches? Or would this be too easy??

That would wipe the smiles off the tuk tuk drivers faces.

A simple answer to your question about bus service. The tuk tuk drivers won't allow it. It's been tried. Thousands of tuk tuk drivers show up at city hall and make trouble. The tuk tuk mafia has lots of pull with the government there as well as with the police.

[notime]

If you go to another country you have to respect the residents and thier laws and traditions not ask them to bow down and kiss and respect you. Don't forget you are a guest in thier home you do not own it.

Back your pardon? Did the tourists ask the guy to "bow down, kiss and respect them" or where they just minding their business and parking their car??

The fact that the Tuk-Tuk man was Thai in my opinion doesn't give him any more right to the parking space than visiting foreigners. The whole concept of "this in my country not yours" is an example of a xenophobic and backward thinking. It is just an excuse to treat others with contempt. For me I feel that I'm a citizen of this world and as such I should have the same rights to it as everybody else.

The concepts like "countries" are human made tools to extend ones powers over the other people. There was no Thailand in Phuket 400 years ago and maybe there will not be Thailand in Phuket 400 years from now. But the island was there for millions of years and let's hope it will still be there millions years from now. Even the concept of "owning the land" is a skillfully crafted lie to derive benefits from it by some people with an exclusion of the others. People as very impermanent creatures cannot really own land that in comparison with the human lifespan is very much timeless. It's the land that actually owns us humans .. we are the children of it.

Come the Tuk-Tuk man with his arrogance, lack of education and intelligence and full on nationalism and hate for foreigners whom he despises mostly for having more money than him. He knows he is the BOSS in this country so the Farang must obey his orders and if not he gets so worked-up that they get bashed. And unfortunately this thinking is not just confined to tuk-tuk drivers. Most of the foreigners living in Thailand know their place in the Thai mentality.. that it is somewhere between lowest humans and dogs so if a Thai man gives them orders they follow. Sorry for the tourists they haven't been told about this aspect of the "local culture" before their holiday.

[Brewsta]

err, re-read and look for fact.

I m obviously not American

Have lived here over 10 years

Simply ask Thai to follow their own rules and customs

I have lived and worked in over 25 countries in my life

Happy new Year in 20Ten

Brewsta

[Yahooka]

People will never learn to stay away from places Phuket and Pattaya. You hear these stories all the time. I blame the travel agencies abroad who sell these places as great family holiday destinations. These agency know of the pitfulls but still promote and sell the packages they are no better than the thugs and scammers they feed thier customers to. If any farang had any sense at all he would never step foot in any coastal tourist area of thailand. The blind are stupid and deserve what they get for being so ignorant of the facts.

Until the tuk-tuk`s are put on the list for tourists on what NOT to do in Phuket (together with drug use and engaging minors in sex acts) I think even the (small) international attraction the problem will be of little help to eradicate them !!

[JimmyTheMook]

The Thai Police allowed their main international airport to be overrun and occupied by a gang of protesters

Their Prime Ministers motorcade to be attacked.

And also an international ASEAN Summit to be invaded.

A gang of rip off Tuk Tuk drivers should not even raise an eyelid.

Seriously.

[ScubaBuddha]

Many people saw the incident, which occurred at about 5pm, but no-one went to the family's aid, the victims claimed.

The typical Thai reaction/non-response. I see nothing...NOTHING.

Seeing nothing and not helping others in trouble is not a Thai but a worldwide problem. In nearly all countries it is a lot safer to mind your own business.

Worldwide problem, sure. For most people the initial response is to not get involved wherever you are from, but most people want to do something, and feel some guilt for not being able to help whether it be an car accident or battery in progress. This is generally not the case for Thai people. They are generally quite comfortable in thier non-interference policies. It's why we have to have western NGO's in this part of the world to help combat wholesale victimization that goes along with this attitude.

Unless you are medically trained or have the skills or tools which police officers in the west possess (I don't consider Thai police in this category, as there is little similarity in this regard to western police) reporting the incident is about all you can do. Steven I think you were involved in one or more threads I have started or participated in here about this subject when I have wanted to "get involved" if only by making an anonymous phone call, or stop to help at a traffic accident but was told to 'mind my own business" by Thais. Part of the problem is they don't trust the police, and this I undertand, as the police are just another arm of organized crime and, with a few exceptions, have no real interest in actually helping people, so why call them?

Of course you are right, it is "safer" to not get involved. That is why it is called being "selfless", to think about others before yourself. To have a little courage. So play it safe and ignore people in help around you. After all, you're the only one that has to live with yourself afterwards. I know I couldn't

Having said that, if I would have witnessed this, with everything I know now having lived here 3 years, the most that could probablly be done is a call to tourist police at 1155, or 191 if your Thai is good or you have a Thai with you that is willing to do it. Picking up a camera to document the indecent is something else you can do. Maybe shouting from a distance. I can't think of a scenario that would cause me to put myself between a pole wielding maniacal Thai man and his victims, in his country. There is a thin line between courage and stupidity. Unless he was really threatening great bolily harm or death, (which it sounds like he may have been) AND I could get in a nice clean shot from a blind side to take the guy out. (If he is assaulting a child then the rule book gets thrown out and it's hands-on time.) The main issue then would be dealing with the other Thai's that always join thier comrade in a farang vs. Thai conflict and the knives and guns that may likely be produced along with them.

On the other end of the spectrum... not to justify the Thai guys actions, or saying this is how it went down, but to play the devils advocate for a moment: If I saw, for example, the French man losing his temper at the Thai man, yelling at him to "fuc_k off!" which I have seen farangs do before, (maybe I am guilty of doing once or twice) I might be a little less likely to come to the farangs aid. It all depends on the circumstances and none of use were there. It would be a tough call, one having to be made quickly depending on the circumstances.

As for the transportation mafia in Phuket and these recurring incidents of monopolizing transportation, extortion, scamming, price gauging, drunk drivers, and assaults, I only see one solution. It is clearly time for Bangkok to step in and shake the flees off the dog. Time for daddy to step in and take charge. Phuket needs a reality check, like at the end of Lord of the Flies. "What are you ding? Are you playing some kind of game?" Tear the whole thing down and build it back up from the bottom.

1) Baht buses from beach to beach.

2) Elimination of at least 50% of the islands tuk tuks.

3) An island wide government over-seen tuk tuk and taxi program; no more Patong vs Kata-Karon vs Kamala vs Phuket Town etc.

4) Meters or clearly posted fares on tuk tuk and taxi's no more expensive than the taxi's in Bangkok.

5) Out of the way and out of sight tuk tuk que's which send one tuk tuk at a time to a designated pick-up spot, (was supposed to happen but never did) no more than 2 tuk tuks waiting in any one spot, with an exception at the ends of walking street.

6) Clearly posted tuk tuk parking, with clearly post PUBLIC parking signs in the area's currently commandered and controlled by the mafias.

7) Airport metered Taxi fares brought in line with Bangkok's.

8) Random drug testing of all drivers (mandatory in the west) and random on the spot alcohol screening. (I think it's fair to say most tuk tuk drivers drink at work, not counting the Muslim ones)

Sorted.

[moetownblues]

Notime this comment of yours is rubbish and offensive.

"Most of the foreigners living in Thailand know their place in the Thai mentality.. that it is somewhere between lowest humans and dogs so if a Thai man gives them orders they follow. Sorry for the tourists they haven't been told about this aspect of the "local culture" before their holiday."

I live in Thailand and have always been respected by the thais in exactly the same manner as I respect them. We have Thais who come to our home for dinner and other social events and we go to thier homes in the same way. It is no different as any other society. I have never jumped when a thai person has told me too. Where do you find this culture in Thailand? Definately not in Chiangmai.

Can I suggest that you get out of places like phuket and Pattaya and see and meet the real caring generous and warm thai people. The bars of Thailand are not the places to meet real people.

[ScubaBuddha]

Oh, I forgot...The article said something about a mob action by victims of the system? Just tell me when, where and what color shirt I need to wear.

[MaiChai]

In 1998 I vowed never to return to Phuket. I mean it looks nice but its all the scams. Anyway gf hasn't been there so we went there a couple of months ago for a weekend, and guess what, it was as awful as before! What can I say?

[tropo]

Hope they catch the man who attacked these Tourists.

Having said that though, It is like Parking the Car on a Motorcycle Taxi Rank - There are no signs telling us not to, we just use our common sense really and not park there to avoid this type of trouble.

The tourists on holiday should have moved on really to avoid this, afterall, they are visitors in this Country.

That is what I think anyway.

Tourist families on vacation in Thailand are not all blessed with your "commonsense" which probably took you a while to develop.

I'm sure they weren't aware that in the LOS people are not always friendly and can attack elderly people at the drop of a hat.

[Brewsta]

Notime this comment of yours is rubbish and offensive.

"Most of the foreigners living in Thailand know their place in the Thai mentality.. that it is somewhere between lowest humans and dogs so if a Thai man gives them orders they follow. Sorry for the tourists they haven't been told about this aspect of the "local culture" before their holiday."

I live in Thailand and have always been respected by the thais in exactly the same manner as I respect them. We have Thais who come to our home for dinner and other social events and we go to thier homes in the same way. It is no different as any other society. I have never jumped when a thai person has told me too. Where do you find this culture in Thailand? Definately not in Chiangmai.

Can I suggest that you get out of places like phuket and Pattaya and see and meet the real caring generous and warm thai people. The bars of Thailand are not the places to meet real people.

ON this, I totally agree with you.

G'Nite All,

Brewsta

[ScubaBuddha]

BUT there is a very simple answer to all this from a one-time tourist point of view. Run a bus service from Kata/Karon and Surin areas to/from Patong.

Welcome to TV marijka.

What you suggest has been tried. The driver was pulled from his bus and beaten. The license to run baht buses from beach to beach remains unclaimed at the government office and is available for anyone who wants it, but the transportation mafias will not allow it to happen.

[Brewsta]

Very believable, sad and so typical of the intimidation here in LOS at all levels of society experienced by the unlucky.

We choose to stay.

[britadders28]

its not just in phuket, phangan , samui, pattaya and even smaller islands like lanta

looking at other forums and facebook groups many are anti thailand at the moment so very soon maybe these tuk tuk drivers will have no customers ha ha ha!!!

[Brewsta]

Very believable, sad and so typical of the intimidation here in LOS at all levels of society experienced by the unlucky.

We choose to stay.

[Hugh Jarse]

I stopped taking my family to Phuket for the simple reason you can't go anywhere without being ripped off severely or having to argue to get a decent price ( I mean 200 baht for a tuk tuk to go 100m in Patong is a joke ) - it ruins the holiday and there plenty of other beaches in Thailand where it doesn't happen

I too have stopped taking my family there because of rip offs and cheats who operate most of the transport there . Kata beach is so full of scams best to give it a wide birth. This attack is outrageous and deserves to be reported internationally. Hope the local authorities can try and do something to improve safety and regulate transport on the island.

[moskito]

You hear of holidaymakers being beaten up all over the world for making lesser mistakes...............

PLEASE, name some examples, I dont belive you!

[ScubaBuddha]

I live in Thailand and my first and last visit to Phuket was 12 years ago when I saw western tourists procuring young boys from Thai pimps at a bus shelter.

NOT representative of Phuket for over a decade now. Morality campaigns in the 90's cleaned up this kind of thing. The sex scene in Phuket is very visible, particularly in the tourist areas, but it is 18+ and has been for some time.

[eljeque]

Yep. Scum, just like the motocy taxi boys sitting in front of Royal Garden with lots of empty space that they feel they "own". I wonder who gave them that space, surely not Royal Garden management.

here here!! The % of parking spaces in front of RG taken up by moto-taxis and baht buses is a total waste of space... well 80% waste for motos and 100% waste of space for baht buses. That space could all be used instead for the parking for customers of RG.

Walk up and down Beach Road and note how uch parking space is taken up by motorbike rentals, moto-taxis and some parked baht buses. Hasn't changed in 20 years.

[Navalator]

My family and I have just returned from Phuket and Kho Phe Phe.

It was a vacation from hel_l.

The tuk tuks and taxis are driven by thugs and the two-tired pricing is insulting. These low lifes have turned a paradise into a hel_l hole. It is not just the world economic situation that has harmed tourism to Thailand, it is the thugs who have taken over, intimidating tourists, charging extorinate prices, using firearms to milk tourists of their money and other felonious activities, which all contribute to the visitor swearing never to return.

We shall never set foot on Phuket and Phe Phe again.

The inmates have taken over the asylum! They need to be rounded up and dumped onto Devil's Island.

The guy who attacked the French family should be taken into a public place and beaten senseless.

[tropo]

Scum. Short and simple.

I agree, the're all scum even here in Pattaya with the baht buses and taxi motorbikes, cannot even park your small motorbike nowhere, even with no parking signs, like they own the streets (which they do by paying the police)

Pattaya isn't even close as bad as Phuket. In Pattaya you know your costs whenyou jump in to a SongTaeu (Pickup). In Phuket you will pay for about the same short distance 10 times the price of Pattaya. And on the end you still have discussions with hese nasty guys.

This makes the Pattaya forum threads complaining about the 10 baht songthaew fares seem like a joke.

[LTGTR]

My family and I have just returned from Phuket and Kho Phe Phe.

It was a vacation from hel_l.

The tuk tuks and taxis are driven by thugs and the two-tired pricing is insulting. These low lifes have turned a paradise into a hel_l hole. It is not just the world economic situation that has harmed tourism to Thailand, it is the thugs who have taken over, intimidating tourists, charging extorinate prices, using firearms to milk tourists of their money and other felonious activities, which all contribute to the visitor swearing never to return.

We shall never set foot on Phuket and Phe Phe again.

The inmates have taken over the asylum! They need to be rounded up and dumped onto Devil's Island.

The guy who attacked the French family should be taken into a public place and beaten senseless.

Once again,consider the source!

When people stop coming,maybe the will turn on each other-I can only hope.