More Tuk-tuk Trouble In Phuket

[seank]

Thailand is a great tourist destination so millions of people come here so the tuk-tuk don’t care how many people they rip off as more and more tourists keep coming.

This is the second TukTuk driver attack I read the last few days. The other was the tuktuk driver attacking tourists with a large metal umbrella, breaking his arm.

In no country should this kind of behavior be acceptable.

The thing that surprises me the most is certain posters condoning the tuktuk driver’s actions, they must be trolls.

[charmonman]

I have been visiting or living in Thailand since 1987 and have never gotten into a fight with a tuk-tuk, taxi, or motorcyle driver and certainly have more sense than to do so over a lousy 50 baht! I have found that if you treat Thai people with respect (yes, even tuk-tuk drivers) they generally will return the favour.

People who think taxi ripoffs are a problem unique to Thailand must not be very widely travelled and should widen their experience to say India, Nepal, Vietnam to mention a few places. Driving a tuk-tuk is not exactly a high income occupation and if they try to make a few extra bucks off of a tourist who compared to them is very wealthy, I would say it just goes with the territory - live with it and learn from it! Otherwise, stick to places like Japan or Singapore. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but that's the way I see it.

[littlesloth]

From my own recent experience as a tourist in BK tuk tuk drivers seem to be getting more like this.

I had 2 journeys where 1 took me to the skytrain after agreeing to take me somewhere else and saying that was nearer, so I gave 50baht instead of the agreed 80baht. The second was an agreed journey costing 80baht, then the driver took us to somewhere totally different, I knew enough of the areas to know it was wrong, asked him to take us where we wanted, but in the end I didn't argue for long and gave him 50baht for the distance we had travelled. In my mind I had the thought they may try attacking me, not exactly a nice thought to have. It wasn't the amount of money involved, it was the attitude of trying to screw the farang over.

We noticed getting the younger tuk tuk drivers, they are more honest. One issue is that Thailand's economy is not supposed to be as developed as some western countries, so why should tuk tuk drivers get paid a high hourly wage which is easily possible by charging 150baht for a 5-10 minute ride, compared to a qualified trained person in the west? or to a taxi driver in Thailand who will drive for 30 minutes to get 200baht?

We took the tuk tuk occasionally as it was my girlfriends first visit to Thailand and fun to go in them, the rest of the time we took the infrequent buses, much nicer to pay a normal price of 7baht

The way tuk tuk drivers are behaving is spoiling the view of Thailand for some tourists, I live in another part of asia so know what people are like here, a different attitude to the west, so you get used to all these things. Thai people on the whole are really nice welcoming people, it's just a shame that a tuk tuk drivers will leave some people with a bad impression of a great country.

Edited January 6, 2010 by littlesloth

[MyphuketLife]

From my View - The Tuk Tuk culture in Phuket is really the Fruit the Farang experience ther eget over the years and added up ..

the karma of the past meet the result of Now .

While i do agree that alot of Tourist business that end up in bad hand . there is alot of decent and nice Tuk tuk out there .

So do not simply say ALL is bad . just cos you had a Bad experience .

alot of time the trouble is also self invited .

The french beat down, farangs fault?

Candian beat down, farangs fault?

Holding a monopoly on the area, not allow taxis, busess, tour vans in so they can keep charging unfair rate, farangs fault?

Flatting tires, keying cars that park in public paking the tuk-tuks claim is "thiers", farangs fault?

Blocking roads, and hotels that because Island Safari is picking up guests, farangs fault?

drinking and driving unsuspecting tourists, farangs fault?

the list goes on and on, since this is all "just the fruit of the farang experience", I wonder what is the tuk-tuks fault?

[Ta22]

I am better, I don't steal and rip off unsuspecting tourists, I don't call friends to come help me hit some one, I don't drink and drive, that can't be said about TUK TUK drivers...

From your defending them I take it you are one, or one of your family members is one.

i do not have family who is tuk tuk driver , and in fact since i am more or les slike you maybe .

defencing i am not . i am saying what would i DO ..

one good example is on my way back from driving from Suko thai . just 2 days ago .. at a junction an Accident Happen .

--

one car trying to beat a Redlight got into a smashing accident with a Vigo . i was at the redlight . i went to help .the one that is trying to beat the traffic .

cos his car look more smash up .. i was not thinking who is right or wrong but i try to help the one who need more help .

same apply . if i saw what happen - i might help the tuk tuk or the farang . depending on what i saw. or hear .

but to debate if i amdefencing one side or another from some News. you read up .. is kindly silly really .

cos we simply do not know what really happen .

this is really the fruit of the farang experience in phuket .

so all i can say is what i would do . i am happy you are better , i am sure we all can be better

Happy new years everyone

[antony77]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

what kind of idiot are you to suggest the tourist is wrong to query what is in a reality a complete rip off of a fare and then gets assaulted for doing so - you've been in LOS way to long if you agree with tuk tuk driver - they all lie blind and cheat and rob at every chance - so i doubt anything that they say bears any truth

He sounds like a typical racist. Had it been a "Brit" he wouldn't have made the remark.

[robert00]

Cmon TAT, wave your magic wand over this one. Anyone in the government listening?

Thailand's tourism reputation is being dragged all over the internet and NO ONE is doing anything. Is a metered Tuk-tuk system impossible to achieve if that is what is needed?

Gouge the tourist, he backs out after realising the rip off, whammo........

Something is wrong in this country at the moment. There is too much biting of the hand that feeds. Tourism in Thailand will continue to suffer if these things are not sorted out.

Something Wrong??? Mate you are not kidding.

[Worldvisitor]

I'm Canadian, that Anwar guy deserves what he got, for 1.25$ CND.... what an idiot.

P.

[orosee]

I am shocked... shocked to see how many people writing in this thread seem to have checked their balls at immigration as well as their decency - rapid assimilation syndrome, I presume. Fortunately the further decisions are now in more competent hands (the Thai police - guys, you have just been insulted).

[Matan]

I think it's fairly safe to say that this whole incident was a setup and Mr. Anwar has deliberately tried to create a negative impression of Thailand, perhaps for the gain of a rival such as Cambodia or Malaysia.

http://21thailand.blogspot.com/

Edited January 6, 2010 by Matan

[awal7505]

On my first ever visit to Thailand,i was ripped off left,right and centre,but hey,thats how i learned and i expect its the same with many foreign countries.hel_l,even Melbourne/Sydney taxi drivers can scam tourists by taking the "scenic" route.And yes i did some research before i travelled in the days when the internet was not common.

I was also aware to negotiate a price before travelling in a tuk tuk,baht bus or taxi.At the time,the fares all seemed reasonable.In hindsight and with a few more trips under my belt,i realised these prices were inflated and i negotiated the best rate i could with the helpful advice of some lovely locals

The point being,agreed fare is agreed fare and if you get "ripped" off now and again,so be it.Live and learn and walk away with a smile on your face.Just don't do it again.Avoid arguments and confrontation as much as possible whilst on holiday.Certainly don't lose your temper over 50B.

Obviously physical violence to settle a dispute such as this is unacceptable anywhere in the world but really i think many Thais think with their heart first and not their head.A little common sense by both parties would have avoided this situation.

[Ta22]

i am not saying who is at Fault here cos i am not there ,

to me when there is problem is usually Mistake made by more one one party .

it take 2 hand to clap .

- is a classic disagreement . that went out of hand . and we are not there to know what happen ..

---------

my view is such that Both party is at Fault . cos there did not know how to resolve it like grown up and we as forum reader is following it like fries and trying to guess whose shit smell better .

this can go on and on trying to see who get the last words

i had never had much problem in my decade of stay here . i wonder why .

Edited January 6, 2010 by Ta22

[harleyclarkey]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

He was new in town having come from civilised countries where every public service driver is licenced. He clearly took the "taxi" in good faith and trusted the tuk tuk driver to be fair and reasonable (what a laugh!) and so agreed the fare. He did not know the distance and so had no idea at the time what was fair or not. The scum bag tuk tuk low life did. He cheated him as he does, and all of his low life cheating ilk, to every one of us. The ride lasted a few hundred metres and not unreasonably he judged the fare by , for instance, Bangkok where it would have cost him 35 baht in an air con taxi. Or maybe even the rip off fare from the airport of c.500 baht for 30 kms.

Yes...he was 100% correct in deciding the fare was basically theft. When yoiu trust someone to be honest (never to be even considered with tuk tuk rubbish) and they turn out to be a cheat then you are right to protest. The driver is the one here who must shoulder ALL of the blame and the subsequent assault. They are now so convinced in their rightiousness that 50 baht shortfall is a true insult to them.

It shows me what they think of all of us for the paltry sum of 1 euro.

[ricklev]

Do you morons really think you know what happened and what was said between the parties based on a Phuket Gazette newspaper article? It's a rhetorical question

[Jingthing]

I have no sympathy for the tuk tuk drivers but remember they themselves are both participants AND victims of a mafia syndicate. Their work lives are also governed by the threat of brutal violence and the reality of it if they don't follow their rules. Some have clearly lost all perspective and are projecting their violent culture on the entire world around them. The only solution is a complete breakup of the current transport mafia and a complete reset button, doing it correctly and ethically for the benefit of the public. Anything else is just BS PR noise by the powers that be, hoping to put a bandaid on it hoping the bad press dies down for awhile.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Jingthing

[moskito]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

there is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING wich justifies the behaviour of a tuk tuk driver to start an attack on a tourist. AND you belived just a second that the Tourist attacked the tuk tuk driver first by kicking him ? they are ALL liars.....eat, sleep and lie

[infernalman7]

But in any civilized country, you will never ever pay lower than an agreed price once the service is delivered. But of-course in any civilized country, violence will not occur (given that it's not the US, of-course)

This sort of things happen everyday. Tuk Tuk drivers are known to be very greedy amongst the Thais. They don't punch just farangs but Thais as well. They are basically universally hated.

[Jimjim1968]

One of the first things I did here was stop using tuk-tuks.

I used to battle every day to get home from school for the then standard 10 Baht.

I soon changed to motorbike taxis, which were 20baht and a lot quicker. It was standard that I would often get dropped off last in the tuk-tuk as well.

Now I don't even acknowledge them when they shout "Hey you" at me. They don't seem to mind.

If I get bad service, I never use that service again. Phuket? I went once for my mother years ago. Never been back.

[churchill]

Too many Taxis /Tuk Tuk's taking up every parking place fighting for every baht over fewer tourists .

Presumably the all have to be licensed - 1st step cut the number of licenses in half /

[geriatrickid]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

Well the pasengers obviousy didnt know it was one minute away otherwise they would have asked for a better price and may have walked.

I am by no means defending the driver punching the guy, but when we go to bargain for something, shouldn't we know what we are bargaining for? Didn't Mr. Anwar have a tourist map that showed some relative distances? I mean, he had decided on where he wanted to move to somehow. He made a deal, reneged on the agreed upon price after the transport was provided, and trouble ensued. All that for 50 baht?

How do you know he had a tourist map? I have a map of Patong and suck at estimating distances. Even after survival courses and some time out in the bush, I still can't judge distance properly. Ask some of the people that get shelled by friendly artillery fire if accuracy is perfect.

There is a concept called negotiating in good faith. Do you intentionally screw people in your business dealings? If so, I don't think you would have many return customers. The issue here is that someone is assaulted. Even if Mr. Anwar had said the man was a cad, there would still be no reason for the two thugs to beat him up. If this was the spur of the moment insult, why then did the driver need a buddy to come and help render a beating?

[chrisinsiam]

Someone well versed in Krav Maga or Kung <deleted>, etc. should do a sting operation - agree to an extortionate fare, dispute it at the 200 metre away destination and then cream the tuk tuk driver as soon as they throw the first punch. Instant karma.... create terror in their ranks.... shall I rip off the next fare or will I get my ass kicked for doing so??

But seriously, regulation would be the way forwards - happy days.

[maccaroni man]

for all those people who post that no one should speak out if they are being ripped off, i say you are part of the problem. The big problem in thailand is that the people do not speak up or speak out even when they know they should, why? face? well what good is face if it is covered in shit? So yes whenever i have an objection i speak out, there is no way i will keep my mouth shut, grinn and bare it, that is for some but not me and guess what, i can assure you, after they get grief from me it makes them think the next guy may be worse. since when is streight business a bad thing?

[hansnl]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

Ahhhhh.......follow the bosses lead.

Something like this: (Boss and staff version)

Oh no, you f***k, you OVERCHARGE ME (kick in the nuts), 150 Baht???? (repeat kick), I OFFER YOU 100 Baht!!! you %&$*#, (repeat kick), ((in the meantime the tuktuk pilot is making a phonecall), grumble.....grumble (from the Canadian being completely out of breath, in the meantime giving himself his battle wounds)

After that everybody waits till the call from the TT-Pilot No 1 is answered by the arrival of the TT-Pilot No 2.

And then the proceedings are continued by slowly and thoroughly beating up of the criminally inclined, mentally retarded and lying Canadian

Good show!

So stupid, it can only be the real thing, yes?

I bet the Canadian did not kick, yell or beat, or maybe to defend himself.

Why not agree to the fact that those drivers are more or less "criminally inclined".

I gues the police knows, and now decided that enough is enough?

If you are ripped off, maybe just accept it?

You always do that?

You don't protest if some Tuktuk pilot rips you off?

Even if you agreed on the fare, not knowing the distance between A and B, a fact typically exploited by this.........

And you are sort of happy that people like Anwar will not repeat this unforgettable holiday-experience?

How shortsighted can one be?

Maybe his story, ventilated in Canada to friends & relatives or even better in the press over there, will take care of another 5-10 people not deciding to spend their holidays over here.

You think that is the way to go?

Hopefully the police and the Public prosecutor decide to make an example of both reported case, and send those prime examples of stupidity to jail....for the maximum.

Maybe the PP can throw in the fact of damaging the reputation of this country?

It might not stop the TT-Ripoffs, but maybe the bosses would think again and give the drivers a chance to earn a better living and thus getting better staff?

Don't think so!

[FutureEx]

Have you all forgotten that when the Tsunami hit, the #$%$# tuk Tuk driver demanded fess to drive the injured to hospitals.

Nuke them all, I say, but unfortunately they are too good a biz for the dark forces on the ilsland>

[frenchFARANGbkk]

I wish that one of the big Russian tourist give a lesson to one of these retarder tuktuk robbers. Hope this happens soon.

[Ta22]

Have you all forgotten that when the Tsunami hit, the #$%$# tuk Tuk driver demanded fess to drive the injured to hospitals.

Nuke them all, I say, but unfortunately they are too good a biz for the dark forces on the ilsland>

i know many Thai who had help . and in that Many i am sure there is tuk tuk driver and taxi driver

you are only cherry picking your info .

---

[LuckyLew]

Both Driver and passenger are in the wrong

Passenger agreed to set far of 150 THB, so he should have paid it

and chalked it up as an experience in getting scammed. Surely in

Japan just getting in a taxi would cost nearly the same.

Tuk-Tuk should never have whaled on passenger. Shows lack of class

and since he was refused bail, there is another reason he should not

have hot the passenger. There is surely a reason he was refused bail,

priors? convictions for similar offence?

My questions is, if the passenger was moving to a quieter area of

Patong, would it not have taken more than a minute. Would like

to know the original hotel versus the destination hotel,would be

willing to bet it was more than a minute

[britadders28]

Not defending the actions of the driver by any means but didn't the guy agree to 150 then offer 100. Probably not a good idea in any foreign country over 50 baht.

I'd have to agree here. Anwar and the driver agreed to 150 baht for the ride, and then after services were rendered, Anwar wanted to offer less. And if it's true that he escalated the situation further by being rude and kicking the driver, then I'm not surprised at the eventual outcome.

I'm sort of happy that people like Anwar won't be returning to Thailand for their holidays.

so violence is ok then it was the farangs fault, you lot on here make me laugh you are just a bunch of sheep bowing to every thing thai you mugs

I hope anwar passes on this to many friends and family that avoid thailand not just phuket as it happens all over

[Jingthing]

Comparing white glove polite regulated Japanese taxi service to Phuket tuk tuks, now that is rich! Might as compare a diamond to a turd.

If what happened to the Canuck had happened to me, I do think I would have paid the fare but I would have been angry and I would probably share that emotion with the scam artist, perhaps even rudely throwing the money at him rather than handing it him. I am not saying that would be wise, but I can imagine having that human reaction in the heat of the moment. Do you reckon that would earn me a hospital visit?

Edited January 6, 2010 by Jingthing

[britadders28]

I wish that one of the big Russian tourist give a lesson to one of these retarder tuktuk robbers. Hope this happens soon.

my friend (scottish boxer) knocked out 3 jet ski men on samui, they started it, THEY were reported and made to apologise, one actually cryed so thats how big and brave these cun_ts are!!