In Defense Of Phuket Tourism

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OPINION: In defense of Phuket tourism

Patong's tuk-tuks undermine Thailand's marketing catchphrase: 'Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value'.

PHUKET: -- There is widespread support in Phuket for Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop's idea to fit all taxis and tuk-tuks on the island with meters.

It is not possible to quantify the economic damage the tourism industry in Phuket has suffered from the notorious patchwork of transport syndicates that continue to operate in defiance of the law, colluding to keep passenger fares the highest in the country.

In the case of the infamous tuk-tuks serving our West Coast beach communities, the focal points of Phuket tourism, we offer some of the most expensive taxi rides in the world, well above such places as New York, London, Zurich, Hawaii, Nice, Sydney, etc.

This situation has unnecessarily held back a tourism industry that in most other aspects operates under free-market conditions.

While problems with the 'services' provided by tuk-tuks in the major tourist centers of Patong, Kata and Karon are well documented, another important factor driving up transport costs and creating friction among rival groups is the way taxi concessions are allotted at Phuket International Airport (PIA).

At a recent meeting there, Gov Wichai and Senator Thanyarat Achariyachai criticized the management of Airports of Thailand (AoT), which runs PIA, for the way it has dealt with taxi, limousine and minivan concessions. The pair said the company's profit margins seemed to be their only concern, not the Phuket tourism industry or the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it to make a living.

Under the urging of the provincial government, the AoT gradually broke the monopoly held for years by the Phuket Airport Limousine and Business Cooperative. This was achieved by allowing metered taxis, an airport bus, and finally rival taxi operator Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo to operate on airport grounds.

But the increased competition hasn't translated into lower costs for most passengers because the AoT continues to charge excessive fees to all who operate out of the airport, or at least those who do so legally. That an estimated 200 'black plate' taxis are also shuttling passengers to and from the airport gives some indication of just how excessive the fees are.

As mentioned in this space a few weeks ago, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is currently promoting the country as a value-for-money tourist destination under the increasingly dubious catchphrase 'Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value'.

Unfortunately, problems in Phuket's public transport sector drive up prices across the board, making the province less competitive than it should be and driving tourists, both foreign and domestic, to rival destinations, most notably Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali.

Governor Wichai has reportedly asked the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to allow him to work past the mandatory retirement age of 60, which he will reach next month. We hope the MoI will seriously consider the request, as Mr Wichai may be the island's only hope for giving tourists the kind of safe, reasonably priced transport options they have every right to expect.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-02-14

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[ScubaBuddha]

Seems AoT is definatly helping create the problem which Gov. Wichai is trying to fix. I've seen the fee's AoT charges the Taxi/Limo companies. It is an incredible amount of money.

Governor Wichai has reportedly asked the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to allow him to work past the mandatory retirement age of 60, which he will reach next month. We hope the MoI will seriously consider the request, as Mr Wichai may be the island's only hope for giving tourists the kind of safe, reasonably priced transport options they have every right to expect.

That would be great. Let's hope the transport mafia's don't try to take matters into their own hands first. Let us not forget that the real power lies with the Deputy Governor.

Let us hope that Gov. Wichai sticks around long enough to bring back some sanity to the utter fiasco which is the Phuket transport (or lack thereof) system.

I don't think people realize how bad it really is. It goes way beyond astronomical fares. Things have really gotten hour of hand. Organized groups, or "clubs" as they call themselves, use blockades, intimidation and violence to keep a firm grip on their monopoly. They will not hesitate to beat or shoot a rival taxi member or bus driver which tried to operate between the main tourist beaches, both of which have happened.

Drivers are not allowed to pick up passengers outside their designated area without risk of violent reprisal by rival taxi/tuk tuk "clubs". This causes tuk tuks to have to return empty to their home turf wasting gas, driving up costs, and causing more congestion on the roads.

As the Patong Police Chief said recently "200 tuk tuks should be sufficient fro all of Phuket." I think by last count it were around 1000. Spend 10 minutes any evening in Patong and you will see the endless tuk tuks slowly trolling the roads beeps of their horns to get attention. They line the streets parked illegally harassing tourists with endless "Hello tuk tuk taxi? Where you go?" to the tourists walking along the sidewalks. No wonder they are the #1 complaint tourists have of Phuket.

The mob mentality produced by the comfort of belonging to these clubs adds another scary symptom of this cancer. Accounts of individual drivers violently attacking tourists over parking spaces and fare disputes is becoming more common. Even my Thai friends tell me stories about being questioned, intimidated and threatened by the tuk tuk drivers when entering into a resort or hotel to pick up a client. They even tried that with the Thai wife of the GM of a large resort here recently.

The answer is a simple one, conceptually anyway. Implementation is another thing entirely. If they are not to busy blockading a hotel which wants to run their own buses for their customers, the tuk tuks will be protesting and blockading main roads, be certain of that. The Gov has a big job ahead of him. Lets hope he takes the words of the 16 honorary consuls he met with last week and give us reasonably priced metered tuk tuks, less of them, and baht buses between the beaches, and after 5pm.

Even if the mafia members cannot see it, everyone else does: The future of Phuket depends on it.