Phuket Tuk-Tuks Protest Patong One-Way

[ratio]

Phuket Tuk tuk drivers are the scum of the earth they should have replaced them with buses and metered taxis along time ago. Every time the govt wants to do something for the good of the people that doesn't put money in a tuk tuk drivers pocket they gotta bitch and do stupid crap like this.

We went to Bali for the first time and they have metered taxi's .The same distance you pay 200 baht in patong would cost you 30 baht.and they dont complain.its about time the goverment steped in but i dont' think much would change

[Ulysses G.]

If you ask me, education is more a hinderance than a help, in the big picture of things.

If the person being "educated" does not have any common sense, it is indoctrination rather than education and not all that uncommon.

[johncat1]

What is the problem ? Thais drive on whatever side of the road they feel like anyway

They never obey traffic laws ( laws ??????? )

Tell a Thai it is a one way street or that they should drive on the left and the reply would probably be " DOH!! I was only going one way "

[jsummer05]

3 weeks ago i got out of a shuttle bus at novotel hotel patong/kalim , and as i had few bags/cases i asked how much to "white box" .

the tuk tuk said 400 !!!! i said its not far and thats too much , he said no no no its very far .

i said its not to which he still argued ... so i turned round the sat nav with "1 minute / 500m" on the screen - he had no answer for that .

so he gave me abuse in thai , and i laughed at him and just walked , practically just round the corner .

they must be loaded those guys turning fares down .

[misterme]

The 1 way system is dangerous in a Tusnami evacuation & wastes time and fuel

In a world with rising fuel costs

why force cars along routes when a Uturn would do creating unneeded traffic jams

The current 1 way system goes against Evacuation policy. Every street needs to have an escape from beach road

Ratch-U-Tit needs to allow vehicles to access the road to Kathu which currently requires going back to the beach fi

[XXpate48USA]

dam_n where did i leave my grenade?

A whole room filled with our buddy's! The most desired, honest fella's one could ask for!

Quick, throw the grenade in!! These are the buffalo hurders posing as the tuk tuk club! Never has

one ever overcharged us there!!!..honest! That darn one way thing makes it hard to run to the other side of the street

to get to the next buffalo! hey,. these guys know what they are talking about! driving laws? pfft!!

[XXpate48USA]

dam_n where did i leave my grenade?

A whole room filled with our buddy's! The most desired, honest fella's one could ask for!

Quick, throw the grenade in!! These are the buffalo hurders posing as the tuk tuk club! Never has

one ever overcharged us there!!!..honest! That darn one way thing makes it hard to run to the other side of the street

to get to the next buffalo! hey,. these guys know what they are talking about! driving laws? pfft!!

Actually this is a meeting about learning what a meter is and how to use!! ........notice the puzzled looks after finding a 35baht starting price!

[XXpate48USA]

dam_n where did i leave my grenade?

A whole room filled with our buddy's! The most desired, honest fella's one could ask for!

Quick, throw the grenade in!! These are the buffalo hurders posing as the tuk tuk club! Never has

one ever overcharged us there!!!..honest! That darn one way thing makes it hard to run to the other side of the street

to get to the next buffalo! hey,. these guys know what they are talking about! driving laws? pfft!!

Actually this is a meeting about learning what a meter is and how to use!! ........notice the puzzled looks after finding a 35baht starting price!

Tuk Tuk by night, jet ski rentals by day "club" ..Heck this is Thailand!! let them do whatever they want ok? most of them went to the same school as Jethro Bodene!.. Not and 50=500..........

[XXpate48USA]

The 1 way system is dangerous in a Tusnami evacuation & wastes time and fuel

In a world with rising fuel costs

why force cars along routes when a Uturn would do creating unneeded traffic jams

The current 1 way system goes against Evacuation policy. Every street needs to have an escape from beach road

Ratch-U-Tit needs to allow vehicles to access the road to Kathu which currently requires going back to the beach fi

Rules of the road??? during a tsunami?

[meelousee]

"independent band of drivers"

independent band of thieves they misspelled drivers again

[AjarnMartin]

I drive the Patong roads every day, and I think you're right. I'd have to see it in action for a couple of weeks to be sure. (Actually, somebody could probably put together a good simulation of the traffic and answer many of the questions, but I don't think anyone's studied traffic patterns in Patong well enough to get a good sim going.)

The big problem, as noted, is the likely queue on Rat-U-Thit at the intersection of Rat-U-Thit and Prabaramee. Rat-U-Thit isn't wide enough.

Thanks for some sane comments Woody. At least you've got local knowledge of the situation :-) Why not offer, with your computer experience, to produce a sim for them? Maybe in return for a five-year tuk-tuk pass - 555

[brahmburgers]

Thanks for reminding me of one of the reasons I didn't choose to reside in Phuket: Rude and quick-to-anger taxi drivers who overcharge.

Not to excuse them, but it's somewhat of a two-way street (pun intended). There were times at the early stages, and many subsequent times when tourists could simply say, "No, that's too high of a price." or "Can't pay that much, I'll go look for another way to get to my destination." .....or something like that.

Instead, tourists (and probably resident farang) all too often just meekly accept whatever fare is told to them. Indeed, many tourists probably just get in the taxi, without prior negotiating the fare.

Since money is top priority here, drivers naturally want to get as much as they can. If they drive 500 meters and charge 500 baht, and all they get is a scowl & grumble from the tourist paying it, hey, that's been a great fare!

Same thing goes for high prices on anything in Phuket, Pattaya, Bkk, and wherever else locals gouge prices for things. Same goes for tipping. If the big dumb farang are going to overpay 95% of the time, then the local vendors think, "great, more money for me!"

I don't know about you, but if the fare sounds too high, I don't get in the taxi. Ok, I understand that sometimes, you don't have that option, if you have to get to the airport, or make a hot date. Luckily, such issues don't arise in Chiang Rai, because things and people are much more decent here.

Speaking of Phuket's airport, are you guys still being held hostage by not having shuttle buses? Jeezo, you'all must be masochists to keep living there.

[TimeBandit2]

45 tuk-tuk drivers in one room - an opportunity for some creative euthanasia.

All I hear is that it's their "job" to bother people, shouting at them as they walk down the street, rip off their customers when they're not beating them up, but I hope they die a slow death.

Fortunately here in Bangkok we can take other forms of transport while these imbeciles jockey around for weeks without a fare, never wondering why no-one wants to get into their 3 wheeled garbage heap.

[LivinginKata]

Speaking of Phuket's airport, are you guys still being held hostage by not having shuttle buses? Jeezo, you'all must be masochists to keep living there.

There is a regular public bus service, but only from/to Phuket Town. Plus there is always the shared minibus option to the beach areas. And the meter taxis at the airport offer a sensible rate for a 45 minute ride.

[LivinLOS]

Perhaps you all should do a little background research before you start slamming what's going on down here. How many of you actually live in Patong? I'm not defending the drivers, but this new system the city has implemented is horrible. I've noticed that traffic is ridiculous at all times of the day now because of making the streets one way, and it's not because of booming tourist numbers. I want a short route to where I'm going as well...don't we all? While I don't agree with the 200 baht minimum charge (which is negotiable if you don't start complaining about it right away) for a tuk tuk, how many of you know how much more expensive Patong is compared to Pattaya/Bangkok/Chiang Mai/etc? Rent is more for bars, rooms, shops, and houses. Food is more expensive. Gas is more expensive, If you don't like tuk tuks, then take a motorbike taxi for 40 baht.

9 years living either in Patong or in the orbit (Kamala / Kathu).. Enough background research for you ?? And you ??

The volume of vehicles on the road mean Patong NEEDS to be one way of one sort or another. if the system was still 2 way, any single delivery truck stopping (as they just pull up in traffic and park) would bring the entire road to a halt. 2 way simply cant operate any more.

If the one way went the other way.. Many of the cut through sois could operate without needed to drive on the wrong side of the road.. I would argue that Thanon Chaloemphrakiet that comes down besides gracelands probably should remain one way, its get kind of narrow and sightlines on that sub soi are not good. But Ruamchai, Sawatdirak, Bangla (when not padestrian) and whatever the one past Club andaman is called, can all be 2 way if managed properly. Those sois as 2 way allow short orbits around the central zones of Patong and not huge loops to achieve any destination.

As for 40 baht motorbike taxis.. Even they have been pushing the 100 baht to get from town to nanai areas once its late. Crazy pricing. The 30k a month payment to the tuktuk federations operators / police has far more effect on pricing than fuel costs. 600 tuktuks, 30k each.. A cool 18 million baht a month in back handers. No wonder they can park where they want or beat the odd tourist up with impunity when they pay that kind of grease.

[Honolulu]

Meanwhile, Patong still "stinks" and the road conditions,(potholes) are a disgrace, and the traffic light still does not work! The traffic light has been installed for over a year now, and still does not work. Way to go Thailand! No wonder tourist numbers are down. It's not rocket science.

Yes....of course! (slaps fore-head). Tourist numbers are down because of pot-holes and one non-functioning traffic light.

And there I was thinking it was the unfavourable exchange rate and the general down-turn in world economies that was responsible.

Thank you so much for enlightening those of us that don't work in the science of rocketry.

Sorry to inform you KB, but world tourism is not down. Only to Thailand. The value is not here, so tourists are going to other destinations.

And when the powers that be refuse to make the upgrades to the communities that draw the tourists, the tourists go elsewhere. But you go ahead and keep blaming it on the world.

[LivinLOS]

I drive the Patong roads every day, and I think you're right. I'd have to see it in action for a couple of weeks to be sure. (Actually, somebody could probably put together a good simulation of the traffic and answer many of the questions, but I don't think anyone's studied traffic patterns in Patong well enough to get a good sim going.)

The big problem, as noted, is the likely queue on Rat-U-Thit at the intersection of Rat-U-Thit and Prabaramee. Rat-U-Thit isn't wide enough.

The choke points will always be the 'entry' and 'exit' of the one way loop on the north or south of the system, lights would probably need to be installed to manage the crossing of traffic streams at the Karon end of the loop similarly to how the north end currently has them.

Fixing broken middle road.. And getting through traffic off of nanai and beach Rd / Rat u Thit is vital also.

[brahmburgers]

Speaking of Phuket's airport, are you guys still being held hostage by not having shuttle buses? Jeezo, you'all must be masochists to keep living there.

There is a regular public bus service, but only from/to Phuket Town. Plus there is always the shared minibus option to the beach areas. And the meter taxis at the airport offer a sensible rate for a 45 minute ride.

Good to hear there's at least a public bus from Phuket airport to Phuket town. Though, when are you'all going to get shuttles from airport to busy beach towns where most travelers go? Is the mayor so cowed by taxi drivers that he can't implement such a reasonable policy?

Well, to be fair, my adopted town of Chiang Rai doesn't have a shuttle service from the airport either. However, there are minibuses which go from the airport to major hotels, and a passenger can get in any them and get to town for only 60 baht (drivers don't mind if you're not checking in to their hotel).

[Honolulu]

And as far as the Patong traffic is concerned, here are a few observations. Instead of changing traffic direction, which is already about as good as it can be, why don't they outlaw all the slow moving traffic, like the Tuk Tuks constantly stopped in "no parking" zones, the Muay Thai Boxing truck that drives around in circles all day, as well as the "Rock City" truck. And the little motorcycles with sidecars selling junk, zig-zaging in and out of traffic without proper brake and signal lights, and the motorbikes parked in the lane of traffic blocking progress, and delivery trucks doing the majority of their deliveries during the day instead of at night. And far too few pedestrian crossings thru to the beach, and in the wrong places. No stop signs at the intersections. The list goes on and on.

To think that changing traffic "direction" is going to have much reasonable effect is ridiculous. The Tuk Tuks are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Instead of trying to come up with their own silly ways of fixing the problems, why don't they adopt "successful" , time tested, intelligent solutions, from tourist destinations around the world? All that is required is to read some books.

[KarenBravo]

Sorry to inform you KB, but world tourism is not down. Only to Thailand. The value is not here, so tourists are going to other destinations.

And when the powers that be refuse to make the upgrades to the communities that draw the tourists, the tourists go elsewhere. But you go ahead and keep blaming it on the world.

Yes, tourism is down in Phuket from mainly Europe, which is Phuket's traditional market. The reason being bad exchange rate and the bad economy. They are certainly not going elsewhere because of pot-holes and traffic lights.

Get real.

Tourism in absolute numbers in Phuket is not down at all. Just more people from other markets (India, the middle-east, Russia, Australia and SE Asian countries. These tourists don't spend as much money as the Europeans.

As for banning slow moving traffic, who do you think will enforce this? The police?

What colour is the sky on your planet?

[Honolulu]

Yes, tourism is down in Phuket from mainly Europe, which is Phuket's traditional market. The reason being bad exchange rate and the bad economy. They are certainly not going elsewhere because of pot-holes and traffic lights.

Get real.

Tourism in absolute numbers in Phuket is not down at all. Just more people from other markets (India, the middle-east, Russia, Australia and SE Asian countries. These tourists don't spend as much money as the Europeans.

As for banning slow moving traffic, who do you think will enforce this? The police?

What colour is the sky on your planet?

The Police enforcing the Traffic laws? You got me there.

[moskito]

Speaking of Phuket's airport, are you guys still being held hostage by not having shuttle buses? Jeezo, you'all must be masochists to keep living there.

morning Mr. Brahburgers (: guess u are right, it needs a little bit of masochism not to leave Phuket.

We have an excellent Shuttle Service now. There is a bus every hour or two which goes directly to Phuket Town. If used the tourists can choose a cheaper Taxi there. OK, cost them about

3 hours more of travelling but finally they will safe 100.-Baht on a Taxi

Our governor is just not strong enough to do something against the Tukxiosis. BTW,

[dude007]

I had a thought...What if we offer the Tuk Tuk drivers Bangkok style meter system at the same rates as bangkok or the one way system:) I wonder how many would be sitting in the meeting then..lol

You hit the nail on the head: let's start with this. Alle Phuket tuk-tuks fitted with Government controlled (nor Governor-controlled, don't misunderstand me) taxi-meters or tuk-tuk meters showing the same tarrif as the BKK A/C taxis (start price 35 THB), then we can start negotiating on traffic plans for Pathong... There will be no longer tourists using their own car: they will ALL use the tuk-tuks or the taxi-meters. I drive my own car from BKK to Pathong in order to escape from this tuk-tuk maffia, and believe me, it's worth the cost!

[dude007]

Speaking of Phuket's airport, are you guys still being held hostage by not having shuttle buses? Jeezo, you'all must be masochists to keep living there.

morning Mr. Brahburgers (: guess u are right, it needs a little bit of masochism not to leave Phuket.

We have an excellent Shuttle Service now. There is a bus every hour or two which goes directly to Phuket Town. If used the tourists can choose a cheaper Taxi there. OK, cost them about

3 hours more of travelling but finally they will safe 100.-Baht on a Taxi

Our governor is just not strong enough to do something against the Tukxiosis. BTW,

Taxis from airport to Phuket town or Pathong are over 600 THB. For this price you can drive three times the same distance in Bangkok. What are you trying to explain? Isn't it obvious? The Governor is PART of the problem! Why then would he try to solve the problem?

Edited January 30, 2011 by dude007

[dude007]

Quote:

Yes, tourism is down in Phuket from mainly Europe, which is Phuket's traditional market. The reason being bad exchange rate and the bad economy. They are certainly not going elsewhere because of pot-holes and traffic lights.

Get real!

Unquote

My realism is that these mentioned reasons are not the main reasons: the tourists are cheated everyday more and more especially from this tuk-tuk-club which isn't anything else than cowardly maffiosi... Allow the tourists to have fair rates for their moves (like in BKK for instance) and Phuket will be bustling again. Now tourists are scared to take a transport (and be honest, there is nothing else: they take all the free space along the narrow streets whilst public transport is failing also, probably deliberate), not only for the rip-off cost but for the arrogance of these maffiosi, lightly touched and of high Southern temper. Kick them all out, ALL, and you will see Phuket reviving again. Now it's going down the slope with no prospect of ever returning to what is ever was before as these maffiosi rather prefer to do nothing and sit all day on their lazy ass than to discount their trip-cost! TRY YOURSELF TO SET UP A TAXI COMPANY IN PATHONG AND IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH ALL OF YOUR TAXI-CARS WILL BE SET ABLAZE! tuk-tuks =

Edited January 30, 2011 by dude007

[dude007]

Rules of the road??? during a tsunami?

Yes, but not on the leap-years!!!

[dude007]

the scum of thailand all in one room together - not one with an education of any sort ! non of them pay income tax - who do they think they are ? wake up thailand, time to introduce a new generation of younger taxi drivers in colorful hawaii style friendly shirts with a regulated meter system. land of smiles - not in patong

While one of the Mayor's sons is running the majority of Patong tuk-tuks? I do not think so! LoS = Land of Scams

Heard this rumor too. No wonder nothing can happen to these tuk-tuks! Just try to park your car at a tuk-tuk parking place (which is a public parking place as well) and see how many flat tyres you have in 10 minutes... and how many smiling faces you will see when you come to take your car! Thailand = indeed the land of smiles...

[katabeachbum]

We went to Bali for the first time and they have metered taxi's. The same distance you pay 200 baht in patong would cost you 30 baht.and they dont complain.its about time the goverment steped in but i dont' think much would change

Been to Kuala Lumpur some times, and they have metered taxis. Its just that during rush hours, 3-8 hours a day, they refuse to take a ride for less than 10-20 ringit (100-200 baht)

[thaibeachlovers]

the scum of thailand all in one room together - not one with an education of any sort !

Tread softly when you judge people by their education level.

I had a close friend in Nevada who had graduated top of his class at Harvard Law School. He was one of the loosest nuts I've known (and I've known quite a few). He had zero handle on his temper - getting angry about the slightest silly thing, and smoked pot like a chimney.

On the other hand, neither Bill Gates nor Steve jobs ever got a college degree.

If you ask me, education is more a hinderance than a help, in the big picture of things.

Well said.

I have a very jaundiced opinion of people with degrees. Just look at politicians- most of them have degrees these days, even worse, a lot are lawyers.

IMO, one of the worst political decisions in recent times was to push for a high level of university admissions. The result is a lot of unemployable people with degrees in media studies and other such like pointless qualifications, while there is a huge shortage of people that can do real work like plumbers and engineers.

Also, it was always unaffordable to subsidise so many students, and that has become apparent now. Chickens coming home to roost, etc.

Unfortunately, the me me me generation hasn't accepted that a uni education should cost them, so they are now rioting. Shame on them!

[thaitanic]

So what have the actually done to the traffic system? I hated the previous one-way system and had a couple of close misses as a result of it. It always seemed to me that they just needed to reverse the directions of the beach road and Rat-u-thit and it would be much better. Is that what they've done?