Phuket Taxis Blockade Luxury Cruise Ship Passengers From Disembarking

[Darkrose]

You know what... I'm a bar owner, let us make a farang bar owner mafia, and we will shut down all the 7-Elevens because Thai Men don't drink at farang bars, So you know what.. you, if you don't buy my god dam_n beer you can't buy beer from anyone else....

I mean times are hard right? Everyone worldwide is feeling the financial squeeze, if the taxi drivers can protest and threaten to secure their income """WHY CANT EVERYONE ELSE"""

Farang Bar Owner Mafia is now open....

Protest at all 7-Elevens during Sonkrand Festival for taking beer sales away from the bar owners

Edited April 6, 2011 by LivinginKata
profanities removed

[apalink_thailand]

I cant wait for thai government to allow only meter taxi in phuket or something like that, most taxi and tuktuk in phuket are insanely unfriendly and overpriced and definitly a reason why tourist might not want to come back to phuket. They rather sit all day long doing nothing than lower their prices even in low season.

This is why I do not even bother to go there any more. You are held hostage by these over charging crooks. I think you can rent a car near the airport now and save yourself thousands in rip-offs. Unfortunately, nothing will change in Phuket as long as the authorities are part of the problem.

[winaid65]

Taxi and Tuk Tuk in Phuket is a major problem for tourist industry. I am Thai and went there 9 years ago. We were rip off by this Tuk Tuk for a short distance cost me 200 baht so we choose to walk. Later we rent a car with GPS then just drive around the island cost us 1000 baht a day plus some gas cost. They are all bad and official never improve it. They should install meter for all Taxi and Tuk Tuk. Guys if you don't hav tourist you all will sit all day and get nothing.

[Darkrose]

Thailand is in love with its new tourists from the Middel East, Russia and Korea, all highly educated people with developed cultural sensibilities ( who will hopefully treat the Thais for what they are).

Interesting point.... Ya I wonder what a group of Arabs from Dubai would have done in that situation...... *ponders*

[exbelg]

nice to see that the taxi tuk tuk maffia won again... they are no police, but as they buy the police with bribes, they are allowed to continue to SCAM tourists again and again...

sad sad sad

[lounger]

As I said in a recent thread it was a delight to watch the Phuket tuk tuk drivers lose out when the Queen Mary 2 offloaded by tender at Patong beach 10 days ago. Cunard had already had a correspondence fight against these drivers who were reportedly charging several thou baht for short trips and 10k baht plus for half day trips when Cunard docked at a proper port on the island about a year ago. Hence the change of venue (reportedly) and hence Cunard had gone out of its way to lay on tour coaches and minivans. Tuk tuks could not get close to the offloading spot and had mean pickings that day.

cheers well done jolly good show here here

Its totally absurd. can anyone imagine a convention ship full of business salesmen packing into a ragtag convoy of delapidated ripoff tuk tuks heading off to the convention venue for a dinner and entertainment......each vehicle seperately negotiated .....................

idiots all

[Darkrose]

I cant wait for thai government to allow only meter taxi in phuket or something like that, most taxi and tuktuk in phuket are insanely unfriendly and overpriced and definitly a reason why tourist might not want to come back to phuket. They rather sit all day long doing nothing than lower their prices even in low season.

"Meter taxi", like the ones in Pattaya that have a meter installed as decoration only?!? Just another joke...

LoL, yes, I live in Samui, all Taxis here are "Metered"... Ya, that a funny statement

[barryw52]

To Kill the golden goose boys just keep it up in 5 years time they be asking why have the tourist numbers dropped so dramatically. Things change very quickly no tourist destination can last forever tourist are smart than this they vote with there feet.

[dumpling]

Just another reason not to visit Phuket.

Been there once and refuse to go back the whole place is a rip off from the mafia tuk tuk drivers to the jet ski cons.

Phuket is becoming the joke of Thailand the sooner someone does something about it the better.

Sadly Phucket and many other places, it seems year on year it gets worse.I have been here nearly 10 years and at first I used to have to beat friends off with a stick as they all wanted to come here for a visit, the last few years it has been the other way around.Reassuring them it is safe they will have no problems and then laying done a list of things to watch out for this list gets longer and longer.

When will they learn 7% GDP is not to be sniffed at especially in the current global economic climate this figure has not moved for years but I think when it does it will be down and then the panic will set in.

Edited April 6, 2011 by dumpling

[Darkrose]

For a culture that is SOOOOO keen on not losing face, you think they would be pretty god dam_n embarrassed with the publicity that they allowed the taxis drivers to show today.

[Springman]

A load crooks! the tut tut drivers are mostly realy nasty people and they need stopping, giving in is no answer

[eagleflyinghigh]

Interesting point.... Ya I wonder what a group of Arabs from Dubai would have done in that situation...... *ponders*

Ha, ha ! They would have done what they do anyway in Thailand and can not do at home.

[softgeorge]

Use my Tuk Tuk or you can't step foot on Thai soil. This is just a scam. If tourists don't give us thier money then stay on the ship.

[thaikahuna]

One of the taxi drivers who helped reach the agreement, 50-year-old Narin Kebsup, said he was part of a 160-member collective of local taxi and tuk-tuk drivers.

Can you say MAFIA?

In a free market society as Thailand proclaims to be, The customer is free to choose the goods and services they desire...not those offering/providing/demanding you use THEIR service. These people are just stupid enough to believe that the tourists will not go someplace else.

[stiggy]

I believe they are a proficent bunch at flying kites

[AsiaCheese]

At the airport in Hanoi, they have the rates posted at the taxi stand. Why don't they do that here? Wouldn't that be one way to eliminate the corruption of these parasites? The motorbike taxis have their rates posted. Make some rules and follow them would mean someone is going to have to infringe on someone's "right" to rip off the foreigners.

Nahhh, it's a bit more complicated than that. Pattaya has those scrolling LED thingies @ the bus station from Eekamai, showing 20 Baht to hotels in town, 30 Baht for Jomtien. First of all, they make you wait until the Song Teaw is overfull (may take 2-3 busses arriving, or 1/2 hour+). Then they tell you "sorry Sir, don't go Jomtien" because most people don't go there, and make you jump off in South Pattaya to catch another taxi. They're sticking with the rated posts, all right... Taxis in South Pattaya are another story altogether. You can choose to hop onto a Song Teaw and wait until it's overfull, or you may choose to flag one on the street. The latter is bad news: none of them buggers will stop!!

So much for "mafia". But hey, I don't want to speak bad about the organized Italians with guns; at least those come with brains...

[shabbirg]

Illegal blockade = 50% of cruise business? Hmmm, Harvard never taught be that!

[Canada]

Our problems aren't the taxi drivers, it's that we think that things should be different than they are. Thailand is great. It's the lack of enforcement of laws that make it what it is. I wouldn't want it to be run like Canada or the States...that's why I live here. When it becomes "the way it should be" I think I'll move again.

It's not that I condone....... I just love where I live.

[Misterwhisper]

If I book a sightseeing tour with any tour company I expect to be taken around in one of that company's own vehicles (including a guide) and not be forced to resort to public taxi transportation (and pay the inflated fare).

Likewise, if the U.S. Navy (as mentioned in the article) arranges beforehand bus transportation so their sailors can get to a predetermined destination, then that is at the sole discretion of the U.S. Navy.

I find it outrageous that this so-called taxi co-op should have such leverage and that local authorities are permitting themselves to be bullied into that sort of shady "50/50 agreement".

If taxi "co-op" (i.e. "Taxi Mafia Inc.") drivers decide to waste their time waiting hours after hours for cruise ships or other vessels to arrive just to find out that the majority of passengers have already made transportation arrangements, then that is their problem. But to come up with demands of "sharing" passengers 50/50 is simply outrageous, disadvantages passengers because it deprives them of their free choice and just once again goes to show who is running that island.

[Lotusbluete]

I think the biggest shame is the local government who let a blockade like this happen. And even sit down with the taxi mafia and discuss a so called "solution".

Every time a new governor comes there are big hopes that matters with the taxis, tuk-tuk's and jet ski operators will change. But it does not. No governor wants to loose face during his "stint" on the island. Rather cement a deal of a "maximum" fare of THB 200 and now a 50/50 share of the sightseeing tour business. Just find a so called compromise as shabby as it might be, but do not loose out face. Sit and smile while talking during the (regular?) meetings with the foreign consuls and afterwards "business as usual". What a shame.

[Just1Voice]

According to the government, tourist numbers are increasing. But what they AREN'T saying is that while the numbers may show an increase, the TYPE of tourist is quickly changing. With the current world economy, as well as hundreds of internet scam warnings about Thailand, the number of quality tourists (those who come and spend money in all the various shops, restaurants, etc.) is dropping like a rock.

The numbers are coming from the TOURS, and these people are, for the most part, NOT big spenders, meaning less and less Thai business owners make. My wife and I have a friend who is a tour guide for Japanese tours. She's been busy, BUT she told us that when the tours come in, those people prefer to go to restaurants and businesses owned by Japanese, and usually avoid the mainstream Thai businesses and restaurants. And, according to her, the majority of Japanese totally despise and hate tuk-tuk, and really don't like taking a songthow unless absolutely necessary.

Maybe TAT officials should get out of their aircon offices and talk to the half dozen or so friends of my wife and I who were in the tourism industry, but who, over the past 2 years or so, have had to shut down and find another line of work due to lack of business.

LOS - Land of Scams / Land of Shame / Loads of S**t / Land of Stupidity.

Take your pick.

[hawksway]

Absolutely scandalous that this taxi mafia could get away with this behaviour. In most Countries they would have been arrested, taken to Court and fined.

The Cruise Ship Country should be free to make whatever arrangements they like in the interests of their Customers and normal day to day business.

Let's hope this event does not discourage cruise vessels from docking at Phuket in the future.

[sangfroid]

I haven't been back to Phuket for years. I got tired of the outrageous farang prices and the taxi scams, Bill padding was endemic and when brought to the restaurant staff's attention they never batted an eyelid. Phuket?? no thanks. I'll give it a big miss this life!!

[SiriusBlack1]

Arrest them all.

Phuket is such a festering pit of greed and corruption it makes Pattaya look clean. I won't set foot in Phuket or Koh Samui ever again.

Arrest. Them. All.

[Dukeleto]

As I said in a recent thread it was a delight to watch the Phuket tuk tuk drivers lose out when the Queen Mary 2 offloaded by tender at Patong beach 10 days ago. Cunard had already had a correspondence fight against these drivers who were reportedly charging several thou baht for short trips and 10k baht plus for half day trips when Cunard docked at a proper port on the island about a year ago. Hence the change of venue (reportedly) for QM 2 and hence Cunard had gone out of its way to lay on tour coaches and minivans. Tuk tuks could not get close to the offloading spot and had mean pickings that day.

Lots here seem to think that all this has a marked impact on tourist numbers and that tourists are sick of being ripped off in Phuket. Can't see it myself - I suspect that most tourists think that even Phuket prices are cheaper than they would pay nearer to home. The island certainly seemed to be buzzing with tourists when I was there (many Russians) and the local press was reporting a strong uptick in tourism. We crusty ole expats can wish for a 'told-you-so' crash all we like, but I doubt we will see one.

Indeed, I tend to see the same thing myself, but have noticed a change in the nationality of tourists with definately more Russian and Chinese and I think this has kept up the numbers substantially. Unfortunately Phuket is definately not what it used to be and has changed for the worse, not better. There has also been a massive influx of Thai workers into Phuket, but I cant see there being enough jobs to go around and crime is increasing. I cant see Phuket organising itself to cope and I think it will implode on itself eventually.

[hardy1943]

Taxi in Phuket is bad. They charge very high for the trip from airport to Patong which is weight more than Suvarnbhumi to Silom.

This whole thing is a joke as usual. What do they have a police force for? They can say: You give me money everything be fine, but

to enforce a law what is that. Then the military another useless commodity. Lets face it if it would not be for the great women in this country

as my wife is and there are many more like her but if it comes to the men, sorry no comment

Edited April 6, 2011 by hardy1943

[prepress]

I always tell friends who come to Thailand, avoid Phuket. There are many other islands who offer its natural beauty and hospitality of the Thai people.

They should go home with a good impression of Thailand.

Avoid Phuket and P......

[dunkin2012]

I haven't been back to Phuket for years. I got tired of the outrageous farang prices and the taxi scams, Bill padding was endemic and when brought to the restaurant staff's attention they never batted an eyelid. Phuket?? no thanks. I'll give it a big miss this life!!

yep........ i haven't been there yet....

from the news, it's deterring me goin' Puket....

[Colabamumbai]

Just one of the evermore increasing reasons not to visit Phuket. But what do Thais know about biting the hand that feeds them.

[Dukeleto]

According to the government, tourist numbers are increasing. But what they AREN'T saying is that while the numbers may show an increase, the TYPE of tourist is quickly changing. With the current world economy, as well as hundreds of internet scam warnings about Thailand, the number of quality tourists (those who come and spend money in all the various shops, restaurants, etc.) is dropping like a rock.

The numbers are coming from the TOURS, and these people are, for the most part, NOT big spenders, meaning less and less Thai business owners make. My wife and I have a friend who is a tour guide for Japanese tours. She's been busy, BUT she told us that when the tours come in, those people prefer to go to restaurants and businesses owned by Japanese, and usually avoid the mainstream Thai businesses and restaurants. And, according to her, the majority of Japanese totally despise and hate tuk-tuk, and really don't like taking a songthow unless absolutely necessary.

Maybe TAT officials should get out of their aircon offices and talk to the half dozen or so friends of my wife and I who were in the tourism industry, but who, over the past 2 years or so, have had to shut down and find another line of work due to lack of business.

LOS - Land of Scams / Land of Shame / Loads of S**t / Land of Stupidity.

Take your pick.

Smack on the button with your assesment of Phuket. Actually I also use Japanese owned business where possible.