Tuk-Tuk Drivers Surrender To Phuket Police

[webfact]

Tuk-tuk drivers surrender to Phuket police

BIG YELLOW TAXI: A customized tuk-tuk ferries tourists along

Patong's beach road. Tuk-tuk drivers, for now, are behaving

themselves, say police.

PHUKET: -- The four tuk-tuk drivers wanted for setting up a blockade on Patong’s beach road on August 1 have surrendered to police, Patong Police duty officer Lt Col Kittipong Klaikaew told the Phuket Gazette today.

The men were wanted for setting up the blockade after being involved in a fight with Dutch tourists, which resulted in the tourists requiring hospital treatment.

The incident sparked comment from Dutch Ambassador to Thailand Joan Boer in his recent meeting with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha.

It also spurred Phuket Provincial Police Superintendent Pekad Tantipong into laying down the law to the tuk-tuk drivers, saying that street blockades will no longer be tolerated.

“The four tuk-tuk driver surrendered themselves last week,” Lt Col Kittipong said.

He declined to name the four drivers.

“I have to talk to my commanding officer before I can reveal their names to the media,” he said.

The men were charged with obstructing traffic, which Patong Police Chief Col Arayapan Pukbuakao earlier told the Gazette carries a maximum fine of no more than 1,000 baht.

“As they have surrendered themselves to the police, they have now been released. They will have to come back to plead guilty or to deny the charges,” said Lt Col Kittipong.

“If they accept the charges, they’ll pay 1,000-baht fine each. If they deny the charges, their cases will be handed over to the court for further action,” he added.

Lt col Kittipong explained that the minor charges were brought against the drivers in accordance with Maj Gen Pekad Tantipong's order to bring about change in local tuk-tuk drivers’ conduct “step by step”.

“We are starting by using minor charges with light penalties only, which is a warning to them. Now let’s see if they behave.

“If they do not behave themselves or if they block the road again, we will levy charges with harsher penalties to manage the problem.

“For the time being, they seem to be controlling themselves, which is good for their own image,” Lt Col Kittipong added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10884

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-08-27

related topics:

German Man Still In ICU After Dispute With Phuket Tuk-Tuk Driver

More Phuket Tuk-Tuk Drivers Move Toward Standard Fares

[ScubaBuddha]

“We are starting by using minor charges with light penalties only, which is a warning to them. Now let’s see if they behave."

I'm not holding my breathe.

So blocking the road is the charge here? I'd like to know why the drivers who held back the policeman (the one who felt he had so little control of the scene that he had to draw and fire his gun into the air) haven't been charged with assault on a police officer. It's a good thing the the tuk tuk drivers didn't murder someone, they might have been faced with a charged with something more serious like petty theft!

Is it really time to give them a second chance? I think we are way past that:

The Sydney Morning Herald: Phuket rip-off: the trouble with tuk-tuks

Fodor's Travel Guide: Phuket Tuk Tuks and exorbitant charges.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide: Phuket tuk tuk warning

Tripadvisor: Phuket's Tuk Tuks are still at it.

iPetition: Governor Wichai - ban the Phuket tuk-tuks!

Making Phukets Tuk Tuks, Taxi's Fair

Phukets tuk tuks shared among top officials

Tuk tuk problems solved soon: Phuket Governor

Thaivisa: Tuk Tuks clearly a bane to Phuket tourism

Phuket Tuk-tuk Driver Attacks French Family for parking in 'wrong place

Tat 'worried' About Phuket Tuk-tuk Gangs

Tuk Tuk standoff in Karoni

War on taxi mafia

Tuk tuks no good

Time for action

A recent visitors comments about the taxi mafia

Phuket Taxi: Primitive transport

Would you believe it..Police citing the taxi mafia?

Beating the taxi fares/

Phuket Public Transport: Cartels continue in the driver's seat

Honorary Consuls Meet In Phuket To Discuss Jetskis, Pollution And Tuk Tuk Mafia

Phuket consuls keep pressure on tuk-tuk, jet-ski scams

Phuket tuk tuk fares in the firing line

Tuk tuk driver questioned over sexual assault of British girl.

Paradise Lost

Phuket officials tackle tuk tuk blockades

Good old Phuket tuk tuks at it again

Phukets must do's and don'ts

How do you get around Phuket cheaply?

Swedish Tourist Punched by Tuk Tuk driver.

Tuk Tuk Violence

Local expat gets major beatdown by 4 tuk tuk drivers.

Crazy tuk tuk driver tries to run me off the road.

Tuk tuk driver stabs Welshman

4 Aussie tourists beaten and stabbed by gang of tuk tuk drivers

Tuk Tuks in Patong

Tuk-tuks warned: ‘improve or die’

Tuk Tuk fares still to high: Consuls

PM turns spotlight on Phuket problems

Taxi driver charged with rape

Phuket Cruise ship passengers blockaded

Tuk tuk driver assaults a Canadian man after the man refused to pay the extortionate price for a 1 minute ride

Tuk-tuks blockade US military in Phuket.

Governor lays out strategy for war on ‘taxi mafia’

Tuk-tuk drivers in protest over access to port

Eco-tour firms protest tuk tuk ‘bullies’

Tourist Belted By Tuk Tuk Driver

Issues and Answers: Why aren't parking rules enforced (on tuk tuks) in Karon?

Issues and Answers: Tuk-tuks in Kata-Karon

Issues and Answers: Action on tuk-tuk rip-offs

Issuea and Answers: Why no bus between Kata/Karon and Patong? Answer: Bus driver was pulled from his bus and beaten by "competition."

Issues and Answers: "Government intervention will be needed to create a new taxi service in Phuket." - Pol Lt Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Deputy Traffic Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station

"Stay away from tuk tuks and ladyboys" Says Phuket Governor

[stevenl]

I'd like to know why the drivers who held back the policeman (the one who felt he had so little control of the scene that he had to draw and fire his gun into the air) haven't been charged with assault on a police officer.

The answer is already in the article: "Lt col Kittipong explained that the minor charges were brought against the drivers in accordance with Maj Gen Pekad Tantipong's order to bring about change in local tuk-tuk drivers’ conduct “step by step”."

I'm not holding my breathe either

[LivinginKata]

A post designed to bait a member into an inflammatory response has been deleted. Any further such posts of this nature will result in more than mere deletion.

[KarstenBoAndersen]

They will continue controlling the island as long people not joint the fight against them.

Join on Facebook Ban Tuk Tuk´s on Phuket.

So we can show these idiots that we not want them at all.

Meter taxis and Baht busses thank you !

[steelepulse]

Hilarious. So these guys inflict injuries on tourists and don't get charged for it. After much behind the scenes back and forth between two differing parties which are both under control of the "influential family" they will plead guilty to blocking traffic and suffer a penalty of two days tuk tuk rental. Hilarious.

[BangTaoBoy]

They will continue controlling the island as long people not joint the fight against them.

Join on Facebook Ban Tuk Tuk´s on Phuket.

So we can show these idiots that we not want them at all.

Meter taxis and Baht busses thank you !

Give me strength.

[saintofsilence]

“If they accept the charges, they’ll pay 1,000-baht fine each. If they deny the charges, their cases will be handed over to the court for further action,” he added.

The fine should be 100,000baht first offence and 1000,000,000 for the second then people will start to believe that the authorities are not talking bs.

[Boater]

well that lasted long !, news report from PW has mentioned a german is fighting for his life in a phuket hosptial after being assulted over a dispute of a Tuk Tuk Fare .......

they need to relise these animals are ANIMALS , and ANIMALS need to be locked up, not just a small fine

sort it out Phuket, it gets worst by the day !

Edited August 29, 2011 by Boater

[steelepulse]

I'm not holding my breath that the guys that bashed the German will get arrested.

[LivinLOS]

I'm not holding my breath that the guys that bashed the German will get arrested.

Capt Teerasuk said the investigation was floundering due to lack of detailed information.

“Mr Trotnow and his wife were very drunk. I questioned his wife but she could not remember the face of the tuk-tuk driver or even remember what happened that night,” he said.

CCTV has been of little help.

“The CCTV cameras at Soi Bangla are too far from the scene. The dark and the rain at the time of the incident makes it very difficult to make anything out of the footage.

“I am now checking with the CCTVs of restaurants around there to see if any other cameras recorded the attack,” he said.

Capt Teerasuk highlighted the importance of being able to identify the attackers.

“If they [Mr Trotnow and his wife] cannot remember what happened, or remember any of the attackers’ faces, we will not be able to charge anyone for this,” he said.

There you go then.. Obviously there were no witnesses there, no stall holders who are there nightly, no one who saw a thing.

Also of note is how effective the multi million baht video system is.. If top of Bangla and Tai pan isnt covered just what is ?? Wonder who got that cherry contract.