Save The Tuk Tuk Monopoly

[beenitseenitdoneit]

This is an open post to the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

I plead, beg in fact I besiege you to personally step in regarding the tuk tuk cooperatives of Karon and Kata, in their dispute with the Russian tourist industry.

That seems to be taking over many of the local inhabitants vested interests.

What is at stake and under threat here is the monopoly of the tuk tuk drivers, under no account can this cartel be broken.

Has anybody seriously thought of the consequences if it were?

They have been the salvation in deterring mass tourism to these shores since time immemorial.

The tuk tuk federation throughout the island has seriously, single handedly got to receive the credit for the slow, inhibitive growth of the tourist industry.

They have been responsible, with a lesser degree their brothers the jet ski operators, of stymieing and realising the full potential of this island for decades.

Where else in the world has a vested interest party been able to hold such a major tourist resort to ransom.

They could have invented the word Ecotourism.

Never in the history of mobility, have so many been inconvenienced by so few.

Anywhere around the world if you play the word association game and mention Phuket, everybody first thought is of tuk tuks.

The combination of starving Phuket with any kind of modern transport infrastructure, along the tuk tuk drivers stranglehold of extortionate fares, has been a winning formula for all concerned.

Now of course all of this is severely under threat.

These Russians cannot be easily dismissed, the tuk tuk drivers are not in the same league as the Afghans, and in a land where everyone has his price, loyalties can flip on the turn of a somtam.

[JetsetBkk]

She wouldn't understand sarcasm.

[bubblegum]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

[Paangjang]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

[TPI]

Cruel...very cruel, if you keep this up she'll tell her big brother! Tuk-tuk's are all gentle peace loving people, if they were to stop their activities then we would be inandated by fureners!

[Songhua]

Has she replied yet?

[noob7]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Is it this one?

[sebastianS]

Well, Tourist tends to spend less and less money every year, looking for savings, tuk tuk drivers have a really hard time this season as Farangs tend to walk more, and rent bikes and bicycles to save money. Logical response would be to lower the rates but they just start war with Russians instead blaming them for their falling income.

[LivinginKata]

Post removed. Let's have some respect for the current Prime Minister of Thailand.

[pagallim]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

No, she isn't fluent in English, are you fluent in Thai to the point of taking part in a TV debate in Thai? I thought that the points that she was making, whilst not exactly eloquent and grammatically correct, were quite well put and understandable. At least she chose to speak herself rather than using an interpreter.

[jocko]

Are

the tuk tuk owners having hard time?

[fester471]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Have you ever seen Obama, Cameron, Merkle etc etc, try to speak Thai this is her country why should she speak English.... some of you people are utterly ignorant & rude !!

[Paangjang]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Have you ever seen Obama, Cameron, Merkle etc etc, try to speak Thai this is her country why should she speak English.... some of you people are utterly ignorant & rude !!

It is a funny video though. There's a better one that that somewhere. Thai's were laughing about it on Facebook for weeks.

[geriatrickid]

It is a funny video though. There's a better one that that somewhere. Thai's were laughing about it on Facebook for weeks.

They also laugh at the morbidly obese fat kid and the fake kathoeys on the variety shows adding in silly sound effetcs.

What's your point?

[manly100]

Tuk tuk provide a fine service. there always available. Holiday makers love them, there a novelty. If we get rid of the tuk tuks we get rid of a part of the holiday experience people enjoy on the island. Ask vacationers their thoughts on tuk tuks and compare their thoughts to chatter on thai visa. Metered taxi's for patong? Regular bus service for patong? please.

[BookMan]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Is it this one?

That one seemed okay. A bit rambling but okay

[Sharp]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Is it this one?

wwwooooaaaahhhhh i have no idea ....its the first time ive heard English words and havent understood a word....

[noob7]

She wouldn't even understand English ..

Can someone post that youtube video of her trying to speak English. It's hilarious. I'll post it myself if i can find it

Is it this one?

That one seemed okay. A bit rambling but okay

I did chose this, because she's still one of the few pretty ladies, in a position like this. And the light was good

Also I think, she answered in english herself, b/c maybe the translator was close to one of the guy's, translating/writing the sub titel for the DVD's?

In the beginning, she took the button of, to get the question, didn't she? And the beginning of her answer, there was no sound, right?

Edited January 8, 2013 by noob7