U S Navy Sailors Caught In Phuket Taxi Blockade

[horsewell]

You would think that these sorts of games would be expected to be seen as business as usual these days...

[GeorgeO]

The US navy bouncing checks? No wonder Bout never did business with them

No, US Navy has contracted local transport for the whole of SEA through 1 company, don't know where they are from. This company contracts local operators, local operators contract minibusdrivers. The first SEA contractor so far has defaulted and not paid anybody in Thailand for months already.

That would have to be a Thai contractor, wouldn't it? That would mean Thai's screwing Thai's, not foreigners screwing Thai's.

No, their contractor organising the transfers in the whole of SEA for the US Navy has not paid. Don't know where this company is from, could be Thai, but I would think US. And this company is not paying it's local operators.

Maybe they're just trying to get their own back for the nonsense that took place last time....!

But really, doesn't the US Navy have sufficient clout, and manpower, to just shift these tw_ts out of the way?

[Shot]

Once again, Phuket has shot and killed the golden goose. I don’t believe the US Navy will be back.

I feel sorry for the small family run businesses.

These men and women, Marine and Navy have a spending potential of 75M Baht in a few short days.

　

　

　

[pistachios]

Legal taxi quotes 4000 thb for one way trip to patong, illegal taxi saves the day for a 1000thb trip around the island.

Proof that this legal taxi action is a complete farce without any concern whatsoever for the customers interests.

[sscsamui]

That is so freaking ridiculous... When is someone going to do something about the Phuket taxi mafia thugs? They are destroying Phuket. Soon Nobody will go there... Wake Up.....

[Salapoo]

Time for the US to say thank you very much, and change their future ports of call to Cambodia or Burma.

[IrishIvan]

That is so freaking ridiculous... When is someone going to do something about the Phuket taxi mafia thugs? They are destroying Phuket. Soon Nobody will go there... Wake Up.....

I feel your pain. Too bad this thread is about mini van drivers and not tuk tuk mafia

[LivinginKata]

A number of the off topic, obscene, and nonsense posts removed.

Even more removed

[winstonc]

the navy not paying them ,,,brilliant how does it feel,, shoe other foot me thinks,great news for once they deserve everything they get,,,,,,reckon they should go to burma next time,,,,,enoy your time boys n girls,,,remember to wear a jacket,,,

[bristolgeoff]

i thought they had transport provided,the taxis will try anything to milk the most of them,which will back fire if they don,t come back because of it.very clever of them.my friend caught a taxi this year from bkk to pattaya,found a hotel liked it and stayed.later he found out with his friend he overpaid by 70 pound each.he learn,t his lesson but will not trust them now and check everything.he will return again next year but using taxis he learn,t his lesson i think

[IrishIvan]

After 98 replies the headline still is about Taxis. Didnt we establish that it was a minivan strike. Jees we would hate the truth to getting the way of a good story now wouldn't we

[Halion]

Just another nail in the coffin. In this country mafai taxis can manipulate the administration. For me I would have driven their cabs of the end of the peir and jailed the lot of them.

[NamKangMan]

Tell me if I am wrong. but these boats and ships all have high speed rescue craft

why not just by pass the blockade and go to Patong on the water

Because they would probably scratch a jet-ski on the way and get scammed for that as well. :)

[NamKangMan]

Driving our own car to Phuket is worth it to avoid these hungry wolves.

But where do you park????

[NamKangMan]

Just another nail in the coffin. In this country mafai taxis can manipulate the administration. For me I would have driven their cabs of the end of the peir and jailed the lot of them.

No, not "in this country" - only Phuket, but, yes, I see your point, Phuket may as well be a different country, possibly a different world.

Planet Phuket.

Edited May 30, 2013 by NamKangMan

[finnomick]

I hope the american troops take matters into their own hands and show the taxi mafia that they are not in charge...

[Unkomoncents]

It's really tragic that Phuket's businesses are held hostage by these plebian, Thai hill-billy scam artists. If these stories aren't proof enough of why you never, EVER, start a business in Thailand, I dont' know what is. Every business in Phuket suffers because these nincompoops have helped cement Phuket's reputation as a lawless, garbage-infested, mob-run sh*ithole. The really sad thing as that in other countries, the locals would band together to have these riff-raff properly dealth with, as it is their business that suffers when tourists leaving vowing never to come back. In Thailand, the police ARE the mob and vice-versa. Anyone who points this out publicly risks summary execution at the hands of Thai gangster politicians. This disgustingly upside-down state of affairs cows local business owners into silence as few wish to die over money. Truly sad. LOS my arse. Thailand is a gangster's paradise.

[BudRight]

Great news. Very embarrassing.

[Jimi007]

the navy not paying them ,,,brilliant how does it feel,, shoe other foot me thinks,great news for once they deserve everything they get,,,,,,reckon they should go to burma next time,,,,,enoy your time boys n girls,,,remember to wear a jacket,,,

It would be wise to actually read the news you are posting about. The US Navy paid a contractor, who may or may not have paid the local mini bus company...

[Jimi007]

I hope the american troops take matters into their own hands and show the taxi mafia that they are not in charge...

That would be a job for the Governor of Phuket and the Thai government. But the Phuket Governor is off on a "fact finding mission" to Europe to see how their tourist ports and taxis work. Pretty ironic, isn't it?

[Soi Sauce]

US navy loses to taxi drivers?

Edited May 30, 2013 by Soi Sauce

[jocko]

These visits are supposed to be good will visits some hope here no matter who did'nt pay.

I can imagine the young sailors coming of the ship and wondering what the flip is going on.

Sad very sad.

[hawker9000]

An easy fix would be for the US Navy to politely explaing that if it should happen one more time the will be NO MORE visits from any US Navy ship to Phuket.

Cut your own throats by arrogance, greed and stupidity.

Couldn't this have been foreseen? Wasn't this entirely predictable?

[Valentine]

These visits are supposed to be good will visits some hope here no matter who did'nt pay.

I can imagine the young sailors coming of the ship and wondering what the flip is going on.

Sad very sad.

The goodwill extends even further as some of the sailors volunteer to do community work such as painting schools which do not have the funds to undertake themselves. This happens on virtually every visit.

[DiNiro]

Somebody high up in the US Navy food chain is about to say "<deleted> this sh*t" and plan shore leave in a more friendly country.

Good.

[slipperylobster]

If I am reading the article correctly, Officers can enjoy free rides while the lower ranks of younger age and wisdom are left to bite the bullet and are to haggle with the greedy taxi drivers. Yes a S.N.A.F.U. decision just as I remembered. This will surely lead to an incident of anger when the younger lads run out of money and get shook down for loose change when trying to make curfew. Throw them to the dogs.... An alternate idea would be just to hand out vouchers for payment at an agreed sum and warn against tipping/overcharging. Something tells me the drivers are more interested in 8-10 passengers per lift. Individuals (Officer or enlisted) who insist on going it alone should be left to haggle. Vans for "Morale, Welfare and Recreation" should always be available for are young servicemen...as this is all part of the program.

[belg]

another big hit for TAT in the face, but money rulez, so let the maffia fight this one out?

what about using the FREE busses, they are rusting away

police, ah yeah, part of the maffia and the problem

what about enforcing the law?

farmers and maffia in police uniform

[IrishIvan]

another big hit for TAT in the face, but money rulez, so let the maffia fight this one out?

 

what about using the FREE busses, they are rusting away

 

 

police, ah yeah, part of the maffia and the problem

 

 

what about enforcing the law?

 

farmers and maffia in police uniform

Ah yeah dude. Read the second article. The free busses were on strike so the taxis came to the rescue

[belg]

After 98 replies the headline still is about Taxis. Didnt we establish that it was a minivan strike. Jees we would hate the truth to getting the way of a good story now wouldn't we

what do you expect, when a story is posted here (without verification?) and than the story keeps changing, a new story or article is posted and old replies are kept

[andreandre]

another big hit for TAT in the face, but money rulez, so let the maffia fight this one out?

what about using the FREE busses, they are rusting away

police, ah yeah, part of the maffia and the problem

what about enforcing the law?

farmers and maffia in police uniform

Ah yeah dude. Read the second article. The free busses were on strike so the taxis came to the rescue

Yes..""came to the rescue "" ..such selfless behaviour by these highly esteemed professionals...

Came to the rescue?? How about "making the most of a dire situation to their own advantage"...sounds more factual huh?

At prices way far and beyond their normal rip-off fares only confirms this...