Black taxis scoff at Phuket Airport organized crime center

[webfact]

Black taxis scoff at Phuket Airport organized crime center
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A taxi company using illegal “black taxis” to serve Phuket International Airport said it will continue to do so despite the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) opening its Organized Crime Center for Tourism there on Friday .

“Our black plate taxis will still work as usual. If the DSI officers arrest them, I will explain to the officers why we are unable to get green license plates [become legal taxis],” Mook Andaman Business & Travel Co-operative secretary Ittipol Mekmanee told the Phuket Gazette.

Mook Andaman, not one of three co-operatives with Airport of Thailand (AoT) concessions to operate at the airport, has a fleet of 136 taxis, only 10 of which are legally registered, Mr Ittipol said.

The company has had limited success adding its vehicles to the legally operating co-operatives at the airport. Even that success came about only after stalking Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut at his home.

“I understand the rules and that officers want illegal operators to register their vehicles to make the system better. However, we have encountered difficulties,” said Mr Ittipol.

“Finance companies require deposits of around 70,000 baht [sic] in order to release a registration book, which they hold as collateral for loans taken out to buy cars. How can we find that much money?” he asked.

The drivers need the books in their hands in order to present them to the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) so officials can physically register the change from private vehicle to public.

Many banks and finance companies do not readily hand car registration books to people who have taken out loans to buy cars, as it is the only collateral the companies have to ensure the vehicles remain in their legal possession.

Mr Ittipol’s concern was formally recognized by PLTO chief Teerayut Prasertpol earlier this year.

Mr Teerayut explained that at the time the biggest remaining obstacle stopping taxi drivers from becoming legal was the cost of changing the registered use of their vehicles with their finance companies.

However, a breakthrough deal was brokered six months ago.

“Drivers claimed banks and finance companies required deposits of up to 10,000 baht in order to release the registration books which they hold as collateral for loans taken out to buy cars,” Mr Teerayut said in February.

Mr Teerayut had already raised this issue with Land Transport Department Director-General Somchai Siriwattanachoke in December last year.

The result was a meeting with representatives from Thanachart Bank headquarters in Bangkok, which provides financing for about half of the 2,882 illegal taxis operating in Phuket.

“Thanachart Bank has agreed to waive the deposit for drivers who give permission for the bank to hand the registration book directly to the PLTO in order to change the registration type. This saves the taxi drivers from having to come up with the money needed for the deposit,” Mr Teerayut explained in February.

“Other financial services companies are taking care of their customers in the same way. This is a big help to the taxi drivers who want to get green license plates [have their vehicles registered as legal taxis],” he added.

Despite this progress made months ago, Mr Ittipol yesterday made it clear that financial companies were still what was preventing him, and the drivers of the Mook Andaman fleet, from becoming legal.

“As I said, what are we going to do? We do not have the money to pay the financial companies. If the government wants to make this rule more effective, they should provide more help to us. For example, they could allocate some funds for us to pay off our debts,” he said.

“Then, things would be much easier,” he added.

Though Mook Andaman is struggling with legality, Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has maintained that many other taxi operators had been very cooperative since the announcement of the new rules.

Mr Ittipol’s disregard for the DSI crackdown flies in the face of Vice Governor Chamroen, who urged all illegal taxis to have their vehicles registered, warning them that they will be prime targets for the DSI come Friday.

“On Friday, the Organized Crime Center for Tourism will start to operate at the airport. DSI officers and airport officers will be keeping an eye open for any black plate taxis operating at the airport,” Vice Governor Chamroen said.

“Any taxi operator who hasn’t registered their vehicle yet, better be quick. Because if they aren’t – we will arrest them,” he warned.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Black-taxis-scoff-at-Phuket-Airport-organized-crime-center-21887.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-08-07

[Goldieinkathu]

“As I said, what are we going to do? We do not have the money to pay the financial companies. If the government wants to make this rule more effective, they should provide more help to us. For example, they could allocate some funds for us to pay off our debts,” he said.

[jpeg]

Why is this 'black taxi' issue continually in the news? It's surreal - THEY CHARGE THE SAME AS THE 'LEGAL' ONES. Far.too.much.

Really, give it a rest

[Tatsujin]

In any sensible country, the fines for operating illegally would far outweigh the costs of doing things legally.

Way past the point where some if these laws need to be changed, however I'm assuming that those 126 illegal taxis that are being operated with the complicit approval of the Police don't pay taxes etc.

[Patje]

They sure like to complicate things , sigh ,

[Zpete]

Tea monies will win thru', as usual.

[andreandre]

[eezergood]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

[iSabai]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

Edited August 7, 2013 by iSabai

[eezergood]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

Yup you got my point exactly!

Aside from the small fact that, at a guess, 90% of all taxi business is from Farang!

[stevenl]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

Yup you got my point exactly!

Aside from the small fact that, at a guess, 90% of all taxi business is from Farang!

Far, far less than 90%. Many Japanese, Koreans and even Chinese take taxi's as well. And how about the Thais, I see them in taxi's regularly as well.

But the problem is not black taxi's yes or no, because all active black taxi's are part of the same co-operations. It is those co-operations that are the problem.

Edited August 7, 2013 by stevenl

[eezergood]

To ME a farang is non Thai! Either way the point stands, stop p!ssing money away & crying poverty. I have kids working for me that get 9000 a month and dont feel the need to be abusive & violent in their workp[ace

[Wavefloater]

It seems to me that the problem is largely a result of there being just too many taxis, tuk tuks, etc. for the market. That means that they all have the idea that they'd better get big money every time they get a fare because it may be the only one today (or maybe for a few days). Don't forget that the Thai business approach doesn't acknowledge the basic rule of supply and demand. (The examples are numerous.) So, when common sense would dictate and tell us not to get into the taxi business in Phuket because it's already saturated, that doesn't register with your average Thai -- they've been cheated by the education system and never taught how to analyze a situation and apply common sense to it. Therefore, the industry needs to be regulated by an entity that is not directly involved in the business -- a government ministry, or something like that. Then a practical number of taxi licenses can be distributed according to the market. This would basically protect them from themselves. Doesn't New York City do that -- issue a limited number of "hack" licenses?

Edited August 7, 2013 by Wavefloater

[FireMedic]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Thainess Promotion: Anything that might make any sense what so ever is completely dismissed as non-sense.

[chooka]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

I think his point is, if they are trying to cater for farang customers then set up your business to attract the customer.

[iSabai]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

I think his point is, if they are trying to cater for farang customers then set up your business to attract the customer.

Fair enough. I stand corrected and duly chastised for misinterpreting ezer's intentions, and apologize for the sarcasm.

I read it quickly and actually thought it was yet another Thai-bashing post. But then I should've known that never happens on TV...

[scorecard]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country. alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

Yup you got my point exactly!

Aside from the small fact that, at a guess, 90% of all taxi business is from Farang!

I doubt 90% is correct.

And that's still mostly beside the point, it's their country!

[eezergood]

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

I think his point is, if they are trying to cater for farang customers then set up your business to attract the customer.

Fair enough. I stand corrected and duly chastised for misinterpreting ezer's intentions, and apologize for the sarcasm.

I read it quickly and actually thought it was yet another Thai-bashing post. But then I should've known that never happens on TV...

Never.........

[Patanawet]

If they are not legally registered to carry passengers -- how do they stand for accident insurance?

[samuibruno]

finance companies require 70,000 baht

Now we got some numbers.

High season: 700-800 drivers in Patong, each getting B4000. That's B2.8M to B3.2M each day.

In one month totaling as 100 million baht.

Low season this drops B25M per month.

wow these guys earn loads

4000 baht per day x 6 days a week =24,000 per week

times that by say 6 months = 624,000 for a half year

given that post was [above] about a tuk tuk driver

i would be guessing that taxis are similar [if not more ]

but it doesnt take much to work out these guys are just full of sh>>>>>t

they earn more than half a million in 6 months and cant pay 70,000 for a liscence?

[probably tax free also ]

what a load of <deleted>

[eezergood]

finance companies require 70,000 baht

Now we got some numbers.

High season: 700-800 drivers in Patong, each getting B4000. That's B2.8M to B3.2M each day.

In one month totaling as 100 million baht.

Low season this drops B25M per month.

wow these guys earn loads

4000 baht per day x 6 days a week =24,000 per week

times that by say 6 months = 624,000 for a half year

given that post was [above] about a tuk tuk driver

i would be guessing that taxis are similar [if not more ]

but it doesnt take much to work out these guys are just full of sh>>>>>t

they earn more than half a million in 6 months and cant pay 70,000 for a liscence?

[probably tax free also ]

what a load of <deleted>

BIg loud speakers, shiny wheels & making face is expensive you know!

[monkeycountry]

“As I said, what are we going to do? We do not have the money to pay the financial companies. If the government wants to make this rule more effective, they should provide more help to us. For example, they could allocate some funds for us to pay off our debts,” he said.

The Thai solution for ... everything. We cannot afford to follow the law, so we just break it. Oh, and in any case, the government should give us free cars!

Why does the taxi company and/or a group of drivers not just pool together the collateral money to register one car. Once it is registered, use the same collateral money to register the next one and so on. The way they rip off the tourists on Phuket they must have at least some money, If they do not, then perhaps they are better off selling their cars and changing careers.

In any case, I don't really see the difference between legal and illegal taxis in Phuket, and I doubt the tourists do either. To me, they are all illegally operating scumbags who belong in jail, and who definitely do not deserve any sympathy or assistance from anyone, especially not the tax payers, who they also cheat each and every single day!

[monkeycountry]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

It is pretty standard in any business to give the customers what they want. A disco that plays only Thai music (or red shirt radio) will not and should not expect many non-Thai customers.

Since the vast majority of taxi customers in Phuket are non-Thai, then this same principle applies to the taxis.

Of course the Phuket taxi mafia, being a self imposed monopoly by forcing out all competition through violence and intimidation, cannot be expected to understand this nor care about their customers.

[monkeycountry]

If they are not legally registered to carry passengers -- how do they stand for accident insurance?

Is that a joke or a serious question? I doubt any of them, incl. the socalled legal ones have any insurance. Insurance costs money, and as you can read in the article, the drivers do not have any money, and believe the tax payers should pay everything for them anyway.

Odds are the only insurance they have is the Buddha hanging from the rear view mirror. They probably did manage to find a lot of money to pay for that, as it is from a famous monk

Edited August 7, 2013 by monkeycountry

[Colabamumbai]

The banks are supporting illegal taxis. Some good posts here. While the Thais continue to do the Thai Wine.

If they all won the lottery tomorrow they would still find something to complain about. I have read enough negative things in 4 years here on the forum about Phuket, I have constantly beeen invited there on a social basis and offered work there on a business basis.

So far I have refused to visit Phuket and it is not in any of my plans for the future. I express my views here and on numerous websites about Phuket, unfortunately none of them positive.

No gold stars here.

[belg]

do any of this taxis legal or not, have

valid insurance?

if 70.000 baht (their monthly salary if you could 1500-3000 baht per trip x 26 days) if a problem for collateral, they really stick to being and remaining farmers or whatever

[NamKangMan]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Here's an idea.

How about they have a "meter" so customers actually pay for the distance they travel, rather than they be told what they are going to pay regardless?

It seems to work well all around the world, except for here.

Oh, I forgot where we are - we are on "Planet Phuke." :)

[tingtongteesood]

My heart really bleeds for the poor rich bugger who is oh so poor he can't stump up the deposit yet having enough money to own over 100 taxis, stop making stupid damn excuses. Those that operate legally have managed to do so so why can't they !?

[Soi Sauce]

How can we find the money for this? I have a suggestiond my good man!

• Dump you gik(s), I dont care how old she is or how white her skin is!
• Sell your big shiny wheels, the car will work perfectly well with standard wheels. The car companies even give you wheels with the car!
• Big, horrible sounding, expensive sterios are not needed! We, the farange, cant stand your aweful music anyway and if we need loud music I am sure Bangla et al can help
• Stickers - boys at the age of 10 stop putting stickers on everything in the west, you can too. We dont care if it says 'turbo' or VIP.
• Offer good polite service, driven sensibly to exactly the destination we require THEN ofer your card for private tours. If the first impression is good then we are more likely to use you again!

Right. How dare Thais listen to music farangs don't like. Or do anything else farangs don't like.

Dam_n people act like they own this country.

If someone is paying for something, like a taxi service, meal, hotel room, etc. they have the right to ask for wot they want.

If they do not want to hear <deleted> music, too loud in an unkempt taxi that is stealing from them, what is wrong with that.

Bit like saying you go to a steak house, order rare, but the chef sez, " you get wot I giv u"

U agree with that?

[falkan]

my neighbor drives tuk tuk..

his house as mine is valued to over 8million..

got 2 extra cars, for sure he have more things..

they are all crocks..