Phuket to push for higher taxi fares, despite Bangkok opposition

[webfact]

Phuket to push for higher taxi fares, despite Bangkok opposition
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Phuket officials plan to ask for permission to raise the standard rates charged by metered taxis on the island despite the announcement by the Minister of Transport yesterday that no taxi fares would be raised anywhere in Thailand.

“We believe that when Transport Minister Chatchart Sitthipan hears why we want to increase the fares, he may make an exception in our case,” said Jaturong Kaewkasi, Phuket Land Transport officer.

One reason why Phuket taxi fares should be raised was articulated by Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada at the end of August, when he said, “We will increase taxi fares as part of our campaign to solve the problem of taxi-driver cheats in Phuket.”

“If the standard fares rise, taxi drivers will have more incentive to use meters instead of charging flat rates,” he told the Phuket Gazette.

Mr Jaturong added that another reason was the high cost of living in Phuket. Drivers cannot support themselves on the old rates, he said.

The PLTO’s proposal would keep the rate at 50 baht for each of the first two kilometers. The rate on each of the next 20 kilometers would rise from seven to 11 baht, and the rate on each kilometer after that would go from six baht to nine baht, Mr Jaturong said.

The Phuket Land Transportation Office will soon send its taxi rate proposal to V/Gov Chamroen to approve, Mr Jaturong said yesterday.

“Once the vice governor approves, we will propose it to the Ministry of Transport,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-to-push-for-higher-taxi-fares-despite-Bangkok-opposition-22199.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-09-07

[andreandre]

Phuket officials really are on another planet....

[FDog]

If the fares are higher they will use meters, REALLY?

Why not just make them use them now.

Has anyone actually seen a meter turned on in Phuket?

[steelepulse]

No taxis will use the meter, not even the 100 taxi meters out of the few thousands of taxis of which only 100 have a meter. What a BS excuse by the local land transport guy to increase his share of ( a big pile of) tea money.

[KarenBravo]

Does this mean that the tuk-tuk and taxi prices are never going to go down?

Isn't the extortionate rate the number one cause for tourist complaints?

[CiaranO]

Greedy sick people who just want more and more - get off your fats ass's and actually do a days work

[Paangjang]

Is Phuket screwed up or what? I read this headline and nearly spat my coffee out. What a joke. Are they really saying Phuket taxi prices are too cheap, <deleted>? Puke et...

[bubblegum]

Just came back from BKK took a taxi twice. In Phuket had to take taxi twice as well: Total price BKK 600 bath, Phuket 1.600 bath same distances.

It is cheaper to fly to BKK than taking a taxi from Rawai to the airport (almost) !!!

So <deleted> are they talking about !

[FireMedic]

Thainess Promotion: Does everyone know the saying "we have to burn the village to the ground in order to save it?" It was in fact coined here in Thailand. We have further evidence of this mentality on a regular basis. “We will increase taxi fares as part of our campaign to solve the problem of taxi-driver cheats in Phuket" is the latest example. Please understand and be patient as this mentality has worked perfectly in Thailand for thousands of years.

Example of Thai problem solving: September 2012, flat rate taxi fare from Airport to Karon was 600 baht.

Sometime in March of 2013 an unexplained hike saw the same taxi fare jump to 700 baht.

Sometime late summer (Aug/Sept) the long awaited "MeterTaxi" arrived. 100 baht "deposit" at airport box and the meter runs at a ungodly rate and totals 760 baht

New total for "metered taxi" from Airport to Karon is 860 baht which is a 43.333% raise in exactly one year.

[NamKangMan]

Thainess Promotion: Does everyone know the saying "we have to burn the village to the ground in order to save it?" It was in fact coined here in Thailand. We have further evidence of this mentality on a regular basis. “We will increase taxi fares as part of our campaign to solve the problem of taxi-driver cheats in Phuket" is the latest example. Please understand and be patient as this mentality has worked perfectly in Thailand for thousands of years.

Example of Thai problem solving: September 2012, flat rate taxi fare from Airport to Karon was 600 baht.

Sometime in March of 2013 an unexplained hike saw the same taxi fare jump to 700 baht.

Sometime late summer (Aug/Sept) the long awaited "MeterTaxi" arrived. 100 baht "deposit" at airport box and the meter runs at a ungodly rate and totals 760 baht

New total for "metered taxi" from Airport to Karon is 860 baht which is a 43.333% raise in exactly one year.

The prices are only going to keep going up as the main demographic of tourist that come here are Russian, Chinese and Indian package holiday makers, using their coach buses.

In the not to distant future, a western tourist may look back on their holiday on Phuket and see they spent more on transport than accommodation, alcohol and food.

Hardly sustainable tourism.

[lee b]

Yeah great idea, i mean they are too low at the moment..

[KarenBravo]

Thainess Promotion: Does everyone know the saying "we have to burn the village to the ground in order to save it?" It was in fact coined here in Thailand.

No it wasn't........it was "coined" in Vietnam.

[Jimi007]

Yeah great idea, i mean they are too low at the moment..

What do you know? Lee b making yet another inane comment! How am I not surprised? Have you actually ever been to Phuket? I rather doubt it! Go and comment on something you actually have a small clue about!

[Rionoir]

Bwahahahaha...

[Phronesis]

Yep...as NKM correctly points out all of the rhetoric provided to justify the increase is just waffle.

The real reason is just the standard Thai logic..."Oh..I am getting less customers...better put my prices up".

[Valentine]

Yeah great idea, i mean they are too low at the moment..

What do you know? Lee b making yet another inane comment! How am I not surprised? Have you actually ever been to Phuket? I rather doubt it! Go and comment on something you actually have a small clue about!

I think he was being sarcastic.

[eezergood]

Perfect Thai logic

[deecee10]

“If the standard fares rise, taxi drivers will have more incentive to use meters instead of charging flat rates,” he told the Phuket Gazette.

So hike the fares in order to let taxis with meters rip off the tourists, as a way off combatting taxis wihout meters which are ripping off the tourists.

Phuket is truly a basket case.

[jpeg]

Yeah great idea, i mean they are too low at the moment..

What do you know? Lee b making yet another inane comment! How am I not surprised? Have you actually ever been to Phuket? I rather doubt it! Go and comment on something you actually have a small clue about!

Um, I think lee b was taking the piss.

[Jimi007]

Yeah great idea, i mean they are too low at the moment..

What do you know? Lee b making yet another inane comment! How am I not surprised? Have you actually ever been to Phuket? I rather doubt it! Go and comment on something you actually have a small clue about!

Um, I think lee b was taking the piss.

I guess that's all he does, if you read any of his posts...

[KarenBravo]

Let's get this straight.

They are actually changing only the meter rate for meter taxis so that the meter will show, at the end of the trip, the same price that they are charging now.

It's still crap as it legitimizes the present price that all taxis are charging. In other words, during the "push" to clean up Phuket, the outrageous taxi prices will not be investigated.