Taxi from airport to Patong hotel midnight Friday

[monkeycountry]

As someone already said, take the hotel deal. Even if it is expensive, I would feel good knowing I was not supporting the scumbag taxi mafia :-)

Edited September 25, 2013 by monkeycountry

[monkeycountry]

Why don't you use a private (but fully legal/licenced) taxi service?

Some of my family members operate legal taxi-meter cars at the airport and the fee to Patong at any time of night is 800 baht if you prebook with them.

A little-known fact:

The rate is only higher at night if you use the taxi-meter office at the airport. but if the taxi-meter drivers (not only my family but any taxi-meter driver) has a prebooking with you and meets you at the airport with their signboard, then the rate is not increased just because the sun has gone down!

you can PM if this sounds of interest.

Simon

NOTE to mods - this is not my hotel taxi that I'm promoting - it is a normal yellow/blue taxi-meter service that operates from the airport, but a little-known fact about their service which they probably prefer night arrivals not to know.....

If it is a legal taxi meter service, then why is the price fixed? Why are they not using the meter?

Face it, your family is part of the scumbag taxi mafia. And just because the taxi mafia and the corrupt politicians that run them, agree to rip off everyone, does not make it legal or ok, and definately not something you should be promoting on their behalf.

[monkeycountry]

Good to see your family members are "only" charging 800 baht to Patong

Yes, because that is the Taxi-Meter published rate from Phuket airport to Patong, which is charged by all taxi-meters and not just my family members who work for that company.

What is not a published rate is charging a higher fee after dark - it is still 800 baht.

Simon, if all the gasoline companies agreed on 200 baht/liter tomorrow, and advertised that rate everywhere, and beat up anyone who dared compete with them, or oppose them. Would you hen consider that ok/legal?

[monkeycountry]

Trying to convince anyone that your family member's "meter taxi" business is better transport option

What on earth are you talking about? Read my post again - carefully. 2 family members are drivers for the Taxi-Meter service at the airport, not a family taxi business. That taxi-meter service does not usually use the meter(!), but does publish a rate from the airport to various destinations. The rate to Patong is 800 baht, not 1100 baht.

If you arrive at the airport at any time of the day or night, and there are few taxi-meter vehicles available, then that taxi-meter office will 'up the rate' (supply and demand). Hence, it makes far more sense to prebook one of the taxi-meter vehicles to meet you outside the arrivals hall. By prebooking, you ensure that you get a licenced taxi who charges the published rate, and not some higher rate as previously mentioned in this thread.

As to whether 800 baht is a fair rate for travel to Patong, that's an entirely different subject. I don't agree at all that it's a fair rate, but that is the rate that these drivers have to charge because they work for the taxi-meter company and cannot offer lower rates than published by that company.

Likewise, if one of my hotel guests needs to take a private transfer from our hotel to Patong, then we also have to charge the same rate of 800 baht. I cannot undercut the taxi-meter companies because I enjoy my legs very much as they are right now, and prefer them not to be broken

Simon

So in short, you agree that the taxi mafia is in fact a bunch of criminals who will break peoples legs if opposed, yet you suggest people support this mafia, but using their service???

Remember, none of these drivers have to do what they do, they can work elsewhere. They choose the job they have precisely because they can get away with cheating everyone and thereby make good money.

Not once have I heard a single one of them argue at their association meetings that they should all lower the prices - have you?

Edited September 25, 2013 by monkeycountry

[monkeycountry]

Very sad indictment by a local businman with family connection. Taxi mafia break legs ...

My words are perhaps metaphorical (spelling), But like me, you also live in Phuket and must be aware of the potential for personal harm if you try to go 'against the flow'. I run my small, family businesses and prefer a peaceful life. If anyone wants to try to fight the system, then let the Thais do it - it's their country

Why would the Thai's "fight the system" - they are all in on it. :)

I agree, all the taxi drivers and a few politicians are in on it, pretty much everyone else, both locals and farangs despise them. If in doubt, try asking some of the locals Thais - but preferrably someone outside your family :-) Edited September 25, 2013 by monkeycountry

[NamKangMan]

Very sad indictment by a local businman with family connection. Taxi mafia break legs ...

My words are perhaps metaphorical (spelling), But like me, you also live in Phuket and must be aware of the potential for personal harm if you try to go 'against the flow'. I run my small, family businesses and prefer a peaceful life. If anyone wants to try to fight the system, then let the Thais do it - it's their country

Why would the Thai's "fight the system" - they are all in on it.

I agree, all the taxi drivers and a few politicians are in on it, pretty much everyone else, both locals and farangs despise them. If in doubt, try asking some of the locals Thais - but preferrably someone outside your family :-)

Also, don't forget the families of these drivers, and the association members, who all enjoy the benefits of the driver's ill gotten gains, and come election time, all vote for certian "influential people" to allow the collusion and monopoly to continue for a few more years.

Police who own tuk-tuks, motorbike and car hire shops, petrol stations, motorbike and car dealers, hotels that are walking distance to the beach and nightlife, hospitals etc etc - they all benefit from the disgraceful transport system here.

Yes, they are all in on it because they are all making money from it.