Armed Australian 'black taxi' driver arrested in Phuket

[stevenl]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

Friend yes, client no.

Really? I'm guessing there are a few hundred guesthouses in Bangkok alone that violate this on a daily basis as they pickup "clients" from the airport.

Yes, really. Unless of course the car they use has the correct registration (green or yellow plated). In that case they can pickup without any problems.

[Sharp]

Good on him

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tom21]

The thing that really peeves me is that no one is pointing at him. So maybe this is not the real guy???????

yes one person is

[RefinedGentleman]

Fine him 1000 THB and shut him down for two months; just like the jet ski scumbag who beat an old man and his son.

It sure is refreshing to see how well-behaved those Phuket Taxi drivers are when they are confronted with a bit of their own medicine. Sans the knife and gun (were it true, according to known coward's and liar's testimonies) I am sure the Australian would be in hospital on life support by now.

My vote goes with the Australian, as every Thai involved in this article, and their occupation, has a spread sheet of negative articles a kilometer long in the past few months alone. They are liars, bullies, extortionists, scammers, abusers, etc.

Yeah, right; it happened just exactly as the Phuket Thais said it happened, and nothing otherwise. <deleted>!

I agree, it will be very interesting to see what the Australian's punishment ends up being. Somehow I suspect that it will be significantly harsher than the punishment dealt out to the Thai that actually assaulted two people.

[RefinedGentleman]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

Friend yes, client no.

Really? I'm guessing there are a few hundred guesthouses in Bangkok alone that violate this on a daily basis as they pickup "clients" from the airport.

Yes, really. Unless of course the car they use has the correct registration (green or yellow plated). In that case they can pickup without any problems.

As I pointed out in my previous post, Thais violate this supposed "law" en masse on a daily basis. Not sure why you would want to defend a mob of criminals that make their living harassing and scamming but regardless, you're the most relentless Thai apologist I've yet encountered and for that you must be admired.

[LivinginKata]

A number of off topic and inflammatory posts removed.

[jmccarty]

Am I taxi driver if I pick up my client in Bangkok, take him to dinner, then take him home?

Depending on if you performed the "walk of shame" into the hotel you may be arrested for providing "immoral services" - the law is a system which is to be bent to squash your enemies in Thailand, not a system to maintain order as it is in most other countries.

55555 . Had not thought of it in that context!

[pgrahmm]

Well - gotta admit - the red har & full red beard had me fooled ..... thought for sure he was Thai when I saw that .....

Don't know how they spotted him from the other drivers - couldn't have been the behavior .....

[RefinedGentleman]

Even if you buy into the idea that picking up a friend, family member, or client is "running an illegal taxi service," you still can't blame someone for wanting to shield their friend/family/client from the criminal taxi racket. I also can't blame someone for pulling a weapon when they're being confronted by an angry mob of taxi drivers.

[HUAHIN62]

Okay so I go to the UK/US/EU and start working there as a taxi driver without a work permit/visa and when confronted pull out weapons, what will happen to me in those countries if I act like this guy did?

[stevenl]

Friend yes, client no.

Really? I'm guessing there are a few hundred guesthouses in Bangkok alone that violate this on a daily basis as they pickup "clients" from the airport.

Yes, really. Unless of course the car they use has the correct registration (green or yellow plated). In that case they can pickup without any problems.

As I pointed out in my previous post, Thais violate this supposed "law" en masse on a daily basis. Not sure why you would want to defend a mob of criminals that make their living harassing and scamming but regardless, you're the most relentless Thai apologist I've yet encountered and for that you must be admired.

Who am I defending here?

I have pointed out the guy was acting illegally, end of story.

Thais can get away with violating this law much easier than foreigners can, which is why when we violate this law I prefer to have my Thai staff do that.

[stevenl]

Even if you buy into the idea that picking up a friend, family member, or client is "running an illegal taxi service," you still can't blame someone for wanting to shield their friend/family/client from the criminal taxi racket. I also can't blame someone for pulling a weapon when they're being confronted by an angry mob of taxi drivers.

Picking up a friend or family is allowed.

He was not confronted by an angry mob, but returned armed looking for a mob. No surprise he found one.

[mrfill]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

Sure you can transfer friends.

You're putting yourself in a difficult position of course because of the canape on your car, and I presume them sitting there as well? What plates does your car have?

Presumably plates large enough for the canape and a vol-au-vent or two.

[Jim walker]

Another nutter lock him up in prison or just send him to Pattaya for life.

[cup-O-coffee]

Of course the police is not interested in asking why the female Taxi driver felt she was entitled to patrol the streets on behalf of the police? I think we all know what would have happened to the Australian had he not been armed.

If 'we all' read the article 'we all' would know: he would have walked away without any harm done. How do 'we all' know? Because that is what already happened, but he decided to return and to do that armed.

Maybe maybe maybe. It's one foreigner against a pack of Thais, regardless of their occupation, gender, earned income status, age, status, what they're wearing, etc.

We do not know any facts, simply because it is the Phuket Thai version, and that is always (yes, always) the editedand abridged version, or else it is a complete pack of outright lies.

Did he return? Are you sure? If so, (and it really isn't important) then maybe he returned because he has a right to return. Maybe the jealous Thais set upon him again (yes, again, as I am certain they left out the first part as well). Is that possible? Is it possible they could lie about that? Do Thais lie as a part of their culture when the heat is on? Is it possible that they say he returned, but then leave out the part where they stepped up his second time around to pick up people, and that really incensed them, and they provoked him; maybe even pushed him or got up and personal in his face? Do Phuket Thai taxi, tuk tuk and minivan drivers do that sort of thing?

I rarely if ever am moved to accuse a foreigner of outright pulling a knife or a gun (fake or real) on Thais who describe their behaviors in a manner which I have never seen in like conditions.

These idiots do not realize how transparent their lies are, as the lies describe the Australian as a lunatic who pulls his knife and then goes to fetch a gun (or facsimile of a gun) to threaten such very very nice people, who are so tolerant and polite to him over the matter of taking away their business; moreover violating the Laws of the Land and badgering and harassing a foreigner for loading and unloading passengers or packages.

Finally, maybe this man has been badgered and harassed to the point that he feels compelled to resort to some sort of bluff. Maybe there is a sound reason that a foreigner would feel the need to even remotely behave such as this, if any of it were true. Maybe he tries asking for police enforcement. We can all guess how that might play out. My guess is he was all on his own, and he knew it, and he was facing an angry crowd of nutless bullies who, singularly, would not have the courage of a gnat to have an ancounter with him.

My vote remains with the Aussie. The alternative is too disgusting to contemplate.

[arminbkk]

So what gave him away as a taxi driver?

Article doesn't say anything about the car he was driving.

[cup-O-coffee]

I am not defending the taxi mafia in any way, but I am pointing out that the guy was illegal, what many of you don't seem to want to understand.

I have a business here, I really hate the way they think they can run things. But he was asking for problems by offering illegal services (taxi driver) in a car not registered for that (after all he would be extremely stupid to drive around as a foreigner in a legal taxi), maybe a car regognisable as a company car? Still he got away safely, but returned later armed and well.

Sure, if you believe the Thai version. Why not? Aren't you essentially defending the taxi mafia version, as reported by the taxi mafia to the reporter and then to you? Get real.

[DGIE]

_{That is good for you, man. You did not of think}

[Muhendis]

Hey we got the pointing finger back

I wonder what are the limitations on the work permit if the Aussie has one.

[stevenl]

I am not defending the taxi mafia in any way, but I am pointing out that the guy was illegal, what many of you don't seem to want to understand.

I have a business here, I really hate the way they think they can run things. But he was asking for problems by offering illegal services (taxi driver) in a car not registered for that (after all he would be extremely stupid to drive around as a foreigner in a legal taxi), maybe a car regognisable as a company car? Still he got away safely, but returned later armed and well.

Sure, if you believe the Thai version. Why not? Aren't you essentially defending the taxi mafia version, as reported by the taxi mafia to the reporter and then to you? Get real.

No.

[belg]

yes illegal black taxi's is a thai business only with no competition allowed

[FritsSikkink]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

A friend yes, a client no

[SamDezeure]

seriously???

why don't they start by arresting all those THAIS who are really driving illegally and carry REAL weapons to threaten customers with. Still all the taxis you see have white plates, and fake stickers on their doors... nothing has changed.

This island is so going to shi& faster than they can fix anything anymore. Phuket is a dead beat island; continue this for another 3-5 years and all these locals can sell their car and buy a buffalo again to go work in the fields...

CLEAN UP YOUR MAFFIA IN PHUKET instead of arresting foreigners. nowadays we NEED to carry guns to defend ourselves against these tuk tuk mafia.

[pgrahmm]

Of course the police is not interested in asking why the female Taxi driver felt she was entitled to patrol the streets on behalf of the police? I think we all know what would have happened to the Australian had he not been armed.

If 'we all' read the article 'we all' would know: he would have walked away without any harm done. How do 'we all' know? Because that is what already happened, but he decided to return and to do that armed.

Maybe maybe maybe. It's one foreigner against a pack of Thais, regardless of their occupation, gender, earned income status, age, status, what they're wearing, etc.

We do not know any facts, simply because it is the Phuket Thai version, and that is always (yes, always) the editedand abridged version, or else it is a complete pack of outright lies.

Did he return? Are you sure? If so, (and it really isn't important) then maybe he returned because he has a right to return. Maybe the jealous Thais set upon him again (yes, again, as I am certain they left out the first part as well). Is that possible? Is it possible they could lie about that? Do Thais lie as a part of their culture when the heat is on? Is it possible that they say he returned, but then leave out the part where they stepped up his second time around to pick up people, and that really incensed them, and they provoked him; maybe even pushed him or got up and personal in his face? Do Phuket Thai taxi, tuk tuk and minivan drivers do that sort of thin

I rarely if ever am moved to accuse a foreigner of outright pulling a knife or a gun (fake or real) on Thais who describe their behaviors in a manner which I have never seen in like conditions.

These idiots do not realize how transparent their lies are, as the lies describe the Australian as a lunatic who pulls his knife and then goes to fetch a gun (or facsimile of a gun) to threaten such very very nice people, who are so tolerant and polite to him over the matter of taking away their business; moreover violating the Laws of the Land and badgering and harassing a foreigner for loading and unloading passengers or packages.

Finally, maybe this man has been badgered and harassed to the point that he feels compelled to resort to some sort of bluff. Maybe there is a sound reason that a foreigner would feel the need to even remotely behave such as this, if any of it were true. Maybe he tries asking for police enforcement. We can all guess how that might play out. My guess is he was all on his own, and he knew it, and he was facing an angry crowd of nutless bullies who, singularly, would not have the courage of a gnat to have an ancounter with him.

My vote remains with the Aussie. The alternative is too disgusting to contemplate.

You must have an interesting life.....

Edited October 2, 2013 by pgrahmm

[tingtongteesood]

Apart from it being reserved for Thai's, the other 3 are all common daily occurances committed by the locals sadly They are free to carry knives and guns and how dare you evil foreigner if you ever even think to try and defend yourself against them...,

[BigSkip]

I am sure glad to see this guy learn the trade well. He followed local protocol to the "T", I mean to the "W" (weapon)..................

[HerbalEd]

i rather go by aussie and russian taxi then the local maffia, its cheaper!

What is the difference in the fares?

[tetleythedog]

Now even Aussie black taxi drivers on Phuket? Jeez, it is getting better and better!

We should have the same law in our home countries i.e. No Thai can do a job that a farang can do....................result ? Every Thai unemployed !!!

[maddas]

lots of good comments here, i am reminded of my limited experience in thailand, such a beautiful land

[bander]

Really disappointed, another story of bad falang and no pointing finger,,,,,what's happening?

Who of you guys have tipped of BIB that we are making jokes about they'r stupid pointing finger at FB?