Phuket taxi wants to charge thb800 for a drive that used to cost thb450!

[Hyponeros]

I contacted taxi drivers to drive me to the airport in 2 days form now. The first price they want to charge me is thb800! Less than 3 year ago they would charge me thb450. That is a 77% increase in 3 years!

What is wrong with those people? I know they are all crooks but at that point it is simply insane. Those drivers were recommended to me and it was my Thai wife who talked to them! How much would they have want to charge me if I had talked to them or would have take a random taxi?

[bkkgriz]

Good to see the authorities are cleaning up on the taxi mafia scum. Same as it ever was. Lots of talk, but never any action.

[pomchop]

If you had taken a "random taxi" they would have probably beaten said taxi driver to a pulp and burned your house down as well.

I often wonder what would happen if Phuket could just import a couple hundred Bangkok taxi drivers complete with working meters to Phuket. Bangkok sure seems to have more than enough taxis and I suspect driving around Phuket would be a lot more enjoyable than sitting in Bangkok traffic. Phuket taxi / tuk tuk drivers sure seem to "have it made" compared to taxi and tuk tuks elsewhere in Thailand....one might think that living on a pretty island with tons of tourists to haul around that the Phuket guys might be ok with charging the same rates as a bkk taxi....but you'd be wrong..they somethow figure they should be paid several times MORE than a bkk cabbie.....