Phuket tourist van drivers win reprieve against arrests
Phuket Gazette


The 60 drivers have applied to register their vans, but are still being arrested and fined each time they shuttle tourists. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Local van drivers who shuttle tourists at hotels and resorts to and from the various piers around Phuket have won a reprieve from arrests during the ongoing crackdown on illegal drivers.

The news follows a collection of 60 drivers successfully appealing to Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada at Provincial Hall yesterday.

“All of us have already applied to the Phuket Land Transport Office [PLTO] to legally register our vans, but we are still being continually arrested and fined,” explained van driver Boonyarat Chuaykarnkaew.

“Each time one of us takes tourists to a pier in Phuket, police arrest us and fine us 2,000 baht for illegally operating a passenger vehicle,” Mr Boonyarat said.

“And the only reason our drivers are serving these tourists is because tour companies and hotels keep calling us and requesting our services,” he added.

PLTO Chief Terayout Prasertphol, present at yesterday’s meeting to hear the complaint, understood the drivers’ plight.

“We will issue a document to all van drivers who have applied to legally register their vehicles so they can present this permit to the police and not be fined for illegally operating a passenger vehicle,” he said.

“The permit will be valid until December 31,” Mr Terayout said.

Vice Governor Chamroen assured he would contact the police to request leniency against drivers who are in the process of becoming legal.

“We will contact to the police and ask them to not arrest drivers who have been issued this permit,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-tourist-van-drivers-win-reprieve-against-arrests-22756.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-09

Don't *** with the mafia!

Thai authorities have no balls

This has nothing to do with any maffia. Au contraire, these are independents who offer counterweight against the taxi/tuktuk cartels.

This has nothing to do with any maffia. Au contraire, these are independents who offer counterweight against the taxi/tuktuk cartels.

Exactly, they have applied for legal permits. Precisely the right thing to do.

It's the little police trying to grab some easy money here, not the drivers who are at fault.

These guys are at least trying to comply. Cut them some slack.

David

These guys are at least trying to comply. Cut them some slack.

David

change trying to forced

Thai authorities have no balls

That's because they have no authority.

This topic SHOULD have been entitled something like, "Phuket Police Give An Assist To Taxi Mafia".

This topic SHOULD have been entitled something like, "Phuket Police Give An Assist To Taxi Mafia".

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

This topic SHOULD have been entitled something like, "Phuket Police Give An Assist To Taxi Mafia".

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

I think he's implying that the police are fining them despite having applied for the appropriate permits because they are operating in competition with the local mafia.

This topic SHOULD have been entitled something like, "Phuket Police Give An Assist To Taxi Mafia".

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

I think he's implying that the police are fining them despite having applied for the appropriate permits because they are operating in competition with the local mafia.

Could be, would be nice if he would explain his comment, it can be read in several ways.

Anyway, i think the police were simply fining them because they were in violation of the law.

"gee, I need a permit to run my business? I guess I forgot. Silly me." Do they grant same sort of leniency if a farang does something blatantly illegal like this? We all know answer to that....

So the story is ....

A bunch of unlicensed (possibly untested) driver + minibus pairs are getting hit up for fines by the police because they are operating illegally.

They have applied for the relevant licenses but those have not yet been issued, possibly because there are eligibility checks and driver tests to be done to ensure the driver and vehicle are suitable to carry fare-paying passengers.

The hotels keep calling the drivers, but instead of saying "sorry, cannot, still waiting for license" the driver takes the job anyway, knowing they are operating outside the law.

They complain to the deputy governor who gives them amnesty until New Year's Eve and lets them continue operating illegally with a get out of jail free document.

And just last week ThaiVisa was full of vitriol about the driving standards of minibus drivers and the number of accidents they are involved in.

My verdict - keep fining them Mr Policemens - they are operating illegally and therefore not insured for the passengers they are carrying.

Technically speaking they are operating illegally as they have not as yet been licensed to provide this service,however at least they have applied and as such some progress is being made

There is either a law or there is not, it does not matter they have applied, they are not legal, what is going to happen if if God forbid one of them have a bad crash, what will the excuse be from this Guy showing leniency, it is a bloody joke.

What is the true story about the PLTO and any delays in issuing licences? ........... how long is the interval between application and issue? and why ?

What about any of these drivers who eventually have their application refused ? .......... make new application and extend the reprieve, how many times can a driver repeat this ?

Does a mere "application" carry the same validity as a full licence? ........... does this establish a precedent for other licence situations ?

Do any of these mini-bus drivers carry passenger insurance ? ......... the Tourist Authorities could boast about fully insured & licenced taxi services ?

Shouldn't anyone running a business where folks lives are in their hands, FIRST have the credentials to do the job with Insurance to cover the passengers. ?

There is either a law or there is not, it does not matter they have applied, they are not legal, what is going to happen if if God forbid one of them have a bad crash, what will the excuse be from this Guy showing leniency, it is a bloody joke.

I would suspect that the so called mafia of tuk tuk and taxi drivers are applying pressure and/or bribes to delay issuing licenses to safer cheaper alternative travel for tourists. It shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks to get vehicles/drivers licensed in this age of computers - I suspect months is probaby more like the reality. Presumably you can't get a vehicle licensed until you have purchased it which means they have a substantial investment earning nothing while the permit stampers take extended "holidays". I feel for these people, at least those who have bought new safe vehicles, because many of the vehicles which are licensed are far less safe.

So a falang who helps a Thai by informing him how much his wife rents a room for deserves to be thrown in Jail and have to hand over 20,000 (or was it 30,000) baht.

But these 'repeat offenders' are okay????

There is either a law or there is not, it does not matter they have applied, they are not legal, what is going to happen if if God forbid one of them have a bad crash, what will the excuse be from this Guy showing leniency, it is a bloody joke.

I would suspect that the so called mafia of tuk tuk and taxi drivers are applying pressure and/or bribes to delay issuing licenses to safer cheaper alternative travel for tourists. It shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks to get vehicles/drivers licensed in this age of computers - I suspect months is probaby more like the reality. Presumably you can't get a vehicle licensed until you have purchased it which means they have a substantial investment earning nothing while the permit stampers take extended "holidays". I feel for these people, at least those who have bought new safe vehicles, because many of the vehicles which are licensed are far less safe.

You suspect wrong, same process everybody has to go through to get a yellow/black plate.

As with all things here, it takes a long time!

You're feeling poorly. Would you prefer to be treated by a medical student? That said, some of the licenced van drivers are a menace but then some Thai doctors are a positive danger to their patients.

You're feeling poorly. Would you prefer to be treated by a medical student? That said, some of the licenced van drivers are a menace but then some Thai doctors are a positive danger to their patients.

Quality of the driver has nothing at all to do with the process (could be a different discussion about that).

if they worried about ''our''saftey half as much as they worry about revenue and covering ''each others backs'' travelling in thailand would be much safer,instead they spin and spin the stories until they believe they are telling the truth...2 wongs dont make a white...

This topic SHOULD have been entitled something like, "Phuket Police Give An Assist To Taxi Mafia".

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

I think he's implying that the police are fining them despite having applied for the appropriate permits because they are operating in competition with the local mafia.

Could be, would be nice if he would explain his comment, it can be read in several ways.

Anyway, i think the police were simply fining them because they were in violation of the law.

Just don't read anything into it, and my meaning will become clear enough. Hint: I didn't say anywhere that the tuk-tuk mafia were "involved", did I?

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

I think he's implying that the police are fining them despite having applied for the appropriate permits because they are operating in competition with the local mafia.

Could be, would be nice if he would explain his comment, it can be read in several ways.

Anyway, i think the police were simply fining them because they were in violation of the law.

Just don't read anything into it, and my meaning will become clear enough. Hint: I didn't say anywhere that the tuk-tuk mafia were "involved", did I?

So how is a reprieve for these drivers an assist to the taxi/tuk tuk cartels? Especially since this decision is counter productive to the taxi/tuktuk cartels interest?

Can you please explain how the mafia (taxi/tuktuk cartels I presume you mean) is involved in this?

I think he's implying that the police are fining them despite having applied for the appropriate permits because they are operating in competition with the local mafia.

Could be, would be nice if he would explain his comment, it can be read in several ways.

Anyway, i think the police were simply fining them because they were in violation of the law.

Just don't read anything into it, and my meaning will become clear enough. Hint: I didn't say anywhere that the tuk-tuk mafia were "involved", did I?

So how is a reprieve for these drivers an assist to the taxi/tuk tuk cartels? Especially since this decision is counter productive to the taxi/tuktuk cartels interest?

The original topic title notwithstanding, the OP states that the police would be ASKED to refrain from the arrests, which were still being made. 'Don't know whether the police ever got on board with that or not, but sounds like they were doing their best to throttle the tourist van drivers, thereby acting in the interests of the tuk-tuk drivers, whose now world-famous depredations (and contributions to the police benevolent fund...) can continue.

Ah, ok, so you think that the police, by doing their job and fining violators, were helping the taxi/tuktuk cartels.

The news is the drivers get a reprieve, but you think the title should be about the police issuing fines for this violation, even though that is exactly what this news is not about.

Sorry, your post sounds just like the usual drivel against tuktuk/taxi drivers, and in this case totally baseless.

Ah, ok, so you think that the police, by doing their job and fining violators, were helping the taxi/tuktuk cartels.

The news is the drivers get a reprieve, but you think the title should be about the police issuing fines for this violation, even though that is exactly what this news is not about.

Sorry, your post sounds just like the usual drivel against tuktuk/taxi drivers, and in this case totally baseless.

...and yours like the usual naive drivel in support of their intimidation & thuggish business practice. Totally mindless. Why should the fact that they have the police in their pocket change anything? If the tourist van drivers license applications had been approved in a reasonably timely manner, there'd have never BEEN any arrests in the 1st place, and no NEED for a reprieve! What a coincidence, eh? When "the law" turns to playing favorites, it begins to lose credibility, which in the case of Phuket, is a fairly mature process...