Phuket Honorary Consul reports violent abuse, intimidation by taxi drivers

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Honorary Consul reports violent abuse, intimidation by taxi drivers
Phuket Gazette -

Irish Honorary Consul Helene Fallon-Wood told Governor Maitri how she was abused and intimidated by taxi drivers at a Rawai resort. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: The Honorary Consul of Ireland this week revealed to the Phuket Governor how she was threatened and intimidated at a resort in Rawai, where taxi drivers refused to let her leave after picking up a friend and her children.

The news came at Governor Maitri Inthusut’s quarterly meeting with Phuket’s honorary consuls at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday.

“I went to pick my friend and her children, but the taxi drivers in front of the resort did not allow us to leave,” Honorary Consul Helene Fallon-Wood told Governor Maitri.

“They insisted that I leave my friends there and that my friend and her children must take a taxi to leave the resort. The drivers surrounded my car. They shouted and kicked my tyres,” she said.

“Finally, I drove out of the resort, but carefully to avoid hitting them,’ she added.

Ms Fallon-Wood explained to Governor Maitri that this was not the first time she had encountered abuse and intimidation from taxi drivers at the resort.

“I always have a problem with taxi drivers every time I pick up friends at that resort,” she said.

Governor Maitri acknowledged that such violent behavior by taxi drivers had become common in Phuket.

“That problem has been happening for a long time. It might take us some time to fix, but we are now working on resolving that issue,” Governor Maitri said.

Regarding the Irish honorary consul’s ongoing predicament, Governor Maitri offered, “If you can recognize their faces, or if you face this situation again, please call me or police.”

Thanking the governor for his pledge to help, Ms Fallon-Wood noted, “The Phuket Police would be very busy if we called them every time this happened.”

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Honorary-Consul-reports-violent-abuse-intimidation-by-taxi-drivers-22894.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-28

[timbothaivisa]

anyone owning or renting a car in Phuket should install a video camera to catch such events on the record. there's no excuse in this day & age, and *might* help to clear the problem up! (maybe)

[andreandre]

Some key words to this ongoing taxi drivers saga...;

“The Phuket Police would be very busy if we called them every time this happened.”

And busy doing nothing about it as is normal..

[h90]

anyone owning or renting a car in Phuket should install a video camera to catch such events on the record. there's no excuse in this day & age, and *might* help to clear the problem up! (maybe)

But that wouldn't change anything...everyone know is since a long time and everyone knows the persons.

[Chicog]

“That problem has been happening for a long time. It might take us some time to fix, but we are now working on resolving that issue,” Governor Maitri said.

Who exactly does he think he's trying to kid?

[NamKangMan]

Oh dear - yet ANOTHER transport related negative thread for Phuket - gee, I would hate to be accused of hijacking a thread with the transport issue, again.

Edited November 28, 2013 by NamKangMan

[Tywais]

Next time she goes to pick up friends, have the Governor go with her. Could be interesting.

[NomadJoe]

It's just a matter of time before some industrious farangs expose these thugs by making a documentary on all the taxi tuk tuk scams and threatening, violent behavior. Hidden cameras and mics on tourists as they come through the airport, negotiate a fair on Bangla Rd at 2am, try to pick friends up at a hotel, and one brave female volunteer can pile into a tuk tuk pretending to be drunk and see what happens next. The farangs would of course be charged with "making a video with the intent to damage the image of Thailand" like the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand guys did. But I predict this will happen. It's just to good a story not to tell.

Edited November 28, 2013 by NomadJoe

[alfalfa19]

It seems that in spite of all the tough talk by the DSI and others, absolutely nothing has changed.

[JulesMad]

It's just a matter of time before some industrious farangs expose these thugs by making a documentary on all the taxi tuk tuk scams and threatening, violent behavior. Hidden cameras and mics on tourists as they come through the airport, negotiate a fair on Bangla Rd at 2am, try to pick friends up at a hotel, and one brave female volunteer can pile into a tuk tuk pretending to be drunk and see what happens next. The farangs would of course be charged with "making a video with the intent to damage the image of Thailand" like the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand guys did. But I predict this will happen. It's just to good a story not to tell.

Excellent idea!!!

[bender92]

She don't look Irish.

[topt]

She don't look Irish.

You mean she does not look like a leprechaun......

(rolling eyes emoticon)

[Keesters]

She don't look Irish.

Just what should she look like?

[primapagina]

@bender92. I don't want to be a moralist, but.... comments on the skin color from us, people living in a melting pot?

@keester Your comment not politically correct, too, but in your case I'd be more flexible, ok, she may deserve an honorary title

Edited November 29, 2013 by primapagina

[keestha]

She don't look Irish.

Just what should she look like?

Keesters,

Your screen name resembles mine too much. You risk being confused with me. Most of my posts are obvious trolling attempts. I say attempts, because a good trolling post should be subtle, not instantly recognizable as such. Sadly in my case, the intelligence is lacking for doing it that way.

Sorry for going off topic.

[falangadang]

This kind of intimidation and harrassment won't stop until the resort and hotel owners employ their own security to throw these thugs off the premises.

Not holding my breath waiting for "Thainess" and unwillingness to rock the balance of mafia driven practices to happen!

[SOTIRIOS]

...it is their job to investigate...not the victim's....

...how about security cameras....

...or how about just arresting the lot of them...they all ganged up on her...

[SOTIRIOS]

...it is their job to investigate...not the victim's....

...how about security cameras....

...or how about just arresting the lot of them...they all ganged up on her...

[mok199]

i have always believed any transportation service in thailand ,employs the worst of the worst,if you have an attidude,a scooter and lazy''we want you''...

[xylophone]

Quote: "Regarding the Irish honorary consul’s ongoing predicament, Governor Maitri offered, “If you can recognize their faces, or if you face this situation again, please call me or police.”

I'm afraid this just goes to show what sort of people we have in charge running the island. This is a problem which has been ongoing for years and this is the best that this buffoon can offer.

Too much corruption/graft involved, some of which eventually finds its way up to the top, so why would he want to put a stop to his income.

This response is absolutely disgusting/ridiculous and beyond belief, but then again "TIT", so what can you expect.

[keestha]

She don't look Irish.

A honorary consul doesn't have to be a national of the country he/she represents. The honorary consul for Austria in Phuket is a Thai guy who doesn't speak German.

Edited November 29, 2013 by keestha

[spidermike007]

Deportation proceedings begin with Phuket taxi drivers. They are all being sent to Saudi Arabia.

How is that for a solution. They can face Abdullahs whipping squads. Never allowed to see their families again. Leave all their huge assets behind. Though there is some humor here, the reality is that if the government wanted to find a solution, instead of just paying lip service to this courageous Honorary Consul, a solution could be found. It would have to be very strong, and very heavy handed. Their greed knows no bounds. They are not bound by any sense of fair play, nor capitalism. They make up the rules as they go, and they behave like a New York street gang in the 1830s. Gangs of New York come to mind? Is it going to require the citizens arming themselves, and unloading against these goombah squads of taxi drivers before something gets done? Will anyone ever take what is Phuket's single most serious problem seriously? How many years have these insects been causing these problems? Will the kiddie police ever grow up into a law enforcement agency we can all admire and respect?

[Benmart]

She don't look Irish.

And sometimes buffoons appear as impish posters.

[CiaranO]

110% Irish and a fine representative for Ireland i might add

[NamKangMan]

Quote: "Regarding the Irish honorary consul’s ongoing predicament, Governor Maitri offered, “If you can recognize their faces, or if you face this situation again, please call me or police.”

I'm afraid this just goes to show what sort of people we have in charge running the island. This is a problem which has been ongoing for years and this is the best that this buffoon can offer.

Too much corruption/graft involved, some of which eventually finds its way up to the top, so why would he want to put a stop to his income.

This response is absolutely disgusting/ridiculous and beyond belief, but then again "TIT", so what can you expect.

"but then again TIT" - don't you mean, "TIP?" (This Is Phuket)

24/7, thousands of tourists, locals and expats, are being transported around for 10 baht a jouney, up in Pattaya, on a great "baht bus" system.

This BS is only happening on Phuket.

[Ulic]

A documentary on the whole Phuket Tuk Tuk mafia would be an excellent idea. As it stands not enough

outrage so nothing is done. Just a few words meaningless words by the Governor.

[pomchop]

The ONLY place in Thailand that I have ever had any serious attempts by tuk tuk / taxis to GOUGE or RIP ME OFF have been in Phuket where it is standard daily practice. Pattaya has 10 baht songtaeows available to serve the masses. Bangkok has taxis galore and I rarely have any problems getting them to use the meter. Chiang Rai has perhaps the best taxi service in Thailand with a fleet of nice new a/d Toyotas that charge a whopping 10 baht per KM and use the meter (flag fall is only 30 baht and there is a 20 baht surcharge if you call for home pickup....imagine those fares in Phuket?)

Phuket taxi/ tuk tuk ripoffs SANCTIONED by the local government with fares more than a NYC taxi driver charges is a DISGRACE to Phuket.

Being held CAPTIVE in your hotel by a bunch of taxi thugs hanging at the front gate is just AWFUL. But yet it happens day after day after day and the Phuket officials act as if there is NOTHING that can be done or that they are surprised? Perhaps the citizens of Phuket need to storm the government center and complain about incompetent corrupt Phuket officials who allow the image of Phuket to be horribly tarnished by these self serving THUGS.

And WHY do the big hotels PUT UP with this crap of intimidating their guests? Have the hotels no clout at all in Phuket or are they afraid of even more reprisals from the taxi tuk tuk THUGS? One might think that the Phuket Hotel Association would be raising hell with the government but if they are then obviously it hasn't made any impact. The Merlin hotel charges well over $100 usd a night...one MIGHT think that the hotel would have security at the front gate to protect their guests from intimidation and extortion.

A few entries on Trip Advisor on hotels where this is allowed to take place day after day NO DOUBT will cost that hotel some bookings. Are the hotel general managers so afraid of the taxi mafia to allow this to continue? Obviously YES.

[aechzen]

who like people from ireland ?

[Keesters]

@keester Your comment not politically correct, too, but in your case I'd be more flexible, ok, she may deserve an honorary title

I did not make a comment I asked a question and gave a humorous answer. You obviously missed the sarcasm and my attempt to ridicule the poster who said she didn't look Irish. I do not see where "honorary title" has anything to do with what I posted.

[Keesters]

who like people from ireland ?

The Irish?