Taxi "Mafia"

[sambum]

Probably been covered before, but with the "new regime" taking positive steps to curb the taxi and tuk tuk
"Mafia" in Phuket, what are the chances of a similar operation being undertaken in Samui? Extortionate prices for Airport/Ferry runs, and "meter no work" are just a couple of the main complaints I hear from visitors.

[Rooo]

Moved to Samui forum.

[Mole]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

[BigC]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

[sambum]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

[BigC]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Understood it is madness but that's just the way it is

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[sambum]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Understood it is madness but that's just the way it is

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Unfortunately, you are right with "that's just the way that it is", but if things can change in Phuket (which they seem to be doing rather quickly!) then surely the same could apply to Samui?

[pokerspiv]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

There's nothing unique about Samui that can't be fixed by flagfalls. The price of taxis on this island is because the established cartel keep out competitors with threats of violence and death, same as Phuket.

Get the army in.

[BigC]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

There's nothing unique about Samui that can't be fixed by flagfalls. The price of taxis on this island is because the established cartel keep out competitors with threats of violence and death, same as Phuket.

Get the army in.

I don't think that is true

Yes when taxis rip off other taxis but they don't get wacked for under cutting people they just get don' get to work as taxis anymore

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[pokerspiv]

Really?
Go start your own taxi service then. See how you go.

[Tropicalevo]

I do not think that the same will happen here on Samui.

If I understand the article correctly, the Phuket taxis were not arrested for ripping off tourists.

They were arrested for blocking roads and threatening hotels and some police.

Maybe I'll read the article again

[BigC]

Really?

Go start your own taxi service then. See how you go.

Yes I am sure I would lasting being a forang and all that

Why u so sure u know of anyone been killed for charging less than other taxis??

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[BigC]

Must admit I do t like the intimidation from taxis

In some places the way the look at you aggressively as they assume that just because you are walking past them that you want a taxi

I just walk around but I can understand tourists being annoyed

Also taxis threatening hotels and police hah ahha ha

The hotels are the ones that charge the high stand by fees to standby outside their hotels

To standby at central the price is about 300 k per year

Then yes they shall have a problem if they go to a standby and not pay

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Edited June 6, 2014 by BigC

[BigC]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Ok imagine you are on standby outside a club and you have waited all night for. Customer

They want to go from banrak to Chaweng

You quote then 300 baht or 400 baht

The customer wants to get he price down to 150

Could you really be bothered to drive someone to Chaweng for 3 pounds

Maybe it is an assumption that these people are desperate and need the money and they are ripping themselves off

This is not really he case

Allot of drivers own taxis have their own businesses and standby in their spare time

So they are not really interested in cheap runs

Yes some of them rent them out but if that is he case then the leasee is bound by samui rules and normally throws in the towl after a few weeks or months

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[BigC]

Plus songtails are reasonably priced if you can handle less luxury

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[sambum]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Ok imagine you are on standby outside a club and you have waited all night for. Customer

They want to go from banrak to Chaweng

You quote then 300 baht or 400 baht

The customer wants to get he price down to 150

Could you really be bothered to drive someone to Chaweng for 3 pounds

Maybe it is an assumption that these people are desperate and need the money and they are ripping themselves off

This is not really he case

Allot of drivers own taxis have their own businesses and standby in their spare time

So they are not really interested in cheap runs

Yes some of them rent them out but if that is he case then the leasee is bound by samui rules and normally throws in the towl after a few weeks or months

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"bound by samui "mafia" rules? 300 or 400 baht from outside a nightclub where you have "waited all night"? (implying that this is the "early hours, you must know some cheap taxi drivers!)

[BigC]

Too be honest 500 baht someone quote from dreamers to Manam and the customer asked if the driver was crazy

Phuket was shocking

They asked me for 500 baht from the airport to the hotel which I could have walked to if I did not have loads of bags

The meter stand was blocked I had no choice so I messaged the DSI


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Edited June 7, 2014 by PoorSucker
removed tangled quotes

[pokerspiv]

"samui rules"

[Virt]

Plus songtails are reasonably priced if you can handle less luxury

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So far we haven't had any luck with songthaews on Samui and gave up on them.

Last one wanted 500 Bath from north end chaweng up near the dusk restaurant to Nathon, so we refused a nd grabbeb a taxi for 600.

I rather pay 100 more and ride in a taxi, but still think it's kinda expencive compared to how long we can get in Bangkok on a taxi on meter for the same price.

And i don't want to just step aboard a songthaew and hand over the 60/100 baht people say it is and then maybe get into an argument with the driver who want more.

Pretty sad actually because i love the idea of just hopping on a songthaew and jump off again when we see something interesting, but i don't want all the hassle

Personally i can't understand why all cabbies on Samui does not drive on the meter.

I actually think they would make a better wage overall because people would take a taxi more often if they used the meter and the tips from more tours during the day would make up for the lower meter price.

I wouldn't have any problems paying 200 baht on the meter from chaweng to nathon and then tip the driver 100 or 200 baht, but as it is now i never tip the overpriced taxis, and we try to use as few taxis as possible and i'm pretty sure other tourists feel the same way.

Could be an interesting experiment if all taxis on Samui used the meter for a month and saw how it affected their income, but i guess that's never going to happen.

[pokerspiv]

There are 2 kinds of songthaews. Ones that are stopped and ones that are moving. If you get the ones that are stopped, they are going to be priced similar to a taxi. If you get the ones that are moving, you do not negotiate the fare. You get on, and then you get off and hand them 60 baht. That's all there is to it. I have never been asked for more money in 9 years of living on Samui. If you waste the drivers time by asking where he's going and trying to carry on a conversation while stopping them, then yeah they will probably ask you for more.

Taking a Songthaew at night who is waiting outside a nightclub is different, but even then I've only paid 100-150 baht for Chaweng-Lamai.

Edited June 7, 2014 by pokerspiv

[BigC]

I agree it's annoying but I am used to it now just accept it

They really annoy my not because they stalk me and intimidate me but because they do to tourists who the the founders of business on the island

I would like to know of they did us e a meter if people would by jumping past each other to get into them

Truth is I reckon it boils down to lazyness

Why work all day long when we can sit here all day annoying people and we get 3 or more customers then we are happy

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[Birdman]

So far we haven't had any luck with songthaews on Samui and gave up on them.

Last one wanted 500 Bath from north end chaweng up near the dusk restaurant to Nathon, so we refused a nd grabbeb a taxi for 600.

can't believe that incompetence.

Again, daytime Songthaeows are very, very cheap.

They drive from Nathon along the Ring Road to Chaweng and back like a subway, there and back, there and back....... daytime!!

You get on along that by standing next to the street, waving with your right hand subtle 2-4 times, when one is coming in the direction you want to go, hand at the level of your collarbone, it stops and you get on it.

You stop it by pushing the white bottom above you. You go to the driver, you pay him from Chaweng to Nathon 60 Baht without any askings, and finito, you go away.

That's completely normal

[Rooo]

You stop it by pushing the white bottom above you

I love it Birdman.

[sambum]

You stop it by pushing the white bottom above you

I love it Birdman.

Wonderful - I didn't realise they got THAT crowded!!!

[danglars]

secondary reason i am not on samui and havent been for years is all the bad news that hangs around on this section of the forum.

[spidermike007]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Understood it is madness but that's just the way it is


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Unfortunately, you are right with "that's just the way that it is", but if things can change in Phuket (which they seem to be doing rather quickly!) then surely the same could apply to Samui?

Well, that would be amazing. But, few expect it. When you say a few families have the control, it is a bit like saying there are five mafia groups in Sicily. They are crime Lords. They are insects. 200 baht to go one km. The govt. has never touched them. But, it also appears the govt. has not supported Samui on any meaningful level for years now. No waste treatment facility means dumping waste into the sea. No police training means a completely ineffective traffic policy, and one of the highest fatality rates in the world, per capita. Children driving motorbikes. No helmet enforcement. No enforcement of no smoking policy. I could go on and on. It is the wild, wild west on Samui. One can only hope the army can clean out the rats. Bring on the pest control. Please.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Edited June 8, 2014 by angiud
fixed quotes

[Tropicalevo]

Well, that would be amazing. But, few expect it. When you say a few families have the control, it is a bit like saying there are five mafia groups in Sicily. They are crime Lords. They are insects. 200 baht to go one km. The govt. has never touched them. But, it also appears the govt. has not supported Samui on any meaningful level for years now. No waste treatment facility means dumping waste into the sea. No police training means a completely ineffective traffic policy, and one of the highest fatality rates in the world, per capita. Children driving motorbikes. No helmet enforcement. No enforcement of no smoking policy. I could go on and on. It is the wild, wild west on Samui. One can only hope the army can clean out the rats. Bring on the pest control. Please.

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Come on SM007 - most of the things that you have complained about are not unique to Samui. Kids riding scooters, helmets/seat belt checks, no smoking policy, waste treatment facilities etc etc). These are problems all over Thailand and most of SE Asia. All true though.

The only bit of the post I do disagree with is the bit about 'the govt. has not supported Samui on any meaningful level for years now'.

When the government budget was managed by the governer in Suratthani - that was definitley true - and is one reason why Samui is in the state that it is in now. However, since Samui attained 'city status' that budget is now controlled by people on Samui.

Personally I have seen many improvements to the infrastructure and to govenrment services since city status was achieved. Mind you, we still have a long way to go - but 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' and then another step and then another and so on.

The government has made a couple of attempts to 'rein in' the taxi cartels. But - until the cartels become as aggressive as the ones on Phuket - I feel that fixed taxi prices will not change. Let us not forget that lots of hotels and many tour operators encourage this practice! It is not just the fault of the drivers/owners.

I feel quite positive about the progress that Samui is making (apart from the zillions of building projects all over the island!) and I look forward to seeing Samui mature even more over the coming years, but metered taxis? Not in my lifetime.

[BigC]

So far in Samui, it's been same same.

Doubt it's gonna change much considering there's very well connected families on this island with good ties to the people who took over the reign of the country.

small island too many taxis. makes it not worth doing short runs for small money. Also they are not aloud to under charge if they want to stay in their group

Short runs for small money better than no runs at all! Some taxis sit in the same place for hour upon hour with no fares rather than "undercharge" and fall out with their "family" " Don" group. (Hence the term "Mafia"!)

Understood it is madness but that's just the way it is

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Unfortunately, you are right with "that's just the way that it is", but if things can change in Phuket (which they seem to be doing rather quickly!) then surely the same could apply to Samui?

Well, that would be amazing. But, few expect it. When you say a few families have the control, it is a bit like saying there are five mafia groups in Sicily. They are crime Lords. They are insects. 200 baht to go one km. The govt. has never touched them. But, it also appears the govt. has not supported Samui on any meaningful level for years now. No waste treatment facility means dumping waste into the sea. No police training means a completely ineffective traffic policy, and one of the highest fatality rates in the world, per capita. Children driving motorbikes. No helmet enforcement. No enforcement of no smoking policy. I could go on and on. It is the wild, wild west on Samui. One can only hope the army can clean out the rats. Bring on the pest control. Please.

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Dream on

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[BigC]

Personally I would not expect it to change

If people with private taxis don't charge much cheaper

Remember on an island everything is more expensive

The cost of living is higher

The cost of gasoline is higher

Cost of eating is higher

Cost of rent is higher

Which filters down to the street these drivers, owners and so on still have to live here supper families and so on

If you stand around watching the taxi drivers they always get customers depending which stand by they have chosen

Be it green mango on a Saturday night or tescos

So the myth that they don't get business is a myth

They get paid the as if they did it cheaper and if they so a short run that means they go to the back of the cue so they miss the bigger job behind them. The only way round it is to charge a fare price from example from tescos to Chaweng can be 250 or 300 baht as it is short so they can her back to the cue quicker

Then from Tesco to Nathong 500 baht is not too bad considering the distance and they have to drive back then back to the end of the cue

So it is what it is and it is very competitive mainly probably to probably not having restrictions as to how many taxis are aloud on the island

They do make money so why would they change

Would you offer a discount to people to someone who was renting your house for a year and already paying 100 k per month anyway and were due to carry on paying

What would be the point

The point of business is to make money

And with allot of 5 star hotels there is allot of demand for taxis and the customers don't find 500 baht too much

They are mainly for tourists

As most expats either rent a motor bike or buy one or a car

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[pokerspiv]

Personally I would not expect it to change

If people with private taxis don't charge much cheaper

Remember on an island everything is more expensive

The cost of living is higher

The cost of gasoline is higher

Cost of eating is higher

Cost of rent is higher

Not 400% higher.

The price is high because the cartel threatens to kill anyone undercutting them.

The average wage in Thailand is 500 baht a day. Taxi drivers in Samui charge that for a 10 minute ride.

Edited June 8, 2014 by pokerspiv