Kathu Police dismantle dozens of illegal taxi ranks in Phuket

[KhunSteven]

But what of the officers who've amassed a fortune over the years taking protection money for these guys to operate. We have a tendency to punish the wrong people. Most of these taxi drivers are paying a lot of money to a mafia boss, who is probably linked to one of the families that run the island, who then pay off local police and government officials. The guys driving the taxis are hardly living in mansions with private healthcare and their kids at international schools, are they?

It's like the war on drugs; arresting some piss poor man with a kilo of whatever, who took a stupid risk to better the life of his family, locking him up for 30 years and saying you're cleaning up the streets.

The truth is, you can't investigate the real criminals. You can't get to the top of the food chain. Why? Because once you peel back the layers, it will lead you straight to City Hall, if you get my meaning.

Quite. We should also remember who has also traditionally played a part in being "men of colours".

[NoshowJones]

This is not going to end well.

Removing mass of properties by Police and Officials without trying to get a solution to this matter by peaceful means.

Anger creates anger.

Buddhists know this very well.

First letting the taxi (maffia) carry on with their illegal activities for many years and even legalize them by the Governor and then all the sudden destroy everything.

Hope that the Police and the Governor are wearing very lucky amulets.

I doubt no matter how dangerous these criminals are, they would dare take on the army. Good luck to any fool who decides to hurt a government official when the country's under martial law.

Those taxi mafia criminals will never take on the army, they won't get adds of 6-1.

[lvr181]

This is not going to end well.

Removing mass of properties by Police and Officials without trying to get a solution to this matter by peaceful means.

Anger creates anger.

Buddhists know this very well.

First letting the taxi (maffia) carry on with their illegal activities for many years and even legalize them by the Governor and then all the sudden destroy everything.

Hope that the Police and the Governor are wearing very lucky amulets.

Nobody else has had the balls to do it! Deal with the "anger" if it happens.

[lvr181]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

Then that will be the peoples choice and they will get the Government they deserve - good or bad.

Nothing that farangs can do about that.

[I Like Thai]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

May I borrow your crystal ball? I want to see how my investment portfolio will be doing, where I will be in 10 years and how this story turns out.

And here I was doing it the old-fashioned way, which is experience the present, then call it history. Not, foresee the future and present it as having already happened.

Thanks.

You cannot borrow my crystal ball, but in ten years time you will still have nothing

[NamKangMan]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

Then that will be the peoples choice and they will get the Government they deserve - good or bad.

Nothing that farangs can do about that.

Yingluck disolved the Thai parliment and offered elections to the Thai people to be held in Feb - that's how confindent they were of winning, because they pay for the votes up in Issan, and have put in place popular policy with their voter base. Eg. rice scheme.

When the Thai military eventually announce the date for the next election, it will be the same result as we have seen in the last decade.

The Government the Thai people will get is the Government that pays the most for the votes - nothing new about that.

[stiggy]

Maybe the decent taxi folk will get a better deal out of it now.

Had reasonable drivers fare wise and attitude, apologise and refuse to drop me off in areas of phuket due to not wanting a problem with local thugs.

[332]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

Perhaps the Army can stay in charge forever.

Would certainly be better for some parts of the country.

Election in 1 or 2 years.... we'll see.

[NamKangMan]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

Perhaps the Army can stay in charge forever.

Would certainly be better for some parts of the country.

Election in 1 or 2 years.... we'll see.

"Would certainly be better for some parts of the country." - but not very good for the Thai economy.

[Tboy928]

The day i see meter taxis parked outside Bangla street, Patong, and prices slash in half in big writing outside a tuk tuk, i will start belive something happend.. But will not bet 500 bath on the case ..

[RigPig]

The day i see meter taxis parked outside Bangla street, Patong, and prices slash in half in big writing outside a tuk tuk, i will start belive something happend.. But will not bet 500 bath on the case ..

Yep, until I see airport cabs being able to take 2 way fares (effectively cutting their costs in half), metered cabs working the entire island and motor bike taxis in Kata.....

[ppmacready]

Remarkable that police now at once can enforce the law, and have in the past 15 days solved more crimes than in the past 15 years.

Here in Pattaya a late night road block normally catches 1 or 2 people taking drugs.

This week with the army looking on.

The police managed to catch over 40 in one night!

But apparently tea money was down, a policemen was over heard moaning!

[jacko45k]

Kathu Police instructed Patong Municipality to inform them immediately of any other cases invasion of public spaces for personal/private benefit.

The beach, the sea and good bits of the land.

[craigt3365]

In some parts of the world where there are popular beachfronts you have free or almost free shuttles as a service to beachgoers and tourists. Rather than trying to police pirate taxi service of any kind and contributing to traffic congestion, such shuttles would eventually choke off pirate taxi service through lack of competitiveness.

In this part of the world anyone who has tried a public transport service between hotel --> beach gets choked literally, I can only guess that those hotels/resorts offering free shuttle service from hotel to beach and back must be paying off the tuk tuk mafia to prevent any 'disruption' to their guest service..

I was at a small party last night. This topic came up. Out of 5-6 couples, every one said they would never go back to Phuket because of hassles by the taxi mafia. Several reported being threatened quite seriously.

Seems pretty much every major tourist destination outside Bangkok has this problem. Lack of real metered taxis.

[pitchag]

This is not going to end well.

Removing mass of properties by Police and Officials without trying to get a solution to this matter by peaceful means.

Anger creates anger.

Buddhists know this very well.

First letting the taxi (maffia) carry on with their illegal activities for many years and even legalize them by the Governor and then all the sudden destroy everything.

Hope that the Police and the Governor are wearing very lucky amulets.

it amazes me that people are so scared of retribution for doing the right thing with these thugs, what is the saying " evil prospers when good men do nothing" it should be zero tolerance just like in New York clean out the scum and the corruption

[NamKangMan]

In some parts of the world where there are popular beachfronts you have free or almost free shuttles as a service to beachgoers and tourists. Rather than trying to police pirate taxi service of any kind and contributing to traffic congestion, such shuttles would eventually choke off pirate taxi service through lack of competitiveness.

In this part of the world anyone who has tried a public transport service between hotel --> beach gets choked literally, I can only guess that those hotels/resorts offering free shuttle service from hotel to beach and back must be paying off the tuk tuk mafia to prevent any 'disruption' to their guest service..

I was at a small party last night. This topic came up. Out of 5-6 couples, every one said they would never go back to Phuket because of hassles by the taxi mafia. Several reported being threatened quite seriously.

Seems pretty much every major tourist destination outside Bangkok has this problem. Lack of real metered taxis.

Baht buses in Pattaya move around thousands of locals, expats and tourists, everyday, without any problems. Hop-on / hop-off - flat 10 baht fare.

[Foxter]

In some parts of the world where there are popular beachfronts you have free or almost free shuttles as a service to beachgoers and tourists. Rather than trying to police pirate taxi service of any kind and contributing to traffic congestion, such shuttles would eventually choke off pirate taxi service through lack of competitiveness.

In this part of the world anyone who has tried a public transport service between hotel --> beach gets choked literally, I can only guess that those hotels/resorts offering free shuttle service from hotel to beach and back must be paying off the tuk tuk mafia to prevent any 'disruption' to their guest service..m

I was at a small party last night. This topic came up. Out of 5-6 couples, every one said they would never go back to Phuket because of hassles by the taxi mafia. Several reported being threatened quite seriously.

Seems pretty much every major tourist destination outside Bangkok has this problem. Lack of real metered taxis.

No problem in Chiang Mai

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[monkeycountry]

This is not going to end well.

Removing mass of properties by Police and Officials without trying to get a solution to this matter by peaceful means.

Anger creates anger.

Buddhists know this very well.

First letting the taxi (maffia) carry on with their illegal activities for many years and even legalize them by the Governor and then all the sudden destroy everything.

Hope that the Police and the Governor are wearing very lucky amulets.

Criminals usually get angry when they get caught and their illegal business is stopped. That does not mean a peaceful solution should be found as you suggest Criminals should get caught and get locked up no matter how angry that makes them.

[monkeycountry]

Eventually martial law will finish, new elections will be held, then everything will go back to abnormal again

Perhaps the Army can stay in charge forever.

Would certainly be better for some parts of the country.

Election in 1 or 2 years.... we'll see.

"Would certainly be better for some parts of the country." - but not very good for the Thai economy.

Cosnidering that whoever wins the election is likely just hiring a couple of unqualified family members to run the economy, I would say odds are just as good if not better with the general in charge.

[monkeycountry]

The name of one of the taxi leaders is the same as a once powerful Patong family, maybe they still are. IMO when they were in power that was the beginning of the end for Patong in terms of losing the chance to create proper blueprint for the future development of Patong.

Yes, ex patong mayor Pian Keesin and his son should be in jail forever. Fortunately those in charge have already publicly stated that they will eventually arrest the 2. Hope they stick to their word.

[belg]

will we find them soon on the beaches and new business owners ?

[Confuscious]

This is not going to end well.

Removing mass of properties by Police and Officials without trying to get a solution to this matter by peaceful means.

Anger creates anger.

Buddhists know this very well.

First letting the taxi (maffia) carry on with their illegal activities for many years and even legalize them by the Governor and then all the sudden destroy everything.

Hope that the Police and the Governor are wearing very lucky amulets.

Criminals usually get angry when they get caught and their illegal business is stopped. That does not mean a peaceful solution should be found as you suggest Criminals should get caught and get locked up no matter how angry that makes them.

IMHO, this General is acting like a gorilla in a glasshouse.

Only care about the short time results.

I don't say that he doesn't do anything good.

But trying to solution a problem in a peaceful way is lasting a lot longer and nobody get's angry.