Taxi mafia clean out at Suvarnabhumi airport

[Lite Beer]

Taxi mafia clean out at Suvarnabhumi airport

file photo

BANGKOK: Taxi queues at Suvarnabhumi airport will be computerised within a month to end the influence of the 'mafia' controlling cab operations there, chief of the 11th Military Circle Maj Gen Nirundorn Samutsakorn said on Wednesday.

Cabs will also be able to pick up passengers at the departure level on the fourth floor, but not park there.

The reforms are part of the effort by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to better organise public transport..

Maj Gen Nirundorn said the army felt that the first priority in taxi management should be at the airport, for the sake of the country’s image and to prevent problems such as passengers left stranded on the road, over-charging of fares, and drivers acting improperly.

Airport taxis and drivers would be required to register in a computer system at the airport, then the cab queues would be managed by a card system. All drivers would have to accept that the passengers they get, and the destination, would depend on the luck of the draw.

Taxi queue management at the airport had become a long-term problem. Most drivers wanted passengers going a long distance, for instance to Pattaya or Hua Hin when the fare would be 2,000-3,000 baht a trip. But these drivers also had to pay someone to select passengers for them, he said.

Under the new computerised system, drivers accepting short-distance passengers would be allowed more frequent access to the queue.

“It is expected that the mafia system will disappear, as there will be no need for someone to screen passengers for the taxis.

"I would say that we seek their cooperation, but if they do not cooperate some soldiers may be stationed at the taxi queue counter,” he said.

Maj Gen Nirundorn said there were two groups of taxis Suvarnbhumi airport. The first group is registered and picks up passengers at the arrival hall. There were around 7,000 taxis under this system and about 3,000 of them regularly pick up passengers and they get an average two trips each day.

He said it was necessary to take care of the well-being of the drivers, who usually pay about 700 baht to rent the cab and must pay for fuel. Drivers should get at least 1,700 baht a day in total earnings to meet expenses and living costs.

The second group is taxis in Bangkok and neighouring provinces that drop off passengers at the airport. There are about 110,000 taxis, around 70,000 of them operated by 130 taxi cooperatives and 13 radio taxi operators.

Normally, these taxis will drop passengers at the departure hall on the fourth floor of the airport and are not allowed to pick up customers. Under the new system, these cabs would be allowed to pick up passengers immediately after a drop off, but could not park and wait for a fare.

Maj Gen Niturndorn said there would be no more mafia chasing taxis away on the fourth floor. Cab drivers would have to depend on luck, whether they can pick up passengers or not, after dropping off outbound travellers. If no passenger flagged them down, they would have to depart.

He said passengers will have to continue paying the 50-baht fee for getting a taxi from the airport queue. However cab drivers want the army to increase the charge, which has not been changed for a decade.

For now, at least, the NCPO's policy is keep the charge at 50 baht.

The army will discuss all issues with the Department of Land Transport and later invite taxi cooperatives to discuss possible solutions for better management of services, which may include locations such as Don Mueang airport, he said.

-- Phuket News 2014-06-18

[raro]

Getting better and better...

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[waza]

Nice plan, then they can also look into the kickback given to a certain person for the car park concession.

[draftvader]

Love it. I want to go to the airport JUST to use this system! I'm sick of the stupidity and abuse that has been endemic at the airport in relation to taxis and limo services and the impression it gives to arriving tourists. My family members all ask for either a limo service or pay for us to hire a car and pick them up/drop them off. Well done Junta....well done!

[iReason]

The first time I came to Bangkok, one of these scabs tried to charge me 2500B from the airport to the Embassy on Wireless Rd.

"I would say that we seek their cooperation, but if they do not cooperate, some soldiers may be stationed at the taxi queue counter...”

Now that's better!

Sad state of affairs that it has come to that...

[mok199]

i was litterally held prisoner,in a taxi in ho chi minh city 2 years ago,he wouldnt stop or let me out until i agreed to a higher fare,i was late for my flight and i had to grab him by his neck,then when he let me out he tried to drive away with my bags...it is every where...i always say...i have been robbed ,beat up,druged ,built the house in burriram ,with the new car and the scooters,were she now lives with her new guy...but nothing has angered me more.. than dealing with these uneducated,taxi driver scumbags....

[dippity pippity]

If they keep on going at this rate the country might actually be okay in 10 or so years. Well done so far.

[Cuchulainn]

Excellent. As I said before, this general and the NCPO have done so much more good in the past few weeks than the politicians bunch of clowns, rogues, bullies and thieves over the past 50 years.

Keep it up, sir!

[BillyBobThai]

It is amazing what a single man can do when he has balls the size of boulders and an M-16 to back em up.

Good going General.

[LuckyLew]

The military seem intent on getting rid of a lot of bad apples, but what will happen when Thailand returns to Thai style democracy?

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[marinediscoking]

Am I missing something? Where are the taxi mofia there? There is the AOT taxi desk by the luggage carousel, which is the only licensed and insured private cars and then there is the metered taxi cue outside where one pays a standard airport fee plus the meter charge, I have never heard of them turning down destinations. Buses, mini vans and sky train downstairs. If people cannot do some simple research before arriving at the airport I have no sympathy for them as there are taxi touts at every airport in world. Suvarnabhumi is not like what Don muean was like, or how Phuket airport is now. Seems like just another day where the junta is trying to put out their positive daily spin.

They should try cleaning up the Tuk-Tuk mofia around the tourists areas, they are the real problem.

[ginjag]

This is my first gripe at this long overdue clean up--do not get me wrong this is applauded and rightly so.

BUT, the wrong here is the 50 baht fee to get a taxi--NO need for this, money to who for what. ?? If you have a walkway for a queue and the next fare payer gets the next taxi--after that taxies move forward and the next and so on.

This is the mafia still at work --a desk collecting money ?? I wish to apply for this franchise as I would be mega rich in no time.

Just think 1000 passengers a day only would rake you in 50,000 bht, all you need is a desk. and wads of tickets.

[moe666]

Never had a problem catching a taxi on level 4 or level 1

[UbonRatch]

i was litterally held prisoner,in a taxi in ho chi minh city 2 years ago,he wouldnt stop or let me out until i agreed to a higher fare,i was late for my flight and i had to grab him by his neck,then when he let me out he tried to drive away with my bags...it is every where...i always say...i have been robbed ,beat up,druged ,built the house in burriram ,with the new car and the scooters,were she now lives with her new guy...but nothing has angered me more.. than dealing with these uneducated,taxi driver scumbags....

Another early night!

[Lakegeneve]

Funny, I read this exact same article elsewhere today........

[rhythmworx]

I will continue to wait at the 4th floor while having a Leo and a cigarette, plenty of available taxis at the cheapest prices.

[baboon]

The first time I came to Bangkok, one of these scabs tried to charge me 2500B from the airport to the Embassy on Wireless Rd.

"I would say that we seek their cooperation, but if they do not cooperate, some soldiers may be stationed at the taxi queue counter...

Now that's better!

Sad state of affairs that it has come to that...

I don't know if a couple of hapless squaddies hanging about would make much difference, especially if a few 'You're doing a great job!' banknotes should find their way into certain pockets..

Fair play for at least an attempt to do something, though.

[city]

Good news buts lets not wet our panties yellows. Keep looking for the bigger picture...You will see it eventually but it requires research of other media sources

[pantareiyingluck]

Getting better and better...

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Yes, for the short visioned it is getting better. Draconian measure normally lead to misery. From sending Khmers away to a sudden taxi haunt.

[Thai at Heart]

The military seem intent on getting rid of a lot of bad apples, but what will happen when Thailand returns to Thai style democracy?

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They are doing a lot of window dressing things at the moment. I hope they really start to tackle serious stuff like land encroachment or tea money in schools.

[pantareiyingluck]

It is amazing what a single man can do when he has balls the size of boulders and an M-16 to back em up.

Good going General.

You are not serious. He could be a teacher in Kindergarten. Happy all together.

[marinediscoking]

This is my first gripe at this long overdue clean up--do not get me wrong this is applauded and rightly so.

BUT, the wrong here is the 50 baht fee to get a taxi--NO need for this, money to who for what. ?? If you have a walkway for a queue and the next fare payer gets the next taxi--after that taxies move forward and the next and so on.

This is the mafia still at work --a desk collecting money ?? I wish to apply for this franchise as I would be mega rich in no time.

Just think 1000 passengers a day only would rake you in 50,000 bht, all you need is a desk. and wads of tickets.

The taxi meter que fee is standard around Asian airports now. I don't mind paying it as they usually record the designation, taxi number, a receipt and the taxi is obliged to turn on the meter.

[Fat Haggis]

How about going the whole hog, and getting the Mil to run the tuk tuks, and jetski hires in Phuket and Pattaya ? It's sorely needed but maybe next they'll be making Green and Brown mottle cookies calling them "coup cookies".

I'm still pretty happy that Prayuth and the "Adjustment Bureau" are doing a good job, but I'm also well aware nobody's allowed to publish anti "AB" stuff, without facing "detention" it's all very one sided at the moment, when they say something is to good to be true, it's normally correct.. he's still worth the risk to drive Thailand forward. He needs to sort out his PR people, and admit when they make mistakes,like the immigrant issue.

[Chicog]

I have visions of lots of taxis kerb-crawling their way past Departures at 1km/h.

[Jeremy50]

The military seem intent on getting rid of a lot of bad apples, but what will happen when Thailand returns to Thai style democracy?

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They are doing a lot of window dressing things at the moment. I hope they really start to tackle serious stuff like land encroachment or tea money in schools.

Education and road safety, neither of which we have heard anything about from the junta.

[ginjag]

This is my first gripe at this long overdue clean up--do not get me wrong this is applauded and rightly so.

BUT, the wrong here is the 50 baht fee to get a taxi--NO need for this, money to who for what. ?? If you have a walkway for a queue and the next fare payer gets the next taxi--after that taxies move forward and the next and so on.

This is the mafia still at work --a desk collecting money ?? I wish to apply for this franchise as I would be mega rich in no time.

Just think 1000 passengers a day only would rake you in 50,000 bht, all you need is a desk. and wads of tickets.

The taxi meter que fee is standard around Asian airports now. I don't mind paying it as they usually record the designation, taxi number, a receipt and the taxi is obliged to turn on the meter.

Standard in Asian airports. Thailand BKK is run by AOT, one member of staff to give a ticket out should be part of the airport servce.

We do not have to have a (daughter of an exec official at the airport)??? to collect in mega money---it is what you call unnecessary GREED.

Does someone with this franchise need to pocket all this and if not the case 50,000 baht a day+++ for AOT just to record taxies that are registered already.

No one is justified to have to follow other airports mafia. 50 baht does not break anyones bank it's the way it is done and for who's gain.

[Tokay]

Great news. Looking forward to the jet ski clean up around all the beaches.

Looks like the army has a list and are hitting them one at a time.

[coppywriter]

Does this mean we can now climb over the turnstiles at departures to get a taxi?

[SantiSuk]

Taxis at Swampy always seemed to work fine foe me. Can't see what the fuss is about.

The junta would be better used trying to get a faster service going at Don Meuang (not to mention clearing out he various police mafias/feifdoms, transport in Phuket and jet skis in Pattaya.

[sjaak327]

Taxis at Swampy always seemed to work fine foe me. Can't see what the fuss is about.

The junta would be better used trying to get a faster service going at Don Meuang (not to mention clearing out he various police mafias/feifdoms, transport in Phuket and jet skis in Pattaya.

Yep and while they are at it, look at the taxi stand at DMK, which leads to utter long waiting times as compared to BKK. But I guess DMK is airforce, so no urgency..