Thailand's tourism picks up as NCPO keen to reorganize taxi services

[webfact]

Special Report: Tourism picks up as NCPO keen to reorganize taxi services

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s tourism is starting to pick up, and recovery is likely to be evident in July 2014 and onwards. All tourism-related businesses and services in destinations throughout the country have resumed normal operations following the recent lifting of the nationwide curfew.

President of the Tourism Council of Thailand Piyaman Tejapaibul said that, with appropriate measures to be implemented by the public sector, tourist arrivals in 2014 are expected to be 26.84 million, an increase of 1.09 percent over 26.55 million recorded in 2013.

Ms Piyaman said that the European Union’s punitive measures regarding the situation in Thailand are unlikely to affect Thailand’s tourism. Instead, warning about safety is an important factor that may help tourists make good decisions on their travel. She believed that the move of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to end the influence of “mafia” controlling airport taxis would be positive for the tourism sector and create confidence among visitors.

The NCPO has launched some measures, aimed at improving the experience of travelers and tourists visiting the Kingdom and showing its commitment in welcoming visitors. Under the measures, the taxi queues at Suvarnabhumi Airport are to be computerized in an effort to cut down on illicit control over cab operations.

Under the new computerized system, the passenger queues will be managed by a card system and drivers will have to accept the fares that they are assigned, whatever the distance. The fee for passengers taking a taxi from the queue to any destinations in Bangkok and the vicinity will remain at 50 baht on top of the meter fares, which will always start at 35 baht.

This announcement followed the clampdown on illegal airport taxi operations and the clearing out of more than 100 businesses operating along certain beachfronts in Phuket, one of Thailand’s most popular beach resort destinations.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is backing the measures, saying that they will help enhance the image of Thailand as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, in line with the current tourism campaign, “Amazing Thailand: It Begins with the People 2014”

TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said that, by tackling the taxi management issue at Thailand’s major gateways, as well as combating the encroachment of structures on beaches in order to return them to their natural state, these measures will help promote Thailand as a welcoming and safe destination and will draw more visitors to the Kingdom.

A survey shows that business for Phuket’s tourist industry remains robust, with passenger arrivals to the island having surged by 26 percent and hotel occupancy rates reaching more than 80 percent in the first quarter of 2014. Phuket has also been ranked among the top islands in Asia.

-- NNT 2014-06-27

[laurentbkk]

Not sure its because the taxi clean up its more probably because summer holidays is knowcking on the door. But at least it will show a good image to tourists .... just hope it will continue.

[stickyrice2000]

((yawning))....

[sawati]

They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

[j15mth]

Where do they get this information from ?? July,August and September will be very difficult in Tourism as people have booked there Holidays elsewhere.

[jaltsc]

" She believed that the move of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to end the influence of “mafia” controlling airport taxis would be positive for the tourism sector and create confidence among visitors."

From what I gather from her statement, it was a common belief in the west that there was corruption in Thailand's transportation sector leading to low confidence among tourists. One would think that if it were so obvious that the taxi mafia was hindering tourism in the past, the TAT would have done something about it.

All I get from this article is that one cannot believe a word that comes from the tourism officials here. One day you hear that tourism is thriving and everyone and his grandmother wants to come to Thailand, and the next day that major sectors of the tourism industry are so corrupt, no wants to come here.

Thailand, the Hub of "Huh?"

[worgeordie]

If the taxis could only be organized like in Singapore,you just get in

knowing you will not be ripped off,Thailand should know that a taxi

driver is the first person that a tourist is going to interact with,and

having to haggle or get over charged leaves a very bad impression

of Thailand.but they just don't seem to care,as something would be

done to rectify the problem,and not just a 1 day or week crackdown.

regards Worgeordie

[love1012]

((yawning))....

of course you are - you prefer corruption to be rife it seems!! When its not you're bored.....normal farang naysayer response!!

[love1012]

They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

Of course we do - thats why we take steps to remove dirty...corrupt,mafia like,nepotistic,favouritism riddled murdering puppet Governments like the last one!!

[Peabody]

Another hard-hitting piece of Thai investigative journalism, implementing research into actual statistics and rigorous analysis of data, leading to the headline.

Or else just again parroting some TAT shill spouting their usual nonsense, backed up by NOTHING.

Not sure which.

[NongKhaiKid]

So tourists are flocking to LoS to experience a better taxi service ?

[bigbamboo]

Great news! Apparently since last Friday evening around dinner time Thai tourism has increased by 19.7743 per cent resulting in a revenue increase of 802 million baht and 50 satang. Further proof of Thailand's ability to bounce back and hit the ceiling, again and again and.........

[jethro69]

Had never really big issues with taxis at swampy. The only scam I see, is when traveling with more than one passenger and a bit more than the usual luggage, they try to charge you 1000-2000 bath downtown Bangkok, which is a 300-350 bath fare, for using the SUV type taxis, and yes the girls at the desks are involved in it.

[JesseFrank]

In other news :

Thousands of westerners have booked a holiday to Thailand after was announced that the foodcourts would sell five menus at below 40 Baht.

[bkkfaranguy]

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They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

Exactly, I just landed at Don Muang airport on Wednesday and while the queue line is much improved and the meters where on starting at 35 Bahht, the fare was close to 400 Bahht compared to the usual fee of around 200 Bahht to where I live. When I confronted him about his meter being off he just laughed, then I said I thought they cleaned up the taxi mafia, he laughed again and said we now have new boss's! Of coarse 200 baht is not worth making a scene so I paid and walked away.

[Cthulhu]

Gosh I can just see it now.

Ee bah gum Doris, says 'ere 't Thai military 'ave sorted taxi mafia at Bangkok airport. Better get down 't travel agent and book us a 'oliday. To 'ell wi Skegness this year. Don't want to miss this for 'owt.

Yeh, right!

[Carrerakiss]

I was in Phuket last weekend and couldn't see any difference in the taxi touts. They pestered me just as much as usual. No change in flat fares quoted. Meter, no chance.

I have a feeling the clean up has more impact behind the scenes, ie who gets paid how much and for what, rather than the actual interaction between holiday maker and taxi driver. So not really something that will attract a whole lot of people. What holiday maker knows anything about taxi drivers paying off a middle man so that the driver gets choice fares?

I've read about Surin beach having illegal building demolished, but that isn't really a make over for the countries beaches as a whole. I realise it's necessary to create a positive image about what has been done, and that's fine. But I hope it isn't a case of "we've done one beach, so that's the whole problem solved". It's only a start.

I also have a feeling that the new advertising slogan has more to do with domestic consumption for the powers that be, than appeal to potential holiday makers. But that's just how it seems to me. Maybe " beginning with the people 2014" resonates with people in the West and other Asian countries. It just doesn't resonate with me, at least not as a tourism marketing slogan.

[techboy]

They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

sawati,

I have worked my way around the world a few times and have met "you" all to many times. I don't care whether you have been here for twenty six or one hundred years. You do not know Thailand or anyplace else because everything is all about you. Wretched miserable creature festering in your own nastiness and you project it on everyone and everything. Oh yeah I've met fellows like you- They judge people with a zealots righteousness but are routinely without ethics in their own conduct and then vindicate themselves with a trash rationalization such as "they'd do it to me so I can do it to them." Doing pretty well here so far ain't I buddy?

[ikke]

They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

sawati,

I have worked my way around the world a few times and have met "you" all to many times. I don't care whether you have been here for twenty six or one hundred years. You do not know Thailand or anyplace else because everything is all about you. Wretched miserable creature festering in your own nastiness and you project it on everyone and everything. Oh yeah I've met fellows like you- They judge people with a zealots righteousness but are routinely without ethics in their own conduct and then vindicate themselves with a trash rationalization such as "they'd do it to me so I can do it to them." Doing pretty well here so far ain't I buddy?

Techboy,

Are you Thai ?

[trainman34014]

Plenty of would be tourists know about the Coup and the unavailability of travel insurance whilst it persists....but how many know about the Taxi's at the airport ? Are we to believe that tourists will flood back into Thailand because the Taxi scams have been sorted at the airport (for now) ?

Every time these people open their mouths more garbage comes out.

[wandasloan]

All over the world, people are making their travel plans after carefully perusing all available literature on which governments have announced plans to perhaps maybe computerise taxi service at the airport at some future date. No wonder they all are Thailand-bound. All hail the taxi-line-computerising heroes of the Royal Thai Army, saviours of the tourist industry!

How do you even get to have a job like that, being that humanly farkled?

[JesseFrank]

I suggest there should be another subforum for threads like this, and most of the other we had in the past 4 weeks.

The subforum could be called, the window dressing forum.

[Bender]

the others day i was at the airport, catching a night flight. Trust me or not, but the airport was completely deserted.

I dont remember that i saw it so empty. It was like they imposed a curfew inside.

[bigbamboo]

In other news :

Thousands of westerners have booked a holiday to Thailand after was announced that the foodcourts would sell five menus at below 40 Baht.

Sooner the Scots than the Chinese I suppose.

[techboy]

They are going to clean nothing.Thailand thrives on dirt...corruption,mafias,nepotism,favouritism.Have seen that for 26 years.They are kidding who?.Not me.

sawati,

I have worked my way around the world a few times and have met "you" all to many times. I don't care whether you have been here for twenty six or one hundred years. You do not know Thailand or anyplace else because everything is all about you. Wretched miserable creature festering in your own nastiness and you project it on everyone and everything. Oh yeah I've met fellows like you- They judge people with a zealots righteousness but are routinely without ethics in their own conduct and then vindicate themselves with a trash rationalization such as "they'd do it to me so I can do it to them." Doing pretty well here so far ain't I buddy?

Techboy,

Are you Thai ?

USA. Mongrel descendent of multiple Ellis Island arrivals.

[SantiSuk]

Is this subject going to do the rounds every 3 weeks for the duration of squaddie rule? Second time already on Thai visa

[benny1616]

hahaha, this stupid military dictators are sometimes very funny. tourism picks now up because of the taxi......... the best joke i have read since weeks.