Phuket meter taxis a good deal: VIDEO
The Phuket News

PHUKET: -- The new metered taxis have been in operation for most of September so the boys from Phuket News TV took their cameras along with them when they took a taxi from the Phuket International Airport to the Tesco Lotus/Samkong intersection, just outside Phuket Town – the offices of Class Act Media.

Here is their report:

“Before we caught a meter taxi the team checked the prices of the limousines for a ‘fixed price’ for the same journey. In two cases we were quoted B800.

“The meter taxi was clean, the driver had a uniform and badge, there was paperwork exchanged between the taxi booking booth and the driver.

“On the way out of the airport all taxis have to check in with a booth near the exit, staffed by military personnel.

“There was no visits to jewellery stores or offers of ‘deals’ for accommodation. Mr Somkid, the driver (speaking through the Phuket News TV Thai camera-staff) was full of praise for the new arrangement and was happy that there had been a crackdown on the illegal taxis and what he described as a ‘mafia’ which used to run the taxis at the airport.

“The journey took just over 30 minutes, including the expected delays on the bypass road trying to turn right at the Samkong intersection.

“So what was the final fare for the journey? B492 baht, plus a B100 airport levy (paid by all taxis).

“We rounded it out to B500 and gave the driver a B50 tip. Total cost B650, including tip. That was B150 cheaper than the quoted limousine price.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-meter-taxis-a-good-deal-video-48951.php


-- Phuket News 2014-10-01

That's a good move for Phuket?

hahhahahahaha, i tried to take a meter taxi from the Heroines monument and he wouldn't turn on the meter

Why has the previous thread with the exact same video and the

many posts on this been deleted and disappeared?????

Only a good deal for the taxi owner.

The meter started at 50 baht.

Airport surcharge 100 baht.

50 in swampy.

Wonder how much that trip would cost in BKK ?

Sure no jewelry stores and cheap accommodation when there is a camera 'looking' with reporters of Phuket news !!!

Make the same trip again with a hidden camera.......................

Meters are easy to rig. I'm surprised they haven't figured it out yet.... Then again maybe some have. You'll recognize those that may have because they will happily turn on the meter.

In another thread it was mentioned that they wanted to hike the fairs so taxi drivers could still make a 300 baht profit per day.

With prices like this that comes down to about 30 minutes of work on a day. Now I understand why there are taxis parked everywhere on Phuket (the small taxi trucks) and nobody can be bothered to actually transport anyone. And there is no need to lower prices as you just need one ride a day to make your day.

Maybe time for a crackdown on that.

In Bangkok this drive would cost 200 B + 50 B for airport ... 250 --> 600 thats 2.4 x the price in Bangkok... WHY ????

I think 300 or 350 would be a fair price for Phuket.

If I take the bus its 100 B, taxi 600 B = BIG difference

In Bangkok this drive would cost 200 B + 50 B for airport ... 250 --> 600 thats 2.4 x the price in Bangkok... WHY ????

I think 300 or 350 would be a fair price for Phuket.

If I take the bus its 100 B, taxi 600 B = BIG difference

The bus is cheaper than the taxi?

The price is normally 800baht from the airport all the way to Nanai Rd Patong (near Don's BBQ), not just to Tesco. If they did that entire trip, I wonder what the difference would be. I would say it wouldn't be much if anything at all.

650thb pour this trip. And they call this a good deal...

5 years ago the taxi meter run from the airport to rawai was less than 500thb. Today it's around 900. 3 days of minimum wage for a one hour taxi ride. Yep everything's normal.