Thai govt wants to raise fares of 'low-cost' airlines

[Thai at Heart]

Has anyone ever heard a politician talk about keeping prices high for the consumer on ANY product, anywhere in the world?

What planet are these people from?/ absolute idiot. Total and utter imbecile.

[jpeg]

I suppose the horse & cart people also complained when buses started becoming popular. Provide a safe, reliable, efficient & clean bus service as a positive alternative.

I have to say, that I preferred the comfortable BIG seats of the VIP 24 seaters from Phuket to Bangkok, together with not having to wait in line for an hour, and straight off the bus into a taxi, no fagging about disembarking from 'plane and then having to trudge through arrival halls.. It's the 12 hour journey tipped me towards AirAsia. At about the same price.

BTW, do any of these people ever travel by bus? Rhetorical question.

[Baerboxer]

Suchinda Cherdchai should make her buses safer, less environment damaging, buy new high quality bises, hire skilled drivers, ensure the timetable is held and lower the prices. If she can not, then she should find something ells to do. In the civilised world they calls it "the free market".

She must be a wealthy elite lady. How dare private enterprise and a free market interfere with her high profitability business that provides unsafe, poor quality, expensive services. Ban these despicable foreigners from interfering like this.

[Baerboxer]

Has anyone ever heard a politician talk about keeping prices high for the consumer on ANY product, anywhere in the world?

What planet are these people from?/ absolute idiot. Total and utter imbecile.

The Thai economy and business structures are designed to provide massive wealth and complete control for the chosen few.

Nothing like how the rest of the world conducts or regulates business.

All part of Thainess and the planet Thailand experience!

[Doc46]

If the bus companies can't meet the price of the airlines that means only one thing,,,, To greedy,,,they just want the airlines to raise the ticket price so they can do same and make more money,,,Rogue business ,greedy bastards.

[phrisco17]

Once again, here we have a soldier now in charge of a country, he just took control with his guns and men.

A soldier, spent all his life planning how to fight the Burmese or Cambodians or maybe the Laos, sending in the tanks, moving men into battles with foreign armies.

And now he's running a whole country!!!!

He's in charge of everything, he can say anything he damn well wants, and he can stop people from criticising him.

He can get on the TV every night if he wants. Total power over 65 million people Wow!

Oops, here comes bright idea number er..... whatever....

This will all end in tears I'm afraid.[/quote

More like planning for his turn!

Edited January 9, 2015 by phrisco17

[Baerboxer]

No government, calling itself democratic, should interfere with private business pricing, particularly pricing to low -- dumb move to even suggest higher pricing !

But would you expect any government wanting to get closer to North Korea either?

Just one tremendous announcement after another.

[mca]

On the Mittraparp Highway I think the inter-province buses are already trying to compete with the low-cost airlines by driving at speeds that are close to approaching take-off velocity..

[Thai at Heart]

Has anyone ever heard a politician talk about keeping prices high for the consumer on ANY product, anywhere in the world?

What planet are these people from?/ absolute idiot. Total and utter imbecile.

The Thai economy and business structures are designed to provide massive wealth and complete control for the chosen few.

Nothing like how the rest of the world conducts or regulates business.

All part of Thainess and the planet Thailand experience!

Absolutely . I have seen it first hand. But I dont think I have ever seen such a blatent example of it in the press like this.

And the problem is they think this is perfectly acceptable and the way it should be. They honestly believe that the natural order of things is that they can gouge the people.

Absolutely astonishing, but it goes right to the heart of the relationship between the people and the ammart of thailand, and the natural order of wealth and position.

She runs a bus company, didn't invent anything, didn't bring extraordinary wealth to any one but herself anf yet she is worthy of protection because of nothing more than money.

I swear somewhere in Thailand there is a betamax franchisee lobbying still to ban VHS.

[JungleBoy2]

Not a peep about Bangkok Air with the highest prices in all of Asia for a one hour flight.

I suffer the bus from Samui to BKK before I would pay the extortionist prices they charge.

[Baerboxer]

I don't believe this. Government intervention in a free market? I don't blame travellers who want to travel by air as opposed to the dangerous accident prone busses on Thai roads.

Governments intervene in "free" markets all the time, even in the US. Get used to it, very often it's for a good reason too.

However the idea of rising the minimum fare price is of course stupid and misguided and only aims to prop up the national carrier that's losing customers to low costs.

No it's not propping up a national carrier striving to provide a public service at all. It's this woman trying to kill off competition that is taking customers by providing a safer, higher quality, lower cost alternative.

She thinks she has some right to charge what she wants for providing an abysmal often dangerous service and that she deserves government support and action to maintain her position. Typical thinking of the rich elite - they really are a few hundred years out of date.

[northengr]

Maybe someone should run a bus line that is comfortable, that has reading lights that work and cut out the noises and allow on-line ticket purchases, so there is a good reason to take a bus. I avoid them like the plaque, but starting and ending in more places and being downtown instead of out nowhere could give them some attraction

[watcharacters]

What can possibly go wrong??pimp-my-bus-headlights.j

I've seen this bus or one just like it.

I'd be curious to see it at night with the klieg light blaring as long as it wasn't on a highway.

[Thian]

Allright no ploblem, next time we go out for a holiday we fly to Malaysia/Indonesia/Singapore instead of Phuket...

Who wants to sit in a icecold racing bus all night? Maybe you even sit between spitting pushing chinese tourist

[lensta]

Here is an idea for the government

How about yearly inspections of the equipment of these inter-provincial bus companies

How about governors to slow down these inter-provincial bus companies

How about log books that show exactly how long a driving shift is on these inter-provincial bus companies

How about publishing the safety records of these inter-provincial bus companies

How about restoring democracy in Thailand so that these hair brained ideas from the military masters stop

This highlights exactly why the military should not be involved in politics.

[Pi Suthep]

Did the new military government not intend to end corruption ?

How can corruption be more obvious than in this case ?

How can 1 person be "owner" of major bus companies in a public transportation system ?

If she operates with licenses by government, why the do transportation authorities support her fighting against competitors ?

Corruption can be identified by its fishy smell !

[Alwyn]

Lower costs and be a "medium cost" airline?

[akc1956]

Obviously too many bus companies here, let a few go bust and close. Problem solved!

[ChrisY1]

Hey.....General Somchai owns a big bus company.......and he doesn't like these pesky cheap airlines....nothing wrong with that!!

[klauskunkel]

Thailand's Minister of Transport, Air Chief Marshal Prajin Janthong, said the cheap fares for domestic flights offered by low-cost airlines are hampering the business of public bus companies in Thailand.

Well, according to the article, they are hampering the business of one owner of several public bus companies...pray tell, ACM Prajin, what exactly is 'Lady Giew' to you?

[JOC]

The threat to Thai nepotism:

[deepcell]

do it, I wanna seee.....

[marcher]

So, AirAsia can run an airline cheaper than the Thais can run a bus route?

Maybe Thai Airways could lower prices and run domestic routes and run these bandits off?

As the previous quote said "Think before opening your mouth"

I wanted to fly from Phuket to Bangkok this week but Air Asia price was over B3,000. Left it to next week, but still high at over B2,600. They have been at least doubling the prices around holiday time. Fortunately I am flying Thai Air who have a standard price of B1,650. Might even get a free drink as well!

[Toscano]

I do not believe for a moment that low cost airlines are stealing businees from bus companies . On longer trips buses are very slow and often very uncomfortable . There is a huge difference between bus and air fares . Asia currently charges a fraction less the Thai Airways , but is very restrictive regarding luggage and offers no other services . I personally prefer Thai airways that is now offering a very competive fare .

Edited January 9, 2015 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[WhizBang]

Thai businesses cannot stand real competition. Typical.

[outboard]

I suppose the horse & cart people also complained when buses started becoming popular. Provide a safe, reliable, efficient & clean bus service as a positive alternative.

In Australia it was actually airlines that drove the horse drawn coaches out of business in the 1800's

[KIWIBATCH]

...So the Minister of Transport engages his mouth before his brain and tells the airlines to raise their prices ...."because it is "hampering" the bus companies business"

Perhaps the Minister of Transport should have asked Suchinda Chardchai to consider the following....

Passengers (both foreign and Thai) are sick and tired of the following experiences on "her" buses....

1. Bus drivers texting whilst driving

2. Drivers travelling at excessive speeds

3. Unsafe buses (not upto the international standard axle width versus the height of the bus)

4. Drivers having the wife/gf along for the ride often with a young child.

5. Music playing through the sound system at ear splitting levels

6. The strong smell of urine from both the on-board bus toilet...together..with the young child's changed nappy

7. Absolute failure to keep to the scheduled departure/arrival times (within reason..ie traffic holdups/mechanical breakdowns)

8. Pilfering and stealing from passengers stowed luggage

9. On-board hostesses...abrupt.....bad mannered and bad tempered (not all...but the majority of them)

...and...as reported in the press just today...there has been a massive drop off in the number of tourists visiting Thailand

and why would anyone want to sit on one of "her" buses for (say) 10 hours...when (say) a 1 hour flight achieves the same end result....irrespective of cost...(equal to the bus fair or more..)

[attento]

Here is an idea for the government

How about yearly inspections of the equipment of these inter-provincial bus companies

How about governors to slow down these inter-provincial bus companies

How about log books that show exactly how long a driving shift is on these inter-provincial bus companies

How about publishing the safety records of these inter-provincial bus companies

How about restoring democracy in Thailand so that these hair brained ideas from the military masters stop

Totally agree with most points !

But, Is this about "democracy" ?

Why weren't these measures put in place during recent periods of "democracy" ?

Oh ! and thank goodness there were no other hair-brained schemes implemented during the recent "democratic" period........

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Maybe the bus mafia could push (lobby) to end all domestic flights to force everyone into death-trap buses and vans. ?

[Gandtee]

As usual. The problem approached at the wrong end. Tell the bus companies to smarten themselves up and attract more customers with a better service. It is akin to not allowing low cost airlines to fly some routes because it might undermine the big boys!