to all u who say Phuket never again

you will not be missed

You obviously do not have a business here.

Perhaps when you can no longer get some of the "farang luxuries" you are used to here, and all the resturants are Chinese, you may feel differently.

when i moved here, there were NO FARANG luxuries

had a business here in the 80's and learned back than, no way

now i just live here an enjoy it

you seriously think all the thai restaurants will close in favor of Chinese ones???

boy are u delusional LOL

to all u who say Phuket never again

you will not be missed

You obviously do not have a business here.

Perhaps when you can no longer get some of the "farang luxuries" you are used to here, and all the resturants are Chinese, you may feel differently.

when i moved here, there were NO FARANG luxuries

had a business here in the 80's and learned back than, no way

now i just live here an enjoy it

you seriously think all the thai restaurants will close in favor of Chinese ones???

boy are u delusional LOL

Did you read the recent article stating European tourists to Phuket are declining at 15% - year on year.

From memory, the stats came from a credible source, and I suspect it's worse than a 15% decrease each year, as reported.

That's a collapes of the western tourist market within 6 to 7 years, with NOTHING being done by ANY organisation to turn it around.

"delusional" - I really don't think so.

The reality is, we will see a significant decrease in establishments catering for western expats and tourists and/or significant rises in prices at the ones that do remain.

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

The reality is, we will see a significant decrease in establishments catering for western expats and tourists and/or significant rises in prices at the ones that do remain.

I could care less;

if NO western tourist came here ( which will never happen anyway)

and the ONLY western ( an its not really western) establishment i frequent, is Fuji's and there not going anywhere as on any given day their full of Chinese

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

And I agree as well. I moved here in 1996 and the change in 'tourist' demographics has been astonishing. The businesses adapt or go bankrupt.

The reality is, we will see a significant decrease in establishments catering for western expats and tourists and/or significant rises in prices at the ones that do remain.

I could care less;

if NO western tourist came here ( which will never happen anyway)

and the ONLY western ( an its not really western) establishment i frequent, is Fuji's and there not going anywhere as on any given day their full of Chinese

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

Like you, I couldn't care less, either.

I have no interests here, either financially, or emotionally.

My point being, when I struggle to find a Sunday roast, for example, or have to travel a long way for it, or pay a ridiculous price for it, I'll move on, and I feel that day is going to come sooner, rather than later.

No everyone is here to live like a Thai.

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

And I agree as well. I moved here in 1996 and the change in 'tourist' demographics has been astonishing. The businesses adapt or go bankrupt.

From what I see, more are going bankrupt than adapting, because there just aren't the western customers coming here to even attempt to be creative and try to adapt.

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

And I agree as well. I moved here in 1996 and the change in 'tourist' demographics has been astonishing. The businesses adapt or go bankrupt.

I wouldn't use the word astonishing. Once upon a time Phuket skimmed the very cream off the top of the international tourist barrel. None of the huge profits were reinvested in coastal or environmental management, or infrastructure. Then Phuket had to move lower and select tourist further down in the tourist barrel. Still good profits but again nothing reinvested back into the destination. Now Phuket is scraping the absolute bottom of the tourist barrel. There is some profit for the elite who own the malls, big hotels and bus companies, but small business is collapsing. The Thai elite continue to get richer as the poor get poorer. Hardly astonishing.

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

And I agree as well. I moved here in 1996 and the change in 'tourist' demographics has been astonishing. The businesses adapt or go bankrupt.

I wouldn't use the word astonishing. Once upon a time Phuket skimmed the very cream off the top of the international tourist barrel. None of the huge profits were reinvested in coastal or environmental management, or infrastructure. Then Phuket had to move lower and select tourist further down in the tourist barrel. Still good profits but again nothing reinvested back into the destination. Now Phuket is scraping the absolute bottom of the tourist barrel. There is some profit for the elite who own the malls, big hotels and bus companies, but small business is collapsing. The Thai elite continue to get richer as the poor get poorer. Hardly astonishing.

I concur.

I wouldn't use the word astonishing. Once upon a time Phuket skimmed the very cream off the top of the international tourist barrel.

disagree a bit

when was the last time you went out to Laguna area? or the coast road to the Airport, there still a 4-5 star area and u don't see many if any Chinese tour buses.

its beautiful an more and more homes being built all the time an they are NOT for the Chinese.

Patrong, Karon,Kata, Rawai all cater for the mass tourists for sure. easy in easy uot

and who cares if u get lousy service as ur only here once

The Thai elite continue to get richer as the poor get poorer

correct but just take out the word THAI Elite and replace with RICH

Namkang, i dont always eat thai but mostly we eat at home, I was a chef and my gf can cook as well. The Supermarkets will not cease carrying western goods as the thais enjoy them as well.

Best thing i ever did was buy land and build in kamala in 99 when the $$ was king,

2nd best thing was selling it out in 2009 LOL

You could have a far more interesting, enjoyable and relaxing time in NY, Paris, Prague or many other worldclass destinations for a fraction of the price it now costs to do anything in Phuket. Apart from the highly priced sex/bar industry it dosnt really have a lot to offer. Taxis is just a small part of the problem.....such a shame, 10 years ago was a lovely place but post tsunami its got greedy.

Patong in particular started the downhill slide well before the tsunami when the council allowed the unfettered development for personal enrichment.

Phuket is changing, and fast, no doubt about it.

I agree 100% and

Phuket has been changing since i moved here in 1985 :-)

And I agree as well. I moved here in 1996 and the change in 'tourist' demographics has been astonishing. The businesses adapt or go bankrupt.

From what I see, more are going bankrupt than adapting, because there just aren't the western customers coming here to even attempt to be creative and try to adapt.

Indeed. The adapting and any attempt at creativity has come in a few years too late with too much reliance on the old model "copy/cut/paste/repeat repeat repeat". I think the astonishing aspect is more from the sheer complacency in Phuket that the model was sustainable despite it being obvious with for quite a while that it was going down the pan.

That it's supposed to be Thailand's number 1 tourist destination makes the total lack of infrastructure development and lack of environmental investment laughable. 5* prices everywhere for a 2* experience.

What mafia clean-up?

Just the normal window dressing that doesn't fool anyone.

I'm sad to say, it did fool me.

I honestly thought there would be a change, a small but still a change and yes there has been a change, to the worse.

to all u who say Phuket never again

you will not be missed

Don't be like that, I live in Phuket and will likely stay, but I say exactly the same, if I didn't live here with all commitments been made and still exists, I would never go to Phuket.

to all u who say Phuket never again

you will not be missed

Don't be like that, I live in Phuket and will likely stay, but I say exactly the same, if I didn't live here with all commitments been made and still exists, I would never go to Phuket.

You make an interesting point, KR.

How many members with a business, a property, possibly children at school, and other financial and/or emotional ties here, would leave, if they could?

Also, are these members allowing familiarisation and complacency, and possibly some embarrassment, cloud their judgement, and therefore, their posts?

Off topic posts removed, the topic is about 'Phuket taxi mafia'

This problem happens all over the world.

This problem happens all over the world.

What problem is that????

to all u who say Phuket never again

you will not be missed

thanks. nor will you.

This problem happens all over the world.

What problem is that????

Taxi mafias are all around the world. Law should stop this.

A troll post has been removed also the reply to it

This problem happens all over the world.

What problem is that????

Taxi mafias are all around the world. Law should stop this.

The "taxi mafia" is the "law" here.

They only have to blockade, and they get what they want.

Only one mafia here the rtp

I accept what you say, but certain "influential people" here do have a lot of control over what the RTP enforce, or not.

Only one mafia here the rtp

I accept what you say, but certain "influential people" here do have a lot of control over what the RTP enforce, or not.

Nothing is enforced in Phuket. Outcomes are purchased.

Only one mafia here the rtp

I accept what you say, but certain "influential people" here do have a lot of control over what the RTP enforce, or not.

Nothing is enforced in Phuket. Outcomes are purchased.

You can "purchase enforcement" against your competitors.

Only one mafia here the rtp

I accept what you say, but certain "influential people" here do have a lot of control over what the RTP enforce, or not.

Nothing is enforced in Phuket. Outcomes are purchased.

You can "purchase enforcement" against your competitors.

Unless that have deeper pockets than you.

That's when you hire an assassin from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

That's when you hire an assassin from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Yep. Fee used to be 50K. Wonder what it is nowadays.

Remember the poor female thai accountant from (the Hilton I think) who was shot through her car window in peak hour traffic. I sitting in the traffic behind her when it happened. Plods never made a conviction either.

Had to wonder at the time, was she killed over love or money.

That's when you hire an assassin from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Yep. Fee used to be 50K. Wonder what it is nowadays.

Remember the poor female thai accountant from (the Hilton I think) who was shot through her car window in peak hour traffic. I sitting in the traffic behind her when it happened. Plods never made a conviction either.

Had to wonder at the time, was she killed over love or money.

Didn't she fire someone, or catch them stealing money and reported them?

Anyway, this is the Thainess we have all come to love here.

For all the mafia cleaning up in Phuket over the last 12 months, it seems all is back to normal with the taxi mafia.

I have visited Phuket twice in the last 2 months, and the amount of taxis and their touts has doubled. Patong beach road and Rat U Thit road are jammed with taxis, not one parking spot. As you walk out of your hotel, along any road and all around Jungceylon the taxi touts are there hassling every visitor.

Was this clean up a flash in the pan, a show that the army was going to take on a few people and make Phuket a better experience for the tourist. It shows the mafia is more powerful than the General!

The army and Little P. are fabulously weak on follow up. All of these proclamations and clean ups mean so very little, if they are not followed up. It is almost as if he feels compelled to issue a new mandate every day, and as soon as the new one is issued, the last one is forgotten. Is anyone really falling for this? Is anything lasting and long term being accomplished?

Excellent Tuk-Tuk service in Town now, 30 baht per person!