No Uber allowed to pick up passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport

[webfact]

No Uber allowed to pick up passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport

 

BANGKOK, 27 February 2017 (NNT) – Airports of Thailand (AOT) has stressed that no non-public registered vehicle will be allowed to pick up passengers from Suvarnabhumi Airport, as all passenger serving vehicles are required to be registered legally. 

AOT’s Suvarnabhumi Airport General Director Sirote Duangratana has said regarding the decision to ban Uber cars from picking up passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, that the service does not conform to the AOT’s code of security which prohibits any unauthorized use of vehicles for commercial purposes at the airport’s controlled zone. 

The AOT could consider allowing Uber cabs to operate if proper registrations are completed with the Department of Land Transport, which is an issue for the future. 

Violators will face 2,000 baht fine, and will be recorded in the airport's database.

 

-- nnt 2017-02-27

[CelticBhoy]

I used to work with a guy called Dave Uber.

Bet he's glad he doesn't live here. He'd never get out!  

[steve187]

how will they know its an uber, and not samchai picking up his brother in law.

[AhFarangJa]

Can they not simply park in the multi storey, then go to arrivals ?

[Dibbler]

To be expected, ATO simply protecting the taxi mafia and their rights to fleece the public, just like BMA protecting the motorcycle mafia which led to Ubermoto closing down.  But Bangkok taxi companies can't stop the swing to using a cheaper more reliable and safe service from getting to and from the airport.  

[thenewgoo]

The first Uber ban - stepping on toes.

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, Dibbler said:

To be expected, ATO simply protecting the taxi mafia and their rights to fleece the public, just like BMA protecting the motorcycle mafia which led to Ubermoto closing down.  But Bangkok taxi companies can't stop the swing to using a cheaper more reliable and safe service from getting to and from the airport.  

 

Or, maybe like cities all over the world, they're protecting their tax revenue stream that comes from legally registered ($$$) and tax paying ($$$) public taxis.

[SGD]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Or, maybe like cities all over the world, they're protecting their tax revenue stream that comes from legally registered ($$$) and tax paying ($$$) public taxis.

 

Nothing to do with legality and all to do with someone not wanting to have their backhanders stopped !

[Docno]

12 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Or, maybe like cities all over the world, they're protecting their tax revenue stream that comes from legally registered ($$$) and tax paying ($$$) public taxis.

I don't see the tax issue here. Uber simply has to report the income of each driver to the revenue authority, as done in Singapore at least. After all, that information is already sitting on Uber servers anyway...

[ricklev]

Realistically, they are probably not really cracking down.  Uber pays the fine for the drivers and my guess is the drivers will continue to pick up and drop off as usual.  

 

 

[nisakiman]

It's theoretically the same for the Nakhonchai Air taxi service (All Thai Taxi?). When we enquired about a pick-up from DMK, they said it would only be possible if they had a drop-off there at the time we needed, and that we would have to wait at departures. Pity, because they are a great taxi service.

[mtls2005]

My sense is that if the vehicle has green plates then the authorities may not be as concerned?

 

IME, very few UBER drivers here have the requisite plates.

 

Most UBER pick-ups at the airport go off OK, usually by messaging a specific pick-up point which has been level 2, doors 8 - 10.

 

In this case, it sounds like some foreign tourists thought to ask an "official" where they can find their UBER driver, and this precipitated the situation?

 

AoT operates limo services, with the lowest fare of 1,050 (all in); obviously UBER varies (supply/demand in essence), but is often 500 baht or less as there is a driver at the airport after having dropped off a city-->airport pax.

 

 

[8OA8]

At London Heathrow airport the Uber driver will advise you to go across to the car park building and go to level xyz and wait at car park bay xyz. Nice and smooth as they know they can get there within a few minutes. 

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, Dibbler said:

To be expected, ATO simply protecting the taxi mafia and their rights to fleece the public, just like BMA protecting the motorcycle mafia which led to Ubermoto closing down.  But Bangkok taxi companies can't stop the swing to using a cheaper more reliable and safe service from getting to and from the airport.  

How do taxis at airport fleece people?

[wirat69]

15 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

How do taxis at airport fleece people?

Probably because  they are a flock of sheep!!!

 

[johnnytuc]

I am registerd with Uber on a recent trip to Chaing Mai. Used them 3 times....Brilliant you get a picture and name of driver sent to your phone in each case they were with us within 10 minutes and you know the fare before taxi arrives. No cash involved and totally secure. Uber will be massive in Thailand. 

[hobz]

1 hour ago, Docno said:

I don't see the tax issue here. Uber simply has to report the income of each driver to the revenue authority, as done in Singapore at least. After all, that information is already sitting on Uber servers anyway...

Exactly. As opposed to taxi running without a meter as usual.

[hobz]

23 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

How do taxis at airport fleece people?

They overcharge ignorant tourists. Have you never been there? They flock hyenas around me every time.

[Mickmouse1]

Protectionism. .Uber can easily get around this stupid objection.As long as Uber and the Passenger/Client agree then no 3rd party should have the right to interfere ?

[IMA_FARANG]

Good.

Uber is crap.

Where I live in Bangkok it is Grab Taxi not Uber.

From Swampy I use the meter taxis down on the same floor as the airport train.

I always have a wheelchair when I travel and the person who pushes my wheelchair gets tipped for getting me a meter taxi at the taxi queue.

I get wheeled from the plane through immigration at the priority booth, baggage pickup, to the taxi queue in my wheelchair.

One small tip takes care of it all.

 

 

 

 

[fdch]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Or, maybe like cities all over the world, they're protecting their tax revenue stream that comes from legally registered ($$$) and tax paying ($$$) public taxis.

yes,uber is a low faul way to make jobs that pay tax and support famylies to disapear , used by cheap charlies only, i am sorry to see that it is growing so rapidly all over the world

in amsterdam taxi drivers are trowing stones at them, i think this is to much, i would suggest trow dog shit there is a lot of it in thailand ,this is a good use for it

 

[brewsterbudgen]

2 minutes ago, fdch said:

yes,uber is a low faul way to make jobs that pay tax and support famylies to disapear , used by cheap charlies only, i am sorry to see that it is growing so rapidly all over the world

in amsterdam taxi drivers are trowing stones at them, i think this is to much, i would suggest trow dog shit there is a lot of it in thailand ,this is a good use for it

 

Blackcab drivers in London aren't too fond of Uber either!

[Snig27]

1 hour ago, Docno said:

I don't see the tax issue here. Uber simply has to report the income of each driver to the revenue authority, as done in Singapore at least. After all, that information is already sitting on Uber servers anyway...

 

Agreed. This is corruption, pure and simple.

[Sydebolle]

So the money flow from the taxi guild towards the AoT is dwindling - was foreseeable. I just wonder how they want to block people from picking up other people. 

But as Swampi is overloaded, 90 minutes queue at the immigration are the norm and one runway is down - no promprem - who needs Uber, GrabTaxi or anything else.  

[shady86]

I dont use Suvarnabhumi regularly but waiting time for public taxis in DMK is terrible.

I have to wait for 1 hour once so I decided to use grab/uber instead of wasting time to wait.

 

I'd suggest they improve waiting time and taxi availability before putting more restrictions on ride sharing. 

 

[PaPiPuPePo]

36 minutes ago, johnnytuc said:

I am registerd with Uber on a recent trip to Chaing Mai. Used them 3 times....Brilliant you get a picture and name of driver sent to your phone in each case they were with us within 10 minutes and you know the fare before taxi arrives. No cash involved and totally secure. Uber will be massive in Thailand. 

Since Uber's basic business model is to exploit people in precarious economic situations, duping them into thinking they're making decent money when they're not,  and there are plenty of willing marks for Uber to exploit, while providing a service that makes the customers happy (who are helping this exploitation of the drivers), yes Uber should do well in Thailand.

 

My comment is backed up by research which references the numerous lawsuits against and exposes of Uber freely available to anyone interested in forming an educated opinion re the company.

Edited February 27, 2017 by PaPiPuPePo

[little mary sunshine]

No problem, it will be dealt with Thai Style, a couple

of the Taxi Mafia ( gang of 8) will knife a few Uber guys!!

[ricklev]

9 minutes ago, PaPiPuPePo said:

Since Uber's basic business model is to exploit people in precarious economic situations, duping them into thinking they're making decent money when they're not,  and there are plenty of willing marks for Uber to exploit, while providing a service that makes the customers happy (who are helping this exploitation of the drivers), yes Uber should do well in Thailand.

 

My comment is backed up by research which references the numerous lawsuits against and exposes of Uber freely available to anyone interested in forming and educated opinion re the company.

Well, I take Uber everyday in Bangkok and often talk to the drivers about their experience with Uber.  Never once has any driver said they felt exploited and almost all are happy for the opportunity.  Most were smart enough to know if they were being duped and would be insulted if you told them they were too dumb to figure it out.  This includes part time and full time Uber drivers in Bangkok.  I can only remember one time when the driver complained he was waiting too long between fares.  So I can only conclude that Bangkok is an anomaly in the Uber  exploitation model you describe.

 

But maybe in some markets what you wrote makes good sense.  

 

Edited February 27, 2017 by ricklev

[Snig27]

16 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Good.

Uber is crap.

Where I live in Bangkok it is Grab Taxi not Uber.

From Swampy I use the meter taxis down on the same floor as the airport train.

I always have a wheelchair when I travel and the person who pushes my wheelchair gets tipped for getting me a meter taxi at the taxi queue.

I get wheeled from the plane through immigration at the priority booth, baggage pickup, to the taxi queue in my wheelchair.

One small tip takes care of it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 Uber is the only practical alternative if you are a business person regularly coming in an out with goods and samples as we do, and a lot od people so. Until the taxis provide clean, safe (seatbelts are a start), English speaking, reliable and fast XL type SUVs (as Uber does) and quickly on the same floor as arrivals then it's not crap at all.

[Snig27]

1 minute ago, ricklev said:

Well, I take Uber everyday in Bangkok and often talk to the drivers about their experience with Uber.  Never once has any driver said they felt exploited and almost all are happy for the opportunity.  Most were smart enough to know if they were being duped and would be insulted if you told them they were too dumb to figure it out.  This includes part time and full time Uber drivers in Bangkok.  I can only remember one time when the driver complained he was waiting to long between fares.  So I can only conclude that Bangkok is an anomaly in the Uber  exploitation model you describe.

 

 

Absolutely true. We take Uber all over the world all the time and talk with countless drivers. I've never had one anywhere who has said they are unhappy. Most love the freedom and the extra cash. For very few is it a full time job.  BKK is not an anomaly at all. There is a self-righteous arrogance in assuming that Uber drivers are stupid or being screwed.