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[nickjam]

I too must add my doom and gloom with regards to Phuket & Samui taxis and tuk tuks. Whilst its always been a bit shady I noticed that these problems escalated when the one way systems were introduced into Patong and Chaweng. Prior to this it was still possible to buzz up and down for 20ish baht. The bit of extra work required to get back seems to have resulted in increases of 500% and more.

On the issue of shady taxis, I had an original experience at the new immigration building last week. After watching the fella stick the meter on I wasn't paying any attention until after 5 mins I glanced back to see the meter at 157 baht! The cheeky git then had the balls to suggest that it wasn't his fault and tried to negotiate a comedy fee of 300 baht for the journey (Laksi - PinkLao).
Such a shame, I'd had a positive experience at the new immigration where everyone was super smiley and helpful only to have that lurking outside. Sort this shit out Abhisit. Do you really want such scum polluting your nice new building? Why not have a taxi monitor who could black list the shits, I'll even let you give them a whistle.

I'm off to Chiang Mai, fair prices and usually more pleasant negotiations!

[Moruya]

I first went to Phuket with my family in 1994 and was a regular once/twice a year guy until I moved to Bangkok in 2004. I then used to visit 3-4 times a year until the transport scams, tourist scams, incredibly rude sales people along Patong and hotel prices drove me away. I haven't been there or Samui for 3 years or more preferring quieter, less touristic places where you feel a smile is real and the scumbag is absent. The first people you hear complain about a downturn in the tourist industry are the Phuket boys - well too bad.

[moskito]

nickjam, on 2009-12-21 12:58:37, said:

Sort this shit out Abhisit. Do you really want such scum polluting your nice new building? Why not have a taxi monitor who could black list the shits, I'll even let you give them a whistle.

Unfortunately NOBODY up there concerns what farang are thinking because there are still enough coming year after year.

Sometimes I wish Phukets governor Khun Wichai Phraisa-ngop read these comments here and react. But I guess if he do so
he just say he cant change anything

[mickeymx]

my daughter just came back from phuket and said the place was expensive compared to last time she was there,and the tuk tuk drivers would'nt take any less than 200bt each for 3 people from Novotel to the botttom end of Bangla [tai pan ] 600bt just a rip off, and the jetski scum got her for 21,000bt and imtimidated her untill she paid, they wanted 40,000bt, she went to the police but AHH to late you pay allready. i'm going there end of january for a few months, but by the sounds of it ill be looking for somewhere else to go.

[TAWP]

Why would anyone wanna go to Phuket?

I don't care for beaches and parties can be found in BKK...guess it would be to meet some of the crazier friends that live most of their time in Patong, but after reading more here about tuk tuk's being far worse than anticipated 'over there' on the west coast, then I guess I will remain herre, happily, in the comfort of paved roads, nightclubs and taxi's that actually use the meter...

[eTiMaGo]

TAWP, on 2009-12-21 19:42:15, said:

Why would anyone wanna go to Phuket?

I don't care for beaches and parties can be found in BKK...guess it would be to meet some of the crazier friends that live most of their time in Patong, but after reading more here about tuk tuk's being far worse than anticipated 'over there' on the west coast, then I guess I will remain herre, happily, in the comfort of paved roads, nightclubs and taxi's that actually use the meter...

I pretty much grew up in Phuket, my mom still lives and works there, so no matter what, I'll always have a fond place in my heart for it. Sure, the tourist centers like Patong are beyond hope, but on the few occasions when I get back down there, I find the rest of the island to be as pleasant as always, well, apart from the traffic. So yeah, the smart visitor rents a bike or car. Motorcycle taxis are still reasonable, though certainly not quite practical for families.

With the introduction of places like Central, Carrefour and so on, you can get pretty much 90% of the amenities of Bangkok, but without the hustle and bustle and dirtiness of the big city

[narkeddiver]

My favourite Phuket tuk tuk moment was getting out of a tuk tuk on Bangla Road and the guy in the tuk tuk we'd parked next to said "tuk tuk?" !!??

[RickBradford]

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

[moskito]

RickBradford, on 2009-12-21 21:51:18, said:

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

absolutely TRUE and the farangs are not totally innocent of the tuk tuk and other price increase. If Thais only hear cheap cheap cheap when a tuk tuk
20 years ago charged 20-30 Baht, they dont have to wonder if they pay for the same distance now 2-300, same goes for property.

And smiling Thaipeople are history in tourism centers anyway

[wintermute]

RickBradford, on 2009-12-21 21:51:18, said:

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

Thai attitudes turn to sh*t probably because of the daily abuse of tattooed hooligan scum from the U.K., ancient sex tourists, and a wide assortment of degenerates. Not to put all the blame on the western trash a lot of the thai touts are the cesspool of society as well. It's basically a toilet bowl where sh*t meets sh*t and flushes into one brown and yellow swirl.

General prices and housing also go up because lame brained tourists are too stupid to bargain and aging expats living on pensions don't care.

Quality goes down. Service at even 2nd tier places like MK goes to sh*t because the staff knows they don't have to work as hard to keep any standard when the clientele is bar girls with expat boyfriends. You see more service personnel standing around idle chatting with crap attitudes because they know they don't have to remain presentable for anyone. Scams and other games goes way up as they know they are not held accountable for anything short of maybe mass murder.

Edited by wintermute, 2009-12-21 22:46:49.

[shawndoc]

Now are the Tuk Tuk drivers making more money, or have the prices to "rent" a Tuk Tuk gone sky high, forcing the fare hikes?

[animatic]

Where there is a market there will also be market gougers.
Gonna be in Phuket at dinner time, and expect a nice Xmas there.

[toptuan]

RickBradford, on 2009-12-21 21:51:18, said:

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

[Oberkommando]

Quote

And smiling Thaipeople are history in tourism centers anyway

Really? I met loads of them in Ayutthaya last week. Phuket has a reputation for being unfriendly, and from experience I find the Southern Thais a lot less friendly than those in the North.

Quote

Thai attitudes turn to sh*t probably because of the daily abuse of tattooed hooligan scum from the U.K., ancient sex tourists, and a wide assortment of degenerates.

The Thais attitude has always been one of suspicion, distrust and dislike towards foreigners.

The recent influx of degenerates is only worsening the situation.

[DegenFarang]

It's like this on all of the islands I have visted to some degree. Phuket obviously being the worst but Samui is also extremely bad - though there at least you get to sit in a nice, new air-conditioned taxi while you are getting price gouged.

Haven't been to Phuket in a long time but now whenever I go to Samui, Phangan and Tao one of the very first things I do is rent a motorbike. Nothing pisses me off more than having no other option than paying 200 baht for a three minute taxi/tuk tuk ride - or in the case of Koh Tao, doing it sitting in the back of some guys pickup truck.

[moskito]

NEWS from PHUKET GAZETTE today, thought it fits in this thread here


MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Tourists disembarking at Phuket International Airport this morning encountered even more high-season chaos than usual, as police erected a new checkpoint there in an attempt to crack down on illegal ‘black plate’ taxis.

Phuket International Airport Director Prathueng Sornkham held a meeting at the airport yesterday to announce the crackdown, which he said was put in place at the request of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports following complaints from tourists.

The crackdown began at 9am sharp, when Wing Commander Prathueng was joined by Phuket Land Transport Office Director Kanok Siripanichakorn, Tha Chat Chai Police and Tourist Police in setting up a checkpoint at the exit gate of the airport to check for private cars carrying paying customers.

“Most of the complaints are from tourists, who say the black plate drivers annoy them, such as by taking them on shopping tours against their will and pestering them to buying things they don’t want or need. Some of them fall victim to scams,” he said.

The crackdown will continue, he said.

“We need to restore our good image among tourists…From the information we have, we think there are now about 200 illegal taxis operating here and we hope to solve this problem soon,” he said.

Mr Pratueng said he called yesterday’s meeting to let everyone at the airport know in advance what was coming, so that services there could continue as smoothly as possible despite the crackdown.

“We really have to help each other out, as currently there are 100,000 passengers transiting through the airport every month,” he said.

The only ones left out of the loop, it seems, were tourists. Many were forced to wait about 30 minutes with no idea what was going on while authorities interrogated their drivers.

Black plate taxis have long operated clandestinely at the airport, which is run by Airport of Thailand (AoT) Public Company Limited.

All taxis legally picking up fares from the airport must pay AoT, which has a concession arrangement with the Phuket Mai Khao Company to run sedan limousines onto AoT property.

Taxi meters are also allowed onto AoT grounds, but must pay a flat fee per fare.

In both case,  the costs are passed on to passengers. Both limousine drivers and meter taxis have long complained that taxi syndicates controlling other parts of the island make it impossible for them to pick up return passengers, further increasing their fuel costs and driving up fares.

One ‘black taxi’ driver told the Gazette he was only reacting to passenger demand by supplying transport to and from the airport at true market value.

Most of his customers were either friends or repeat customers that called him on his cell phone when they needed transport to or from the airport.

Many are expat residents who refuse to use the overpriced services of organized transport services on the island, he said.

He never tries to take his passengers anywhere they don’t want to go, but admitted that other illegal drivers might employ such tactics.

If stopped by authorities, he would simply say the passengers were his friends and he was providing the service free of charge, he said.




I highlighted three points which I found funny,

1.  Good idea to anounce a crackdown before it happend.........

2. which GOOD image he is talking about?

3. Why its called TAXI METER then?


let me know if you have an answer to my questions please  

[JiveTalker]

wintermute, on 2009-12-21 22:45:13, said:

RickBradford, on 2009-12-21 21:51:18, said:

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

Thai attitudes turn to sh*t probably because of the daily abuse of tattooed hooligan scum from the U.K., ancient sex tourists, and a wide assortment of degenerates. Not to put all the blame on the western trash a lot of the thai touts are the cesspool of society as well. It's basically a toilet bowl where sh*t meets sh*t and flushes into one brown and yellow swirl.

General prices and housing also go up because lame brained tourists are too stupid to bargain and aging expats living on pensions don't care.

Quality goes down. Service at even 2nd tier places like MK goes to sh*t because the staff knows they don't have to work as hard to keep any standard when the clientele is bar girls with expat boyfriends. You see more service personnel standing around idle chatting with crap attitudes because they know they don't have to remain presentable for anyone. Scams and other games goes way up as they know they are not held accountable for anything short of maybe mass murder.

Spoken like someone who's spent 2 weeks in a bar in Patong/Pattaya. Get out and see the rest of the country. You only see hooligan scum because that's what you're looking for. Open your mind and try to enjoy life.

[moskito]

JiveTalker, on 2009-12-23 09:17:58, said:

wintermute, on 2009-12-21 22:45:13, said:

RickBradford, on 2009-12-21 21:51:18, said:

Hypothesis: The higher the concentration of farang in any area in Thailand, the worse the place is to live in.

Discuss, using one side of the forum only.

Thai attitudes turn to sh*t probably because of the daily abuse of tattooed hooligan scum from the U.K., ancient sex tourists, and a wide assortment of degenerates. Not to put all the blame on the western trash a lot of the thai touts are the cesspool of society as well. It's basically a toilet bowl where sh*t meets sh*t and flushes into one brown and yellow swirl.

General prices and housing also go up because lame brained tourists are too stupid to bargain and aging expats living on pensions don't care.

Quality goes down. Service at even 2nd tier places like MK goes to sh*t because the staff knows they don't have to work as hard to keep any standard when the clientele is bar girls with expat boyfriends. You see more service personnel standing around idle chatting with crap attitudes because they know they don't have to remain presentable for anyone. Scams and other games goes way up as they know they are not held accountable for anything short of maybe mass murder.

Spoken like someone who's spent 2 weeks in a bar in Patong/Pattaya. Get out and see the rest of the country. You only see hooligan scum because that's what you're looking for. Open your mind and try to enjoy life.

Sorry JiveTalker, but obviously you are the one who have no idea here! Its like it is. foreigners changed over the past years. Many Farangs visiting LoS atm have absolutely no idea of the culture, many of them just came because they heard its cheap, for the bargirls and for the cheap alcohol. If tourists running around with a beerbottle on streets everywhere, not only in Patong and Pattaya, how they expect Thais to treat them as humans? Its common to drink in Thailand but not to running around while drinking. I also NEVER saw a Thai without a T-shirt in a shopping center, bank or public office.

We cant just take our houses and move up to the north to see another part of the country, like you suggested here!


btw, TOPIC is the transportation system!

[pampal]

The last time I was in Phuket(2004), I rented a private car with driver for 800 baht/day.
Problem solved.

[LuckyLew]

AS long as there is a Phuket with a Patong there will be tourists.
It is here forever. The island provides a combination of services
that cannot be found in many other tourist areas.

No issues with the tuk tuks

Now if they could just get rid of the yanks, the brits and the indian/
pakistani tailors it would be a great place

[SantiSuk]

Perhaps everyone should set aside 5 minutes of every day when in Phuket to walk up to a few tuk tuk drivers, start to negotiate a price and then walk away saying too expensive. Small steps seep through.

[webfact]

One off-topic post deleted

[tomster]

I love Phuket but the taxi situation is terrible, but no amount of moaning on here will sort it out. I rent a car when there, that solves 90% of the problem, then grin and bear it when I have to take a tuk-tuk.

However, seeing Pattaya compared to Phuket for Taxi Mafia is quite simply ridiculous, they are night and day.

My own experience (9 years) and that of many others who have lived here for much, much longer than that is that in general the island Thai's become a law unto themselves and are generally best avoided. My own personal experiences on Samui for a couple of years confirmed this to me.

Back on topic, just rent a small car or bike, problem solved (for most of the time)...

[Jingthing]

What a fantastic idea! Every resident and tourist in Phuket get their own private auto or bike. Bloody brilliant!

[KarenBravo]

Jingthing, on 2010-01-17 14:18:18, said:

What a fantastic idea! Every resident and tourist in Phuket get their own private auto or bike. Bloody brilliant!

That's not far from what has actually happened, thus, the virtual grid-lock on the roads at peak hours.
An affordable public transport system may reduce the need to use personal transport for every trip.