I don't disagree that Phuket has inflated prices
But if you aren't super budget conscious you wouldn't have any of those issues
I've been taking the limo desk for 20 years
Always a very nice Camry with a very courteous and safe driver
For 700-800 baht
Which is expensive for Thailand but comparable to North America so I'm not going to worry
I have a few dollars in the bank
We tried the taxi metre once and it was exactly how you described
I'm fine paying a bit more for a proper ride
The bands of the 20th century sang about feelings.
Since then it seems that bands have dissapeard and songs about sex, drugs, or violence have been the mainstream.
It seems like there is no meaning in the music of today, just video clips pushing the limits of sexual morality onto a video screen to see who can be more explicit than the the next.
Yet when our younger generation hear those bands of the 20th century for the first time, 8 out of 10 times they have an explosion of feelings about the songs.