News Forum - Phuket officials comment on recent ‘taxi’ fiasco – everything except taxi meters

[Thaiger]

It’s the public, especially tourists’, “misunderstanding” of the way taxis fares are charged on the island of Phuket that is the problem. That’s the explanation from Phuket Land Transport Chief Jaturong Kaewkasi during an interview on an island radio station this week. The Phuket Land Transport has responded to last week’s viral video clip when a Thai man posted the altercation with a taxi driver demanding 600 baht for a 10-15 minute ride from Kamala to Patong Beach. The local Land Transport department has also re-released a list of standard set fares to be charged by the island’s taxis and tuk […]

The story Phuket officials comment on recent ‘taxi’ fiasco – everything except taxi meters as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Fundok]

The Tuk Tuk's drivers on Phuket seem even more ruthless than the cab drivers when it comes to ripping off unexperienced visitors.

TAT wants to attract wealthy tourists? Time to clean the house first, like the cheating on taxi fares or charging different entry fees for locals and farang.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Fundok
Typo

[TravellingThaiGerrr]

I'm sure misunderstanding is only partially to blame. Foreigners tend to know when they're being cheated. It's an unmistakable gut feeling that's nauseating. But when the cheater is the driver and he controls the meter and door locks, there's not much you can do to protect yourself in the moment. It's not worth your personal safety to escalate the situation. The language barrier can be especially debilitating and makes foreigners prime targets for taxi exploitation. Sometimes the safest thing to do is just pay the price, take pictures of the driver ID and taxi license plates, then report to the police in hopes of getting your money back. But then you have to decide if that's even worth more of your precious time, especially if you're on vacation. If you were only cheated out of 1-2 thousand baht, then it's probably not worth your time and mental anguish to report it. Just move on and be more careful/prepared next time. And don't be too hard on yourself, either. Taxi scams happen to the best of us. Take comfort in the fact that most Thai believe in karma. What goes around comes around, as they say.

[Dmitrii]

7 minutes ago, TravellingThaiGerrr said:

I'm sure misunderstanding is only partially to blame. Foreigners tend to know when they're being cheated. It's an unmistakable gut feeling that's nauseating. But when the cheater is the driver and he controls the meter and door locks, there's not much you can do to protect yourself in the moment. It's not worth your personal safety to escalate the situation. The language barrier can be especially debilitating and makes foreigners prime targets for taxi exploitation. Sometimes the safest thing to do is just pay the price, take pictures of the driver ID and taxi license plates, then report to the police in hopes of getting your money back. But then you have to decide if that's even worth more of your precious time, especially if you're on vacation. If you were only cheated out of 1-2 thousand baht, then it's probably not worth your time and mental anguish to report it. Just move on and be more careful/prepared next time. And don't be too hard on yourself, either. Taxi scams happen to the best of us. Take comfort in the fact that most Thai believe in karma. What goes around comes around, as they say.

I have a feeling that these taxi drivers do not see it as cheating. I think that they feel entitled to charge farangs double or triple price because it is why farangs are allowed in the country

All in all, it is just one of the rules of the game. We are coming to Thailand because it is cheap and provides us with the adult entertainment which is not allowed or not affordable in developed countries. But it is one side of the coin. The other side is corruption. All cheap developing countries are corrupted, it is exactly why they are cheap and still developing. Corruption means a number of nuances like this. And this taxi overcharge is not the worst of it, not even close...

[Michael0510]

On my last trips to Phuket the transportation from the airport was included in the hotel rate.

The way back it was exactly the „maximum price“, which seems to be the standard price as well. It was about USD 25 for a 50 minute/20 miles trip.

For a shorter trip from Manhattan to Newark airport I pay about USD 100.

So for me it‘s hard to see the big rip off in Phuket. 

[DiJoDavO]

If no one likes it and it has been a problem for a long time, how about no one taking the taxi anymore unless they change their prices. Find another way to get around, or just skip Phuket completely. 

But that won't happen, because clueless tourists will just pay what's asked + a huge tip. 

[Marc26]

1 minute ago, Michael0510 said:

On my last trips to Phuket the transportation from the airport was included in the hotel rate.

The way back it was exactly the „maximum price“, which seems to be the standard price as well. It was about USD 25 for a 50 minute/20 miles trip.

For a shorter trip from Manhattan to Newark airport I pay about USD 100.

So for me it‘s hard to see the big rip off in Phuket. 

I tend to agree

Even the 600 baht Kamala to Patong isn't that outrageous.............

it's pricey for Thailand

 

but i think BKK taxi prices are way underpriced, IMO

[BIGGLES]

I think that people need to draw a distinction between Taxis and Tuk Tuks.

I have used the same Taxi and driver for years. I pay him 1000 baht from the airport to Pa tong, even though the published fare is 800 baht. Admittedly, he and his family are friends and I did years ago, help him to get his first car. The point is this, the rates are published at the airport. Go to the taxi desk, tell them where you're going, pay your money and get a slip which you give to the driver.

Its only a rip off if you don't want to pay the advertised price! Yes, we know it's cheaper in Bangkok, but you're not in Bangkok. Just as its cheaper for a cab in the North of England as opposed to the South of England. 

The real problem is with the Tuk Tuk. That's where you need to have very good bahtering skills, and be sure what you are getting and for how much.

Problem is, at silly o'clock, full of booze the intellectualy challenged one night millionaires are taken advantage of.

ZERO SYMPATHY FOR THEM.

[Marc26]

4 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

I think that people need to draw a distinction between Taxis and Tuk Tuks.

I have used the same Taxi and driver for years. I pay him 1000 baht from the airport to Pa tong, even though the published fare is 800 baht. Admittedly, he and his family are friends and I did years ago, help him to get his first car. The point is this, the rates are published at the airport. Go to the taxi desk, tell them where you're going, pay your money and get a slip which you give to the driver.

Its only a rip off if you don't want to pay the advertised price! Yes, we know it's cheaper in Bangkok, but you're not in Bangkok. Just as its cheaper for a cab in the North of England as opposed to the South of England. 

The real problem is with the Tuk Tuk. That's where you need to have very good bahtering skills, and be sure what you are getting and for how much.

Problem is, at silly o'clock, full of booze the intellectualy challenged one night millionaires are taken advantage of.

ZERO SYMPATHY FOR THEM.

My point about BKK is that I feel it is too cheap

So when compared to Phuket, it makes Phuket seem uber expensive

 

And when I am in Phuket, I always find a driver, usually with a very nice car, that charges a fair price and I use them the whole trip..........

[FTF020]

48 minutes ago, TravellingThaiGerrr said:

Foreigners tend to know when they're being cheated. It's an unmistakable gut feeling that's nauseating. But when the cheater is the driver and he controls the meter and door locks, there's not much you can do to protect yourself in the moment.

But that's the great thing in Phuket, you don't need to feel that anxiety because you know you'll be overcharged long before you get into a taxi 

[Cathat]

complaints about phuket taxi fares and service go back way beyond the 20 years stated in the article.

i remember people complaining about them in the 1980's and the subject featured in the letters section of the bangkok post on a  regular basis so it was clearly not new even then!

the ridiculous "agreed fares" in this article will only result in yet more complaints and tarnished image for the whole island worldwide.

this was a good opportunity to clean up the whole fiasco once and for all but as ever it has been wasted.

the power of the phuket taxi mafia is incredible.

 

[Sawarot]

23 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

I think that people need to draw a distinction between Taxis and Tuk Tuks.

I have used the same Taxi and driver for years. I pay him 1000 baht from the airport to Pa tong, even though the published fare is 800 baht. Admittedly, he and his family are friends and I did years ago, help him to get his first car. The point is this, the rates are published at the airport. Go to the taxi desk, tell them where you're going, pay your money and get a slip which you give to the driver.

Its only a rip off if you don't want to pay the advertised price! Yes, we know it's cheaper in Bangkok, but you're not in Bangkok. Just as its cheaper for a cab in the North of England as opposed to the South of England. 

The real problem is with the Tuk Tuk. That's where you need to have very good bahtering skills, and be sure what you are getting and for how much.

Problem is, at silly o'clock, full of booze the intellectualy challenged one night millionaires are taken advantage of.

ZERO SYMPATHY FOR THEM.

If it was only about the transport between airport and resort hotel... fine. I can carry that cost and swallow the feeling of being ripped off. Airports are expensive everywhere. And if you scratch the surface, there are cheaper options, some buses to take, etc. 

But I spent two weeks in Phuket with a 7yo. I wasn't comfortable renting a car or a motorbike so I asked around for transportation options. I was only offered taxi or tuk-tuk. I now know I should have asked more people and Googled it. But I was roundly taken advantage of. Having a tired 7yo in tow also meant the drivers knew I would pay basically anything to go from point A to point B. Spending thousands of baht every day just to get around made me feel like I should probably not come back to Thailand any time soon. Even if I can afford it, it's just not worth it. 

Luckily I researched the topic when I came home, found some cheaper options for the times I found myself on the island again but mainly just steered clear of the place. It's just not worth it. There are way better parts of the country. 

[Marc26]

24 minutes ago, Sawarot said:

If it was only about the transport between airport and resort hotel... fine. I can carry that cost and swallow the feeling of being ripped off. Airports are expensive everywhere. And if you scratch the surface, there are cheaper options, some buses to take, etc. 

But I spent two weeks in Phuket with a 7yo. I wasn't comfortable renting a car or a motorbike so I asked around for transportation options. I was only offered taxi or tuk-tuk. I now know I should have asked more people and Googled it. But I was roundly taken advantage of. Having a tired 7yo in tow also meant the drivers knew I would pay basically anything to go from point A to point B. Spending thousands of baht every day just to get around made me feel like I should probably not come back to Thailand any time soon. Even if I can afford it, it's just not worth it. 

Luckily I researched the topic when I came home, found some cheaper options for the times I found myself on the island again but mainly just steered clear of the place. It's just not worth it. There are way better parts of the country. 

Good reasonable post

 

Although I don't know how people think paying $24usd for a 40-45min taxi ride from the airport is anywhere close to being ripped off

[Cathat]

1 hour ago, Michael0510 said:

On my last trips to Phuket the transportation from the airport was included in the hotel rate.

The way back it was exactly the „maximum price“, which seems to be the standard price as well. It was about USD 25 for a 50 minute/20 miles trip.

For a shorter trip from Manhattan to Newark airport I pay about USD 100.

So for me it‘s hard to see the big rip off in Phuket. 

Comparing a taxi trip from manhattan to newark to a taxi trip from a phuket beach resort to the local airport is like comparing apples with oranges.

a far better comparison would be to compare a taxi trip from silom road (bangkok's financial district) or pattaya to one of bangkok's international airports.

the service from either will be far better and cheaper per mile than the phuket equivalent.its a relative thing that annoys plenty of locals, visitors and expats alike.

[vvdb.fr]

there is also the scam at the airport taxibus which does not fill up and the touts come to see you for a discounted taxi trip (from the same company) by showing you that the taxibus ticket is not refundable... and you wait even longer when someone snaps.

At 9:10pm they come to tell you because the last shuttle left at 9:00pm that the taxibus is not providing the trip... tomorrow or taxi !

I lived Feb 1, arrived 7:00 p.m. at Phuket airport. Room in Patong 11:00pm

When you sell a package ticket, you provide the service. The last trip cannot be complete.

Edited February 3, 2022 by vvdb.fr
English

[BIGGLES]

43 minutes ago, Sawarot said:

If it was only about the transport between airport and resort hotel... fine. I can carry that cost and swallow the feeling of being ripped off. Airports are expensive everywhere. And if you scratch the surface, there are cheaper options, some buses to take, etc. 

But I spent two weeks in Phuket with a 7yo. I wasn't comfortable renting a car or a motorbike so I asked around for transportation options. I was only offered taxi or tuk-tuk. I now know I should have asked more people and Googled it. But I was roundly taken advantage of. Having a tired 7yo in tow also meant the drivers knew I would pay basically anything to go from point A to point B. Spending thousands of baht every day just to get around made me feel like I should probably not come back to Thailand any time soon. Even if I can afford it, it's just not worth it. 

Luckily I researched the topic when I came home, found some cheaper options for the times I found myself on the island again but mainly just steered clear of the place. It's just not worth it. There are way better parts of the country. 

No sympathy for you, leave the ankle snapper at home. Thailand/Phuket is big boys playground!

[Bluesofa]

1 hour ago, TravellingThaiGerrr said:

But when the cheater is the driver and he controls the meter and door locks, there's not much you can do to protect yourself in the moment.

Can the driver lock the doors of a taxi in Thailand to prevent you getting out? I had no idea. How many years has this been possible?

[TheDirtyDurian]

There's no point comparing to other countries. Average salaries and COL is different there. Let's just stick to comparing different places within Thailand where living costs and gas prices are broadly similar. 

How is it that a taxi in Bangkok from Soyouwannaboomboom to downtown is a few hundred, over a longer distance, but Phuket airport to Patong is more than double. 

The fact that Grab etc will go for far less shows that the routes are viable at lower prices, so it's just profiteering plain and simple. 

Anyone who thinks prices in Phuket are fair is dreaming. A Saudi colleague who went to Phuket a couple of years ago with his family was telling me about his vacation. He said he had a great time, but the one thing he complained about was the taxis. Why were they so expensive?? 

It's all very well to talk about NYC prices, but 99.99% of people are not coming from there, and they'll walk away with a bad taste in the mouth. 

I fill up my car in Thailand for 1200 baht give or take a bit. So one trip over 20-30km from the airport and the taxi has got a whole tank of gas left to play with. Just think about that. 

I could go from HH to BKK in a taxi for 1500, Pattaya to BKK for a 1000, and yet people are somehow justifying the guys in Phuket saying their prices are fair!!

 

 

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, Michael0510 said:

The way back it was exactly the „maximum price“, which seems to be the standard price as well. It was about USD 25 for a 50 minute/20 miles trip.

Of course, becaus the maximum price is the minimum price! This:

One of his comments about the controversial fares suggested that passengers were entitled to “negotiate 50 baht higher or lower than the set fare”

is a joke! Aside that no one would negotiate "50 baht higher", to get 50 baht down would be a miracle, too!

And please, don't compare "For a shorter trip from Manhattan to Newark airport I pay about USD 100" this with Phuket/Thailand. Not YOUR income in the US, your prices there, are relevant, the Income HERE, the prices here are that! Aside: It was a Thai, who got the thing roll, this time! A Thai did complain about Taxi fares in Phuket/Thailand

Bangkok is mostly not half the price, even cheaper as the Grab prices on Phuket.

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I tend to agree

Even the 600 baht Kamala to Patong isn't that outrageous.............

it's pricey for Thailand

but i think BKK taxi prices are way underpriced, IMO

Why do you , often tourists, look with "their home country glasses" on to prices in the holiday destination?

Are they charging "special prices" in your country, in tourists destinations? That much special, that only morons can say "Oh, that is not more expensive, as it would be in my country, so it is ok"? In a country, they coming because it is sooo much cheaper? Where many people in a month not earning the money, that you spend in a week for your hotel?

Bangkok Taxi prices are kind of adopted to the average income in Bangkok/Thailand! Of course it is really cheap for us and for people with good paid jobs. But still, the majority of people can't afford to drive taxi every day!

On Phuket, on the west coast, is hardly any Thai using this "taxi services". Unless there is a foreigner on board, who will pay the price! Oh: And even Moto-Taxis are having prices for Thais and prices for Foreigners!

[Marc26]

47 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

No sympathy for you, leave the ankle snapper at home. Thailand/Phuket is big boys playground!

What an absurd post........

[Ksmui]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

Good reasonable post

Although I don't know how people think paying $24usd for a 40-45min taxi ride from the airport is anywhere close to being ripped off

What the relative value of something is and being ripped off are not synonymous- yes taxis are cheap compared to other countries. However when the posted rate is 800 to Patong - clearly written on a sign and the taxi “government” expeditor refuses to call a taxi for less than 1200 - I’d define that as a rip off 

[dj230]

I just use grab, never had any issues with fares. 

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, BIGGLES said:

I think that people need to draw a distinction between Taxis and Tuk Tuks.

There is just one thing wrong:

 

taxi - a motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter.

Everything else, Tuk Tuk,  "Limosine Service" (usually minimum 2000cc for green plate, just on Phuket 1500 can be enough), is chartered fair! I don't call that taxi. 

And yes, in Kuala Lumpur it is an advantage, to go to the counter, pay the ride and get a voucher. 

In Phuket it is the way, to keep the meters off. Because also the meter Taxis are trying to go for the chartered price. Which they legally can, on the way TO the airport. At least a couple of years ago it was reported that way: Meters on from the airport, but not on the way to the airport.

 

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

And when I am in Phuket, I always find a driver, usually with a very nice car, that charges a fair price and I use them the whole trip..........

Lets see, the "taxi" from that driver has white plates with black letters/numbers on it?