Thai Mafia in Phuket.

[vlad]

I have just been reading a report this morning given out yesterday by the Tourism head with the Headline " Don't let Thai Mafia spoil Phukets reopening " . This was said by the PM yesterday to his Tourism minister. So it is clearly Acknowledged that The Thai Mafia is in place on Phuket and has been for years. What has the PM and the RTP done to eradicate this activity ? . I can remember many attacks by TUK TUK drivers particularly in Patong and the Taxi mafia blocking access roads to some resorts around Kata and Karon yet it carries on to the extent of warning Taxi's not to wait at the Airport. I remember the Infamous JJ Neauman threatening a Marine at gunpoint from HMS Bulwark because he got scammed by him. What do our members here on T/TALK think about this subject and can it be Eradicated along with all the other Scams that have blighted the Island.   

[TobyAndrews]

To be fair when the junta came in they did arrest a few of the Thai mafia, and stopped them blocking hotel car shuttles to and from the airport.

The mafia had even erected illegal taxi shelters and these were demolished. Bank accounts were raided.

Some were jailed, and the local police and government were stopped from assisting the Thai Mafia.

Since then the Phuket government has become the mafia. I refer to the outrageous double pricing they have imposed for tourists. They have even made beaches national parks to charge tourist to go on them. 

Phuket has become the most expensive place in Thailand due to unfettered corruption, and the engrained Phuket Thai addiction to ripping off tourists.

Some Phuket expats will comment, If you know where to go you will not be swindled. But tourists do not know where to go.

Even this last year, Thaiger posted an article which showed a ferang charged more at a restaurant simply because he was a ferang. And Phuket was dead with hardly and tourists . . .

Still it did not stop these Thais from trying to scam a foreigner.

Phuket is the cess pool of Thailand. STAY AWAY.

[Poolie]

Do you take your own advice Toby?

 

You seem to find Thailand a distasteful place.

[vlad]

I'LL Be the first to say Phuket deserves its reputation but if you can ignore the Scams walk away from the rip offs do not hire anything unless its a bike who you know is reputable like the hotel your staying at ( but also these could be a freelance hirer ) stay clear. If you have to pay to sit on a beach walk away there are plenty to lie on. Best advice i got was talk to a local and listen. You will never be beaten in an argument with a thai simply walk away.

[AussieBob]

That Thai Mafia is everywhere in Thailand.  But as another poster has said, they have been suppressed by the Junta.  Traditionally the Thai Police tolerate the Thai Mafia as long as they 'play the game', but the Military when in power do take the opposing view to the Police - they see them as competition against their authority.  I always found as an Expat that if you leave them alone, and do what they 'tell' you, then you will be left alone.  That is the same everywhere, but more so in SEAsia where 'graft' is endemic across society.  Eradicating cockroaches would be easier than eradicating the Thai Mafia - as long as they dont go too far, then everything runs along as it does. 

[TobyAndrews]

5 hours ago, Slugger said:

Do you take your own advice Toby?

You seem to find Thailand a distasteful place.

Yes I had two nights in Phuket and never went back. Ten years ago.

Edited June 26, 2021 by TobyAndrews

[TiT]

The fact that they agreed to a 20% fare cut until general tourism reopens, and not to turn on the meters like is supposed to happen, just shows how deep the corruption runs.

[billybob]

I don't like driving in Thailand or hiring motorbikes so cheap transport is top of my list. Phuket is the worst place in Thailand to get around without Grab or baht buses or the like. So I avoid it. A shame because it is a beautiful island. Back in 2003 I wanted a tuk tuk to go from Patong to Karon about a 20 minute walk. He wanted 400 baht and wouldn't budge so I walked. His loss but ultimately Phuket's as well. The transport mafia in certain  places make it a lousy place to live. Pattaya/Jomtien for all it's faults has 10 baht baht buses and now cheap Grab taxis. 

[TiT]

9 minutes ago, billybob said:

I don't like driving in Thailand or hiring motorbikes so cheap transport is top of my list. Phuket is the worst place in Thailand to get around without Grab or baht buses or the like. So I avoid it. A shame because it is a beautiful island. Back in 2003 I wanted a tuk tuk to go from Patong to Karon about a 20 minute walk. He wanted 400 baht and wouldn't budge so I walked. His loss but ultimately Phuket's as well. The transport mafia in certain  places make it a lousy place to live. Pattaya/Jomtien for all it's faults has 10 baht baht buses and now cheap Grab taxis. 

In 2014, when attempting to get from Patong to Karon, I was handed a laminated sheet with prices to go to any location.  Everything was 600, 600, 600, 600, 600, 900, 1200 to get anywhere, even as you said, a 20 minute walk away.  Ended up renting a scooter instead for 200 baht for the day.  Even then, not a fan of riding a motorbike with so much traffic and crazy ass drivers in those hills.  Pattaya and Jomtien have always been a decent option for those who don't like to ride due to the frequency of the baht busses.  However, even those can sometimes be a headache, either overfilled with people hanging off the back or asshole drivers that boot you off halfway around the loop.  *shrug*  I prefer to drive whenever possible as long as it isn't in Bangkok or another big, congested city.

[gummy]

On 6/26/2021 at 3:43 PM, TobyAndrews said:

To be fair when the junta came in they did arrest a few of the Thai mafia, and stopped them blocking hotel car shuttles to and from the airport.

The mafia had even erected illegal taxi shelters and these were demolished. Bank accounts were raided.

Some were jailed, and the local police and government were stopped from assisting the Thai Mafia.

Since then the Phuket government has become the mafia. I refer to the outrageous double pricing they have imposed for tourists. They have even made beaches national parks to charge tourist to go on them. 

Phuket has become the most expensive place in Thailand due to unfettered corruption, and the engrained Phuket Thai addiction to ripping off tourists.

Some Phuket expats will comment, If you know where to go you will not be swindled. But tourists do not know where to go.

Even this last year, Thaiger posted an article which showed a ferang charged more at a restaurant simply because he was a ferang. And Phuket was dead with hardly and tourists . . .

Still it did not stop these Thais from trying to scam a foreigner.

Phuket is the cess pool of Thailand. STAY AWAY.

I have been in Thailand many decades and just like most provinces Phuket was and is still no differant.  All run by mafia style feudalistic warlords

Edited July 11, 2021 by gummy

[colinneil]

Phuket mafia...... Government mafia, same same but different.

[TiT]

12 hours ago, colinneil said:

Phuket mafia...... Government mafia, same same but different.

That's basically the situation.  It finally gets attention for the Phuket sandbox and it is totally ignored even by the highest ranks.  An interim 20% reduction in fares and no mandatory use of the meters is basically admitting, yes there is a problem, but we refuse to fix it because it is too lucrative for everyone involved.