Phuket reviews taxi rates after “Sandbox” tourists report high prices

[BIGGLES]

I've been coming to Phuket two or three times a year since 1986. 

The airport price for a "limo" to Patong is advertised at 800 baht. I don't think that's over the top.

There are meter taxis ad an alternative.

There are mini buses as another option, which I believe are cheaper.

I use my regular driver and have done for years. In fact I helped him get his first car, before he became a taxi operator. I give him 1000 to Patong, the same back to the airport. The bonus for me is no hassle, no waiting, etc. The added bonus is, while I'm in Phuket, as a solo traveller he rings me every other day to see if I need or want anything. Also, if I want to go anywhere,  he does not charge me a single baht.

My problem is with tuk-tuk and motorcycle people.

[Soidog]

15 minutes ago, BIGGLES said:

I've been coming to Phuket two or three times a year since 1986. 

The airport price for a "limo" to Patong is advertised at 800 baht. I don't think that's over the top.

There are meter taxis ad an alternative.

There are mini buses as another option, which I believe are cheaper.

I use my regular driver and have done for years. In fact I helped him get his first car, before he became a taxi operator. I give him 1000 to Patong, the same back to the airport. The bonus for me is no hassle, no waiting, etc. The added bonus is, while I'm in Phuket, as a solo traveller he rings me every other day to see if I need or want anything. Also, if I want to go anywhere,  he does not charge me a single baht.

My problem is with tuk-tuk and motorcycle people.

I don’t think people are complaining about the figure of 800 baht (£20-US$27).  This is considered cheap by most Western standards. It’s the fact that if you are Thai or even a foreigner who knows the score, you maybe only pay 500baht. It’s the principle people are objecting too. Being fed upon simply because you are a new “guest” to the Land of Smiles. If I may use an analogy (people love to pull them apart so good for a comments section). It would be like going to put fuel in your motorbike and being charged 35 baht a litre at one pump, while Thais are charged 25 baht a litre at another. Oh, wait a minute, that also happens in Thailand ;-) 

Just not a nice way to treat your “Guests”

[AlexPTY]

This very lond article could be sumerised in few words: "ain't gonna happen" 

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, DWiener said:

Seriously? After all the cost involved getting to Phuket and someone is complaining about a $10 difference in a taxi ride??? I got mine for 700 baht from the airport to Karon which is ridiculously cheap considering the distance. I'll tip the driver 2-300 baht. To put it in perspective - my Uber to Sydney airport is half the distance and it's AUD$110 (~2500 baht)! 

Whingers gotta whinge

Agreed - the big spenders are really hitting town, trying to save a couple of dollars on their airport taxi ... but it's "the principle" of course.

 

... maybe farangs really are detested in Phuket - I'm beginning to see why.

[Bob]

5 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Agreed - the big spenders are really hitting town, trying to save a couple of dollars on their airport taxi ... but it's "the principle" of course.

... maybe farangs really are detested in Phuket - I'm beginning to see why.

Agreed. Big spenders moaning about a few hundred baht. Probably don’t moan about paying the bar fine or joiner fee

[Stonker]

6 minutes ago, Bob said:

Agreed. Big spenders moaning about a few hundred baht. Probably don’t moan about paying the bar fine or joiner fee

My guess is they very probably do!

 

... and reading the facebook posts, it's a hundred baht they're whinging about ..... but it's all about "the principle" of course .....

[harry1]

the new governor seems to have settled well into his new job,the locals must be pleased

[Soidog]

32 minutes ago, Stonker said:

My guess is they very probably do!

... and reading the facebook posts, it's a hundred baht they're whinging about ..... but it's all about "the principle" of course .....

The thing about principles, is that for those people who don’t have a good set of principles, they are easy to ignore. So I can see why it’s easy for some people to ridicule them. Overcharging for a service is just as bad as underpaying someone who provides a service to you. They are the flip side of the same coin. 

[Soidog]

5 minutes ago, Colin said:

There is another solution here for those who feel hard done by the Taxi drivers: fly business class with an airline that provides a limo service. I know that Etihad and Emirates do (well, did) into BKK, may be HKT not so much ?  If not, then there's a business opportunity for someone......

Agreed. That way, whomever you are, you get charged the same price as other business class users irrespective of nationality. That’s fair. 

[DiJoDavO]

In a report from the Thai media outlet Khaosod, the governor said there were no taxis were found to be overcharging.... 

-----—----------------

Do you overcharge? We'll arrest you if you do. 

Taxi guy: No. 

Ok. 

Same way as no prostitution in Pattaya

 

But they do it because they can. I would rather blame the tourists. Any tourist is like: wow 2k for a taxi, that's cheap! While with a little research, you probably get to your hotel with a few hundred baht. 

And in the end, expats are screwed because we look like tourists, but with Thai salary. 

[DiJoDavO]

8 hours ago, DWiener said:

Seriously? After all the cost involved getting to Phuket and someone is complaining about a $10 difference in a taxi ride??? I got mine for 700 baht from the airport to Karon which is ridiculously cheap considering the distance. I'll tip the driver 2-300 baht. To put it in perspective - my Uber to Sydney airport is half the distance and it's AUD$110 (~2500 baht)! 

Whingers gotta whinge

Maybe that's, idk, because prices in Australia are also a bit higher than prices in Thailand? 

You clearly have no idea how mony works. Thai salaries are lower than in Australia, so you can expect something here to be quite cheaper than there too, especially a service. 

What tourists will pay, becomes a standard for those taxi drivers to ask also from expats who live here with Thai salaries.

Ok, I could still afford it, but there's no way I'm gonna pay that amount as I know what it's actually worth in Thailand. 

Thanks to people like you, expats here still have to pay fees while their Thai wife and children can get in for free. Not willing to pay that isn't being kee-niao, but suspecting racism. 

[Naja]

Hey, Thaiger, just to clear up the article, it is not a "SHE" that wrote the first post on Facebook but a "HE"!  And I know because I inquired since I know I have paid less to get to that hotel many times over the years.  If we are required to take SHA+ transportation to the hotel then it should be regulated and not be subject to over charging just so they can make a few extra bucks.  It's not that I or many others cannot afford it, but the principle that the Phuket Sandbox I fear is seen by many, especially the taxi mafia, as a reason to gouge people that take advantage of the Sandbox and they should be happy that there are more people coming to the island and spending their money there.   Make the prices fair and reasonable and more people will take advantage of the taxis, etc instead of walking to many places.  I would rather have more to spend on all the open local establishments I may go to instead of forking more than necessary to over priced transportation!  That way everyone benefits!!

[TorontoJeff]

7 hours ago, Stonker said:

Agreed - the big spenders are really hitting town, trying to save a couple of dollars on their airport taxi ... but it's "the principle" of course.

... maybe farangs really are detested in Phuket - I'm beginning to see why.

My beef is Grab drivers fearing for their safety. If farangs are detested in Phuket, maybe they should stop coming.  I'm sure the Thais would be thrilled to go bankrupt.

[JamesE]

6 hours ago, Colin said:

True, but does it have to be all in one week ?

Considering that one week might be all the time they have, yes.

[Scotty]

You can ALWAYS rely on any form of motorised transportation, be it Taxis, Jet Skis etc to spoil it for everyone. I thought there was a campaign to make sure the 'Mafia don't spoil the party'. More talk as usual... Thailand wake the f...UP!!!

[vlad]

1 hour ago, Scotty said:

You can ALWAYS rely on any form of motorised transportation, be it Taxis, Jet Skis etc to spoil it for everyone. I thought there was a campaign to make sure the 'Mafia don't spoil the party'. More talk as usual... Thailand wake the f...UP!!!

They have responded Scotty a phuket official has come out and said Fares have gone down since the epidemic lol. of course the fares were down there were no customers.

On 7/5/2021 at 4:54 AM, EdwardV said:

Well that didn’t take long. No surprise when the authorities looked into the rates they found nothing amiss. Par for the course. 

Name the Hotel.