News Forum - Phuket drivers protest against new baht bus service threatening livelihoods

[Thaiger]

Around 50 tuk tuk and taxi drivers swarmed the Patong Municipality offices in Phuket yesterday to express their discontent about a proposed baht bus circular service that could potentially disrupt their livelihoods. Mayor Chalermsak Maneesri, along with other officials, received the formal complaint as the officers of the Patong Police maintained order. The complaint predicted … …

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[WMD]

I live in Pattaya and all my visits to Phuket the Tuk Tuk drivers I've found to be a blatant rippoff . A circular baht bus route in Patong similar to here in Pattaya would be a great benefit to tourists and residents alike. The 10 baht service in  Pattaya and Jomtien is a great budget way of hopping about .Be interesting to see if the Gods of power ever let this eventuate.

 

 

[Smiler]

The taxi drivers especially in Phuket are just crying foul because it will effect their scams, the bus idea is great half the taxi drivers are just greedy gangsters. 

[Mamachigawa]

Blatant ripoff cartel. I hope they put out of business

[TheDirtyDurian]

What a joke!

Taxi services seen to exist in coexistence with bus services just fine in other areas...

[Guest1]

Of course they dont like a 40 Baht Baht Bus.

Right now, it can cost you more from the Airport Bus to your Hotel, as from the Airport to the TukTuk.

On 11/1/2023 at 7:13 AM, Thaiger said:

The drivers informed him that the new service would jeopardize the jobs of around 200 tuk tuk and taxi drivers in Patong

They are more unneeded, as just the 200. In Patong.

This is a Job, many drivers inherit from father, uncle, ...

Just already they do that, whike the others still driving.

(Often as black taxis, on top, in the second shift)

In the past 20 years, the number of pro drivers on Phuket was skyrocking, from about 1000 Tuk Tuks to over 2000

Plus metertaxis , "limo" service, mini busses and 2 airport bus lines.

That is one reason, to keep prices more as double, as in other provinces: they need to have a living with one or two rides a day.

And thinking on the red Tuktuks with a yellow roof, they granted licenses a decade ago ,or such:

Ig will not happen, the  baht bus.

Because Kata Karon could use that , too

Or Phuket town. The rad yellow Tuktuks were licensed for just that, rotating hop on hop off in Phuket town.

But from the very first day they made it "fixed price" chartered fairs.

No one ever worried about it.

[Guest1]

13 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

What a joke!

Taxi services seen to exist in coexistence with bus services just fine in other areas...

The difference is: there they had both side by side from the beginning.

In Phuket, they monopolized TukTuks for a long time.

[TheDirtyDurian]

24 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

The difference is: there they had both side by side from the beginning.

In Phuket, they monopolized TukTuks for a long time.

So time for some readjustment..

[Vigo]

No one has any sympathy for the drivers. They have been abusing the public for far too long.

[Marc26]

Phuket is a joke with transportation, on a whole

 

I'm fine with it, going there 20 years

So I just won't get worked up over it

 

But it is a joke

 

 

Last time I was in Phuket in March 

I was taking a ferry to Phi Phi

 

Booked my "taxi" the day before

He was 45mins late so I was going to possibly miss my ferry

 

I think we agreed on 800baht

 

Of course he had no change and I had 300 baht and a 1000 baht bill 

And he tod me to go get change

 

I walked in the terminal, with about 6mins to spare

It was very crowded

 

I turned around and walked up to his "taxi" and gave him the 300 baht and walked away onto the ferry

 

 

 

[ChrisS]

No sympathy for the tuk tuk drivers who rip tourists off every day. About time some 'competition' was put into the mix.

[MrE]

It's about time the cartel got broken up somewhat. Have been travelling to Thailand on and off for 20 years, but was always shocked and disgusted at the price of taxis and lack of public transport. Let's see if anything actually changes 

[HolyCowCm]

Ask 1 question about the worst never ending blight on Phuket, and it will be answered these clowns. No sympathy for these thugs. 

[anotherme]

Phuket is coming to a gridlock. Traffic is horrendous and limiting further growth.

Having less cars and minivans on the roads, but a better busservice or even Light Rail would help. Eventually this would help the tuktuk drivers, but who would expect them to have a longterm vision, when all they think about is short-term greed.

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, anotherme said:

Phuket is coming to a gridlock. Traffic is horrendous and limiting further growth.

 

Agreed 

 

I've been saying for a while that I still enjoy Phuket but only when I am where I want to be

 

So within the towns, Kamala, Karon, etc it's great

But if you have to drive anywhere else it really does suck

 

 

My wife has a famous line

We flew into Phuket after a relaxing few days in Samui 

 

On the drive from Phuket Airport she said 

"Phuket make me lose my relax"   

[TravelingMatt]

The bus would be so good for the area as well as tourism. I don't visit patong as often just because the premium you pay to visit. 200 baht to ride a tuk tuk for a short distance.  Need to go anywhere not on beach road or second road and the money goes way up.  Try to avoid it with Grab. Nope Grab is under the control of someone there because it costs about 4x more in Patong than it does in other parts of Thailand. I don't like that people could lose their jobs. But their greed did this to them. If their prices wasn't so absurd, then the bus wouldn't be needed.  The bus option will provide a much needed service to the people of Patong, residents and tourists alike. 

[Marc26]

8 hours ago, TravelingMatt said:

The bus would be so good for the area as well as tourism. I don't visit patong as often just because the premium you pay to visit. 200 baht to ride a tuk tuk for a short distance.  Need to go anywhere not on beach road or second road and the money goes way up.  Try to avoid it with Grab. Nope Grab is under the control of someone there because it costs about 4x more in Patong than it does in other parts of Thailand. I don't like that people could lose their jobs. But their greed did this to them. If their prices wasn't so absurd, then the bus wouldn't be needed.  The bus option will provide a much needed service to the people of Patong, residents and tourists alike. 

I agree there should be a cheap way to get around Patong

 

But in the same breath it's not hard at all to get around Patong as is

Walk or take a MB taxi

[TheDirtyDurian]

4 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I agree there should be a cheap way to get around Patong

But in the same breath it's not hard at all to get around Patong as is

Walk or take a MB taxi

Not ideal for families though. 

Just give people the choice and let the market decide what's viable and what's not.

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Not ideal for families though. 

 

That's a valid point

 

But do you really think the average tourist family is worried about the 300 baht they would be charged?

 

If they have young kids, the kids would be thrilled to go in a tuk tuk

 

 

I'm not condoning the tuk tuk mafia.

It's ridiculous 

 

But honestly it is only us long time visitors and expats that complain 

And those people don't even use their services all that much...

 

The average tourist doesn't give it one thought, for the most part 

 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

20 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

That's a valid point

But do you really think the average tourist family is worried about the 300 baht they would be charged?

If they have young kids, the kids would be thrilled to go in a tuk tuk

I'm not condoning the tuk tuk mafia.

It's ridiculous 

But honestly it is only us long time visitors and expats that complain 

And those people don't even use their services all that much...

The average tourist doesn't give it one thought, for the most part 

Can't speak for myself because I'd always drive there when I'm in Phuket but I do think it would annoy people over a couple of weeks. 

A Saudi friend of mine visited Phuket not so long ago with his wife and three children. Fairly high spending visitors I would have thought in comparison to others based on what he told me about his trip. 

He said he had a great time but did complain about the price of taxis, getting around. 

I'm sure some people don't care, but others do. 

A family isn't necessarily including children all the time either so not everyone has to be in love with tuktuks!

I'm for giving people the choice and what works will work.

 

[Marc26]

7 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Can't speak for myself because I'd always drive there when I'm in Phuket but I do think it would annoy people over a couple of weeks. 

A Saudi friend of mine visited Phuket not so long ago with his wife and three children. Fairly high spending visitors I would have thought in comparison to others based on what he told me about his trip. 

He said he had a great time but did complain about the price of taxis, getting around. 

I'm sure some people don't care, but others do. 

A family isn't necessarily including children all the time either so not everyone has to be in love with tuktuks!

I'm for giving people the choice and what works will work.

Like I said above 

I am not condoning the tuk tuk mafia

 

It's a ridiculous situation that has gone on for years 

 

I just don't think it's that big of a deal for the average tourist