Dont these guys realise that if they continue with their "tricks" sooner or later word will get around that Phuket is destination to avoid.Tourists will stop coming.Most tourists only get their information from newspapers at home. They can only see what is written down in front of them. In Egypt at some sites there was so much hassle from "touts" that the tour companies stopped going there.Everyone lost out, the same happened in India.
It will only take one article in a national newspaper, look at all the cr*p that was written after the tsunami. If you just read the papers, the entire island of Phuket was wiped out, rebuilding would take years,typhoid was rife and the place was deserted.
The hotels are as much to blame, as if they did not pay "commission" to these touts the problem would disappear.Ok, everyone has to earn a living but if you get ripped off once, you think twice next time, so the touts gain today but everyone will suffer tomorrow.
In a lot of places around the World,at major tourist sites, taxi fares are clearly displayed to all the major destinations.If the tourist board pick on companies one at atime they will never solve anything.Maybe, they should publish a visitors guide to these type of scams and distribute it at the airport and all hotels.
Ok, thats my little rant over and done with.
