Gov under siege from limo drivers

[LivinLOS]

Gov under siege from limo drivers

PHUKET CITY: Some 100 furious limousine drivers today blocked Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura’s car, preventing the Governor from leaving Provincial Hall for lunch.

The drivers arrived at Provincial Hall at 7:30 this morning, angered by a report in the local newspaper Siang Tai, in which the Governor was quoted as threatening to use the army to bring order to the increasingly turbulent transport situation at Phuket International Airport.

The Governor has been trying to force through a policy greatly increasing the number of meter taxis allowed to collect passengers from the airport, and giving the taxis their own ticket desk in the arrivals hall.

The Governor was quoted as saying that if the limousine drivers go on strike in protest, or if meter taxi drivers feel threatened by the limousine drivers, he will bring in the army to keep order or even to provide transport for air passengers.

Arriving at 8:30, the Governor promptly went into meetings with the drivers’ leaders, at which he announced that he had heard from the airport authorities that they were prepared to halve the concession fees currently levied on limousine drivers.

This failed to placate the drivers, however. “We are against the setting-up of a meter taxi counter in the airport terminal – and at every beach on Phuket [as poposed by the Governor] – as this will greatly increase the number of meter taxis,” Manod Chusak, who runs the limousine counters at the airport, told Gov Udomsak.

“We don’t want the number of meter taxis to increase because that will have a direct effect on our livelihood.”

Three hours of discussions, from 8:30 to 11:30, failed to calm the angry mob outside the Provincial Hall and, when the Governor emerged from the building to go for lunch, the crowd blocked his car and security staff had to protect him from drivers who appeared to be about to push him around.

Using a megaphone, the Governor pleaded with the drivers for two hours. He made no concessions but eventually, at 1:30 pm, the drivers went away, vowing to return next Friday at 2 pm, and in greater force, for another round of talks, or confrontation, as the case may be.



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The Phuket Gazette
19:45 local time (GMT +7)

[LivinLOS]

Just kind of defies belief..

They can allocate police to do raids on nightclubs and piss test people.. they can enforce closure of bars at 2am (mostly effectoing the farang crowd IMHO)..

Yet a bunch of taxi drivers get together and can do what the hell they like and continue this lawlessness.. Why dont they simply arrest 5 - 10 of the most violent and vocal and send them long term to the monkey house. 2 years or so penalty for disrupting the police, threatening behavoir, etc.. I think that would change thier attidues a little bit next demonstration..

[Nicke]

I wouldnt be surprised if the tu tuk drivers joins next week... I guess they also dont want traxi meter counters at the beaches.

[alibaba]

Originally Posted by Nicke

I wouldnt be surprised if the tu tuk drivers joins next week... I guess they also dont want traxi meter counters at the beaches.

One way you can make your own little protest against the taxi/tuk tuk mafia is, whenever you arrive at the airport, just ignore them outside the terminal and head straight over to the taxi meters at the other end of the carpark.
Really pisses them off. You do have to be firm with them though. They will try their hardest to waylay you. On my last trip at end of May, they dropped their fee to 300 baht to stop me going over to the taxi meter but I resisted .
I wouldn't have travelled with them if it was free. I remember a couple of years ago, before the advent of taxi meters, arriving at the airport at 10.45 and the bastards quoting me 1000 baht to take me to Patong , knowing I had no alternative. I tried to haggle with them but they just walked away. It was pay the money or walk. "cun-ts."
On principal I never use tuk tuks either. I would sooner walk home in the rain than give them as much as a baht. I hope this governor finally sorts the bastar-s out. At least he's trying.

[magnusvv]

Straight, I think its about 50m away. You can spot the sign from the exit.

(actually it was a little bit of a diagonal to the left....but mostly straight)

[void]

Originally Posted by alibaba

I wouldn't have travelled with them if it was free. I remember a couple of years ago, before the advent of taxi meters, arriving at the airport at 10.45 and the bastards quoting me 1000 baht to take me to Patong , knowing I had no alternative. I tried to haggle with them but they just walked away. It was pay the money or walk. "cun-ts."
On principal I never use tuk tuks either. I would sooner walk home in the rain than give them as much as a baht.

I can see we share the same view here. I spend an inordinant amount of time finding what a good rate is, and then I stubbornly (to the point of stupidity, as my Thai wife points out) stick to my price/policy. Which means I often walk in the rain, etc ....

Still, its great to see a forum like this, where information on alternative forms of transport are noted, especially from the airport. The last 4 trips to Phuket, my wife and I have always arranged for her inlaws, or one of her friends, to pick us up at the airport, mainly because of the rip-off pricing of taxi's and van's from the airport to Phuket-Town/Patong beach. The lack of competition, and the greedy/pricely/monopolistic nature of the transportation has done no favours to Phuket.

[t0rn]

Originally Posted by dizbusta

Can anyone be a bit more specific as to the location of the taxi-meters ?? If I come out of the front doors of Phuket airport, can they be seen ? To the left, right, straight ahead ? Inside the airport ??

Perhaps if people had a good idea of exactly where to go, then they can walk out more confidently and not yield to the limo drivers and other's at the door.

Cheers
Diz

Out the doors, then left for about 20 metres then you should see a sign (quite high up) for meter taxis. Even if you don't it then walk fairly straight accross the car park and you will see them.
It's circa 410 baht to Patong, I have occaisionally in the past had offers of 400 baht from FL drivers in the car park.

[Denver]

I'm going to be a smart **** here and say that I use my hotel to pick me up at the airport and avoid all the shennanigins with the taxis outside.

I just tell them to hold up a sign with 'velly hansum man' on it (OK OK my name then!) and it's straight to the front door of my hotel. Yes, I pay for it, it's part of my holiday budget. Plus they take me back at the end (Bloody long trip that, especially trying to keep all those BG's away from the car!)

Just a thought! I'll get my coat..............Taxi's here!!

[Burg]

can do what the hell they like and continue this lawlessness.. Why dont they simply arrest 5 - 10 of the most violent and vocal

Why should they arrest someone from their own family? It's their business too.

[ratpack1]

I actually take great pleasure in ASKING the limo drivers where the real taxis are,
you get some funny looks, but it makes me giggle...
But i add, that was before it got serious, who knows what they will do next.

[sangsom]

hmmm....seem to remember a couple yrs ago there was a shoot-out at the Phuket Airport on the departure level outside. Think it was a limo driver that shot either a metered taxi driver or the security guard that stood up for him. Whole thing blew over rather quickly(as usual here) and I haven't heard it mentioned much since.

Personally I think its a horrible shame that these "transport mafia" a#$holes have so much control here. Don't get me started on the tuk-tuks...

[LivinLOS]

Security guard hunted down and repeatedly shot a taxi driver (non limo) for being on limo driver turf..

Never heard if / what / any punishment he got..

[marc26]

i hate those limo guys but did you see the concessions they have to pay. 1mil baht/mo. that was there big issue was that the taxi guy were not going to have to pay a concession. i hate the bastards and hope they all go penniless, but that is a huge concession