Aussie Tourist Punched by Phuket Tuk-Tuk Driver in Dispute Over High Fare
By Sert Tongdee and Prasit Tarnsirisin Tuesday, February 10, 2015
PHUKET: A Phuket tuk-tuk driver who punched an Australian tourist in the face in a dispute about a fare has surrendered to police.
Australian citizen Yang Sipeng, 20, hailed a passing tuk-tuk to go from the Naka Market in Phuket City to Central Festival Phuket about 11am yesterday, police said today.
''The trip was fine but problems began when the tuk-tuk got to Central,'' an officer from Vichit Police Station told Phuketwan.
''The Australian and his Chinese girlfriend alighted then expected to pay a fare of about 20 baht each, totalling 40 baht. But the driver insisted that the fare was 200 baht.''
The two men argued and called each other names before the tuk-tuk driver swung a punch that connected, and stomped off without payment of any fare.
The young Australian, who was not seriously hurt, went to Vichit Police Station to file a report.
The tuk-tuk driver, Chinarat Kaewsom, 42, later surrendered at the same station and said he had lost his temper in the argument over the fare.
He is likely to face court on a charge of assault.
Australia's Ambassador to Thailand, Paul Robilliard, was making his first visit to Phuket today and is likely to raise jet-ski rip-offs and high taxi and tuk-tuk fares with Phuket administrators this afternoon.
Tuk-tuk and taxi fares on Phuket are among the highest in the world and tourists who visit Bangkok before coming to the holiday island are amazed to have to pay at least six times the asking fare in the capital for similar trips on Phuket.
Taxi and tuk-tuk fares remain one of the most complained about items of all tourists and impede the island's ability to successfully hold international events. Locals are unable to afford taxis, even in emergencies.
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Comments
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always agree cost before going same goes for the tuk tuk driver he should not have driven if not happy with cost
Posted by
Michael
on
February 10, 2015 12:20
Well lets hope the Australian Consul does complain, and keeps complaining, along with all the other consuls.
Its the tuk-tuk greed which is symptomatic of the island's greed mentality and is slowly killing off the tourist industry on the island.
Posted by
jimbo34
on
February 10, 2015 12:33
Is it not a shame that local people on Phuket are unable to afford taxis, as they can and do in Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia? Where is the Thai Government in this matter? The Thai Government is for all local people. It is their Government responsibility to make sure that also thai people should afford to take a taxi. The whole transport infrastructural setting on Phuket is just primitive. Anyone in the local Phuket Government feels a shame about that?
Posted by
Kurt
on
February 10, 2015 12:49
But fitting meters would be a stupid idea...
More shame on Thailand....
It is however good to hear from the Ed that Mafia are not present on Phuket stopping the installation of Meters and running all the other thugs like Jetskis and Parasails....
Posted by
Amazing Thailand
on
February 10, 2015 12:58
Editor Comment:
Like I said, AT, Mafia members are brutal killers. What Phuket has is not that bad.
''The Australian and his Chinese girlfriend alighted then expected to pay a fare of about 20 baht each, totalling 40 baht. An Australian who is clearly of Chinese ancestry and travels long distances I find it hard to believe he thought 20Baht. Australia has internet access to research fares. To me it sounds he was being tight no respect for Thais. Are the fares that cheap in BKK, in any case he should check. In London/NY/Paris/Sydney or any expensive place you do not go into a restaurant (or a taxi) and expect to say I am from another place so will only pay 10% of the bill! In any case Australia the fares are not cheap. Guy sounds like jerk to me. Another quality tourist. However I do not say violence is the answer. Calling the Police probably would have made the jerk pay up within 30 secs.
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
February 10, 2015 13:22
Editor Comment:
Blaming the victims again, FF? How predictable you are.
Ed, I have travelled most of this planet, USA, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australia. Before I go I do some research into costs and in the modern days we live in with the internet (he is Australian so would almost certainly have access) prices of cabs etc can be found out in seconds. I would never go to a foreign place and get the fares so wrong, this guy grew up in the internet enabled world. AM, stop attacking your readers you grumpy old man and old man like you we could forgive for not being able to use the internet, lol. Call me Sir Feisty next time.
Posted by
Feisty Farang
on
February 10, 2015 14:28
Editor Comment:
You have plainly forgotten what life is like aged 20. Stop attacking the innocent victims, Sir Jerk.
Unfortunately Phuket for tourism is slowly but surely dying.... people are moving onto cheaper, better locations. It seems that no matter how many complaints get filed on tuk tuks, jet ski's etc... nothing ever changes... even when we thought that changes were really going to happen... SOS different day.
Posted by
DG
on
February 10, 2015 15:04
visiting phuket again in 8 weeks after Kuala Lumpur and Khao Lak so we are watching closely how things are transpiring currently.
we are hoping things have changed and we enjoy it as much as we did when we started visiting every year 10 years ago. otherwise it will be a long time until we return
if the locals believe what is commented by Fiesty farang I suspect the answer will be no.
internet research - i am not aware of the current mandated fares from the airport to kata, kata - karon, or any of the other destinations. where is this "officially" published.
"In any case Australia the fares are not cheap."
australia has quality taxis, good roads and is a different market. insurance (exists) licensing and taxes will be higher, fuel costs more and that is all to just get started. even knowing that, i have refused to take a tuk tuk for the rates they have charged from Kata to Karon as it is actually more than a similar trip in Australia would cost (probably 50% more). maybe you need to do your research better before waffling off, this is a real issue and people resent it.
"Guy sounds like jerk to me. "
really? are you just an angry expat sorry with your life to pass such judgements
"Another quality tourist. "
people in thailand, especially TAT need to stop using phrases like this. it makes us regular visitors feel like we are not want the country wants. families who come and spend $10K a year in that local economy, stay in nice hotels, eat at local restaurants and paying ridiculous taxi bills.
there just happen to be a lot of countries working really hard to get our money that have all the same assets Thailand does.
rant over!
Posted by
darren
on
February 10, 2015 15:08
The few spoil it for the rest of the Thai people , I sometimes wonder what the locals thunk of the gang taxi and tuk tuk thugs slowly killing the reputation and Island . Very sad to see no government intervention.
Posted by
neil kenny
on
February 10, 2015 15:25
You must look at Koh Chang in the northeast (Trat). The taxi terror is absolutely horrfic.i won't go there again, ever. Very aggressive......
Posted by
Peter
on
February 10, 2015 17:14
When I was 18 I went to the USA and found out how much taxis cost and if I did not know the price would ask before commencing the journey. 20 year old know more now then when you were young before the industrial revolution, now they can view porn, violence and type how much are taxis in Phuket and find out. As they say "It's as simple as that" As for ever at 20 you are responsible in the eyes of the law and can fight and die for your country. You want him to be excused as he is 20!
Posted by
Sir Feisty
on
February 10, 2015 17:16
Editor Comment:
What I don't want is pompous twaddle. Not everyone is pushed out the door at 18. Get your head around the fact that all individuals are different. And not all of them want to be like you.
Use uber.. Know what your paying before it picks you up.. Driver feedback, review, and monitoring..
Why not..
Posted by
LivinLOS
on
February 10, 2015 17:25
Actually AM I went to see my Uncle for a holiday who lived in the USA. Hardly pushed out the door. You are a strange guy you cannot help attack the readers not just me but so many readers at the same time you do this work for the readers. Quite weird really. Anyway I still like you as a journo.
Posted by
Sir Feisty
on
February 10, 2015 19:00
I am not a fan of the Tuk Tuk drivers but where do you expect to go for 20 baht each?
Posted by
Khun Philippe
on
February 10, 2015 20:27
you have to ask WHY he expected to only pay such a low amount? no reason to punch him but he does sound annoying..
Posted by
another steve
on
February 10, 2015 21:36
Ed, not all Mafia are brutal killers. I have attached a dictionary definition here. Whilst they all describe the way taxis are run in phuket, I would say number 3 is absolutely spot on. Nothing about being brutal killers, it's a way of running business.
1.
a hierarchically structured secret organization allegedly engaged in smuggling, racketeering, trafficking in narcotics, and other criminal activities in the U.S., Italy, and elsewhere.
2.
(lowercase) a popular spirit of hostility to legal restraint and to the law, often manifesting itself in criminal acts.
a 19th-century secret society, similar to the Camorra in Naples, that acted in this spirit.
3.
(often lowercase) any small powerful or influential group in an organization or field; clique.
Posted by
Amazing Thailand
on
February 11, 2015 00:32
Editor Comment:
That's the modern definition in which the serious word Mafia is diminished by references to ''the knitting circle mafia'' or the ''world tennis pro mafia.'' We don't need definitions that miscast words. The value of the word Mafia is in conveying its seriousness. The misuse of words such as Mafia and for that matter Nazi diminishes their worth in conveying a precise meaning.
20Baht buy you a ride within one zone in Pattaya by a baht-bus , it is for those who never heard about such prices. Baht-bus is virtually Phuket tuk-tuk.
Posted by
Sue
on
February 11, 2015 05:38
" Mafia" is not the name of an organisation, it was a name given originally to a groupt of Italian racketeers who followed a certain 'business model' , structure, code of silence and acted in a violent way against those who were deemed a threat to their empire.
Nowadays it's overused used to incorrectly to describe almost any type of racketeering or organised crime.
Similar to words incorrectly used like " bigot" and "doomsayer".
Posted by
Manowar
on
February 11, 2015 07:34
Editor Comment:
Mafia along with Nazi carry capitals because their meanings are specific. Once people lower-case them, confusion arises. At PW, we can tell a bigot and a doomsayer when we see one.
Ed: You are without a doubt the Comments Section Nazi.
Posted by
phonus
on
February 11, 2015 08:32
Editor Comment:
Another wild exaggeration, phonus. Stretching the truth seems to be all that you do well.
This is why they are called "tuk tuk's" because all they do is "take take"! If taxi's have to have a fare metre then why not tuk tuks? do they not provide the same service as a metered taxi? Are they not a problem like the taxi cars? And yes, @michael, i agree, people should always check the price before getting into a taxi or a tuk tuk
Posted by
Mr Wolf
on
February 11, 2015 09:11
I do a lot of things well, Ed. Winding you up is just one of them......
Posted by
phonus
on
February 11, 2015 09:49
Editor Comment:
I can assure you that's wildly inaccurate.
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always agree cost before going same goes for the tuk tuk driver he should not have driven if not happy with cost
Posted by Michael on February 10, 2015 12:20