If it was only Tuk-Tuk businesses which would be corrupt, it would not need so much energy to fix it...

But it is the whole business communities and civil servants at all levels which are sucking money through corruptions and bribes.

So far none of politicians, army men and high government statesmen had dared to fight it seriously....

Red Shirt as well Yellow Shirt Leaders as well claim to fight corruption since longtime but are unable to give Plan One and Plan B if the first one does not work.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on March 3, 2010 14:23

Was there lightning? A heavy thunder rolling over Patong? Is there a new Paulus on the loose?

Ah. The parking. Ok. So still window-cleaning.

Posted by Lena on March 3, 2010 15:33

Tuk tuk corruption starts and ends with the money-lenders who give loans at extortionate rates to people to buy the tuk tuks.

The money-lenders are wealthy, well-known people from prominent Phuket families, usually with familial ties within the police force and local government.

Want to deal with the tuk tuk problem? Catch, arrest and jail all the prominent money-lenders to tuk tuk drivers. Charge them with extortion, unauthorized money lending, bribery and corruption.

At once, you cease the flow of new tuk tuks - that no one wants or needs - onto Phuket streets. The money to grease the system of corruption dries up.

Until you address the root cause and prime movers in the tuk tuk scam, dealing with a few hundred baht here and there for parking spaces is fiddling while Rome burns.

Posted by Doug on March 3, 2010 18:22

Who run the Patong Taxi Federation? (tuk tuk) Pisona Co. Ltd and who owns Pisona Co. Ltd? Khun Preechawoot Keesin... son of Pian Keesin... oops. Pure coincidence??

Posted by Paul Henry on March 3, 2010 18:32

I scratch my head to know how Patong Mayor Pian Keesin will go against those local folks who elected him as Patong Mayor; I mean the jet-ski operators, tuk-tuk operators, speedboat operators, chairs & sun-umbrella operators, motorcycle and car rental operators, etc...
In fact those 4000 guys who are able to vote, hold hundreds of thousands of tourists and residents (Thais & foreigners alike) by the balls.

Editor: And here I was thinking that almost 50 percent of Phuket tourists were women.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on March 3, 2010 20:05

"On land-based traffic, he said the one-way routes between the beach road and Rat-U-Thit-200-Pi Road would soon be converted to conventional left-hand lane thoroughfares"

So how do they manage that without either changing the one way traffic flow or creating lots of awkward traffic flow breaking junctions ??

With the one way system they had a 50/50 chance to design it the right way round.. Never mind..

Word is JC paid to ensure more traffic went past the front of the mall.. But that couldn't be true, surely ;)

Posted by LivinLOS on March 3, 2010 21:25

can you believe this man? i will leave it up to you the readers to decide, your opinions would be interesting

Posted by STAN on March 3, 2010 21:34

It's time tah scratch mah sporran. What ready eaten haggis is this I see here ? Hahahahahah....

Posted by R Sole on March 3, 2010 23:09

Traffic regulations are the easy part of the Phuket problems. Lifeguards on the beaches, total ban of jet skis, fixed rates (or meters) for tuks and enforcing the traffic laws, that is what we are all waiting for.

If Phuket does not get it act together, it will end up being a cheap charlie destination.

Posted by Niels Erik Clausen on March 4, 2010 03:47

Word is JC paid to ensure more traffic went past the front of the mall.. But that couldn't be true, surely ;)
Posted by LivinLOS on Wednesday March 3, 2010 at 21:25

I'm unsure how changing the direction of the traffic makes more go past.. surely it's the same traffic in the opposite direction??

Posted by another steve on March 4, 2010 08:58

I have begun to stay away from Patong as the tuk tuks and parking is impossible. Mr. Mayor. Go down and fix it. As for the cruise ships . . . Park in Patong and avoid taxi tuk-tuk issues. If Patong Bay can hold the USS Kitty Hawk and three escort ships, bring ina few cruise ships.

Posted by Chalong Boy on March 14, 2010 17:56

Whistle bloweR, Paul henry, and DOUG are all correct in what they say, but its the same old story we are talking to ourselves, no one listens unless it gets to the PM in bangkok.

Posted by barka on March 14, 2010 23:11

Please read !!

Posted by Per Dompert on May 7, 2010 19:05

Several times I have found a parking space, near Jung Ceylon, and as I am starting to park...I hear whistles and screams by a group of taxi drivers telling me I cannot park there. Really? Says who? Why do they "own" all the parking spaces?

Posted by James Santhi on August 30, 2010 09:01