Phuket transport woes.....back to the "rip-off" business. They got ripped off from the moment they agreed to a 450 baht taxi fare (and they got a deal!!). That same trip would be less than 200 baht in a metered Bangkok taxi.

Posted by Tom on March 4, 2010 18:14

In all fairness, it isn't clear from the report that this was a theft. It could easily have been a mistake from the taxi.

What is worrying, and i've said this before, is that Central Festival Phuket's official taxi desk franchise employs illegal taxis. You'd think the management of Central wouldn't want to be associated with this.

In fact, at the back entrance to Central (opposite the Thai Naan restaurant) the taxi desk there has NO legal taxis at all. They are all parked up quite openly with black lettering on white plates. That's a standard car - NOT a taxi. One wonders if they are insured or not.....................

C'mon Central - set an example and clean up this franchise. It's called 'customer service'.

Editor: We'd welcome a comment from Central. If it is a pickup on Central property, then they clearly have an interest in making sure that customers' possessions do not go missing. It's also worth noting that police say there has been a rise in cases of false insurance claims by tourists.

Posted by Mr Mark on March 4, 2010 23:24

Sympathies to the Kukkonen family should their claim be legitimate.

It most likely was an illegal cab as the driver agreed to such a low fare of 450 baht. I have seen reports that taxis were charging the US Navy 2600 baht one way from Ao Makham to Soi Bangla last month.

Looking forward to the comment from Central.

Posted by Treelover on March 5, 2010 06:04

so the taxi driver didn't steal the bag - he just drove off after they left it in the car!

Editor: All options remain open. He's accused, but innocent until proven guilty. To be as charitable as possible, perhaps he went straight home, parked the car, didn't bother to look in the back seat, and hasn't worked a shift since. Speculation is, as always, pure guesswork.

Posted by another steve on March 5, 2010 08:06

If it was an innocent mistake, he would have gone and handed the bag in at his nearest police station. He obviously was upset at "only" getting 450 baht out of them. Now he has a ,200 baht tip, his kids both have shiny new iPods and he has a new digital camera. But in the next life, he'll be reborn as a gecko on the wall.

Posted by Namfon on March 12, 2010 13:15