Phuket Taxi Fares: We Tell You How Much
By Chutima Sidasathian Thursday, February 28, 2013
PHUKET: From tomorrow the crackdown begins on illegal taxi drivers across Phuket. Drivers have been given weeks to register or to run the risk of losing their source of income.
The strategy comes as the fares for Phuket taxis are confirmed by Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusut - they're all listed below.
But there's a carrot and stick option still left to recalcitrant illegal Phuket taxi drivers who think they can beat the system.
They have an extra month until April 1 to become legal or to face the prospect of full exclusion from the system from then.
''From March 1, Phuket provincial officials will begin the crackdown,'' Phuket Transport Director Terayout Prasertphol said today.
''Drivers will still be able to register during March. But from April 1, the team checking on taxis will be from Bangkok and illegal taxis caught by them will be put off Phuket's roads.''
Khun Terayout's strategy is designed to take care of the drivers who perhaps think they can get away with staying illegal if they hold out long enough.
For his good work in taming Phuket's illegal taxi system and the plan for a breakthough on buses and Phuket public transport, Terayout Prasertphol was awarded the Phuketwan Phuket Person of the Year Award 2012.
THE FOLLOWING fares have been confirmed by Phuket Governor Maitree Inthusut. It's worth bearing in mind that these are MAXIMUM fares, for a vehicle carrying four people.
Fares can be negotiated downwards if there are fewer passengers or a traveller considers the maximum fare is too high.
People who have complaints about taxis are advised to call 1584 to complain.
The fares remain too high because they are set on the basis of taxis and tuk-tuks returning to home base empty.
Tourists will continue to complain with good reason about taxi fares as long as they have to pay for a journey they don't make.
The obvious answer would bring Phuket in line with all other cities with efficient taxi services: allow a smaller number of quality taxis to make pickups all over Phuket.
The traditional village-based system was designed to please drivers, not passengers.
Introduction of an efficient, low-cost public transport system across Phuket should please tourists and residents, and save hundreds of lives.
Maximum Taxi Tuk-Tuk Fares from Karon
KARON - PHUKET AIRPORT 1000
KARON - KATA 200
KARON - PATONG 400
KARON - PHUKET TOWN 550
KARON - KAMALA 600
KARON - KOH SI RAE 700
KARON - PHUKET DEEP SEA PORT 700
KARON - CHALONG BAY 400
Maximum Taxi Tuk-Tuk Fares from Kamala
KAMALA - PHUKET AIRPORT 700
KAMALA - PATONG 400
KAMALA - KARON 600
KAMALA - KATA 800
KAMALA - PHUKET TOWN 700
KAMALA- NAI HARN BEACH 900
KAMALA- SURIN BEACH 300
Maximum Taxi Tuk-Tuk Fares from Patong
PATONG - PHUKET AIRPORT 800
PATONG - KAMALA 400
PATONG - SURIN BEACH 500
PATONG - PHUKET TOWN 500
PATONG - PHROMTHEP CAPE 700
PATONG - CHALONG BAY 500
PATONG - CHALONG TEMPLE 500
PATONG - PHUKET ZOO 500
Maximum Taxi Tuk-Tuk Fares from Phuket Town
PHUKET TOWN - PHUKET AIRPORT 550
PHUKET TOWN - MAKHAM BAY 350
PHUKET TOWN - PANWA CAPE 400
PHUKET TOWN - NAI HARN BEACH 500
PHUKET TOWN - PATONG 500
PHUKET TOWN - SURIN BEACH 600
Maximum Taxi Tuk-Tuk Fares from Phuket Airport
PHUKET AIRPORT - KOH SI RAE 800
PHUKET AIRPORT - MAKHAM BAY 750
PHUKET AIRPORT - PHUKET DEEP SEA PORT 750
PHUKET AIRPORT - PANWA CAPE 750
PHUKET AIRPORT - CHALONG BAY 650
PHUKET AIRPORT - RAWAI 1000
PHUKET AIRPORT - KATA 1000
PHUKET AIRPORT - KARON 1000
PHUKET AIRPORT - PATONG 800
PHUKET AIRPORT - CHERNG TALAY 700
Rates above are maximum fares. They can be negotiated down - but not up. Any passengers having problems should call 1584.
Names and other relevant details about taxi drivers must by regulation be printed on the outside of all taxis as well as inside the vehicles.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
A pint for the first person to successfully negotiate a price downwards!! No point ripping the above price list to pieces as it's a complete farce and more anomalies than you can shake a stick at- but the taxi drivers, grinning all the way to the bank, will 'say 'Governor say so so OK'!
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
February 28, 2013 10:40
the fares are too high. but nobody cares...it`s still a shame...
Posted by
mike
on
February 28, 2013 11:19
Editor Comment:
Nobody cares? Where did you do your survey, mike?
What a shame that a trip in a taxi from Kata to the airport which is listed as 1000B (actually in Kata they ask 1200B, so the above prices are wrong) would be about 250B in a Bangkok metered taxi. And still no bus between the beach towns, as the last person that tried this got pulled from his bus and beaten by the taxi/tuk tuk mafia.
Posted by
NomadJoe
on
February 28, 2013 11:27
Editor Comment:
So you have the real list of authorised fares, Nomad Joe? And your list has higher fares? If I were you, I'd call the complaints number.
The prices are shockingly high; up approx 40% since lat year. Nowhere else in the world do prices escalate at that rate.
Posted by
Logic
on
February 28, 2013 13:25
Cheaper hiring a car if your go from Airport to Rawai or Karon! and far safer and comfortable than than a tuk tuk or bike.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
February 28, 2013 13:33
1000 Baht from Karon to the airport.
V.I.P bus Phuket to Bangkok 1000 Baht.
New bus service Bangkok to Phnom Penh 750 baht.
Totally disgusting rip off and yet another one month's grace and after that how many more warnings.
Posted by
rich
on
February 28, 2013 13:33
Editor Comment:
Like it or not, rich, overnight transformations are impossible. All reforms are going to be gradual and incremental.
TUKTUK Is a big shame for Phuket . 500 baht they charge yesterday from Patong to Kathu .
Why not have bahtbus here same as in Pattaya .
Posted by
Blabla
on
February 28, 2013 15:17
Air Asia flight, HKT to BKK - 1,000 baht. Roughly an hour.
Taxi, Karon to HKT airport - 1,000 baht. Roughly an hour.
Sounds reasonable to me...
Posted by
Relox
on
February 28, 2013 15:32
What reforms?
The authorities have now officially sanctioned the rip-off and are now allowing another month for car owners to join in the rip-off.
All the while congratulating themselves on "solving" the problem.
Posted by
Sir Burr
on
February 28, 2013 15:38
Editor Comment:
As the article says, the passengers pay for a trip they don't make. That's the unfair part of the present system. The objective is to cut the fare in half when the time comes and it's possible to end that practice.Quite a bit of talking has to be done yet. If you think you can achieve change overnight, Sir Burr, go for it.
Simply outrageous prices but this is the Thai way of dealing with foreigners... rip them off for all they are worth.
I've never used a taxi or tuk tuk and never will. It's offensive to be ripped off at this level with government approval.
Posted by
Graham
on
February 28, 2013 16:03
Editor Comment:
Total generalised bigotry, Graham. Appalling, really, to imagine there aren't Thais who oppose this kind of thing. You and Andrew are part of the problem.
really funny...I had a friend arrive at the airport and when he stepped outside some cab driver grabbed his arm and pulled him over offering a ride to Patong for 2000 baht NON Negotiable...My friend told him to bug off as he walked over to the meter cabs and got a ride for 500
Posted by
sky
on
February 28, 2013 16:32
Phuket town to Patong 500 bath, ouch. You really feel the rip off when you get off a bus in phuket busstation from bangkok that you paid 900 for a ticket, 1100 km. Then 32 km to patong in a speeding taxi 500 bath, ouch again.
Posted by
One Expat 13 years
on
February 28, 2013 16:39
Ed- I agree the problem can't be solved overnight - but it's not overnight is it? This problem has been running on and on for countless years. This 'result' is just another sop to the powers behind the taxi monopoly but now they can smugly say they are acting within the law. I seem to remember there were two deadlines last year and we are already on our second this year!
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
February 28, 2013 17:32
Editor Comment:
The clock starts ticking from the moment someone seriously tries to fix the problem, Mister Ree, not from the moment the problem was created. If you are a pessimist who believes nothing will ever improve, then for you, nothing ever will.
@Ed: You are saying that overnight changes are impossible (to implement a proper fare and public transportation scheme)!?
Why is this?
Other governments can do much bigger things...over night!!
Maybe there is a bit of "not want" involved!!??
Posted by
Howard
on
February 28, 2013 17:35
Editor Comment:
The big things other governments do overnight - you neglected to list them - inevitably include getting everyone on side so the reason for change is understood. Which big overnight changes have come without education, explanation and agreement?
I just called the number 1584 and when i said i was calling to complain about Phukets deplorable taxi service they just LAUGHED ! What a joke. The lady there had no idea what i was speaking about and when she finally realized what i was speaking about became less than helpfull. I just came from Bangkok and let me tell you that even though the traffic was horrendous it was such a pleasure getting in a nice AC metered taxi without any hassles. Surely the Bangkok mafia can step in and sort out these lugheads? everyone will still make a bucket of cash and less hassle for all. You don't have to look far for a better solution.
Hopeless absolutely hopeless
Tom
Posted by
Tom
on
February 28, 2013 18:23
@ed: howard is right.
To give an example for an overnight change:
the nuclear phase out in germany. The conservative-liberal coalition was originally a strong supporter of nuclear energy, however, changed their opinion over night. It is estimated that this will cost the tax payers easily 1 trillion euros, nevertheless they felt it is necessary after the tragic incident in japan.
Phuket claiming to be a tourist destination of highest international standards is so much behind in terms of public transportation and infrastructure...and you know what...a few things will never change unless the Thai people want them to be changed.
Posted by
horst
on
February 28, 2013 20:30
Editor Comment:
That problem was forecast for years in warnings by anti-nuclear activists but nobody took any notice until there was a disaster. Change triggered after many years by a disaster is not ''overnight'' change, horst. Let's not get diverted from Phuket.
Would you care to clarify why me and Graham are the problem ?
Opinions are a persons' perception and impression of events and as such they cannot be wrong.
Ill-informed, biased, skewed, even offensive yes, but not wrong. It's how that particular person sees the situation and no self-declared Preacher of the Right Thinking can change that.
If you spent half the energy you waste pickering with your readers on worthwhile reporting, of which you have provided plenty in the past, PW would continue to be a worthwhile read.
As of now it seems to me that you as the Editor are slowly losing the plot and the frustration of not being acquired by any of the major news organisations as you planned in the past 5 years is starting to take a toll on you.
Have you ever considered that perhaps the contempt, arrogance and judgemental attitude you display towards those readers who dare to question or worse, disagree with you, might actually have something to do with it ?
You are an excellent journalist, that I will admit straight up but in the human interaction department you have plenty of work to do.
Not that you care one bit what I say but seriously, these comments would be way better if you could constrain yourself, refrain from snide comments and simply just not publish those you don't want to. You do the reporting and leave the following discussion to your readers.
After all, it's your site and you don't owe anyone any explanations what and why.
Just my impressions and opinions on the situation. Take them any way you want.
I'm done with PW. It's not worth the abuse one has to endure from you on a constant basis.
Would it kill you to even just once say something nice to your readers ?
Posted by
Andrew
on
February 28, 2013 20:36
Editor Comment:
If you spent your time offering constructive ideas rather than bigotted criticism, there would be no problem. Your blinkered view is - fortunately - your problem, Andrew. Not mine, and not one you can inflict on Phuketwan readers.
By all means, go somewhere else and reproduce your rejected comment so everyone can see what you said.
Just don't pretend you have any kind of argument for having your miserable, offensive lies published. I won't waste any more time on your bigotry, Andrew. You're a sad case.
According to Google Maps, it's 43km from Patong to the airport. That equates to 19,51B a kilometer. So using the same calculation, the trip from Karon to Patong which is only 8km should cost just 156B. So why are we being asked to fork out 400B?
Posted by
Xircal
on
February 28, 2013 20:54
nope, the german nuclear power phase out was an overnight change. in fact the same government enacted a new law literally days before NOT (!!) to shut down the nuclear power plants within the nearer past!!!
Any anyway, the discussion RE public transportation is going on since ages in phuket and there is no material change whatsoever apart from the local government now rubber stamping the questionable practices.
Posted by
harald
on
February 28, 2013 21:24
Editor Comment:
An overnight change triggered by a disaster, harald. As a life or death issue, hardly in the same league. Any overnight changes that are actually relevant, please? The local government has always rubber-stamped the fares. Nothing new there. If you are another unwavering pessimist who sees no hope . . . why bother?
Question: when is the bus route starting? I remember that PW wrote that from March onwards the buses would start driving between airport-town, airport-patong, etc... Is this finally starting ?
Posted by
Charles
on
February 28, 2013 22:10
@Andrew -
"Have you ever considered that perhaps the contempt, arrogance and judgemental attitude you display towards those readers who dare to question or worse, disagree with you, might actually have something to do with it ?" well said!!! - Ed nice to see your response was as anticipated!
Posted by
Terry
on
February 28, 2013 22:45
Editor Comment:
Diversions won't work. We don't tolerate bigots, period.
I think these fares will all but kill off Phuket as a destination for budget travellers. A round trip of 1600 Baht or more represents at least three nights stay at a cheap hotel costing around 500 Baht a night and budget travellers can ill afford that.
It will in turn impact negatively on the cheaper hotels which may well see occupancy levels diminish in future.
Posted by
Xircal
on
February 28, 2013 23:07
A taxi ride from central Singapore to the airport is about 15-18 S$, that is 370-440 Baht. The distance is maybe 5 km less than from Karon to Phuket airport. For about 1000 Baht or 27 I can travel more than 20 km in a Mercedes or BMW taxi in Munich, Germany - with a driver who actually knows how to drive sensibly and has passed a real test..
Posted by
Swami K.
on
February 28, 2013 23:20
Anyone consider reason they return from a journey empty is the drivers in the destination zone will beat them up if they pick up on that turf, Taxi driver rules of there creation, do note The traditional village-based system was designed to please drivers, not passengers, what's changed! that system still appears to be in force.
the drivers have been entrenched with their inefficent practices long time change will be painful slow and resisted vigourously any move to monitor, moderate & regulate their behavior & poor work practices is highly welcomed.
Posted by
slickmelb
on
March 1, 2013 05:59
I think the next problem to address is the taxi meter cabs at the airport who now never use their meters. Whilst waiting at the kiosk recently I heard the lady in front of me quoted 400 baht to Nai Yang at which point she walked off. Next I was quoted 700 baht to Honda on Chao Fha West at which point I walked off....what are these drivers thinking, they used to be the cheaper option!!!
Posted by
Gary Strike
on
March 1, 2013 06:07
Please explain
Kamala / phuket town 700
Phuket town / surin 600
Surin is about ten more minutes from Kamala
If the association is serious about trying to look half professional work the fares more accurately
Thank you
Coco
Posted by
Coco
on
March 1, 2013 07:45
The Ed really does enjoy spending heeps of time fighting with readers which is sad, I really have to agree. I have been reading PW for a long time and he really does just seem to have a stick in his craw. Either way, tax/tuk tuk prices will never be more reasonable, get over it. This is life sadly. Anyone hoping for better prices should move.
Posted by
Dillon
on
March 1, 2013 08:32
Editor Comment:
We hope, Dillon, that readers will supply additional, reliable information to add to everyone's knowledge. Those who simply take the opportunity to indulge their prejudices against Thais and Thailand are not wanted. Nor are those who don't believe improvements are possible. To criticise me for responding to ignorance and intolerance is . . . ignorant and intolerant. If you have nothing of value to add, Dillon, stop wasting readers' time.
The fact is that those who are complaining about "high prices" in Phuket are Western Europeans. These people are broke. Their countries are broke too and there's simply not enough money to go around. Russian, Chinese and Indian tourism to Phuket and to Thailand in general is booming. In these countries, people have more money to spend every month. The economies are booming. Sadly, Europe has had its day and many people there can't even afford to go on holiday any more. I am an educated Russian. Prices of everything in Moscow are much higher than Phuket (several times higher). Even 500 baht for Patong to Karon is not much money for young educated Russians. We have plenty of money now. Europeans, if you keep whining about everything, maybe it's time to go home? Or I hear Cambodia is still cheap...
Posted by
Sergey Volkov
on
March 1, 2013 11:09
@Sergey Volkov
The personal power of the oligarchic system cannot be challenged, however the whingeing criticisms you make of broke Western Europeans can. They at least have the decency not to send their citizens here to engage in the oldest profession to keep their fellow Russians happy.
Posted by
Pete
on
March 1, 2013 13:39
Maybe not a pessimist Mr Ed - just a realist. I would love to see REAL reform of the system but anyone who believes it will happen is just naive - look at the patong beachfront parking sage as yet another example of 'reform - it's worse than ever. We both know there isn't the political will to see this through - if we were totally honest with each other this will keep going round in circles. I look forward to your update on a year's time and will keep my eyes wide open until then. If you have the humble pie ready for then I will eat it in full view of your cameras but am willing to bet I will remain hungry!
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
March 1, 2013 15:36
Editor Comment:
Parking at Patong beach may be high on your list, but it's close to the bottom of ours. Reporting the issues puts us a bit closer to the decision-making process, so you can either accept what we tell you or loll about bemoaning every little thing.
@Khun Sergey, no you don't. You just eat up the future of Russia by exploiting your resources to the full, letting only some profit big. It is just like eating through a inheritances with Moskau and St.Petersburg the wealthy spiders in the web. Next step will be creating huge debts. Geography, demography and behavior is not in favor of Russia. But enjoy the decade of party. Pay extorting prices for a rotten ride and everything else. You clearly do not know better.
Posted by
Lena
on
March 1, 2013 17:32
geez puket wan just report the news they didn't create the news they report, this is a highly contentious issue we all have a opinion,with the track record on this issue one understands the opinions of gloom an doom but it is a step in the right direction be no champagne bottles being popped by anyone but the drivers with this model that's presented.
Posted by
slickmelb
on
March 2, 2013 03:19
Sorry, but personally I have seen no improvement in any taxi services here. I have only seen the legitimizing of the excessive fees. I could rarely find a Taxi in Rawai seven years ago, now they have set up shacks and occupy any main road corner or tourist are they can. It seems totally out of control IMO. If this is the best solution they can come up with, it's time to go back to the drawing board.
Posted by
Jim McGowan
on
March 3, 2013 18:49
Editor Comment:
It's an incremental work in progress, Jim. The main problem has been registering legitimate taxis rather than allowing everyone with a vehicle to call themselves a taxi driver. Legitimising the taxis is the first step towards reforms that will take some time yet. Once people are only paying for the journey they make rather than for a journey they don't make as well, and once there is a call centre system for the entire island, the reforms will be complete. Don't expect it to happen next week.
Funny- beachfront parking wasn't at the bottom of your list of priorites last year when you instigated a number of articles about it - sometimes I think you doth protest too much. I notice my last comment was edited by you as well to suit your personal agenda as a 'journalist'.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
March 3, 2013 19:26
Editor Comment:
I don't have a personal agenda.
Your last comment was: Yet another arrogant and totally obtuse comment Robin.
It was not edited.
If you are talking about your last comment on this issue -reproduced below - there was no editing there, either:
Maybe not a pessimist Mr Ed - just a realist. I would love to see REAL reform of the system but anyone who believes it will happen is just naive - look at the patong beachfront parking sage as yet another example of 'reform - it's worse than ever. We both know there isn't the political will to see this through - if we were totally honest with each other this will keep going round in circles. I look forward to your update on a year's time and will keep my eyes wide open until then. If you have the humble pie ready for then I will eat it in full view of your cameras but am willing to bet I will remain hungry!
Arguing about whether I give the parking in Patong a high priority or not is odd. I have a better idea of my priorities than you do, Mister Ree. That is likely to remain the case.
Ill-conceived and undeserved personal attacks on me or others are off-topic and always unproductive.
Don't expect me to be back in Phuket anytime soon....
Why would you bother when there are better, cheaper places in Thailand?
Posted by
Harry Barracuda
on
March 3, 2013 20:07
Editor Comment:
Most of the doomstayers seem to have left Phuket, Harry. If cheapness is your priority, perhaps Phuket wasn't ever going to be for you.
The maximum fare from Phuket Town to the airport may well be 550 baht but it is not the same the other way. The sign in the airport by the luggage claim says 550 baht but the signs at the taxi counter say 650.
Arriving at the airport this evening I questioned why the difference to which the reply was "that is old price, we up the price already."
When I pointed out that the Governor had published a price of 550 this week as being the maximum price the repose was "why you not buy from the Governor then?"
If this is the level of respect they have for a senior official there is little chance of any respect for the multitude of tourists that provide their monthly income.
May be the person at the counter has a good point, Perhaps the Governor should start his own taxi firm and offer reasonable service and prices with the profits after the drivers have been paid a good wage going to enhance other services, like the local buses.
On the subject of buses I for one will be making use of the new bus service to the airport when it is introduced, providing of course it is not frightened off by similar people to those that scuppers the last public bus service to operate outside of Phuket Town.
Posted by
Richard
on
March 3, 2013 21:32
The fare is printed everywhere, but what's stopping them from forcing you to pay the maximum fare? Nothing.
Posted by
sly
on
March 6, 2013 09:18
How much air port - Maikhao
How much air port - JW, Anantara, Sala Phuket?
Posted by
BB
on
March 9, 2013 14:27
What a surprise my last two comments didn't get posted
Posted by
Big Ray
on
March 27, 2013 00:25
Editor Comment:
They were your first two comments, Big Ray. Please try to avoid negative personal attacks and add some value.
@Ed, to be fair to Big Ray, it is hard for most to be "positive" when so much is "negative," keep the faith Ed, you may be one of the few that does. I have noticed you seem to have gone "quiet" on you push for an efficient public bus system. Given the current farce with the airport bus route, I can understand.
Posted by
Phuket_IOC
on
March 27, 2013 09:01
Editor Comment:
There's nothing farcical about it. As most people understand, change will come incrementally. We haven't ''gone quiet'' on anything. But we do prefer not to make foolish pronouncements.
farcical
adj
1. ludicrous; absurd
2. (Performing Arts / Theatre) of or relating to farce
farcicality , farcicalness n
farcically adv
Ed, no matter how you look at it "farcical" is CORRECT, all the necessary dialogue should have been done sometime BEFORE the proposed start date.
Posted by
Phuket_IOC
on
March 27, 2013 10:04
Editor Comment:
Nothing farcical at all. in most places, it would be called ''due process.'' Phuket administrators just happen to be more open and transparent than most. Elsewhere, it would all happen behind closed doors without you knowing a thing about it.
Transparent, as transparent as mud, where is the transparency here? If there was, then we would know how many and who the tender's were, as it is, awarding it to an owner of a taxi/tuk tuk "mafia" leaves one thinking. You also seemed to miss the last part of my comment, "all the necessary dialogue should have been done sometime BEFORE the proposed start date."
Posted by
Phuket_IOC
on
March 27, 2013 11:39
Editor Comment:
As the tender hasn't been awarded yet and won't be until the process is complete, your knowledge must all come from your usual ''reliable sources''. The starting date set by the Land Transport Department made the assumption that ''due process'' would go without a hitch. Phuket's administrators have wisely sought broader public awareness of what the introduction of the service means. Why name-call and quibble at commonsense and logical progression? These kinds of delays happen everywhere. False accusations are foolish and make your nit-picking look facile. I'm not wasting any more time on this.
Is price above for one passenger?
what would be the price for 2 adults and an infant with 3 suitcases from Phuket airport to PATONG: 1600 Baht ?
Posted by
Nir
on
July 19, 2013 03:28
sorry but don't think the prices are so bad. In Norway we pay 2600THB for a half hour taxi drive :-))
Posted by
x-kiwi
on
July 22, 2013 15:52
Hotel & all taxi's to Airport from Kata are charging 1200.00 and will not negotiate. We were not happy at all
Posted by
Charles Harrison
on
January 27, 2014 21:38
Just took taxi from airport to patong. The kiosk girl for metered taxi said flat charge of $900 for 4 persons. She said meter applicable only for 3 persons or less
Posted by
Raj
on
March 14, 2014 15:17
Our client just requested a Taxi from Chalong to the airport. Price given was Bt 1100.
He was upset but reluctantly accepted, not having a choice.
This is daylight robbery, pure and simple and authorities do absolutely NOTHING about it.
Posted by
ThaiMike
on
March 14, 2014 21:59
Quite surprised at the editors attacks on readers here but not at all surprised at the arrogance & condescension of the Russian poster. Ed, happy tourists come back & spend money, unhappy ones don't & also spread negativity about the place. Can Phuket really afford to lose a lot of tourists because of organised crime gangs over charging for taxis. I am on holiday for the 1st time here & things, everything, is a lot more expensive than I was told . I am OK with most of it, it's still cheaper than Australia, but it's getting close to the tipping point where other, formerly more expensive destinations are now becoming more viable options & newer destinations offering the value Phuket once did are now taking business . But what do I care, I don't live here or depend on the tourism for my livelihood like thousands of locals do.
Posted by
Alan
on
June 17, 2014 08:30
Editor Comment:
You're right, Alan, about Phuket prices, which is why I advocate cutting the taxi fares in half to end the rip-off - the doubling of fares so the passenger pays for the trip back to base that the passenger doesn't make. An overhaul of the system is needed because Phuket is in danger of pricing itself out of the market.
how about a taxi from Phuket town to wat chalong,how much is the fare ?
Posted by
Anonymous
on
October 15, 2014 12:52
please advise a taxi from nai yang to phuckettown is how much?
Posted by
Wadad LAHAD
on
February 6, 2015 17:28
For taxi fares you need to be more specific. What colour taxi do you prefer and what currency will you be paying in?
Also, will you be using any fly buys Linked card?
Posted by
Manowar
on
February 7, 2015 11:04
Talk about bigotry, intolerance and hateful personal attacks? The whiner known as the editor of this article does it over and over on a consistent basis here. Take your own advice editor because all you are is the pot calling the kettle black.
Posted by
Stimpy
on
February 7, 2015 16:27
Editor Comment:
Just like FF, Stimpy, you are unable to tell bigotry from the black stump. We don't encourage readers who are blinkered or biased. Readers who are simply seeking to have their own perversions reinforced should know better than to venture here.
To all respondents: Guys, left way or right way, when it comes to Phuket taxis we still get taking for a 'scam ride'. Just boycott the Phuket taxis. I now have a circle of friends who bring/pick up each other to/from Phuket airport with closed wallet. Good service, pleasant and save drives + nice social contact during the drives. let us stop talking about Phuket taxi scam. Just ignore them, not use them.
Posted by
Kurt
on
February 7, 2015 19:56
@Wadad Lahad
At Nai Yang beach you are at mercy of few taxis there, or if you stay with a kind of Indigo Pearl, then you will get even more expensive quotation for their transport.
There is no fixed fares, they will balance out how good commercially that day is going, how strong is your will to drive and how easy you can be paired with your money.
I expect it will be +/-1000THB one way.
From Phuket Town back to Nay Yang you probably can get some slightly cheaper one, as there are many more of them, like 800-900THB.
Posted by
Sue
on
February 8, 2015 03:36
Interesting comments regarding taxi prices. My wife and I are currently staying in different resorts around the Island of Phuket using taxis (not tuk tuks) to get from A to B. To date total cost approx 3500 baht or $140Aud. By end of our holiday 31 April I estimate at least another 2000bht ($80Aud) My point is?? We live on the Gold Coast in Australia,2 people travelling by taxi comparable distance would cost our tourists at least 3 times this amount. At least we know here what we have to pay prior to journey.
Posted by
Aussie PT
on
April 16, 2015 22:43
Editor Comment:
Locals in the Gold Coast can afford taxis if they need them. Locals on Phuket cannot. To have the taxi driver among the best-paid members of the community creates social discord. You probably pay by the meter in Australia. Here, you will be told what to pay, and for a developing country, it will be extortionate. It's not all about your wallet, Aussie PT, but about a monopoly that also rules the public parking spaces along the west coast and has given Phuket a mostly surly group who are not fussed about service. There are twice as many as the island needs and the number continues to grow. Young men leave high school, buy a car and become a taxi driver, instead of planning other careers. A tourism bust and . . . what will all those unneeded drivers do?
Taxi drivers are just thieves in Phuket. I will not be coming back. I travel many months of the year, but Phuket now off my list of places to go. I will not recommend Thailand to any of my friends. Phuket has been very very very disappointing as far as ":how much money can I get off this tourist by giving them very little" Tut Tut ride today 600 metre - quoted 200B. Hello that is one of the most expensive rides in the world.
Posted by
Tony Australia
on
August 29, 2015 17:54
Hi
I'm trying to find out how much a taxi or minibus is to Nai Harn beach - can anyone help?
Posted by
Mark Davies
on
October 29, 2015 17:23
I have found the prices totally unnegotiable and ALLWAYS the maximum. E.G. I tried to take a taxi no more than 500 meters up the hill to my hotel. 300BHT!!! Come on! With a TUK TUK. There is a control of this and it is not good for tourism.
Posted by
Topdog200
on
February 12, 2016 15:33
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Try finding someone that speaks English when you call 1584
Posted by larry on February 28, 2013 10:10