[quote]
... as he was driving off, another driver threw an iron bar that broke his windscreen
[/quote]

Is an iron bar standard equipment in a taxi?

(Rhetorical question because the answer is obviously 'only in Phuket')

Simon

Posted by Simon Luttrell on September 4, 2011 21:12

Excuse my language but WTF...How can anyone on this island tolerate this kind of behavior? Wonder how it will be when high season starts and different tour company will go to pick up guests. Should every driver of these tour buses carry a weapon or have a co-driver with a a machine gun! This is ridiculous. Sound like one of the Mad Max movies.

Posted by Ex xpat on September 4, 2011 21:16

Well I am left speechless. The economic tsunami is here. No tourists means no money.

Sum num na.

Posted by Rsole on September 4, 2011 21:28

Words fail me. The same thing happening again and again. Lets hope Larry Cunningham takes this on board and makes serious Government representation and complaints.

Posted by Mr Man on September 4, 2011 21:38

So now we know the big wigs are either in it or condone it. This type of behaviour is becoming very common now, so embassies now is the time to act or do what these thugs say. "The drivers swore at the couple, saying: "F@#@ off tourist."

Posted by Dun on September 4, 2011 22:15

Time to call in the army and rid the island of these louts

Posted by agogohome on September 4, 2011 22:21

'the lack of appropriate paperwork that taxi drivers demanded from outside vehicles picking up guests.' So the tail wags the dog does it? At some point the camel's back has got to get broken and action taken against these thugs, just hope no one dies first. This is just spiralling out of control.

Posted by Mister ree on September 4, 2011 23:02

all tuk tuk and taxi drivers have weapons in the cars. i got once attacked by a tuk tuk guy in kata with a iron bar because i told him: chai yen when he almost hit me on the the road. lucky i could excape. if not maybe i am not here now...

Posted by mike on September 4, 2011 23:15

I'm off to Bali this year after years on Phuket. Can not accept this behavior. Neither the Taxi, Tuk-Tuk drivers, nor the people in power who let them do whatever they want. It is a shame and thanks to the world-wide-web the world is watching.

Posted by Oliver S. on September 4, 2011 23:28

Quote F&%* Off tourists. So much for the Land of smiles I have lived in Patong for eight years. I spend 4 weeks in Thailand and work 4 weeks in Australia. The common consensus with the people i work with down under is don't go to Phuket, especially Patong.There are upwards of 20 Aussies and Brits I work with who have moved to Thailand most of which came to Patong first. I am now the only one left living in Patong and as I have just moved into a house in Korat I will be spending very little time here. I cannot believe the way Patong has changed these past few years, even the many Thai friends I have ask me Khun Neil what happen to Patong why it not nice place anymore? This latest event just beggars belief. A hotel owner from Bali who im sure will go home and tell all his Aussie guests his story and I cant see him recommending Phuket for a holiday. We may have 420,000 Aussies coming to Thailand but very soon it wont be Phuket. As for F@%* Off tourists my friend and I had the exact same phrase said to us at the Phuket Country Club golf course and we were theatened with golf clubs. The Patong I loved has gone I would like to give an example of how the Tuk Tuk drivers used to be. Several years ago my Thai girlfriend was rushed to hospital. I had to go down to the bank to get money for the operation. I got a tuk tuk to take me to Phuket hospital where his wife came in with me and helped me with my enquires and to find the right ward. The tuk tuk waited over an hour for me took me back to Patong to get some belongings for my girlfriend where he waited a further 1/2 hour then back to the hospital where again he waited, took me back to Patong and later picked me up to take me to visit my girlfriend waited another hour before finally taking me home. The cost 1500 baht for three round trips and about 4 hours waiting he and his wife could not have been more friendly or of more assistance. That is the Patong I loved. So sad to see it now.

Posted by Neil Armitage on September 5, 2011 00:05

Let me guess, Taxi drivers will have to pay 1000 Baht fine and all will be forgiven.

Atrocity after atrocity and no one who has power gives a crap. This is GBH at least and should be arrested and put in prison.

If the German man died, the Police would still have no one held accountable for the man's death since they don't know who did it. It is only that he is alive that he maybe able to identify his attackers.

Posted by Tbs on September 5, 2011 00:21

whatever happened to the Taxi driver who assaulted the French FAMILY in Kata? Doubt he even had to pay a fine.

Posted by Vfaye on September 5, 2011 05:55

"Local people want local jobs" would be reasonable except most of these tuktuk drivers ARE NOT FROM PHUKET! They come from different provinces and terrorize visitors to the country because they are too lazy to get a real job!

Posted by Jake on September 5, 2011 15:03

the MOD at cape sienna should have stepped in and done something, as should the security guard...disgusting behavior. Once again, big round of applause for the local thai people for f***ing up phuket.

Posted by Anonymous on September 5, 2011 15:27

Sorry but tourists are a dime a dozen and as long as the planes fly in from the cold north and south nothing big will be done as that would bring bad publicity even if it was making things better in the long run for tourists. Things will change for the better only when Phuket looses face due to a major incident involving a well known person that brings world wide media outrage. Unfortunately it is a crap shoot as to when this will happen. I could hope for a mayor like the one back in the 1970's that cleaned up Subic City in the Philippines but I have never heard of anyone in Thailand truly willing to take on the big money makers and power brokers here in Phuket after all to take them on would be to admit there is a real serious problem.

Posted by mike on September 5, 2011 15:38

People keep saying that this will damage thailand and tourists won't come but as much as all the bad publicity people keep coming TAT keep going to different countries with their promotions and feeding them a load of crap about Thailand and these people think S in LOS stands for smile haha what a joke. The only way to maybe stop these tuk tuk and jet ski mafias is for all countries to give travel warnings with boarding passes to Thailand also as much work as the consuls do which must be appreciated they need to talk to Heads of government in each country and the PM in Thailand needs to be tapped on the shoulder and made aware of the damage being done.

Posted by mal c on September 5, 2011 17:42