Phuketwan Covers the Tuk-Tuk Dispute On The Spot
TALK AIMED at settling a dispute between Phuket tuk-tuk drivers and a large tour company will resume next week. Two hours of discussion yesterday failed to resolve the issue.
Drivers in the Karon-Kata area of Phuket are averaging about one fare a day, the meeting at the Karon Municipal Centre was told, well below expectations.
With the island's economy in a slump despite the arrival of the high season, the drivers are anxious to ensure the local community does not suffer needlessly.
While the matter was not discussed at yesterday's meeting, Phuketwan understands that at least one Russian guide has been arrested in southern Phuket this month for not having appropriate work documents.
Tuk-tuk drivers make no secret of their concern to retain satisfactory incomes.
Most of the talks yesterday concerned the relationship between tour firm Turismo Asia, the Centara Karon Resort Phuket, and the tuk-tuk drivers.
The drivers are unhappy that Turismo Asia has a tour desk at the resort, and questioned whether the appropriate paperwork had been obtained from local authorities.
If the tour desk remained in place, the tuk-tuk drivers would like to have a desk at the resort, too, a spokesman said. Turismo Asia's employment of expat staff was also questioned.
A spokesman for Turismo Asia said that the desk at most took three bookings a day, and that their tour work was largely from in-advance online bookings made by tourists before departure.
The company employed expats for their language skills, the meeting was told.
The gathering also heard that drivers were unhappy with their new uniform of white shirt and dark trousers, introduced as part of a move to lift service and standards.
Drivers were reluctant to wear the uniform because others had told them they looked as though they were ''going to a funeral.''
The meeting broke up with no resolution. In the chair was Karon mayor Tawee Tongcham, with local police and tourist police represented, along with the Kata-Karon Hotels Association.
Three staff represented Centara, an arm of Thailand's large Central retail group, with two people in attendance from Turismo Asia, which has extensive dealings with TUI Nordic, the large Scandinavian agency. About 12 tuk-tuk driver representatives attended.
A second dispute between the tuk-tuk drivers and the local tour company Siam Safari is being dealt with separately. Phuketwan has been informed that Siam Safari and the tuk-tuk drivers reached a sharing agreement after an earlier falling out that led to public protests in 2002.
In the years since then, fares have risen and pressure has gone on profit margins. Both sides are understood to be keen to resolve the issue speedily.
Phuketwan's reporter was the only media representative at this meeting.
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"the drivers are anxious to ensure the local community does not suffer needlessly".. Ha ha ha.. What tripe !!
If they wanted 'the local community' to prosper they wouldn't be 'unhappy that Turismo Asia has a tour desk at the resort' as it would all be putting money into the local economy..
What they mean is they don't want to suffer, from their own bad reputation and too many of them.
Posted by LivinLOS on December 12, 2009 07:34