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PHUKET: British couple Kim and Ben Webb were the first tourist passengers on today's historic Phuket Airport to Patong beach bus service run.
Although there were only a dozen people on the first bus, including the media, more passengers appeared to be on the second bus.
Others can be expected, if the Webbs are any guide. They chose to wait in the queue for the bus even though it ran 30 minutes late, and even though taxi drivers tried to persuade them to take a faster option.
''We have plenty of time and we are watching our budget, so the bus was good for us,'' Ben said. He and Kim hadn't realised it was the first service.
A group of Chinese tourists, however, tired of waiting and took a taxi.
All of them had simply followed the signs to the stop. The bus left at 9.30 and reached Patong just over an hour later.
There were two local passengers from the airport. The first got off early in Thepkasattri Road and the other one rode on to Boat Lagoon.
There were four stops between the Airport and Patong. Residents are expected to use the service for short trips once they realise it's operating.
A bus driver was accompanied by a conductor, who took the money for the fares.
Driver Roongpet Prammanee, 40, said he was ''a little bit excited and a little bit nervous'' in being the first.
It was decided to take a low-key approach to launching today's service.
With the Department of Special Investigation on Phuket next week to investigate complaints by tourists, the issue of whether tourists queuing for the public bus at the airport should be harassed could be added to the list.
Although there were only a dozen people on the first bus, including the media, more passengers appeared to be on the second bus.
Others can be expected, if the Webbs are any guide. They chose to wait in the queue for the bus even though it ran 30 minutes late, and even though taxi drivers tried to persuade them to take a faster option.
''We have plenty of time and we are watching our budget, so the bus was good for us,'' Ben said. He and Kim hadn't realised it was the first service.
A group of Chinese tourists, however, tired of waiting and took a taxi.
All of them had simply followed the signs to the stop. The bus left at 9.30 and reached Patong just over an hour later.
There were two local passengers from the airport. The first got off early in Thepkasattri Road and the other one rode on to Boat Lagoon.
There were four stops between the Airport and Patong. Residents are expected to use the service for short trips once they realise it's operating.
A bus driver was accompanied by a conductor, who took the money for the fares.
Driver Roongpet Prammanee, 40, said he was ''a little bit excited and a little bit nervous'' in being the first.
It was decided to take a low-key approach to launching today's service.
With the Department of Special Investigation on Phuket next week to investigate complaints by tourists, the issue of whether tourists queuing for the public bus at the airport should be harassed could be added to the list.
I will be following this story closely. Let the fun and games begin....
Posted by kiwi on July 19, 2013 09:13