News Analysis
PHUKET: The new charter of taxi fares agreed recently by drivers on Phuket was given a large thumbs down by Phuket's honorary consuls at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City today.
Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha asked for the opinion of honorary consuls about the negotiated fares . . . and they gave it to him. And they provided their opinions unanimously and repeatedly.
Although the honorary consuls were polite, the fact is, Phuket's taxi fares are a continuing rip-off that denies all logic.
Catch a taxi from the Phuket International Airport to anywhere on the island and you will pay much less for the journey than you will have to pay to make the journey from anywhere on the island to Phuket airport.
Catch a metered taxi from the airport and you will pay almost half of what you pay in other taxis for the same journey.
The word ''mafia'' was slipped in by one or two honorary consuls. And there's no denying it's true. Phuket is still being held to ransom by its taxi drivers.
Unfortunately, the person who had to defend the new schedule was Teerayut Prasertpon, Phuket's Land Transport Department chief, who had tried harder than anyone to create a central taxi call centre system, which is what Phuket so clearly needs.
Every other destination has taxi drivers who respond to calls, service a large area, and are constantly picking up and dropping off passengers. Why not on Phuket?
The toothless tabloids may project this afternoon's event as an attack on Khun Teerayut but it was actually nothing of the kind: he and the honorary consuls are on the same side when it comes to reforming Phuket's present fares and the whole crazy Phuket system.
If the tourists who come to Phuket and the honorary consuls who represent them had a say in the Phuket taxi system, it would be radically reformed, and in a hurry.
But as both Khun Teerayut and Governor Tri pointed out today, they believe reforming Phuket's public transport can only come step by step - unless, of course, the national government wants to take over and do it their way quickly.
The Phuket system suits only the drivers. One village group will not countenance another village group picking up passengers in their territory.
So the poor passenger on Phuket has to pay twice the fare he or she would normally have to pay to cover the cost of the journey going, and also the journey coming back.
Khun Teerayut attempted to make the point that the drivers from the airport mostly use lpg whereas the rest are on petrol.
Well, that may be so but it's difficult to see how that could account for the massive difference in fares for precisely the same distance going from the airport and going to the airport.
Some of the honorary consuls suggested that the word ''mafia'' had something to do with it, although that word never emerged from the lips of the Thai-English translator at today's meeting.
The minutes of the meeting that are sent to Bangkok will probably project the gathering as a very friendly affair, which it certainly was.
But the honorary consuls - both expats and Thai - growled as a group today about the monopoly that Phuket's taxi drivers hold on a primitive system that remains an international disgrace.
Phuket's ''jobs for the boys'' system allows drivers without any qualifications or education to out-earn people with university degrees simply by driving once or twice a day from one part of Phuket to another, and back.
The present campaign of reforms may be creating a database, so that the drivers are registered and can be held a little more responsible.
But Phuket remains a holiday island held to ransom until the next Phuket governor or the national government brings about real reforms.
Until then, Phuket's taxi system will remain a laughing stock - unless you happen to be unfortunate enough to be on holiday there and have no other means of transport. Then only your driver will be laughing.
Sample Fares from the New Phuket Taxi Schedule
KARON AREA TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Karon to Patong: 400 baht
Karon to Phuket City: 550 baht
Karon to Phuket Airport: 1000 baht
Karon to Deep Sea Port: 700 baht
Karon to New Bus Station: 600 baht
Karon to Surin beach: 700 baht
KAMALA AREA TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Kamala to Patong: 400 baht
Kamala to Karon: 600 baht
Kamala to Rawai: 900 baht
Kamala to Phuket Airport: 700 baht
Kamala to Phuket City: 700 baht
Kamala to Cape Panwa: 900 baht
PATONG AREA TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Patong to Kamala: 400 baht
Patong to Karon: 400 baht
Patong to Kata: 500 baht
Patong to Phuket Airport: 800 baht
Patong to Laguna: 600 baht
Patong tp Cape Promthep: 700 baht
PHUKET AIRPORT TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Phuket Airport to Koh Sireh: 600 baht
Phuket Airport to Deep Sea Port: 750 baht
Phuket Airport to Chalong: 650 baht
Phuket Airport to Karon: 750 baht
Phuket Airport to Surin: 550 baht
Phuket Airport to Kamala: 600 baht
RAWAI AREA TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Rawai to Deep Sea Port: 750 baht
Rawai to Cape Panwa: 800 baht
Rawai to Chalong Bay: 350 baht
Rawai to Kata: 400 baht
Rawai to Patong: 700 baht
Rawai to Surin: 900 baht
Rawai to Phuket Airport: 1000 baht
Rawai to Phuket City: 500 baht
Rawai to New bus Station: 600 baht
A check on the board at a Surin beach taxi and tuk-tuk rank - not part of the latest agreement - showed the following fares:
SURIN AREA TAXIS AND TUK-TUKS
Surin to Phuket Airport: 700 baht
Surin to Kamala: 300 baht
Surin to JW Marriott: 900 baht
Surin to FantaSea (Kamala): 300 baht
Surin to Laguna: 400 baht
Surin to Mission Hills: 700 baht
Surin to Karon: 700 baht
Surin to Kata: 800 baht
Surin to Phuket City: 600 baht
Surin to Cape Promthep: 1200 baht
Surin to Cape Panwa: 1100 baht
Surin to Khao Lak: 2500 baht
Surin to Krabi: 3500 baht
This really is a joke. In Bangkok this weekend, you can have a taxi all day with a driver for 1200 Baht. The plain truth is there is no desire in Phuket to stop this extortion. The honest business people will be the ones that suffer in the long run, as more and more tourists avoid Phuket and its rip offs. Things need changing and quickly, cosy reforms that suit only the "criminal elements" are nothing short of pathetic!!!!
Posted by unbelievable on September 17, 2012 21:30