PHUKET: A group of taxi drivers from Koh Sireh, the small island east of Phuket City, complained today to the Damrugtam ombudsman's office about the destruction of their stand on public land.
About 25 taxi drivers had been operating from the stand outside the Westin Siray Bay Resort, since it opened five years ago.
Police and local councils destroyed taxi stands on public land in June as the military took over in Thailand and Region 8 police, along with local authorities, moved to give Phuket meter taxis and a full, international standard service.
The Westin is unable to accommodate the taxi drivers because it already has contracts in place.
According to locals on Koh Sireh, some of the drivers who manage the Westin rank are also in charge of the ranks at Robinson department store and Royal Phuket City hotel, both in Phuket City, and are not originally from Phuket.
About 25 taxi drivers had been operating from the stand outside the Westin Siray Bay Resort, since it opened five years ago.
Police and local councils destroyed taxi stands on public land in June as the military took over in Thailand and Region 8 police, along with local authorities, moved to give Phuket meter taxis and a full, international standard service.
The Westin is unable to accommodate the taxi drivers because it already has contracts in place.
According to locals on Koh Sireh, some of the drivers who manage the Westin rank are also in charge of the ranks at Robinson department store and Royal Phuket City hotel, both in Phuket City, and are not originally from Phuket.
The only option for those illegal taxi drivers will be to become a registered "Metered Taxi" and to start to work as all people around the world instead to sleep all day long in a sala opposite a resort waiting tourists to scam them.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on August 4, 2014 18:48