‘Dog bites man’ would hardly ever be a headline. ‘Man bites dog’ nonetheless IS a headline. In the identical means ‘a taxi driver offered buyer with an excellent experience’ isn’t a headline. That’s except it’s in Phuket Thailand.
The Thaiger could pave the road, all the way from Bangkok to Phuket, with tales of the southern island’s faltering makes an attempt at public transport. For one of many world’s favourite tropical island locations, it has the crappiest, and costliest choices for public transport, compared to, well… even Bangkok.
Phuket has a few forty year old songtaew open trucks, even fewer buses that don’t seem to run to any schedule and nothing in the method in which of trains, or BTS fashion services. If you’re really lucky you might find a motorbike taxi however they’re rare. Like really uncommon.
All the talk about the white elephant project of the final decade, the so-called Phuket gentle rail service, that was planned to run from the airport, then by way of Phuket Town and into the southern expat favourite of Chalong, has ended up in the ‘seemed like a good suggestion at the time’ file.
But the plan to provide a public light rail service that travelled to only about in all places, EXCEPT where tourists would ever go to, was all the time doomed to failure. Of course it hit fierce resistance too, from none other than Phuket’s well-known tuk tuk and taxi cartels… typically described usually as the Phuket taxi mafia.
Simply, these gangs have labored together for over 3 a long time to lock out any competitors, and even alternatives for modernisation or offering better providers for vacationers, not to mention locals. They’ve even been capable of infect any potential competition from the new ride-hailing providers by forcing the drivers to cost the same, extortionate fares.
How extortionate? Let’s begin with a taxi ride around Bangkok, in the same small Toyota sedan taxis.
Firstly, the meters will work in Bangkok, in Phuket you’re extra more doubtless to find a policeman with a properly-fitting uniform that you’re a taxi with an actual working meter. Despite the actual legislation saying they have to use their meters, they don’t.
For the tuk tuks, those three cylinder Diahatsu open vans, often with amplifiers and speakers with more power than the actual engine, there isn’t any meter anyway. There’s a just a fixed value and your greatest try at haggling.
Compare a 30 minute trip in a taxi from, say, Suvarnabhumi airport to downtown Bangkok – normally a visit of 30 minutes. You’ll pay around 200 baht for the ride… I do it a minimal of once per week.
But an analogous half hour journey from Phuket airport to, say, Kathu in the center of the island, will value you more like 600 – 800 baht. Even brief five minute trips from one Patong area to a different will likely cost you one hundred fifty – 200 baht. That journey in a Bangkok taxi would in all probability not even push the 35 baht flag fall.
The distinction is so wide that it remains a seemingly unsolvable, festering wound for the recovery of the island’s tourist economic system, and popularity.
So it was with astonishment yesterday The Thaiger posted a story “Thai vacationer praises Phuket’s taxi for offering perfect metropolis tour at only 50 baht”. Greatest shouldn’t have been a headline – it shouldn’t have been even a slightly interesting story. It should occur a thousand occasions everyday.
To his credit score, fifty four yr old Suchart Nitiwaranuluck supplied a city tour of Phuket Town for a very reasonable 50 baht. When approached to comment on the publish of a recent Thai tourist, he informed the shocked media that he’d been providing the same wonderful service for years, even lengthy before Covid got here to city. So plaudits and well-earned pats on the back to Suchart. We need more like you in Phuket.
Countless makes an attempt have been made to reel in Phuket’s transport cartels – successive Phuket Governors, national governments, multiple nationwide police chief, even the army had an attempt after the 2014 coup. Then there’s been a long parade of embassies and consular officers which have also weighed in, solely to be run off the island with their tails between their legs.
Even 2 years of pandemic and restrictions has accomplished nothing to dent the facility of the native taxi cartels.
From the moment you stroll out of the domestic or international terminals in Phuket, you’re faced with the machinery of a well-oiled, airport-endorsed, taxi fare rip off. It is the primary impression and the last impression many tourists will have of their go to to the island.
As Phuket struggles to recover from 2 years of restrictions and entice vacationers again to its seashores, the one, large elephant in the room, that is holding back the island’s progress, is the transport cartels.
A vibrant future for the southern Thai island revolves around an environment friendly, smart, reasonably priced and equally vibrant public transport selection to move vacationers and locals round.
So convey on extra Sucharts and his 50 baht city excursions. Let’s hope we hear extra about Suchart and fewer about the price-gouging tradition of Phuket’s taxi and tuk tuk gangs..