webfact Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 UPDATE: 3,000 baht Phuket van fare for Australians tourists “all a misunderstanding” By The Thaiger As a follow up of the complaint about an overcharged van fare of 3,000 baht from Phuket International Airport to Kata by two Australians, a meeting was held yesterday between the driver, the tourists and a representative from the Phuket Land Transport Office. They agreed, in the end, that it was all “a misunderstanding”. The complaint about the expensive fare went viral an even got to the desk of the Thai PM. PM Prayut Chan O-cha ordered all departments involved to investigate and prevent the overcharging of taxi and van fares in the future. (The Thaiger notes that Phuket’s expats and tourists have heard this rhetoric for decades with ZERO advances in the systemic problems) Meanwhile, a meeting was held at the Karon Police Station, where the media were barred from attending. Following the discussions, the Phuket Vice Governor, Supot Rodruang Na Nongkhai, reported that after investigating the story from the two Australian tourists, it appears that they negotiated the taxi rate at the airport. Naruemon Jampathong was the tout in the negotiations, who approached them in the arrivals hall and called the van driven by Poompat Chankaew to take the pair to Kata. The Vice Governor explained that the tourists and the taxi driver told police different stories regarding the price. The tourists said they were offered at 3,000 baht ride while the van driver said he agreed on 2,000 baht (which is still 400 baht above the advertised and signed price for a private van hire for the journey). However, Naruemon was found guilty of entering the airport without a permit and the AoT has fined him 2,000 baht for this transgression. Regarding the amount for the van fare, there were further investigation as the two sides have offered conflicting stories. He noted that the PM emphasised to make justice for this case, especially to the Australian tourists and also to prevent these types of incidents in the future. The taxi driver told the media that, as soon as he was made aware of the controversy, he rushed to Karon Police Station to report in person to the police that he only charged them 2,000 baht, which was the negotiated price and the passengers were willing to pay as they didn’t want to wait for the van to be filled up (with other paying passengers – usually charged 200 baht each, as advertised and signed around the arrivals area). He insisted there was no mention of a 3,000 baht fare. However, in the end, police called the tourists and the driver for another round of talks. This time, according to police, both sides agreed that they negotiated for a 2,000 baht fare and the complaint was “all a misunderstanding”. The taxi driver was taken by police to the airport to pay the fine for picking up passengers at the airport without a permit. Source: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/update-3000-baht-phuket-van-fare-for-australians-tourists-all-a-misunderstanding -- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-07-19 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 11 minutes ago, webfact said: This time, according to police, both sides agreed that they negotiated for a 2,000 baht fare and the complaint was “all a misunderstanding”. how much did they pay? 3000 baht yes? the girls never thought the PM would get involved and decided to backpedal rather than face more intimidation. lets hope they get out of the country alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickc Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Even 2000b is extremely expensive... the advertised rate for a private taxi is around 1400, if negotiated can be cheaper... a precooked private car is around 600.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phuketshrew Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Seems like farangs are now being called in for behind closed doors "attitude adjustment" too ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeePeeMai Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 28 minutes ago, webfact said: 3,000 baht Phuket van fare for Australians tourists “all a misunderstanding” 555555, 555555555!, 555555555555!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardColeman Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Somehow I cannot imagine our own UK prime minster being dragged into a tourist overpaying £20 on a taxi fare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mok199 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Oh the Drama....thank god that's sorted ,I was losing sleep.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beechbum Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Hope the girls read this and reply once back home with what was really said in the closed door meetings.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeCross Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 so bangkok > pattaya aircon van 1600 baht and phuket airport > kata 1600 baht some "misunderstanding" ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 A couple of off-topic posts about British politics have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylekan Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 I love haggling, but I hate it for tourists coming to the country for the first time, and as a result, they get taken for a ride, no pun intended, cause they have no clue what a "fair" price is or how things should be done. This story reminds me how police seem to always get the person they have in custody to admit to the crime, though I'm pretty sure they're right only 50% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SammyT Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Narrator: "It was no misunderstanding at all. The taxi driver ripped them off and now everyone is trying to save face" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the guest Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 I will never take a Taxi in Phuket, it's a complete rip-off charging designer prices when tax is 7%, cost of living is cheaper, the cost of petrol is almost have the price of that of Europe, and yet they think they can charge the same as a first-world country. Learn to walk before you try to run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickc Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 4 hours ago, transam said: Is that cos it's microwaved...? Lol, no only the driver is usually precooked ???? bloody auto correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaiyen Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 I always rent a car for 1000 baht a day. Solves all the travel problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findlay13 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Yes OF COURSE it Was! a pure and simple mis-understanding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Misunderstanding ? And the world is a disk... Anyhow, this will not safe the situation, as the whole island is run by the cartel. They all ( taxi & tuk tuk drivers ) would need to do some time in a Chinese reeducation camp to get on track. Or maybe just work for their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohy Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 47 minutes ago, findlay13 said: Yes OF COURSE it Was! a pure and simple mis-understanding I hope you spend your bribe wisely ladies! Have fun, Now if you are not bothered about a repeat visit to LO scams visit lets know what happened at meeting when you are outside the borders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natway09 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 They are just daylight robbery & the PM will do squat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BestB Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 So to clarify normal price is 1600 but due to negotiations they paid 2000 and it’s “misunderstanding” totally natural to negotiate the price up???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawadee1947 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 I hope the Aussies will tell everybody about their experience when back home. "Don't enter the country" Thailand got fairy prices but not fair prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 6 hours ago, RichardColeman said: Somehow I cannot imagine our own UK prime minster being dragged into a tourist overpaying £20 on a taxi fare Better ask Boris and Mr Hunt what they would do in this situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mansell Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 7 hours ago, Mickc said: Even 2000b is extremely expensive... the advertised rate for a private taxi is around 1400, if negotiated can be cheaper... a precooked private car is around 600.. These girls are not to bright......the fares are posted inside the airport and outside quite prominently for the whole island. There is no need to negotiate. But I have watched groups of tourists pay inside the airport for a taxi, and then outside they start ripping them off by telling them there are no taxis and they should all get in a mini van which is way cheaper. When they point this out the scammers say, we'll go back inside and get your money back. I would watch this going on, and when the scammers were distracted I would walk over amongst them and tell them how they were being ripped off and just wait for the taxis they paid for.....they would thank me and agree to wait. Before the prices used to be posted it was a meat market with the guys gouging everybody. One taxi driver told me that Thai people from BKK are shocked at the prices on Phuket. Around eight years ago we got into a taxi after a flight from California and were pretty jet lagged. We asked the driver to turn on the a/c and he said it was an extra hundred baht. The art of the ripoff. Somebody recently said they should start using the meters, the taxi mafia voted it down. What would cost around 400. Baht in BKK is 1,000 baht in Phuket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 7 hours ago, Mickc said: Even 2000b is extremely expensive... the advertised rate for a private taxi is around 1400, if negotiated can be cheaper... a precooked private car is around 600.. The girls negotiated with the driver to pay extra because they didn't want to wait for the van to fill up with passengers as it normally would at B200 per person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phkauf Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 There's a really simple solution to this mess: DON"T go to Phuket. I tell all my friends coming here not to go there and I refuse to join them if they do go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidneyw Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 In 1981 I took a Tuk Tuk, with my wife. Seemingly the driver asked for twenty baht ( Yee Sip Baht). My wife wanted to know why I insisted on paying thirty baht (Sam Sip Baht). I was still learning Thai!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 3 hours ago, Guitar God said: I had a tuktuk driver in Bangkok this morning take me less than 2 km. The entire trip took less than 10 minutes. I asked for 2000฿. I gave him 200฿, he said no, no and reached for my wallet an I wound up, he cowered and I got the F out of there. I should have taken a photo of his license but I couldn’t get my phone out in time. Actually I should have thrown his damn keys in the klong. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Why would you get a tuktuk without negotiating the fare first when that's the whole point of unmetered taxis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 1 hour ago, BestB said: So to clarify normal price is 1600 but due to negotiations they paid 2000 and it’s “misunderstanding” totally natural to negotiate the price up???????? No, that is not the correct clarification, the girls wanted the van to themselves, didn't want to wait for it to fill up, as is normal practice at B200 pp, so they negotiated the price for them only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookiescot Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Well at least it got sorted out and may well serve as a warning to others to cut out the practice of overcharging. Loved the 2000 baht fine going to ToT though ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNXexpat Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 7 hours ago, RichardColeman said: Somehow I cannot imagine our own UK prime minster being dragged into a tourist overpaying £20 on a taxi fare I guess if someone would be overcharged for a 3 days salary of someone with the minimum wage (approx. 220 GBP) for an hour trip and this goes viral, he would. And the 220 GBP is only the overcharging. They paid 440 GBP in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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