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Westin Phuket Defers Taxi Decision


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Westin Phuket defers taxi decision

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Sirae Island Taxi Service leader Praderm Klomsuwan.

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Standard rates offered by the co-op start at 300 baht for the five

kilometer journey into town.

PHUKET: -- Management at the Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa, a local affiliate with global resort giant Starwood Hotels, has deferred announcing its decision on whether to allow a local taxi counter inside its new luxury resort on Koh Sireh in Phuket.

The announcement was made at a meeting on Saturday between the resort management team and representatives of local taxi co-operative, Sirae Island Taxi Service.

Liann Loo, Assistant Director of Marketing Communications at the resort, told the Gazette yesterday, “No decision has been made. It is still pending. Details will be released next Monday.”

On Friday, about 50 members of the taxi co-op gathered at their taxi stand in the front of the resort, waiting for good news. However, management asked to wait until Saturday for an answer. Now they are being asked to wait another nine days.

At Friday’s meeting were the resort’s management team, three representatives of the taxi co-op, a representative of the Hello Phuket company and Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit, serving as a witness.

Praderm Klomsuwan, chosen by the co-op to run the taxi stand, told the Gazette this was the co-op’s third attempt in two months to set up a counter on resort grounds, just as local tour operator Hello Phuket had already done.

The co-op has 70 drivers offering non-metered fares in vans, sedans and tuk-tuks, but only a small number of guests walk out of the resort in search of transport, said Mr Praderm.

“Some of our drivers get only one fare in three days,” he said.

However, he added that the number of other taxis seen entering the resort to pick up passengers indicated that many more of the resort’s guests wanted to use taxis, but did not use local drivers simply because they did not know about them.

“We wear uniforms. We are polite to guests. We keep records of each trip made in order to be able to track down any lost items. We are never rude. We just want the hotel to share their income with local villagers,” Mr Praderm said.

The resort has a list of set fares, which start at 300 baht for a taxi ride into central Phuket Town, a ride of about 5 kilometers. The cost to hire a van to either Phuket Airport or the Big Buddha image in Karon is 1,000 baht.

The new luxury hotel has 261 rooms, suites and villas. Its unique location essentially cuts it off from inexpensive public transport.

That could change in the near future, however, as the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) is now working to establish a new Pink Bus route to Koh Sireh.

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-- Phuket Gazette 2010-10-05

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"The resort has a list of set fares, which start at 300 baht for a taxi ride into central Phuket Town, a ride of about 5 kilometers."

B 300 to go 5 km...a complete rip-off by the resort of their guests! B 50-100 would be more like it.

thats why the up roar ! , they arnt getting a slice of the cake !:whistling:

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It's a luxury hotel. Anybody staying at any luxury hotel anywhere in the world is going to pay a higher rate using the hotels preferred method of transport. They are not "ripping off their guests". It is premium paid for reliable, safe transport.

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"The resort has a list of set fares, which start at 300 baht for a taxi ride into central Phuket Town, a ride of about 5 kilometers."

B 300 to go 5 km...a complete rip-off by the resort of their guests! B 50-100 would be more like it.

That is a big rip off! I took a taxi from Hualampong railway station, via the highway to Mo Chit bus station and I think the total was 85 baht! I just told the driver to keep the change from the 100.

TheWalkingMan

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The taxi mafia is worse than that, I know of a business who's customers call them directly for transport, and they have to tell hotel guests to meet them outside of the hotels they are staying. So I understand why the Westin potentially doesn't want the virus within their hotel grounds.

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It's a luxury hotel. Anybody staying at any luxury hotel anywhere in the world is going to pay a higher rate using the hotels preferred method of transport. They are not "ripping off their guests". It is premium paid for reliable, safe transport.

you are kidding, there is no such thing as safe transport in thailand....even if you use your own car

look at it

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300 Baht for 5 kilometer is pretty steep price in Thailand! It's nowhere near that price in Bangkok. The local taxi mafia needs to be regulated by the government, but then the government would want a piece of the action too most likely! What a wonderful job the local Thai government does in Phuket... For the corrupt by the corrupt?

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300 Baht for 5 kilometer is pretty steep price in Thailand! It's nowhere near that price in Bangkok. The local taxi mafia needs to be regulated by the government, but then the government would want a piece of the action too most likely! What a wonderful job the local Thai government does in Phuket... For the corrupt by the corrupt?

Regulating those guys has been tried before and they just resort to strongarm tactics - there have been plenty of examples in the news over the years. A couple of years ago the new Phuket governor announced that he'd be sorting out the impudent fellows and when he came out of the closed door meeting with the taxi brass he was visibly shaken, and announced that the situation was more legally complex than he initially thought and he'd have to delay his regulation plan pending "further study". I think they made him an offer he couldn't refuse - if there was any slicing to be done, it would be the governor, not the cake.

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Read and comprehend:

"The co-op has 70 drivers offering non-metered fares ..............................."

“Some of our drivers get only one fare in three days,..........."

Why does a taxi wait 3 days for a fare? Because he makes more money for a single non-metered fare than he can in 3 days using his meter. how about a BIG sign,

"METER TAXIS ONLY - ANY TAXI REFUSING TO USE METER WILL BE REPORTED TO POLICE"

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It's a luxury hotel. Anybody staying at any luxury hotel anywhere in the world is going to pay a higher rate using the hotels preferred method of transport. They are not "ripping off their guests". It is premium paid for reliable, safe transport.

<deleted>! This is local taxis refusing to use their meters so as to overcharge.

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300 Baht for 5 kilometer is pretty steep price in Thailand! It's nowhere near that price in Bangkok. The local taxi mafia needs to be regulated by the government, but then the government would want a piece of the action too most likely! What a wonderful job the local Thai government does in Phuket... For the corrupt by the corrupt?

Regulating those guys has been tried before and they just resort to strongarm tactics - there have been plenty of examples in the news over the years. A couple of years ago the new Phuket governor announced that he'd be sorting out the impudent fellows and when he came out of the closed door meeting with the taxi brass he was visibly shaken, and announced that the situation was more legally complex than he initially thought and he'd have to delay his regulation plan pending "further study". I think they made him an offer he couldn't refuse - if there was any slicing to be done, it would be the governor, not the cake.

You're right! What was I thinking? Half the tuk tuks are owned by the local BIB's and they paid to get their positions here in Phuket. I guess it's a hopeless situation. Especially when the government is powerless, as they just approved more taxis, vans and tuk tuks. The drivers are complaining they don't get many customers as there are too many of them already and they charge outrageous fees and there is no competition allowed, or anyone who tried, would be shot most likely... Oh well, TIT. I'm glad I have a car and two motorbikes...

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It's a luxury hotel. Anybody staying at any luxury hotel anywhere in the world is going to pay a higher rate using the hotels preferred method of transport. They are not "ripping off their guests". It is premium paid for reliable, safe transport.

<deleted>! This is local taxis refusing to use their meters so as to overcharge.

or a taxi using its meter to drive unsuspecting tourists who have no idea where things are way out of the way to overcharge. If Im in a foreign country that is known to have many rip-offs or worse, Id much rather save myself the hassle and pay a flat rate at the hotel.

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