Tuks Tuks No Good!

[SanukMahk]

Well, most know about the Tuk tuk mafia blocking the U.S. Navy untill they got exclusive right to rip off the crew. Some for up top 8000 Baht from Sea Port to Patong! Well Pattaya got the green light for a Carrier and foltilla due to that issue. the Navy League in Phuket had all sorted for us to get all that money... Wow! and the Tuk tuk mafia gutted all of Phuket.. Boycott tuk tuk's thai and Farang alike!

Where is the mayor of Patong, hing tes withg his son, head of the taxi mafia!

[BillR]

hmm, well 3 navy ships are coming to phuket in the next few weeks.

[MrEarl]

I've been boycotting them for many years.The tuktuk scum bags should all be shot and fed to the fish.

[britmaveric]

Never had an issue with tuk tuk service in Phuket. Haggle w/price and normally they are pretty good lads if you get to know them.

[harleyclarkey]

Never had an issue with tuk tuk service in Phuket. Haggle w/price and normally they are pretty good lads if you get to know them.

Brit....you are joking? Like you pay 40 baht or so to travel a couple of kilometres and maybe ,just maybe, 70 baht or so from, say, Karon to Patong??

[bangkokrick]

Never had an issue with tuk tuk service in Phuket. Haggle w/price and normally they are pretty good lads if you get to know them.

Brit....you are joking? Like you pay 40 baht or so to travel a couple of kilometres and maybe ,just maybe, 70 baht or so from, say, Karon to Patong??

Harley, you are way out of touch. I took my family to Phuket a couple of years ago and we stayed in a hotel in Karon. We wanted to go to Patong shopping and there was a tuk tuk rank very close to the hotel. I asked the price (4 people) and they replied 400 Baht. I tried to negotiate with the other drivers and they all stuck to 400 Baht. We were screwed with no other option, so I had to pay. When we got into Patong the first thing I did was to hire a very new Honda City for 900 Baht a day all in. I never looked back, but the tuk tuk drivers saw us drive past them everyday. Som nam na.

Cheers, Rick

[tolsti]

Posted Today, 15:02

Well, most know about the Tuk tuk mafia blocking the U.S. Navy untill they got exclusive right to rip off the crew. Some for up top 8000 Baht from Sea Port to Patong! Well Pattaya got the green light for a Carrier and foltilla due to that issue. the Navy League in Phuket had all sorted for us to get all that money... Wow! and the Tuk tuk mafia gutted all of Phuket.. Boycott tuk tuk's thai and Farang alike!

Where is the mayor of Patong, hing tes withg his son, head of the taxi mafia! P

Any chance of getting this drivel translated into a recognised language?

Apart from Singhalese... Changalese and Heinekenitis....

Edited October 20, 2010 by tolsti

[stevenl]

I think it is quite clear what the op means. I don't think he is right though.

[SantiSuk]

Posted Today, 15:02

Well, most know about the Tuk tuk mafia blocking the U.S. Navy untill they got exclusive right to rip off the crew. Some for up top 8000 Baht from Sea Port to Patong! Well Pattaya got the green light for a Carrier and foltilla due to that issue. the Navy League in Phuket had all sorted for us to get all that money... Wow! and the Tuk tuk mafia gutted all of Phuket.. Boycott tuk tuk's thai and Farang alike!

Where is the mayor of Patong, hing tes withg his son, head of the taxi mafia! P

Any chance of getting this drivel translated into a recognised language?

Apart from Singhalese... Changalese and Heinekenitis....

Why do I have this feeling that you don't speak Thai or any other language? IMO you should show a little more common decency when you are in a foreign country.

Edited October 21, 2010 by SantiSuk

[steelepulse]

Never had an issue with tuk tuk service in Phuket. Haggle w/price and normally they are pretty good lads if you get to know them.

Brit....you are joking? Like you pay 40 baht or so to travel a couple of kilometres and maybe ,just maybe, 70 baht or so from, say, Karon to Patong??

Harley, you are way out of touch. I took my family to Phuket a couple of years ago and we stayed in a hotel in Karon. We wanted to go to Patong shopping and there was a tuk tuk rank very close to the hotel. I asked the price (4 people) and they replied 400 Baht. I tried to negotiate with the other drivers and they all stuck to 400 Baht. We were screwed with no other option, so I had to pay. When we got into Patong the first thing I did was to hire a very new Honda City for 900 Baht a day all in. I never looked back, but the tuk tuk drivers saw us drive past them everyday. Som nam na.

Cheers, Rick

I'm pretty sure Harley was taking the piss as he knows that Brit did not negotiate anywhere close to 40 or 70 baht. Maybe Brit got them down from 500 to 400, but that's about it and really all tuk tuks quote the same price from the same tuk tuk queue. If any driver lowballed another driver, he'd get in trouble.

[Wellington]

Posted Today, 15:02

Well, most know about the Tuk tuk mafia blocking the U.S. Navy untill they got exclusive right to rip off the crew. Some for up top 8000 Baht from Sea Port to Patong! Well Pattaya got the green light for a Carrier and foltilla due to that issue. the Navy League in Phuket had all sorted for us to get all that money... Wow! and the Tuk tuk mafia gutted all of Phuket.. Boycott tuk tuk's thai and Farang alike!

Where is the mayor of Patong, hing tes withg his son, head of the taxi mafia! P

Any chance of getting this drivel translated into a recognised language?

Apart from Singhalese... Changalese and Heinekenitis....

Why do I have this feeling that you don't speak Thai or any other language? IMO you should show a little more common decency when you are in a foreign country.

"Where is the mayor of Patong, hing tes withg his son, head of the taxi mafia! ;"

This the same "son" whose father has nothing to do with permissions for his enormous new hotel on Patong Hill?

[bangkokrick]

Never had an issue with tuk tuk service in Phuket. Haggle w/price and normally they are pretty good lads if you get to know them.

Brit....you are joking? Like you pay 40 baht or so to travel a couple of kilometres and maybe ,just maybe, 70 baht or so from, say, Karon to Patong??

Harley, you are way out of touch. I took my family to Phuket a couple of years ago and we stayed in a hotel in Karon. We wanted to go to Patong shopping and there was a tuk tuk rank very close to the hotel. I asked the price (4 people) and they replied 400 Baht. I tried to negotiate with the other drivers and they all stuck to 400 Baht. We were screwed with no other option, so I had to pay. When we got into Patong the first thing I did was to hire a very new Honda City for 900 Baht a day all in. I never looked back, but the tuk tuk drivers saw us drive past them everyday. Som nam na.

Cheers, Rick

I'm pretty sure Harley was taking the piss as he knows that Brit did not negotiate anywhere close to 40 or 70 baht. Maybe Brit got them down from 500 to 400, but that's about it and really all tuk tuks quote the same price from the same tuk tuk queue. If any driver lowballed another driver, he'd get in trouble.

Yes I am pretty aware of the situation there and no one dare undercut another. I will stick to renting a car if I ever visit again because it is hassle free and without doubt the best deal. Brit never takes the piss. lol

Cheers, Rick

[BangTaoBoy]

Taking away the small minority of drivers who have been involved in attacks on tourists, the vast majority are normal working guys. It is getting quite pathetic now how nobody can use the word tuk tuk without throwing the word mafia around. You've lived a very sheltered life if you think a group of taxi drivers controlling their market by bribing officials constitutes a mafia. The word mafia is now used to talk about boys selling deck chairs! Pathetic.

As for prices, they are about right. This is a tourist island and they have every right to charge tourist prices. The prices are clearly displayed on boards so it is unlikely you will be over charged.

As for their ranks. I think you are being very naive if you think you have the right to park in the places used by tuk tuks. It doesn't matter if they are officially designated spaces or public spaces, it's their turf, don't lay claim to it, because you will loose.

As for the people whose only vaguely legitimate complaint is the lack of a cheaper alternative, tuff luck. Get a car, bike, use bike taxis or move. You can't have a place like Phuket and then expect to have a normal bus service. You'll be expecting a free bus pass when you hit 65 next!

[KarenBravo]

You can't have a place like Phuket and then expect to have a normal bus service.

Why not?

Pattaya has one and most other tourist towns round the world have one, too.

[Wellington]

You can't have a place like Phuket and then expect to have a normal bus service.

Why not?

Pattaya has one and most other tourist towns round the world have one, too.

Absolutely; we need a bus service badly, besides the obvious it would save a lot of lives lost by young kids going to school on bikes they don't know how to use properly.

[bangkokrick]

Yes explain. Why not?

[BangTaoBoy]

You can't have a place like Phuket and then expect to have a normal bus service.

Why not?

Pattaya has one and most other tourist towns round the world have one, too.

Pattaya is nothing like Phuket, and nor are most other tourist towns either.

Where in Pattaya are the winding mountain roads? Where in Phuket is the capital city 1 1/2 hours away? They are nothing like each other (thankfully) so can't be compared.

I'm sure very well traveled people could come up with somewhere vaguely similar but on the whole, Phuket is unique. Which is why to be happy here you need to accept it warts and all.

P.S Let's not forget, something that seems to be ignored, we do have cheap as chip busses running from town to all beach areas. It's only from beach to beach the Tuk tuks fill their boots.

[stevenl]

Absolutely; we need a bus service badly, besides the obvious it would save a lot of lives lost by young kids going to school on bikes they don't know how to use properly.

You have me curious, from where to where do young kids go to school on bikes where there are no buses?

[bangkokrick]

Pattaya is nothing like Phuket, and nor are most other tourist towns either.

Where in Pattaya are the winding mountain roads? Where in Phuket is the capital city 1 1/2 hours away? They are nothing like each other (thankfully) so can't be compared.

I'm sure very well traveled people could come up with somewhere vaguely similar but on the whole, Phuket is unique. Which is why to be happy here you need to accept it warts and all.

P.S Let's not forget, something that seems to be ignored, we do have cheap as chip busses running from town to all beach areas. It's only from beach to beach the Tuk tuks fill their boots.

Phuket is not unique. A Baht bus service would work very along Patong beach area and over to Karon, Kata and Rawai. Why does it have to be tuk tuks?

I believe that people refer to the tuk tuk drivers as Mafia because they try to protect their monopoly transport system at all costs, even resorting to violence and blocking hotel access. That sounds pretty Mafioso to me.

With reference to pricing. I have been to Karon twice in two years and stayed at the same hotel. The price to Patong in the first year was 200 Baht and the second year was 400 Baht. Fair pricing??

Rick

[BIGTOE3]

Taking away the small minority of drivers who have been involved in attacks on tourists, the vast majority are normal working guys. It is getting quite pathetic now how nobody can use the word tuk tuk without throwing the word mafia around. You've lived a very sheltered life if you think a group of taxi drivers controlling their market by bribing officials constitutes a mafia. The word mafia is now used to talk about boys selling deck chairs! Pathetic.

As for prices, they are about right. This is a tourist island and they have every right to charge tourist prices. The prices are clearly displayed on boards so it is unlikely you will be over charged.

As for their ranks. I think you are being very naive if you think you have the right to park in the places used by tuk tuks. It doesn't matter if they are officially designated spaces or public spaces, it's their turf, don't lay claim to it, because you will loose.

As for the people whose only vaguely legitimate complaint is the lack of a cheaper alternative, tuff luck. Get a car, bike, use bike taxis or move. You can't have a place like Phuket and then expect to have a normal bus service. You'll be expecting a free bus pass when you hit 65 next!

I am confused with your post, on an early post you stated that your own home area was not good so surely if something is NOT right it should be fixed period.

Why should tourists be ripped off ? Why should public areas be off limits to the majority of the resident population as a whole ?

If its NOT right it is NOT RIGHT PERIOD.

BT

[britmaveric]

I'm pretty sure Harley was taking the piss as he knows that Brit did not negotiate anywhere close to 40 or 70 baht. Maybe Brit got them down from 500 to 400, but that's about it and really all tuk tuks quote the same price from the same tuk tuk queue. If any driver lowballed another driver, he'd get in trouble.

Actually 200bht from Patong to Kata, actually got the lad's mobile and used him all the time. And when I didnt use the lad - hopped on a mototaxi for 30bht.

Like I said not all are bad....there are some reasonable ones out there if you actually look.

[KarenBravo]

Pattaya is nothing like Phuket, and nor are most other tourist towns either.

Where in Pattaya are the winding mountain roads? Where in Phuket is the capital city 1 1/2 hours away? They are nothing like each other (thankfully) so can't be compared.

So........what you're saying is that Phuket can't have a bus system because it has hills and there is no capital city half an hour away.

Please explain your logic.

[BangTaoBoy]

I am confused with your post, on an early post you stated that your own home area was not good so surely if something is NOT right it should be fixed period.

Why should tourists be ripped off ? Why should public areas be off limits to the majority of the resident population as a whole ?

If its NOT right it is NOT RIGHT PERIOD.

BT

I did fix it. I fixed it by spending as little time there as possible, and spending as much time somewhere that makes me happy as possible. Job done.

As I said, I don't believe tourists are being ripped off. The price is about as high as it could possibly be granted, but still falls inside normal tourist prices as far as I'm concerned. The problem used to be no fixed prices, so nobody knew how much they should be, and had to pay what was being asked. These days the prices are for the best part fixed. If you think they are too dear, don't use them. If it ruins your holiday, go somewhere else next year, simple.

As 'BM' said, if you are a local and have an ounce of savvy, you can make other arrangements. I believe the vast majority of tourists don't have a problem, otherwise they wouldn't keep coming back year after year, which just leave a tiny minority of locals too stupid to make altenative transport arrangements.

I don't think things need to change urgently just to cater for that small group of people.

[inmysights]

I'm pretty sure Harley was taking the piss as he knows that Brit did not negotiate anywhere close to 40 or 70 baht. Maybe Brit got them down from 500 to 400, but that's about it and really all tuk tuks quote the same price from the same tuk tuk queue. If any driver lowballed another driver, he'd get in trouble.

Actually 200bht from Patong to Kata, actually got the lad's mobile and used him all the time. And when I didnt use the lad - hopped on a mototaxi for 30bht.

Like I said not all are bad....there are some reasonable ones out there if you actually look.

Really? 30 bht? I've been using motosais since an accident whereby I am unable to drive.

I've been using the local boys bikes and paying up to 100 baht for less than the journey from Kata-Karon. I know I've been paying over the odds, but difficult when you're standing there with only the smallest (100) in your hand. Although did get same distance for another location for 20 baht. I understand I fckd up, but felt sorry for them, until recently, word having got around that 100 was my minimum and one tosser even 200 LOL!

As to the tuktuks, up until last year I used to get from town to Chalong for 150 if I walked around the corner of the old market. (all about where you are as well as where you want to go ...) Don't now bother with any of them and walk any and everywhere. If a bus comes along, I'll hop it.

Everyone knows the public transport system here's a joke and 'something should be done about it'. Why not same Pattaya ???!!! Every 5 minutes (or less), night time also.

Light rail, regular bus service/ properly metered taxis on this Internationally Renowned Holiday Island . But it never ever will. Greed is indeed everywhere, and they just don't get it that residents/tourists (via the internet) are more savvy now.Stupidity and lack of knowledge of zeitgeist roolzeB)

Edited October 21, 2010 by inmysights

[LivinLOS]

As for prices, they are about right. This is a tourist island and they have every right to charge tourist prices. The prices are clearly displayed on boards so it is unlikely you will be over charged.

ha ha ha.. Superb.. do you really think they are anywhere close to those board prices late at night ???

And thats forgetting about the many many times they agree one price.. drive off into the dark, then stop and demand far more to complete the journey..

As for their ranks. I think you are being very naive if you think you have the right to park in the places used by tuk tuks. It doesn't matter if they are officially designated spaces or public spaces, it's their turf, don't lay claim to it, because you will loose.

So public parking is now theirs ?? And 'their turf' many of them have been on the island far less time than many of the expats I know.. Who also pay far more taxes to pay for those public spaces..

[BangTaoBoy]

Pattaya is nothing like Phuket, and nor are most other tourist towns either.

Where in Pattaya are the winding mountain roads? Where in Phuket is the capital city 1 1/2 hours away? They are nothing like each other (thankfully) so can't be compared.

So........what you're saying is that Phuket can't have a bus system because it has hills and there is no capital city half an hour away.

Please explain your logic.

Not speffically no. But it is a known fact the further away from big cities you get the more differently things are done. Have ever tried running a business on Phi Phi? I haven't, but I know lots who have and the only ones who are succesfull are the ones that learn how to play the game. You start moaning that things aren't the same as they are back home, and mafia this and mafia that and you'll last five minutes.

The point is Phuket is different to anywhere I know. Not all of those differences can be good, but nearly all of them are and that's good enough for me. I think it's high time people stopped letting Tuk tuks get them down so much.

[BangTaoBoy]

LivinLOS...

ha ha ha.. Superb.. do you really think they are anywhere close to those board prices late at night ???

And thats forgetting about the many many times they agree one price.. drive off into the dark, then stop and demand far more to complete the journey..

I'm not saying that has never happened, but it doesn't happen enough to consider it a problem. I know it has happened to about 30 of your friends but unfortunately none of them are TV members so we never get any clarification. (why is it you have such a huge circle of friends yet as far as I can tell not one of them posts on here?)

LivinLOS....

So public parking is now theirs ?? And 'their turf' many of them have been on the island far less time than many of the expats I know.. Who also pay far more taxes to pay for those public spaces..

To be quite honest, yes I believe it is. If you park in a taxi rank in the UK or anywhere else in the world you'll get told to shove off in no uncertain terms. The fact that we are talking about areas that aren't specifically designated to Tuk tuks is irrelevent as far as I'm concerned. It's where they park every day and have done for years, which makes it their turf and who am I to tell them different. That doesn't obviously excuse the very rare times that unprovoked violence is used to move people on, but if you are asked nicely and still refuse then I have no sympathy for you if you get a whack.

As for paying taxes...If you are looking for a place were paying taxes gives you equal rights, ability to own land and demand bus services etc etc. then in case you hadn't noticed, you have come to the wrong place. You arrogantly state that some expats have been here longer than the tuk tuk drivers, so what? Phuket has been the way it is long before we were here, even the real long termers, so it is us that need to adapt not the island.

Edited October 21, 2010 by BangTaoBoy

[SantiSuk]

"The point is Phuket is different to anywhere I know. Not all of those differences can be good, but nearly all of them are and that's good enough for me. I think it's high time people stopped letting Tuk tuks get them down so much."

Nice try

[BangTaoBoy]

"The point is Phuket is different to anywhere I know. Not all of those differences can be good, but nearly all of them are and that's good enough for me. I think it's high time people stopped letting Tuk tuks get them down so much."

Nice try

Well it's their choice, but I assure you things won't change any time soon. Make other arrangements and forget they even exist is the only way to go.

[grumpyoldman]

"The point is Phuket is different to anywhere I know. Not all of those differences can be good, but nearly all of them are and that's good enough for me. I think it's high time people stopped letting Tuk tuks get them down so much."

Nice try

another Tuk-Tuk thread, oh boy