Phuket: Kata/karon Tuk-Tuk Drivers: ' We Will Block The Road'

[khunPer 4,970]

If that goes on, turists will be scared away from Phuket – and then the tuk-tuk drivers may really have no work

[eezergood 1,531]

Please do not underestimate the stupidity of people

[Andre0720 948]

''Sommart Homwaan, leader of the KTG, said, “We already suffer from the Russian tour companies setting up business here and charging people half the fares we do. If the [airport] bus comes here and is charging B30 from Karon to Patong, how do we make a living?”''

This guy does not realize what he is saying.... how do we make a living?”, he asks...

But who will answer the same question for the poor Russians charging HALF the fare of Thai people?

[jocko 339]

What these geniuses don't understand is that these buses run once per hour, so if tourists are queued up, there won't be space for all of them and the lazy ass tuk tuk drivers can poach those waiting

in the queue. This bus service makes their life easier and more profitable actually............... If only they would understand....geniuses!

I think they are afraid that if the bus service was a success the bus company would bring more buses so they don't want it to make a start because they know it would be well used.

I hope its the end of the road for the mafia but I doubt it.

Over to you Mayor

[mackayae 164]

... 90 percent of the land in Phuket is owned by 12 families....Somchai didn't have a rice field in the first place...

That's what it is all about. One family has the existing Karon/Kata tuk tuk monopoly and another family has the new bus company. The two families are fighting for their share of the pie.

[skippero 10]

As a past business owner in Phuket, I have believed for ten years that the only way to get control of the horrible public transportation system is to bring in the military and enforce ALL the laws and rules that are on the books. It will not be pretty, but anything else is a band-aid that will go away quickly. The system is killing Phuket!!

[Dukeleto 1,254]

From my understanding the bus service only runs between the airport to the various main beach areas. This route does not take much away from the Tuk Tuk drivers. Their fleecing of tourists takes place locally within their respective beaches or from beach to beach. Nothing is really going to change for them which is why I suspect the Patong Taxi Group won't block the road to Patong.

[shawndoc 159]

From my understanding the bus service only runs between the airport to the various main beach areas. This route does not take much away from the Tuk Tuk drivers. Their fleecing of tourists takes place locally within their respective beaches or from beach to beach. Nothing is really going to change for them which is why I suspect the Patong Taxi Group won't block the road to Patong.

The taxi drivers are against the route from the airport to the beach cities, the Tuktuk drivers are against the bus service between beach cities. Right now, a trip from Patong to Karon is 300~450 baht depending on the mood of the tuktuk driver and your negotiating skills. With the new service it will be 30baht to ride the bus between cities.

[MikeENZ 341]

Since when was snoop dogg driving taxis?

[bender92 568]

Let's see, 100 protesters, millions of tourists. Who will win? The mafia of course!

[Hyponeros 49]

Bring in the army to take care of the mafia. The police cannot be trusted since they work so closely together.

[axact 166]

If that goes on, turists will be scared away from Phuket – and then the tuk-tuk drivers may really have no work

Phuket does not need turists, it has enough problems with tourists let alone another species

[RefinedGentleman 35]

That said, Thai bar girls will not be blockading Bangla Road because their "job" actually doesn't exist.

I believe the job title is "hostess." Others may prefer the distinction of "dancer" or "entertainer."

[gamba 8]

The problem are they use to earn 2000-3000 baht and more a day.
Use to live like a king and maybe have lot of private exepenses as big luxuryhouse and luxury’s cars we don’t know about.

Now Karon-Kata has more than 400 tuk tuk]s. I fell SO sorry for the Tuk Tuk' s because they only demand to live same life as before.

Ref. http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/savepdf.php?ref=2012311955&id=8111

[navara 85]

Rip off tourists result in a bus.