Armed Australian 'black taxi' driver arrested in Phuket

[steelepulse]

The guy is an idiot for making a scene and trying to be a tuff guy. But a taxi driver he is not. Plenty of falangs working here that pick up clients out of convenience to do business. Property agents can't show clients properties by car?

Property agents can not transport their clients to Siam Naramit, Tiger Kingdom or Phuket Fantasea.

And the prize for sitting through my time share pitch is? An afternoon at the Tiger Kingdom! Yaayyy!! I will pick you up at 3:00, take you there, pay for it and fetch you home!

<snip>

Not allowed. You have to use legal transport for this, so green or yellow plates cars. As soon as the timeshare company has those they can offer this, if not they can not.

How are the black plate illegal taxis that are everywhere any more legal than the red plate Ford truck?

[stevenl]

Property agents can not transport their clients to Siam Naramit, Tiger Kingdom or Phuket Fantasea.

And the prize for sitting through my time share pitch is? An afternoon at the Tiger Kingdom! Yaayyy!! I will pick you up at 3:00, take you there, pay for it and fetch you home!

<snip>

Not allowed. You have to use legal transport for this, so green or yellow plates cars. As soon as the timeshare company has those they can offer this, if not they can not.

How are the black plate illegal taxis that are everywhere any more legal than the red plate Ford truck?

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

[Carl64]

The thing that really peeves me is that no one is pointing at him. So maybe this is not the real guy???????

[Roachiebkk]

Maybe transferring clients from hotel to sights around town is stipulated in his legal work permit documentation...... oh that's right it's Phuket. Basically the taxi mafia just got their collective noses out of joint because somebody else picked up their mark

[cup-O-coffee]

Fine him 1000 THB and shut him down for two months; just like the jet ski scumbag who beat an old man and his son.

It sure is refreshing to see how well-behaved those Phuket Taxi drivers are when they are confronted with a bit of their own medicine. Sans the knife and gun (were it true, according to known coward's and liar's testimonies) I am sure the Australian would be in hospital on life support by now.

My vote goes with the Australian, as every Thai involved in this article, and their occupation, has a spread sheet of negative articles a kilometer long in the past few months alone. They are liars, bullies, extortionists, scammers, abusers, etc.

Yeah, right; it happened just exactly as the Phuket Thais said it happened, and nothing otherwise. &lt;deleted&gt;!

[zaZa9]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

[jmccarty]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Edited October 2, 2013 by jmccarty

[ChangMaiSausage]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

Some taxi drivers don't like it. About 18 months ago my wife and I went to a hotel in Chiangmai to pick up 3 friends (Aussies) from outside a their hotel. My wife stopped outside and whilst they were getting in a taxi driver in front started ranting and raving at the wife. When we drove off she said that the taxi driver accused her of stealing business as he had already asked the friends if they wanted a taxi.

Shame I thought CM did not suffer from the same scurge that other parts of Thailand suffer from.

Hopefully a one off episode

[stevenl]

Maybe transferring clients from hotel to sights around town is stipulated in his legal work permit documentation......<snip>

Not allowed.

[stevenl]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Sure, if the driver is Thai and the car has the right registration.

[jacko45k]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

My thought too... even if you went to pick up a friend or relative at the airport these taxi people could be over asking 'what are you doing'.... who appointed them as people in authority, giving them the right to interrogate anybody in a vehicle?

Sorry if it seems a bit exaggerated on my part, but it seems we are near to this scenario.

Edited October 2, 2013 by jacko45k

[stevenl]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

Sure you can transfer friends.

You're putting yourself in a difficult position of course because of the canape on your car, and I presume them sitting there as well? What plates does your car have?

[monkeycountry]

Of course the police is not interested in asking why the female Taxi driver felt she was entitled to patrol the streets on behalf of the police? I think we all know what would have happened to the Australian had he not been armed.

[Suradit69]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

Did you not bother to read far enough to see dagger, pistol (albeit BB gun, but used to threaten people) and bullets?

but this time he waved a push dagger at her.”

but he went to his car and returned with a pistol, with which he threatened them.

Polting was also in possession of real bullets.

[pomchop]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

So the question is WHY do the hotels in Phuket allow the taxi mafia to intimidate their guests? The hotel industry is a BIG biz on Phuket and one MIGHT think that they would have enough clout to prevent this crap day after day....are the hotels somehow also on the take or are they just AFRAID to cross the mafia for fear of being firebombed? Hard to imagine that a big hotel like a Marriott or Holiday Inn would allow this kind of CRAP.

[stevenl]

Of course the police is not interested in asking why the female Taxi driver felt she was entitled to patrol the streets on behalf of the police? I think we all know what would have happened to the Australian had he not been armed.

If 'we all' read the article 'we all' would know: he would have walked away without any harm done. How do 'we all' know? Because that is what already happened, but he decided to return and to do that armed.

Edited October 2, 2013 by stevenl

[monkeycountry]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

The taxi mafia and the bib has not allowed this for years! You are however allowed to transport yourself and immediate family (wife/kids) in your own vehicle, assuming you do not park anywhere.

[stevenl]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

The taxi mafia and the bib has not allowed this for years! You are however allowed to transport yourself and immediate family (wife/kids) in your own vehicle, assuming you do not park anywhere.

Nonsense. You can transport friends and non-immediate family as well.

Parking is a big issue though.

[jmccarty]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Sure, if the driver is Thai and the car has the right registration.

So the Shangri-La limo fleet is also illegal?

Edited October 2, 2013 by jmccarty

[monkeycountry]

Even if the client was from the time share company,

there is no 'plausible reason' any person farang or Thai from the

time share company can not drive someone around.

If he is NOT taking money for picking someone up, then he is not a taxi service.

Are only Thais allowed to drive people around now?

If someone has misinterpreted the law that way... then they are both mighty dumb and greedy.

It has been like that for years. The taxi mafia interprets the law that way, and everyone else (except the Australian in the OP) interpret it that way too in the interest of self-preservation!

[stevenl]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Sure, if the driver is Thai and the car has the right registration.

So the Shangri-La limo fleet is also illegal?

Since they still have red plates I can not see if the registration is for green plates or for white plates. (I know it can be done, I just don't know how). But knowing the reputation of the hotel, I'm pretty sure they will be legal (right registration), so green plated. And the drivers look Thai.

Edited October 2, 2013 by stevenl

[richard10365]

Not a very smart foreigner.

[Equalizer]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

Sure you can transfer friends.

You're putting yourself in a difficult position of course because of the canape on your car, and I presume them sitting there as well? What plates does your car have?

&lt;deleted&gt; difficult position because of the canape on your car haahahaha Dont talk crap.

[monkeycountry]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Sure, if the driver is Thai and the car has the right registration.

stevenl, before you defend the taxi mafia too much, is it the taxi mafia's job to patrol the streets and approach potential wrongdoers whenever they see one? Or should they simply mind their own business, and report any insident to the authorities?

[TheGhostWithin]

Am I taxi driver if I pick up my client in Bangkok, take him to dinner, then take him home?

Depending on if you performed the "walk of shame" into the hotel you may be arrested for providing "immoral services" - the law is a system which is to be bent to squash your enemies in Thailand, not a system to maintain order as it is in most other countries.

[monkeycountry]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

My thought too... even if you went to pick up a friend or relative at the airport these taxi people could be over asking 'what are you doing'.... who appointed them as people in authority, giving them the right to interrogate anybody in a vehicle?

Sorry if it seems a bit exaggerated on my part, but it seems we are near to this scenario.

Near this scenario??? We are way past it. Try giving the wrong answer to them and see which hospital you end up at!

[stevenl]

That is not the discussion. He was illegal, that is fact.

I don't buy that. Any business person can pick up a client and entertain them, especially a sales person.

Sure, if the driver is Thai and the car has the right registration.

stevenl, before you defend the taxi mafia too much, is it the taxi mafia's job to patrol the streets and approach potential wrongdoers whenever they see one? Or should they simply mind their own business, and report any insident to the authorities?

I am not defending the taxi mafia in any way, but I am pointing out that the guy was illegal, what many of you don't seem to want to understand.

I have a business here, I really hate the way they think they can run things. But he was asking for problems by offering illegal services (taxi driver) in a car not registered for that (after all he would be extremely stupid to drive around as a foreigner in a legal taxi), maybe a car regognisable as a company car? Still he got away safely, but returned later armed and well.

Edited October 2, 2013 by stevenl

[stevenl]

Short of the 'pistol' part I could easily have been accused of the same yesterday.

3 friends were staying at The Sunprime Hotel when their prepaid week finished and they decided to move to somewhere cheaper.

I said I'd drop them to the new place in my pick-up ( it has a divers style canopy and seats on the back) as they had big bags.

So I pull up on the apron near Reception at the Hotel , and one Thai in dark navy smiles and says welcome , while another Thai in turban and red beard ( unusual I know) and light blue shirt glares at me and says , "What you do?!!"

I say , "Oh , I'll only be here a minute , Im pickng up my friends " , thinking he is some sort of security.

Then he demands , "Where do you take them?"

Incensed that staff would be so nosey , I nearly say , "Mind yer own fcuken business" , but stop myself , with some Thais its just there way...

But this Thai is glaring, no smiles here.

So I say , "Baan khong pom!" ( House mine) and smile at him.

He then starts a chatter in Thai , and I detect the word 'taxi' but Im already hurrying inside , thinking they are just officious staff who dont want me parking there.

When I come out its pretty obvious the farangs really are friends , theyre chattering and throwing their bags in my truck , while red beard observes them closely.

He says , "You cannot do , this taxi job only Thai!"

( The real Hotel man is standing back smiling and looking worried.)

I just smile again , and we drive off , past taxi men leering at me.

Its in the car I realize hes a taxi man by the logo on his shirt.

In my opinion he has no right being any where but outside the Hotel gates , but he has obviously decided he will be a self appointed "approver" of who tourists will travel with and do so right near reception.

The situation is way out of hand .

A misplaced word and I could have been accused of one of the charges expressed above , or worse , beaten up .

For simply picking up friends....

Sure you can transfer friends.

You're putting yourself in a difficult position of course because of the canape on your car, and I presume them sitting there as well? What plates does your car have?

&lt;deleted&gt; difficult position because of the canape on your car haahahaha Dont talk crap.

Thanks for the useful contribution.

[TheGhostWithin]

I am willing to support most laws being upheld, but the law which states that jobs which can be performed by Thais MUST be performed by Thais. You watch the country go up in flames when a global decision is made that chefs in Thai restaurants around the world cannot be Thai, and must be local, or that ladies in Thai massage shops must be local as well. Watch that foreign currency inflow fall through the floor.

It is a law which takes advantage of weak conditions of trade laws globally.

[RefinedGentleman]

So you cannot pick up a friend or client from a hotel ?

Friend yes, client no.

Really? I'm guessing there are a few hundred guesthouses in Bangkok alone that violate this on a daily basis as they pickup "clients" from the airport.