The following are incidents as reported in the local press.
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| Tuk tuk driver that assaulted a Canadian man. Photos by phuketwan | Taxi drivers in front of cape sienna that beat a tour driver with a tyre iron then were asked nicely to turn themselves in. Of course they didn't turn themselves in until one was arrested. They were shortly released. |
Above is the phuket tuk tuk driver that assaulted a Canadian man after the man refused to pay the extortionate price for a 1 minute ride. The tuk tuk driver ended up punching and assaulting the customer. End result, the above Canadian man ended up going to the police station and paying a fine, or else risked being detained along with his passport until his court case was to be heard one month later.
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Another cowardly tuktuk driver assaulted a French family in Kata Beach for parking in "their" spot, even though this spot is for a government building. This cowardly driver attacked this French family which consisted of a husband and wife along with children, along with the grandparents of the children. The tuk tuk thug beat these people with a hardened wood umbrella stick and ended up breaking the almost 70 year old grandfather. Of course the culprit fled and his fellow brethren all agree and say that maybe this one bad driver was a little bit crazy............Sure, we'll believe these guys that this one bad apple was an exception to otherwise outstanding and upstanding citizens of the community.
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here for page two of more phuket tuk tuk and black plate taxi stories. |
On or about April 9th heading into the long songkran holiday, we have first hand accounts of a group of 20 tuk tuk drivers attacking two tourists that cowered in the back of the tuk tuk for protection as these 20 crazy mafia tuk tuk drivers all took turns punching and kicking these two poor tourists. Of course this story never made it into the local news as it would be bad for tourism. 20 tuk tuk drivers beat hapless tourists.
Again on April 9th, 2010, another tuk tuk punch up occurred when 4 young swedish kids get a smack to the face "As four young Swedish tourists heading along Prachanuchro Rd tonight in a yellow Tuk Tuk found out tonight. A group of motorcycles came up behind and tried to pass. The driver wouldn't let them pass and swung from side to side. The Swedes become scared and banged on the side of the Tuk Tuk to stop. The bikes went past and the driver pulled over, demanded his 700b fare they gave him 100b and the young man a punch to the face for his troubles!!" More bad tuk tuk punch ups . Click here for page two of more phuket tuk tuk and black plate taxi stories.
Here's a nice list of the tuk tuk mafia thugs doing their mafia thing:
Phuket
Tuk-tuk Driver Attacks French Family for parking in 'wrong place
Thaivisa:
Tuk Tuks clearly a bane to Phuket tourism
Tourist Belted By Tuk Tuk Driver
Tuk
tuk driver questioned over sexual assault of British girl.
Swedish
Tourist Punched by Tuk Tuk driver.
Tuk
Tuk Violence
Local
expat gets major beatdown by 4 tuk tuk drivers.
Crazy
tuk tuk driver tries to run me off the road.
Tuk
tuk driver stabs Welshman
4
Aussie tourists beaten and stabbed by gang of tuk tuk drivers
Tuk
Tuks in Patong
Tuk-tuks
warned: ‘improve or die’
Tuk
Tuk fares still to high: Consuls
PM
turns spotlight on Phuket problems
Taxi
driver charged with rape
Phuket
Cruise ship passengers blockaded
Tuk
tuk driver assaults a Canadian man after the man refused to pay the extortionate
price for a 1 minute ride
Tuk-tuks
blockade US military in Phuket.
Governor lays out strategy for war on ‘taxi mafia’
Tuk-tuk drivers in protest over access to port
Eco-tour firms protest tuk tuk ‘bullies’
Issues
and Answers: Why aren't parking rules enforced (on tuk tuks) in Karon?
Issues
and Answers: Tuk-tuks in Kata-Karon
Issues
and Answers: Action on tuk-tuk rip-offs
Issuea
and Answers: Why no bus between Kata/Karon and Patong? Answer: Bus driver was
pulled from his bus and beaten by "competition."
Issues
and Answers: "Government intervention will be needed to create a new taxi
service in Phuket." - Pol Lt Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Deputy Traffic Superintendent
of Phuket Town Police Station
"Stay
away from tuk tuks and ladyboys" Says Phuket Governor
The
Sydney Morning Herald: Phuket rip-off: the trouble with tuk-tuks
Fodor's
Travel Guide: Phuket Tuk Tuks and exorbitant charges.
Lonely
Planet Travel Guide: Phuket tuk tuk warning
Tripadvisor:
Phuket's Tuk Tuks are still at it.
iPetition:
Governor Wichai - ban the Phuket tuk-tuks!
Making
Phukets Tuk Tuks, Taxi's Fair
Phukets
tuk tuks shared among top officials
Tuk
tuk problems solved soon: Phuket Governor
Tat
'worried' About Phuket Tuk-tuk Gangs
Tuk
Tuk standoff in Karoni
War
on taxi mafia
Tuk
tuks no good
Time
for action
A
recent visitors comments about the taxi mafia
Phuket
Taxi: Primitive transport
Would
you believe it..Police citing the taxi mafia?
Beating
the taxi fares/
Phuket
Public Transport: Cartels continue in the driver's seat
Honorary
Consuls Meet In Phuket To Discuss Jetskis, Pollution And Tuk Tuk Mafia
Phuket
consuls keep pressure on tuk-tuk, jet-ski scams
Phuket
tuk tuk fares in the firing line
Paradise
Lost
Phuket
officials tackle tuk tuk blockades
Good
old Phuket tuk tuks at it again
Phukets
must do's and don'ts
How
do you get around Phuket cheaply?
Accident in a tuk tuk and passengers have to pay for own hospital fees over 400,000 baht.
Taxi driver beaten while passengers look on in horror at cape sienna.
Motorbike
taxi drivers beat up American, Tuk tuk drivers beat up Russian,
If you've had enough of these POS's having their way, write in to the media or the local gov't.
Here is a list of major media and government sections/offices. Lets all call and write. I will if you will. :jap:
Snailmail, email, fax, or call the governors office:
Governor Tri Augkaradacha
Vice Governor Nivit Aroonrat,
Vice Governor Smith Palwatwichai
Damrongtham Center
5 Narisorn Road,
Muang District,
Phuket 83000.
Email: phuket(at)moi.go.th.
Tel: 076-211001, 0-7622-2886, 0-7622-0361
Fax 0-7622-0361
Hotline : 67927
http://www.phuketpro...incial-Excutive
Each governor needs a separate letter. If anyone knows their individual emails please post. I can't find any on the current governor or vice governors.
Snailmail, email, fax or call the Phuket Land Transport Department:
Phuket Land Transport Office
Office Chief Kanok Siripanichkorn
42/4 Rattanakosin Song-Roy-Pee Road
Taladneua, Muang
Phuket 83000 Thailand
Phone: (66) 076.211.019, 076.220.792 076.214.930,
Direct line: 076.214.929
info(at)phuketlandtransport.th.org
Thailand National Offices:
Thailand Ministry of Commerce. (In charge of consumer protection)
Minister Pornthiva Nakasai
44/100 Nonthaburi 1 Rd., Amphur Muang, Nonthaburi 11000
Tel. 662-507-8000 Fax. 662-507-7717
E-mail : webmaster(at)moc.go.th
Here is a link to foreign embassies and consulates in Thailand. Write to your
country's embassy asking them to address the tuk tuk problem with the Thai government.
http://www.thailandguru.com/thailand-foreign-embassies-consulates.html
Snailmail, fax, email or call an national English language Thai media outlet:
Bangkok Post
Pattnapong Chantranontwong, Editor in charge
E-mail : pattnapong(at)bangkokpost.co.th
Office phone: +662-240-3700 Ext. 1201
Sonchai Nokeplub, Deputy Editor
E-mail : sonchai(at)bangkokpost.co.th
Office phone: +662-240-3700 Ext. 3401
Saritdet Marukatat, News Editor
E-mail : saritdetm(at)bangkokpost.co.th
Office phone: +662-240-3700 Ext. 3261
Atiya Achakulwisut, Editorial Pages Editor
E-mail : atiyaa(at)bangkokpost.co.th
Office phone: +662-240-3700 Ext. 3219
Chiratas Nivatpumin, Business Editor
E-mail : chiratasn(at)bangkokpost.co.th
Office phone: +662-240-3700 Ext. 3434
The Nation
1854 Bangna-Trat Road,
Bangna,
Bangkok 10260
Tel 66-2-338-3000(Call Center),
66-2-338-3333, Fax 66-2-338-3334
editor(at)nationgroup.com
regional(at)nationgroup.com
Snailmail, fax and email a local English language newspaper:
The Phuket Gazette
79/94 Moo 4, Thepkrasattri Rd,
T. Koh Keaw,
A. Muang Phuket 83000,
Thailand
Tel: 076-273555
Fax: 076-615240
Email: info(at)phuketgazette.net
The Phuket News
http://www.thephuket...m/contactus.php
99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu
A. Kathu, Phuket 83120
Phone # 076 612 550-2 Fax # 076 612 553
E-mail: info(at)thephuketnews.com
The Phuket Post
http://phuket-post.com/contact.php
Pulse Media Company Ltd.
128/60 Moo 5
Ratsada Sub-District, Muang District
Phuket 83000
THAILAND
Tel: 076-376-337~9
Fax: 076-376-336
Mobile: 06-946-4966 (after hours)
Email: info(at)phuket-post.com
If you speak or write Thai or know someone that does, snailmail, email, fax
or call a Thai language media outlet:
ThaiRath
[url="[url="http://www.thairath.co.th/"]http://www.thairath.co.th/[/url]"]www.thairath.co.th/corp/contact[/url]
The Daily News
http://www.dailynews...page/index.html
http://www.dailynews...age/index.html]
Editor Daily News newspaper.
Phone 0-2561-1456.
0-2561-1329 Fax.
Email editor(at)dailynews.co.th.
Editor Daily News online.
Phone 0-2561-1456 to 2658.
0-2940-9827 Fax.
MCOT TV
http://mcot.listedco...tact_board.html
Inn News
http://www.innnews.co.th/
287/195 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 21 Road Praditmanuthum Wangthonglang Tabernacle Road,
Bangkok 10310.
Contact 0-2730-2400 fax 0-2184-4288.
Submit News - Internet News Desk on 51113/51026.
Send - to promote the Web mmsinn(at)gmail.com.
News.Sanook.com
http://news.sanook.com/
[/quote]
"Patong; You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
We must be cautious."
June 14th as reported by the phuketgazette. Tuk tuk blockade of US Navy.
PHUKET: The future of Phuket as a rest and relaxation destination for US Navy ships is in jeopardy following a blockade of the access road at Phuket Deep Sea Port by taxi drivers demanding sailors use their service instead of a free transport service provided by the US military.
Details of what transpired last night have yet to be fully confirmed, but sources told the Gazette this morning that the blockade lasted several hours and was only broken up around midnight following negotiations between the drivers and police, local government and military negotiators.
The stranded sailors were aboard US Navy vessels USS Curts, USS Vandegrift as well as the US Coast Guard Cutter Mellon. The vessels will be in Phuket from June 12 to 20, with a staggered arrival and departure schedule.
Top local officials were immediately notified of the blockade, which lasted from about 9pm until midnight.
The protesters, which included a number of unregistered ‘black plate’ taxi drivers, set up the blockade when they noticed sailors inside the Deep Sea Port security gate boarding passenger vans bound for Patong.
The drivers were apparently angry that the sailors were boarding passenger vans provided for them free of charge by Glenn Defense Marine, a private firm based in Bangkok that has a contract with the US Navy to provide support services for visiting US Navy ships.
In the past, the sailors were taken to Patong in large air-conditioned coaches.
The appearance of the passenger vans in their place infuriated the tuk-tuk drivers, who thought their ‘turf’ was being infringed upon. A false rumor circulated among the taxi drivers that the sailors were paying 200 baht a head to board the vans, which in fact were provided free-of-charge, just as the buses were in the past.
Part of the problem may have arisen because the new port manager had failed to notify the tuk-tuk drivers in advance of the change, the source said.
A source in the Royal Thai Navy responsible for security at Phuket Deep Sea Port had a somewhat different version of events. He told the Gazette under condition of anonymity that as many as 500 tuk-tuks, 'black plate' taxis and vans, all desperate for low-season fares, converged at the Deep Sea Port at the same time to try and collect passengers numbering only about 300.
The blockade was more of a traffic jam than an organized blockade, he said.
Preechavude ‘Prab’ Keesin, president of the newly formed Patong Taxi Federation (PTF), said that members of his association were not among the drivers involved in the alleged protest.
“Our members wouldn’t do such a thing,” he said.
A source in the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization confirmed that ‘local taxi drivers’ did in fact blockade the access road until about midnight, at which time the dispute was settled by negotiation.
Chairat Khumban, secretary of Wichit Mayor Kreetar Saetan, said the blockade was ended after the drivers agreed with military, police and Wichit Municipality negotiators to go back to an old agreement allowing the local taxis access to low-ranking US military personnel while only officers could take advantage of the free van service provided by an outside contractor.
A high-ranking US Navy officer attending a welcome dinner put on by the Phuket branch of the US Navy League in Patong last night was reportedly furious at the security breach when informed by telephone.
His crew had been on active duty in the Persian Gulf and hadn’t been ashore for 97 days, he said.
The Phuket visit was a last-minute change from the originally scheduled visit to Singapore.
“We would obviously never have a problem like this in Singapore,” the officer was quoted as saying.
Phuket City Police this morning said the duty officer at the time did not visit the protest site and that no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the incident.
A source told the Gazette the incident could place Phuket’s role as an R&R and resupply site for the US military in serious jeopardy and that it would probably take a few weeks to find out the true damage of the incident.
The blockade could be taken as a major security breach because the drivers were allowed to block US military personnel at their designated point of entry into the country and inside the established security perimeter, he said.
Resupply of American warships, including some of the world’s largest aircraft carriers, is an important industry for Phuket.
“People think the only benefit to the local economy is the money sailors spend on night-life, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. When the USS Ronald Reagan was here they loaded 14 containers of supplies. It is a huge business and it would be a shame if we were to lose it because of the greed of a small group of taxi drivers,” he said.
Here's a new one that is being reported by various news agencies: Two Dutch tourists while walking bumped into a tuk tuk.The idiot tuk tuk driver then demanded 1000 baht from the hapless Dutch tourists. When they refused, they were jumped ( witnessed on the cctv cameras) and set upon by 10 uneducated and thuggish tuk tuk drivers.
"News » Local
Phuket News - Phuket tuk-tuk drivers battle foreigners
The Phuket News - Monday, 1st Aug 2011 09:31
PHUKET: A violent brawl between a gang of tuk-tuk drivers and three foreigners
in the early hours of this morning in Patong led to a police officer drawing
his gun and firing a warning shot, and then to a protest blockade of Rat-U-Thit
200 Pi Rd, the town’s main artery
The Phuket News - Phuket tuk-tuk drivers battle foreigners
Tuk-tuks lined up along rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd.
One tourist had to have 18 stitches for a wound to his head, while another was badly bruised. The tuk-tuk drivers reported that although the foreigners started the fight, none of the drivers was hurt.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Kathu Police station, Pol Lt Col Pratya Jansomwong, who was called out to disperse the blockade, the fight started at 1pm opposite the police box on the corner of Soi Bangla and Rat-U-Thit Rd.
Three tourist were joking around, and one of them accidentally bumped one of the tuk-tuks lined up along Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road.
The driver of the vehicle claimed that the tourist had dented his tuk-tuk and demanded reparations.
When the tourist refused to cough up the compensation, the argument swiftly escalated into blows, prompting the police officer to emerge from his box to break up the fight.
“We can see from security camera footage that more than 10 tuk-tuk drivers were involved,” Col Pratya said. “The duty officer tried blowing his whistle to stop the fight. But no one stopped.”
As the fight became wilder, some of the tuk-tuk drivers approached the officer, who became alarmed and drew his gun and, the drivers alleged, fired a warning shot in the air.
“The officer’s been in Phuket less than a month. He just tried to protect himself,” Col Pratya said.
The tuk-tuk drivers didn’t see it this way. Resentful at the officer’s insulting overreaction, they blockaded Rat-U-Tit Rd with five of their vehicles.
Reinforcements arrived from Kathu Police Station arrived and managed to calm down the tuk-tuk drivers and eventually got them to remove their blockade.
The police also made an appointment with the three tourists at 3pm today at Kathu Police Station to get their side of the story, and to see if they wished to file charges against the tuk-tuk drivers.
However, the tourists failed to show. Police hope they will do so later.
It makes you wonder why the police have no power against these idiot tuk tuk drivers who feel they are immune to prosecution. Why can't the police file charges based upon seeing the cctv footage for assault?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A week after the above incident of Dutch tourists getting stabbed and assaulted, the following below happened to a German man that refused to pay a fare that doubled after negotiating a price to travel 800 metres. A group of tuk tuk mafia thugs beat the man uncounscious after he refused to pay an additional 100 baht. The German man is still in ICU and is coming in and out of consciousness and can't speak. The police say they don't khow who attacked the German man, so they will not arrest anyone. However, they believe that the German man pushed the tuk tuk driver so there will be charges pressed against the German man if and when he comes out of the ICU.
PHUKET: -- A German man is in intensive care fighting for his life after he was beaten by a mob of Phuket tuk-tuk drivers for refusing to pay a fare of 100 baht (approx US$3.35).
Kathu Police Duty Officer Teerasuk Boonsang told the Phuket Gazette that he was called to the scene, near the junction of Soi Bangla and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong, at 11pm on Thursday.
The victim, Kurt Trotnow, 53, and his wife took a tuk-tuk from Aroonsom Plaza to the Tai Pan nightclub, Capt Teerasuk said.
The journey is about 800 meters along the southbound Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road.
“When they arrived, the driver charged them 200 baht, but Mr Trotnow insisted paying only 100 baht,” said Capt Teerasuk.
The maximum fare to be charged by tuk-tuks within Patong is 200 baht, as set by the Patong Taxi Federation in February.
“They had an argument, and Mr Trotnow pushed the driver down onto the road and walked away,” said Capt Teerasuk.
“They happened to meet a brother of Mr Trotnow’s wife. The brother operates a motorcycle taxi there and he tried to help by offering to pay 100 baht of the fare, but Mr Kurt didn’t agree,” he said.
The couple then started walking back towards Aroonsom Plaza when they were set upon by a gang of men.
Some of the attackers reportedly kept kicking Mr Trotnow while he was on the ground, then ran away, Capt Teerasuk said.
Mr Trotnow was taken to Patong Hospital, then transfered to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town where doctors did an emergency operation to stem bleeding in the brain.
Mr Trotnow is now in intensive care at Phuket International Hospital.
A nurse at the ICU today told the Gazette that Mr Trotnow had not regained full consciousness.
“He can open his eyes sometimes, but he still needs a respirator, and he still has some bleeding in the brain,” the nurse said.
Capt Teerasuk said the investigation was floundering due to lack of detailed information.
“Mr Trotnow and his wife were very drunk. I questioned his wife but she could not remember the face of the tuk-tuk driver or even remember what happened that night,” he said.
CCTV has been of little help.
“The CCTV cameras at Soi Bangla are too far from the scene. The dark and the rain at the time of the incident makes it very difficult to make anything out of the footage.
“I am now checking with the CCTVs of restaurants around there to see if any other cameras recorded the attack,” he said.
Capt Teerasuk highlighted the importance of being able to identify the attackers.
“If they [Mr Trotnow and his wife] cannot remember what happened, or remember any of the attackers’ faces, we will not be able to charge anyone for this,” he said
September 2nd.
And yet another incident of thuggery. These tuk tuk dirivers are Pieces Of Shit and should have their pieces of shite wanna be vehicles flattened by the Army. FO tuk tuks!!!!!!!!!!!!
PHUKET: Phuket taxi drivers beat up a tour driver when he tried to pick up tourists at well-known five-star resort in Kamala this afternoon.
Police are investigating the assault in which an iron bar was used to break
a windscreen and the driver was punched and beaten.
The tourists in the vehicle at the time, Glenn Dawson and his wife Deidre, were
shaken and shocked by the attack. The drivers swore at the couple, saying: "F@#@
off tourist."
Mr and Mrs Dawson were staying inside the Cape Sienna Resort in Kamala this evening, and will leave tomorrow on a flight to Bali. They run a small hotel on the neighboring island of Lombok.
''We will probably never come back to Thailand after this,''Mr Dawson, 45, an Australian from Melbourne, said this evening.
He gave a complete account of the attack.
''We were going elephant trekking but when the driver arrived at the resort, we were advised that we'd have to meet him a bit further down the street.
''As he did a u-turn, drivers from the taxi rank at the resort attacked him.
''We couldn't believe what was happening. When we got out of the taxi the drivers swore and abused us.
''The poor driver got back into his car and as he was driving off, another driver threw an iron bar that broke his windscreen.
''We were shaken, and we are still shaking.''
Mr Dawson said he and his wife had had a week's holiday at Cape Panwa and six days at Cape Sienna.
The assault is likely to sharpen focus on the power that local tuk-tuk and taxi drivers hold over Phuket resorts.
Almost all resorts on Phuket are obliged to kow-tow to the local drivers for fear of blockades, or risk assaults on their staff or their guests.
Today's incident follows an attack in Patong, believed to be by tuk-tuk drivers, that left a German expat resident in a Phuket City's hospital's intensive care unit.
Australia and a group of European countries have threatened video warnings on You Tube and travel advisories about tuk-tuks on Phuket unless the Governor or the new government of Thailand takes rapid action to safeguard all tourists.
Mr Dawson said that Cape Sienna arranged a replacement tour in a resort car. He said he stopped off in Kamala village to pick up some garments and asked the tailor to drop the garments off at Cape Sienna later.
''The driver said he wasn't prepared to go near Cape Sienna because of the taxi drivers,'' Mr Dawson said.
''This shocks me. To think that they can do this on Phuket.''
Mr Dawson said the drivers appeared to sit around all day in part of the resort's driveway, watching television and doing nothing.
''It had been quite a nice holiday on Phuket until this afternoon. I don't think we will be coming back.''
The driver went to Kamala police station to report the attack. Lieutenant Aneak Mongkoln took a statement from Preecha Choowong, 38, who said a group of taxi drivers had attacked him outside Cape Sienna.
Khun Preecha, punched in the face, went to Patong Hospital for treatment after leaving Kamala Police Station.
A duty manager at Cape Sienna said he suspected the problem was caused because of ''taxi zoning'' and the lack of appropriate paperwork that taxi drivers demanded from outside vehicles picking up guests.
''We are caught in the middle,'' he said.
Sinlapachai Choosen, the manager of the elephant trekking group involved, Kok Chang Kata Safari, said tonight: ''This situation has existed for a long time now.
''We and other businesses do all the marketing for Phuket and the taxi drivers have no understanding of how the tourism business works.
''These people have booked and paid online, as many do.
''This group is a mafia. We understand local people want local jobs, but to have this kind of hold over Phuket is a tragedy.''
He said he wanted to see these perpetrators punished, but it was also time that resorts all over Phuket did something to end the nightmare.
Click here for page two
of more phuket tuk tuk and black plate taxi stories.
All material copyright of T Shin