Crackdown on illegal taxis nets two drivers at Phuket airport

Acting under the guidance of Kornpitak Assuwan, the chief of PLTO’s ’academic group’ (also known as the ’policy division’), officers from the PLTO conducted another operation to target illegal taxis on Thursday (June 22).

Officials set up a checkpoint  from 3:30pm to 6:30pm in front of the Phuket Air Traffic Control Center on the main road leading to the entrance of Phuket airport. Phuket Tourist Police and Sakhu Police officers were present in support.

According to the PLTO report, officials were focused on “investigating the illegal use of private cars for passenger pick-up” (essentially serving as taxis) and other potential violations of provincial taxi regulations.

“As a result of the inspection, two cases were discovered involving the use of private cars (with white and black license plates) for passenger pick-up. These two cases have been referred to the PLTO for imposing fines and considering license suspensions for the violators, in accordance with the law,” reported the PLTO.

The crackdown follows a taxi-related inspection by Maj Gen Krit Warit, Commander of Tourist Police Region 3, on Tuesday (June 20). As a result of that inspection, one of the two airport limousine co-operatives was fined “about B180,000” for its drivers stopping at tour shops before delivering passengers to their hotels or other destinations, which was deemed as not being honest and convenient service.

The offending operator was named as Phuket Airport Limousine and Business Service Co-Operative Ltd. Nothing was reported about the Phuket Maikhao Sakhu Co Ltd, the second cooperative with same ’exclusive’ rights to serve tourists at Phuket International Airport. Pictures from the inspection show Tourist Police officers checking kiosks of both cooperatives.