PHUKET: Officials are investigating a recent incident in the ongoing Phuket taxi ’turf wars’ where foreign tourists were ordered to exit a van they had booked through a mobile app at Rassada Pier on June 3. Although the tourists were eventually allowed to continue their journey, officials are promise to find a long-term solution to the issue, as confirmed by Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Adcha Buachan to The Phuket News.
Foreign tourists were caught in a local taxi dispute over passengers at Rassada Pier on June 3. Photo: Supplied to Khao Phuket
The incident gained public attention when a video of the conflict between van driver Aphimuk Sittikul and a group of local taxi drivers emerged on Saturday (June 3) afternoon. The video shows a group of men explaining to Mr Aphimuk that he is not allowed to pick up passengers on his yellow-plated van at the pier and must wait for them on the main road instead. The passengers were already inside the van.
As per understanding of the local taxi group, tourists should walk with their luggage to the main road and board their taxi there if they prefer to use an external car ordered through a mobile app, rather than one of the cooperative vehicles that have a concession with the ferry operator.
In this specific case, the “taxi queue leader” intervened and permitted the tourists to remain in Mr Aphimuk’s van and continue their journey to the Rawai area.
“The taxi drivers at the pier thought that the minivan driver illegally used the Bolt application to pick up the tourists and tried to stop him. But the head of the queue intervened and informed them that Bolt had been legalised. As a result, they allowed the tourists to return to the van and leave the pier. Initially, the taxi queue asked the tourists to disembark from the minivan with their luggage, but when they learned that Bolt is a legal application, they allowed them to proceed,” Mr Adcha of the PLTO confirmed to The Phuket News.
On Sunday (June 4), officials from the PLTO, the Phuket Police, the Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command of the military (ISOC), and other agencies visited the pier and conducted a meeting with the drivers.
Phuket Move Forward MP-elect Somchart Techathavorncharoen, who is advocating for improved public transport in Phuket, was also present at the meeting and later disclosed some of the key points discussed.
“The operation of the taxi queue has no legal basis, but it has been in practice since 2012. It is a common assumption among taxi drivers that they have the legal right to operate a ’taxi queue’ in the area and prevent other drivers from picking up passengers there. However, in reality, this is not the case,” explained Mr. Somchart, highlighting one of the points made by the PLTO.
“It is recommended to install a clear sign at Rassada Pier, indicating the designated area where outside taxis, not affiliated with the Rassada Pier cooperative, can stop and pick up passengers. This pick-up zone should be clearly defined,” suggested Mr. Somchart, attributing this proposal to the PLTO as well.
Additionally, Mr. Somchart reported that Phuket City Police recommended investigating the parameters of the concession between the taxi drivers and the ferry/pier operator.
Regarding the drivers’ behavior, the police stated that next time the cartel members could be charged with threatening others under Section 309 of the Criminal Code. However, in this particular instance, the video did not capture any physical altercations or harsh rethorics, and the “words were polite.”
Similar to the PLTO, the Phuket City Police acknowledged that the cartel does not possess legal rights to restrict access to the area, which is considered a “public parking” space.
Regarding his own contributions at the meeting, Mr Somchart emphasized that the concession between the taxi cartel and the ferry/pier operators does not grant them the right to prevent other drivers from picking up passengers.
He concluded, “I requested cooperation from all taxi professionals to help maintain the tourism image of Phuket because this negative publicity has harmed Phuket’s reputation.”
The incident on June 3 is just another episode in the ongoing “turf wars” at Rassada Pier. On Sept 2 of last year, four foreign tourists were forced to disembark from their van and hire another taxi in the same area.
After questioning both sides involved, Col Pichetpong Jangklaikom, Chief of the Tourist Police Region 3 branch, stated that both drivers were in the right.
According to Col Pichetpong, the van driver who picked up the tourists had every right to collect passengers at the entrance to the pier. Additionally, the man who physically prevented the van from leaving the pier with the tourists was also within his rights, as he worked for a taxi services company that had a concession agreement with ferry operator Seatran.
“At that time, the concession was fully legal and allowed under the regulations of the Land Transport Office,” explained Col Pichetpong.
However, he did not elaborate on whether this fully legal concession entitled any of the signatory parties to determine who can or cannot pick up passengers in specific public areas of Phuket.
