Phuket officials comment on recent ‘taxi’ fiasco – everything except taxi meters

It’s the public, especially tourists’, “misunderstanding” of the way taxis fares are charged on the island of Phuket that is the problem.

That’s the explanation from Phuket Land Transport Chief Jaturong Kaewkasi during an interview on an island radio station this week. The Phuket Land Transport has responded to last week’s viral video clip when a Thai man posted the altercation with a taxi driver demanding 600 baht for a 10-15 minute ride from Kamala to Patong Beach.

The local Land Transport department has also re-released a list of standard set fares to be charged by the island’s taxis and tuk tuks. No mention of taxi meters.

One of his comments about the controversial fares suggested that passengers were entitled to “negotiate 50 baht higher or lower than the set fare”. Again, no mention of taxi meters.

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