Phuket taxis inspected as Thailand legalises three more apps

Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) officials yesterday initiated inspections of taxi services at Phuket International Airport. These checks occurred ahead of the PLTO’s announcement that three new app-based taxi services, including Maxim, are now considered legal in Thailand.

These inspections took place at Phuket Airport from 4pm to 6pm. In their online statement, the PLTO said the checks were a collaborative effort with the Phuket branch of Airports of Thailand (AoT Phuket), the Phuket Tourist Police and the Sakhu Police. Their objective was to jointly investigate any illicit usage of private cars for passenger transportation, a practice the PLTO labels as black plate operations.

The officials specifically targeted individuals utilising private cars as taxis, a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and the Road Traffic Act. The PLTO reported that two individuals were apprehended…