PLTO arrests 10 more taxi drivers at Phuket airport

Officers, acting under instructions from PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan, conducted checks on taxis at the airport from 4pm to 6pm yesterday (Apr 16), said a PLTO report posted after 9m last night.

Joining the PLTO officers as support were airport “officials” (actually employees of Airport of Thailand Co Ltd, which operates Phuket airport), along with officers from the Sakhu Police and Phuket Tourist Police, said the report.

The officers found five drivers of metered taxis operating without turning on the taxi meter. A further five people were found using private vehicles as taxis, which the official PLTO report continued to use the moniker “black taxi” to describe.

The report made no mention of whether or not the drivers caught were using the popular ride-sharing apps inDriver and Bolt

The PLTO deems the two apps to be illegal in Phuket as they have not been approved by the Department of Transport, while Bolt and inDriver operate openly in Bangkok. The Department of Transport has remained silent on the crackdown on Bolt and inDriver in Phuket.

Regardless, the PLTO report yesterday said that the PLTO will “consider” suspending the drivers’ licences, using the word “consider” despite it now being standard practice and already admitted by PLTO Chief Mr Adcha.