Phuket Taxi Protesters Tell Policeman to Move Over His 'Unapproved' Rival Rank

**dirtydog** · 07-02-2012, 05:06 PM

Phuket Taxi Protesters Tell Policeman to Move Over His 'Unapproved' Rival Rank

PHUKET: About 200 local Phuket taxi drivers staged a public protest yesterday afternoon over a Phuket policeman they say was setting up a rival taxi rank at a beach.

The policeman, Lieutenant Colonel Anan Kobkeittawin, had threatened to make arrests and create difficulties for the existing local taxi drivers in the village of Kamala, north of Patong on Phuket's holiday west coast, the protesters alleged.

The demonstrators, who massed near the police station to make their protest, made two demands:

..that Lieutenant Colonel Anan be transferred from Kamala immediately;

..that the alternative taxi rank be closed down straight away.

Talks with local leaders, Kamala mayor Karoon Sriden and the village chief, Santi Sanya, went on for several hours, into the evening.

Lieutenant Colonel Anan said that it would take him a couple of days to make alternative arrangements about the taxi rank.

After hours of talks, he agreed to shut down the taxi rank, but said he intended to maintain his illegal souvenir shop on Kamala beach.

''Everybody makes their own way in business at Kamala,'' he said. ''If I stop my business on the beach everybody must stop, because they are all breaking the law.''

Lieutenant Anan is to move to Phuket City Police Station from today.

Most of the Kamala''taxis,'' as with many other holiday destinations on Phuket, are private vehicles that are not registered or obliged to follow regulations governing taxi safety and maintenance.

Under enforced monopoly arrangements, the fares charged by local taxis all over Phuket are set so high that most drivers can make a comfortable living on just one or two fares a day.

Tour operators are unable to pick up customers at many resorts on Phuket for fear of violence from the local taxi drivers.

At least one of Kamala's top five-star resorts has set up its own branded beach club on the sand at Kamala beach.

Phuket Taxi Protesters Tell Policeman to Move Over His 'Unapproved' Rival Rank - Phuket Wan

**harrybarracuda** · 07-02-2012, 05:10 PM

I'm wondering just how hysterical this will get if it's left uncontained. Every gangster in Thailand will be eyeing up a bit of Phuket turf.

**Mid** · 07-02-2012, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Lieutenant Colonel Anan

''Everybody makes their own way in business at Kamala,'' he said. ''If I stop my business on the beach everybody must stop, because they are all breaking the law.''

kaboodle.com

**Bettyboo** · 07-02-2012, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Lieutenant Colonel Anan said that it would take him a couple of days to make alternative arrangements about the taxi rank. After hours of talks, he agreed to shut down the taxi rank, but said he intended to maintain his illegal souvenir shop on Kamala beach. ''Everybody makes their own way in business at Kamala,'' he said. ''If I stop my business on the beach everybody must stop, because they are all breaking the law.''

What to say??? You'd hope this is a joke of some kind, but...

**taxexile** · 07-02-2012, 05:23 PM

no its not a joke, its an accurate snapshot of thai social culture.

**dirtydog** · 07-02-2012, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

''If I stop my business on the beach everybody must stop, because they are all breaking the law.''

Shouldn't they be we?

**Bettyboo** · 07-02-2012, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by taxexile

no its not a joke, its an accurate snapshot of thai social culture.

Yes it is.

& this doesn't even stir anyone's notice because they don't see anything wrong in it...

**Mid** · 07-02-2012, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

& this doesn't even stir anyone's notice because they don't see anything wrong in it...

indeed

**noelbino** · 07-02-2012, 07:12 PM

Never been there or to Koh Samuri.
Reading the shit that goes on in both places means I will never go to either.

Seriously is it too hard to expect the authorities in these "Tourist Resorts" to get off their collective arses and bring these gangsters to task.

Silly me TIT

**dirtydog** · 07-02-2012, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by noelbino

Seriously is it too hard to expect the authorities in these "Tourist Resorts" to get off their collective arses and bring these gangsters to task.

He is a Lieutenant Colonel and they transferred him.

**aging one** · 07-02-2012, 07:25 PM

Was it the army or navy that was needed. Obviously the police are quite in with the whole thing. I would still return to Kata and south from there. But I dont have a friend one from abroad who would even consider visiting there anymore. Even the dive guys.

**Katana** · 07-02-2012, 07:41 PM

Hands up anyone who believes the massive loss of face of the enterprising LT, won't come back to bite certain taxi drivers on the ass ?

Mark

**nevets** · 07-02-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Katana

Hands up anyone who believes the massive loss of face of the enterprising LT, won't come back to bite certain taxi drivers on the ass ?

Mark

Yep a lot of people are going to die or find drugs in their car.

**harrybarracuda** · 07-02-2012, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Katana

Hands up anyone who believes the massive loss of face of the enterprising LT, won't come back to bite certain taxi drivers on the ass ?

Mark

Not to mention the massive loss of potential revenue.

**Smug Farang Bore** · 07-02-2012, 09:28 PM

Big kids with a lot of clout..

**dirtydog** · 07-02-2012, 09:41 PM

We can only hope that Lieutenant Colonel Anan is the Charles Bronson type and deals with the taxi problem in Phuket the Charles Bronson way

**Butterfly** · 07-02-2012, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

''If I stop my business on the beach everybody must stop, because they are all breaking the law.''

he must be joking, right ? or someone is making fun with the translation

**hazz** · 08-02-2012, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by noelbino

Never been there or to Koh Samuri.
Reading the shit that goes on in both places means I will never go to either.

Seriously is it too hard to expect the authorities in these "Tourist Resorts" to get off their collective arses and bring these gangsters to task.

Silly me TIT

The problem is the degree to which they have allowed puket to run out of control and the ease with which you can have people murdered without any risk of reprocusions means that any one who does sticks their head over the parapit and try to improving things is likly to end up dead or worse.

**aging one** · 08-02-2012, 08:03 PM

Anarchy in Phuket, only been going on for 20 years. I used to defend Karon, Kata, and Nai Harn, but no more. I will continue to go back with my family and have a gas. But I do pity the poor tourist now. Not on my recommend list anymore. So Samui out, Phuket out, that leaves what Krabi, and the new smaller islands like LIpe and Payup, which are already being overbuilt.

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