We%26#39;ve recently returned from Phuket. While walking along the beach front in Patong a taxi driver gave us his card. (Not a meter taxi) We decided a few days later that we would like to go for a tour around the south of the island and have lunch at one of the beaches, so we gave him a call. When we go in the car he tried to get us to go on elephant rides, see monkeys,look at pearls etc, etc. we weren%26#39;t interested at that stage but agreed to go to the butterfly enclosure. He drove immediately to the butterfly display and when we%26#39;d finished looking around our driver was no where to be seen and we had to make arrangements with another couples taxi driver to get us back to Patong. We wondered if perhaps the driver got a cut from the different places he wanted to take us and when we declined decided to abandon us. Luckily we didn%26#39;t pre pay him, the driver that arranged for us to get back to Patong basically told us that some drivers abandon their passengers if they pay them up front. Our original driver was told when my husband called him what we wanted - I guess the driver thought he%26#39;d try and convince us to see the monkeys etc. anyway. So if you come across a driver called Kitty who according to my husband didn%26#39;t look anything like the ID photo hanging in taxi - be warned!
Taxi Driver Warning!
Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience Jemtide! Unfortunately many people jump on the commission bandwagon. Foreigners and locals alike. Had a foreigner walk into our shop this week demanding commission as 2 people staying at his guesthouse were doing a course with us. They found our shop without any recommendations from him!
Incredible!
Chantal
Taxi Driver Warning!
Unfortunaely, I believe a lot of drivers have an %26#39;agreement'; with some of the stores/shops etc. They get a cut or commision based on what you spend. I was taken to a large store that sold opal, gems etc by a driver from my hotel so it is not only the street taxis ( did not ask to go there).
No harm done, I decided to take a look anyway. They are out to make a living and as long as it%26#39;s legal, I don%26#39;t have a problem with it.
He was polite even though I did not buy anything and he got no commision.
Regards
Niko
Sounds like you got a free lift to the Butterfly farm ?
Especially in Bangkok unscrupulous tuk tuk and taxi dirvers wil offer you a free ride but then take you to many places for cheap or free and they will get a commision.
Of course the commision can be much greater then the taxi fare so that is where they make some money but it does not really affect the tourist because the prices are the same for them. As mentioned early they are just tryig to make ends meet as well.
However I have some friends in Bkk who work in the gem stone industry and some of the large gem/jewlery places in Bkk and Phuket actually pay drivers a small commision just for bringing people even if they never buy anything.
However the usual commision if they buy something is 30% so if you make it there on your own that should be the starting point for negotiationg.
There are many nice drivers that are recomended on this forum or can be arranged by your hotel (who will then get commision).
Drivers generally receive 100 baht for every time they take tourists to places like the cashew farm, the zoo, pearl and jewellery places etc. If there are large purchases involved, I believe that they can also make a commission on them too.
That%26#39;s why I prefer a private driver. None of that rubbish to contend with.
Hello,
I am the owner / general manager of Pacific Club Resort. In Phuket this is normal and a major source of complaints. We often have customers ask us why a tuk tuk offerred a cheaper price than our taxi fares, and we have to explain this problem because most tourists aren%26#39;t aware of it. We operate our taxi service at a loss just to be sure our customers have reliable fair options for transportation. I posted a web page several years back addressing this problem you can find it at:
karon-phuket-hotels.com/taxiwarning.htm
I got a lot of flack from the taxi mafia big boys about it, so I took out any links to this page from our site, but still, years later, over 50 people a day find it.
I suggest all customers either rent a car, motorbike, or use our service.
Uncle Eric
Hello again,
ONE MORE TIP, if you need to go shopping, get a taxi to a shopping mall, either Junceylon in Patong, Central Festival Shopping mail in Phuket town, or Ocean in Phuket town (you can find lots of shops selling everything within walking distance from there), or Lotus in Phuket town. Then pay the driver and watch him leave. They can%26#39;t follow you around a shopping mall, never ask the same driver to pick you up and never book a round trip. Go from place to place and try to specify landmarks rather than shop names as your destination, and also, needless to say, never talk with the driver about what your shopping plans are.
Cheers,
Uncle Eric
It%26#39;s not so much the commission that bothered us it was the fact we were abandoned, and thought a commission was the most likely reason. We were lucky there was someone there gracious enough to help us out, the %26#39;free ride%26#39; to the butterfly farm wasn%26#39;t our choice it was the driver who chose to take the commission and run. We were more than prepared to pay him, tip him well - and write up a positive review about him in this forum. What a lost opportunity for a quick Baht!
Dear Jemtide,
Yes, you%26#39;re right, an inconvenience on your holiday like feeling stranded is not nice. Luckily you found out there are still lots of nice people in Phuket who will come to help you out. That%26#39;s why I%26#39;m still here after 20 years, the good outweights the bad.
I take the unpopular position of supporting more public transportation and cleaning up the taxi services to be all metered. It%26#39;s good thing you brought the topic up. As long as people are informed ahead of time, they%26#39;ll have a great stay in Phuket.
Cheers,
Eric
Well said Uncle Eric. Your advice much appreciated. Last year when we visited Phuket we got a metered taxi from the airport to our hotel without any problem. However, getting a taxi for the return journey hotel to airport was much more difficult. Have you any suggestions how we can best do this on our next visit in November?
Hello Broadacres,
You should be able to arrange return transfer to airport with the hotel you stay at. Or you can try talking with drivers in the area. After all, even though they surely don%26#39;t get any commissions on the return, they have to get back to the airport to pick up the next arrival, going full is better than empty.
Also, in spite of all that%26#39;s been said, there are drivers who actually are OK people, just beware of the situation and make sure not to make friends with people you don%26#39;t know or who come on as your friend (such as taxi drivers). Clear your hotel reservations in advance, as well as transfer from airport if possible. Beware of cheap taxi fares, and most important, keep your personal business to yourself and talk about things like the weather. In general, people who are overly open about business matters (hotel reservations, or shopping needs) to low class strangers are considered naive and open for the taking. Always deal with people who are obviously of a higher education and social class level. Also, if you get into a situation which seems uncomfortable, let the driver visibly notice that you write down the license plate or other identification of the vehicle or driver. The tourist police are very helpful in cases where there is some information available. It%26#39;s a very high priority from the top government levels to protect tourists in Thailand.
Also, taxi drivers do have some legal requirement to provide transport and if they think you know what%26#39;s going on, they%26#39;re much less likely to play games. I don%26#39;t have any problems because on the rare occasion I have to use them, they know I know what%26#39;s going on from the first second I say ';Sawadee Khrap'; in clear Thai. It%26#39;s kind of like the dogs you passed walking home from school, if the dog thinks you%26#39;re scared or naive, it barks at you and tries to bite, on the contrary, if the dog thinks you are confident and know where you%26#39;re walking, it stands back and let%26#39;s you pass quietly. In general everything about doing business in Asia and/or Thailand is the same way, know what the going price is by asking around before making any deals, keep your eyes and ears open, and keep your guard up while being relatively polite and forthcoming in your negotiations. You%26#39;ll also be respected for it.
Another thing also is that in spite of the bad things said, if you left your wallet behind in the taxi, 95% of the time they%26#39;ll bring it back to you intact. There%26#39;s something in Thai culture that says it%26#39;s OK to take somebody%26#39;s money if they want to give it to you, and it%26#39;s a whole different thing to steal it. For example, if you want to buy that gold ring at the jewelry store at a price which includes a fat commission for the driver who brought you there, then it%26#39;s not considered wrong. But stealing the gold ring from you or keeping it if you forgot it is wrong. Fine distinction but very important to understand. Sometimes when I need to make a stop enroute in Bangkok and want the taxi to wait, I%26#39;ll intentionally leave something in the taxi and ask the driver to watch it for a small extra tip, by agreeing to do that, he%26#39;s also bound himself to wait for me to come back or be accused of theft.
I hope all my elongated comments have assisted the readers in understanding and dealing with this sensitive topic as well as helping everyone to enjoy their holidays in Thailand by being knowledgable.
Cheers,
Uncle Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment