Local authorities met at the Koh Samui District Office yesterday (Dec 28) to discuss complaints that have proliferated online about cabbies setting fares by themselves.
Sutthipong Klai-udom, the deputy governor of Surat Thani, said an investigation had found that taxi drivers on the resort island had devised a set of fares for numerous destinations, with prices quoted identically in dollars and euros.
But given the prevailing exchange rate, passengers using euros end up paying substantially more than those using dollars for the same trip. A ride priced at copy00 works out to 87 euros, but a European would be charged 100 euros just the same
Cabbies usually displayed their fare charts when serving foreign tourists arriving on luxury boats, Mr Sutthipong said.
As a result, local authorities have issued a fresh order to prohibit local taxi drivers from imposing their own fares. In order to ensure fair treatment of all visitors, they must use their meters only. Otherwise, their licences would be revoked at once, he said.
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