Reports of the incident spread across the internet like wildfire, and saw Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha overnight calling for all people, and especially officials, to take action to prevent any scams or deceitful behaviours that take advantage of tourists.
The tourists, Kate Chipperfield and Lauren Meinties, filed their complaint saying they were charged B3,000 for the journey – a figure strongly denied by the van driver, Phuriphat Chankaew, at Karon Police Station last Thursday (July 18). Police did not reject to Phuriphat’s claim.
Police eventually settled on fining Phuriphat B2,000 for illegally having his passenger van at the airport to pick up passengers, saying that no more action could be taken as the price was settled through a private negotiation between the driver and passengers.
The high price was the result of a “misunderstanding”, police said.
Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand (AoT), the public company that operates the airport, fined Phuriphat’s accomplice Narumon Jumpatong B2,000 for illegally roaming the halls of the terminal soliciting customers to his van as a transport service.
No explanations were given as to how Phuriphat was allowed to drive his van into the airport passenger pickup area or how Narumon openly solicited customers inside the main airport building undetected despite the alleged high security measures in place at Phuket’s key tourism portal.
“The Phuket Land of Transport Office (PLTO) Chief should prevent such incidents from happening again. This problem does not happen in a country where laws are strictly enforced,” said Thanusak Phungdet, President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, told The Phuket News.
“Officials should set up signs showing the fares that are supposedly already installed in the visible public areas (at the airport). Then tourists can see the prices and make decisions before using the service without any need to negotiate,” he added.
“Posters showing the fares should be everywhere, including at Phuket International Airport.” Mr Thanusak said.
“All public transportation vehicles must have signs showing the fares, and relevant officials should enforce the law strictly and seriously. The PLTO should be the ones doing this. It is their responsibility to uphold the law, even though this happened in an AoT area,” he added.
“The fares should also be shown on the Phuket International Airport website, and the fares charged need to be checked by the PLTO every year so they are fair for tourists and for drivers,” Mr Thanusak stressed.
“I will present this idea and push this issue hard in my next meeting with Phuket Governor soon,” he said.
Mr Thanusak agreed with PM Prayut that much lies at stake in the damage that can be done to Phuket’s tourism industry by such incidents.
“This has without doubt damaged Phuket’s tourism image. It has been shared many times on social media and impacted us in a negative way,” he said.
Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, President of Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, was no less damning in his assessment.
“I find that this kind of problem always happens in nighttime,” Mr Kongsak said.
“I don’t want such incidents to happen again. It would be better if tourists get a receipt showing the fare paid and the distance travelled to prevent overcharging and further ‘misunderstandings’,” he said, openly suggesting that tourists are not even handed receipts by van and taxi drivers operating at the airport.
“This information went viral though social media and has definitely affected Phuket’s tourism image. I want all concerned officials to think about this and find a good solution for this issue soon,” Mr Kongsak added.
Phuket tourism stalwart Bhuritt Maswongssa, General Manager of the Patong Resort Hotel and key member Tourism Development Committee of South Andaman Tourism Development Area under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, openly admitted that the issue of tourists being overcharged by transport drivers at the airport was not new.
“We have had this problem for a long time,” Mr Bhuritt told The Phuket News.
“The standard of services for tourists needs to be clearer, safer and more satisfying. It depends on our action and how we enforce the law,” he said plainly.
“Officials should know their responsibilities and perform their duties well. The PLTO must take this issue seriously and solve this problem.
“Don Muang airport and Suvarnabhumi airport can solve this problem, Phuket International Airport must be able to do it, too,” he said.