Tourism Authority of Thailand 'worried' about Phuket tuk-tuk gangs

Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region Four office in Phuket, today told the Gazette today that she was aware of the problems, but said her office in Phuket Town had not received many complaints from tourists over the issue.

“We have a plan which has not been made public yet. We have to wait for it to be announced by the Minister of Tourism and Sports. The problem is very important as it affects tourism, so I would like local organizations including the police to co-operate to work out the problems,” she said.

The Gazette explained that its editorial offices and on-line forum have been flooded with complaints from around the globe by disgruntled tourists complaining about being overcharged for tuk-tuk rides or forced out of public parking areas by gangs of tuk-tuk drivers who monopolize them illegally for their own benefit. Many have vowed never to return to the island as a result of their experiences with taxi and tuk-tuk drivers.

Ms Bangornrat, who took up her post last month, said word-of-mouth complaints among foreign tourists about transport in Phuket was certain to have a negative impact on tourism, but it is difficult to assess exactly what the long-term effects have been.