Phuket Tuk Tuk Info

The tuk tuk drivers in Phuket are like an unstoppable mafia who seem to get their own way no matter what and they have so much power that even the authorities cave in to their demands.
The tuk tuk drivers have been known to form blockades when a large cruise or navel ship arrives so they can prevent any other vehicles from coming in to transport the passengers to their intended destinations. Also the blockade that they form, gives the tourists no other transport option to get to where they want to go and the tuk tuk drivers know this and organize a blockade because they know that the stunt works every time without fail.

There was a blockade that got the attention of the authorities and an emergency meeting was held to try and resolve the situation, but it was the same old story, the tuk tuk drivers used mafia tactics and intimidation to get their way and once again, it worked. The drivers charged ridiculously inflated prices at this blockade and it’s this kind of mentality from these drivers that is ruining tourism in Phuket.
The tuk tuk drivers, claimed to the authorities that they were fed up with tour guide operators pre - organizing transport with the tourists that pre-booked a tour and they were angry about them being picked up as soon as they disembark from the ship. There have been many other times in the past where the blockades were formed and the drivers got their way and if the authorities keep caving in, then this will continue on for some time to come.



The tuk tuk drivers in Karon and Patong are the worst in Phuket and they park in every available space in the streets of Patong and pretty much have the run of the town when it comes to transportation. The drivers are very territorial amongst themselves, as the competition for business is fierce.
There are so many tuk tuk’s that line the streets of Patong that some drivers have to miss out on much of the business. The drivers have their own set locations on particular streets that they are allowed to operate on and if they venture into another drivers street for business which that are not allocated, then arguments and even violence can start.

The intimidation is even used on tourists and many tourists have been threatened with violence and some have even been beaten and worse from arguments about taxi fares. There have been occasions where tuk tuk drivers have agreed with the tourist about a fare price, only to increase the price once they arrive at the destination and when the passenger refuses to pay extra, violence and intimidation is used until the driver gets his way.

There are the well known price gouges that the tuk tuk mafia try to pull on the tourists in the hope that the tourist is new to Phuket and doesn’t know what the average price of a taxi fare is and just pay up. Always try and negotiate with the tuk tuk drivers, as they will throw a higher price out there to begin with, in the hope that you will just pay it, better still if you have a choice for any other transport, take that other transport, because it will be cheaper, safer, less noisy and more comfortable than a dodgy tuk tuk ride.
There might be some good fair, honest drivers out there, but how do you know if you have a good one?