Gaybutton Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Taxi Cheats, Fake Tour Guides Targeted Writer: AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK Published: 10/08/2009 Unregistered tour guides and taxis are facing fines of 2,000 baht and/or a year in jail as part of Suvarnabhumi airport's new get tough policy. The taxi cheats and illegal tour guides followed when Bangkok International Airport moved from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi three years ago. There have been attempts to flush them out but they just keep coming back. Airports of Thailand Plc chairman Piyaphan Champasut said yesterday a subcommittee on transport control at the airport had been set up in May to enforce suppression measures on illegal tour guides and taxis. The subcommittee is chaired by Land Transport Department director-general Chairat Sanugansue. A special operation unit will work on the ground to ensure the crackdown is effective. It will also enforce measures such as zoning and parking time limits. Mr Piyaphan yesterday met the Tourist Police Bureau and the Department of Land Transport to discuss the problems at the airport. The airport was declared a controlled area for tour guides and taxis in 2006. Mr Piyaphan said scores of illegal tour guides and taxi drivers were arrested and fined, but they simply came back. The airport will now strengthen the measures. Unregistered tour guides and taxis could be fined 2,000 baht and face up to a year in prison. The punishment would be heavier if they adopt an aggressive sales pitch or engage in physical abuse, and if they operate at night. They can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to 10,000 baht. Mr Piyaphan was confident the stricter measures would start to show results in the next two months. Assessments would be made every 15 days to see if they were working. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 Well, I suppose it's a start and should therefore be applauded. But when, I wonder, will they do something about the "official airport taxi" scam which lures travellers in the customs halls to take their admittedly superior cars but for a whopping 300% more than regular taxis? Probably never because it's operated by the airport themselves! And whilst on the subject, two other taxi points for the Airport Authority. On the access roads to virtually all other international airports, there are large signs at the side of the road or above it giving very clear advance directions as to which airlines operate from which terminals or which drop-off gate you should take. In its early days, Suvarnabhumi had tiny direction signs at the roadside, all but unreadable if you were travelling more than 10km/hr. These have now completely disappeared. Infrequent travellers therefore have no idea where they should be dropped off unless their vehicle crawls along the road by the drop off points. But this is now made much more difficult because, over the last few months, public taxis can only drop off at the two easternmost and two westernmost gates. There is a no-go zone between about gates 3 and 9. Anyone know why this is? It's a real pain in the ass, as limousines and other vehicles are free to take the other road slightly closer to the terminal building with complete access to all entry gates. Given that a majority of tourists probably take public taxis, this is another for GB's "I don't get it" list! Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 10, 2009 Author Posted August 10, 2009 this is another for GB's "I don't get it" list! Consider it added. And another item for the list is the airport buses. Considering the number of international flights that arrive and depart in the middle of the night, why do the buses stop running in the early evening? Are they afraid to come out to play in the dark or something? I don't get that one either. Maybe certain members of the local constabulary ought to start running a bus service. That way more potential shoplifting scam victims can be brought in. They could call it the "Extortion Express." As for the effectiveness of this crackdown, why does the phrase, "Yeah, right!" come to mind? Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted August 10, 2009 Posted August 10, 2009 It's what called a token gesture to the international community's irate comments about all the scams going on at the airport. Notice that there is utterly no mention of any action being considered (let alone taken) to find, stop or get rid of the scammers. Quote
Guest Posted August 11, 2009 Posted August 11, 2009 It's what called a token gesture to the international community's irate comments about all the scams going on at the airport. I could not agree more! Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 16, 2009 Author Posted August 16, 2009 Nearly 300 Illegal Taxi Drivers, Tour Guides Nabbed at Suvarnabhumi Airport BANGKOK, Aug 16 (TNA) Quote
Guest Posted August 16, 2009 Posted August 16, 2009 This airport is the first thing that visitors see when they come to Thailand for the first time. I think those harassing con artists are integral to the port. It lets visitors know what they are going to experience in LOS. Personally, I wish they would make illegal all the Indian clothing shop salesmen who stand outside the fabric shops trying to entice you in even after you say no 5 times. Or, the doormen on Soi Twilight who grab your arm to get you into the bar. Taxi drivers. Poor poor guys getting all this harassment because they want to clean up the airport? I think they should have started the cleanup when Taskin first started the plans. Isn't that really when all this began? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted August 16, 2009 Posted August 16, 2009 Regarding baggage theft, Mr. Piyapan said that AOT will meet with representatives of two companies . . . to consider improved policies on preventing baggage thef Although a regular critic of many aspects of the airport, I feel baggage theft is to a certain extent the result of quite a number of passengers simply not locking their checked-in baggage. I am constantly amazed at my Thai friends who happily check-in bags without any sort of locking device. Of course, it still needs someone down in the bowels of the airport to open such bags and steal from them. But I do not trust any airport anywhere and always have bags locked very securely. Even in the US, where one is now supposed to have padlocks that can be opened by special screening staff, I absolutely refuse to use them and have a double locked suitcase. As long as I wait until it has been x-rayed, I have never had a problem. I think those harassing con artists are integral to the port. It lets visitors know what they are going to experience in LOS Me too, but airport taxi drivers trying to scam a few extra bucks from passengers are an endemic problem in many parts of the world. Sure, it's an annoying introduction to a country, but tourists should not expect everything to be handed to them on a platter; they have to do at least some homework in advance. I was almost ripped off this morning in Istanbul, and even on arrival later in Madrid, the taxi driver allegedly did not have change - hoping no doubt to pocket a few extra euros. I made him wait whilst I went in to the hotel to get some change! Quote
bkkguy Posted August 17, 2009 Posted August 17, 2009 I think they might be getting serious this time: Illegal Airport Taxis To Be Punished With King Power Shopping Trip Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 18, 2009 Author Posted August 18, 2009 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ AoT Enlists Support to Tackle Airport Woes Police Cases will be Dealt with In-House Writer: AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK Published: 18/08/2009 Airports of Thailand Plc is calling on state security agencies to draw up new measures to deal with problems at Suvarnabhumi airport including baggage theft and alleged extortion of tourists. AoT president Serirat Prasutanond said the agencies were expected to come up with their proposals and submit them to AoT executives on Thursday. Mr Serirat yesterday met representatives from the police, customs and King Power, the operator of the duty-free complex at the airport, to discuss the problems dogging Suvarnabhumi. The meeting came on the heels of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's visit to the airport on Saturday to gather information first-hand on the troubles plaguing the airport. Foreign media outlets have reported in recent weeks on a number of foreign travellers being accused of shoplifting at the airport and held by police until they paid a bribe to secure their freedom. The airport is under the jurisdiction of Rachathewa police station. It was also reported tourists claimed to have been fined for breaking customs regulations for possessing more than one carton of cigarettes or one bottle of liquor. Mr Serirat said the proposed new guidelines would be forwarded to the Transport Ministry and the prime minister for approval. Mr Serirat said signs would probably be put up telling tourists when they are leaving the duty-free area and warning them to pay up for all items before leaving to avoid being arrested for shoplifting. He said a police office on the third floor would be renovated and equipped with the tools needed to facilitate police work so suspects would not have to leave the airport. Niran Thiranartsin, the airport director, said passengers were regularly fined for possessing more than the permitted amount of cigarettes and alcohol. In most cases, the cigarettes and alcohol were not purchased at the airport. Fines could be imposed if passengers were found in possession of more than the permitted amount. Mr Niran said customs and revenue authorities would have to come up with better regulations to deal with such cases. Pratheep Vijitho, the airport's deputy director for operations, said the two contracted operators handling passenger luggage at the airport would be required to employ better measures to prevent luggage thefts. The two are Thai Airways International and Bangkok Flight Services Co. More security cameras will be installed in the sorting area. He said the measures were expected to take effect on Sept 1. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Regarding luggage theft, I have yet to have anyone check if the luggage I take from the carrel is really mine. Many airports have security guards who check your claim ticket against the tag on the luggage you are leaving with. Quote
Guest buckeroo2 Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Regarding luggage theft, I have yet to have anyone check if the luggage I take from the carrel is really mine. Many airports have security guards who check your claim ticket against the tag on the luggage you are leaving with. I have never seen any security guards in the baggage claim area of any airport checking claim tickets in all the years I have been flying and I do a moderate amount of flying. I always thought this was an easy target for thieves and wondered why it was not an area of concern for security considering how much luggage gets "lost". Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 18, 2009 Author Posted August 18, 2009 I have never seen any security guards in the baggage claim area of any airport checking claim tickets I have, many times. Granted, at many airports you're on your own when it comes to claiming luggage, but I have indeed been to many at which they really do check your luggage tag against the stub in your ticket folder. In Thailand, however, I've never seen any kind of check at all. Quote
Guest beadie Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 yea lets hope they keep up to what they say. Most of the times, Thai police only talk..we'll see how much they do! Quote
