Is Thailand Stagnating to Death as a Tourist Destination?

[admin]

Interesting article as Macau is now the #1 gambling destination in the world and Singapore is #2 (with Las Vegas being #3). Seeing the huge cash people are willing to spend now the amusement parks are lining up to build family oriented theme parks.

Will Thailand wake up and get in on the tourism shift or will it be too busy deciding which color of shirt to wear and running "Amazing Thailand" commercials in India to take notice?

Theme park designers follow casino companies to Asia

Steven Stradbrooke

July 28, 2011

In his conference call with investors on Tuesday, Las Vegas Sands’ CEO Sheldon Adelson took the rather unnecessary step of stressing the importance of Asia to his company’s bottom line. He also mentioned the need for casino companies to offer their Asian customers more amenities than mere gambling. “I’ve been saying that ever since we opened the Sands in 2004, that anybody that opens any property should be required to have a matrix of both gaming and non-gaming activities.”

Some of the same people brought in to help diversify the resort casino offerings are also making their mark away from the casino floor. Kelvin Chan, a business writer with the AP, recently shone a spotlight on how western amusement park designers are shifting their focus from the slumping USA to ascendant Asia. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that spending by Asian theme park visitors will rise to $8.4b by 2012, driven by the rapidly expanding ranks of the region’s middle class.

Shanghai will see a Hello Kitty theme park designed by a Pasadena-based company open in 2014, while a $3.7b Disney-branded park is set to open in Shanghai two years later. A Burbank company is designing a park near Beijing based on the traditional Chinese tale Monkey Kingdom. Universal Studios, which already operates at the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort in Singapore, will open a theme park in Seoul, South Korea in 2014, while Legoland is set to make its Asian debut in Malaysia in 2013.

But just as western online gambling companies looking to open Asian-facing operations need to understand the market they’re serving, the same is true for theme park designers. KB Creative Advisors’ Kevin Barbee, who’s working on several Universal Studios attractions, points out that Asia’s multi-generational families don’t necessarily go to theme parks looking for the exact same experience as an American family. “If you have a roller coaster, the youngest is probably too short to go on and oldest ones don’t want to be spun and twisted.” In other words, know your marketplace, or it’s you who’ll get taken for a ride.

http://calvinayre.com/2011/07/28/business/theme-park-designers-follow-casino-companies-to-asia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

[bigKus]

I nominate Bill for a job as an adviser to TAT.

Didnt you ever heard 'speak is easier than done' ?

[FarangFarang]

Didnt you ever heard 'speak is easier than done' ?

I would imagine it's insanely hard in any government but as Dave mentioned, Thais tend to be reactionary so I doubt anything will actually happen until the country has no other options. It's unfortunate because waiting until it gets to that point will result in a lot of people being a lot worse off financially.

Going back to Tim's comments, I guess I never really did conversions on small amounts and it didn't hit me until I got back home how much farang food was in Thailand. Larry's Dive's Friday night all you can eat ribs are 399 baht (no drink included). That's over $13 USD!! And that's considered a pretty good bargain. I'm looking through the Chef's XP menu right now and I'm floored how much stuff costs. It's either more or at a similar price as the US. And, sadly, most of the food isn't even close in terms of taste or quality.

As Ciaran pointed out, a lot of it is due to a weak dollar/pound/Euro/etc and a strong baht but that doesn't change the fact that the relative cost of living (on a fixed income) or visiting Thailand has gone up.

[CiaranM]

As Ciaran pointed out, a lot of it is due to a weak dollar/pound/Euro/etc and a strong baht but that doesn't change the fact that the relative cost of living (on a fixed income) or visiting Thailand has gone up.

guys who moved here 5 - 10 years ago ... hell even just 3 years ago, on pensions, or incomes from properties/businesses in the UK or even pounds/euro/dollar expat packages r finding things a hell of a lot more expensive nowadays !!!

[TimmyTwo]

1. TAT always speaks enviously of getting the kind of room rates and spend per arrival that Hong Kong and Singapore get. Yet they haven't done anything that would make *that type* of tourist come and visit and want to spend the same kind of money.

It's hard to compare Thailand with Hong Kong and Singapore. There are many reasons why tourists will spend more visiting those countries and I would imagine it's beyond the scope of TAT to be able to make any significant impact. It's like the Welsh tourism authority looking at London and saying "I wish we could get a slice of that action".

2. Thailand is like old Vegas run by the mafia. Back then the main source of revenue was gambling by punters looking to party it up. Singapore and Hong Kong are like Vegas today. The main source of revenue comes from families who spend enough per head that the lodging and FB&E revenue eclipses the gambling revenue.

I like that analogy.

3. The fact that Simply Asia and Amazing Thailand commercials look the same should make my case for Thailand not having a monopoly on scenic beaches. Now factor in Incredible India, and whatever the Philippines tourism motto is and it's a pretty crowded market and likely to get more crowded as Cambodia builds out their beach resorts and Vietnam starts to kick up the tourism.

No country has a monopoly on scenic beaches and I believe Thailand offers much more. I don't really think of India as a place for a beach holiday. I'm surprised the Philippines doesn't attract more tourism. As for Vietnam - they need to relax their visa requirements if they're serious about tourism!

4. You can't compare Malaysia's prices with Europe or the US. Malaysia, for various reasons, is going to have more expensive beer prices. Compare it to Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. And the comparison is to show that it's not massively cheaper. I'm looking at a UK online shopping site right now and a 6 pack of Amstel runs £4.50. At 50 baht to the pound that's about 37 baht per bottle. Considering that a bottle of generic beer in 7-11 runs about 30 baht or so, that's not a huge savings. And in the US a bottle of beer in 7-11 costs about $1. Same bottle costs 30 baht in Thailand. Again, no big bargain.

But the 'type of tourists' you're talking about (the ones with fat wallets) are not going to be put off by the current price of beer in Thailand. If they pay sky high prices in Singapore and Hong Kong, and those are the countries you think Thailand should be trying to emulate, you can't turn around and say "compare it to Vietnam, Cambodia, etc". Now I know you're going to say "but they offer more, hence their prices" but the point is that you can't say TAT should be doing more to attract wealthy tourists and then complain that beer is expensive. Actually scratch that.... of course we should complain that beer is too expensive!

bkk may not be at european prices for beer, but it's not far off. however, this is more due to the strength of the thai baht (or weakness) of european currencies rather than any massive increase in prices in thailand !!
but there is no doubt thailand is becomg more and more expensive as a holiday destination and isn't really investing in anything to make it more attractive !!

Yeah the exchange rate is the issue. Like Bill, when I first came in 2002 it was 72:1 and now it's something like 45:1. It has made a big difference and I'm not saying that beer is cheap here, but it's cheaper than back home - apart from perhaps the beer in a JD Wetherspoons pub in Rochdale or somewhere. But those pubs are full of smelly old drunken men. I know where I prefer sipping my beer.

[FarangFarang]

But the 'type of tourists' you're talking about (the ones with fat wallets) are not going to be put off by the current price of beer in Thailand. If they pay sky high prices in Singapore and Hong Kong, and those are the countries you think Thailand should be trying to emulate, you can't turn around and say "compare it to Vietnam, Cambodia, etc". Now I know you're going to say "but they offer more, hence their prices" but the point is that you can't say TAT should be doing more to attract wealthy tourists and then complain that beer is expensive. Actually scratch that.... of course we should complain that beer is too expensive!

It's not the same comparison. I'm making two different points.

1. Thailand has not built up the infrastructure to support the high-end tourist market like Singapore and Hong Kong/Macau have.

2. Thailand is no longer the obvious choice for backpackers and for those on any sort of tight budget.

Thailand is sort of in limbo-land. Stuck in the middle between the high end travelers and being squeezed on the low end of the market by countries who can offer similar or greater value for the budget conscious.

Thailand's inherent problem is that TAT lusts after the high end market while investing not a baht in developing it other than coming up with snazzy slogans and it openly shuns the low end of the market nowadays with laws designed to keep the dirty hippies from staying too long. In other words, TAT (and Thailand in general) wants its cake and to eat it as well.

[falangboy]

I think Thailand is facing a couple of problems tourism-wise.

First, it is getting expensive. This is from a couple of factors. The first is just a general rise in prices. The second is from a very disadvantaged exchange rate vs the Euro, Pound, Dollar, etc. Its just not the bargain it used to be.

Second, the country is definitly facing a bin-there-done-that reputation. It seems like they are trying to shift their tourism focus but you can't really do that from central command. The tourism department needs to find out what it is that attracts people to the country in the first place and make sure that stays as inviting as ever. Then they should work at the new things... slowly. You can't just announce that you are going to be the 'anything'-hub-of-the-world. That rarely works.

Third, the country has faced some serious issues over the past 5 years that don't seem to be going away. That will make anyone cautious about visiting. It also makes the people who are here already, get very tired of the whole situation and look to leave. Which brings me to the last point.

Fourth, Thailand is doing a very poor job with the tourists and expats who are already here. The smile seems to be gone from this country. The number of complaints I'm hearing these days vs the number of compliments is staggering. I don't think the tourism authority nor the gov't realize just how much business the expat community brings to Thailand in tourism. How many of us have urged friends, family and acquaintances to visit. Just count how many people you have convinced to visit and then figure that most of us do the same. Yet, I'm seeing an increasing number of people becoming disgruntled about the way they are being treated. And those people are leaving. Many of the others are no longer so enthusiastic about people they know coming over.

Those are just a few points that I feel are strangling the tourism business here.

[FarangFarang]

Fourth, Thailand is doing a very poor job with the tourists and expats who are already here. The smile seems to be gone from this country. The number of complaints I'm hearing these days vs the number of compliments is staggering. I don't think the tourism authority nor the gov't realize just how much business the expat community brings to Thailand in tourism. How many of us have urged friends, family and acquaintances to visit. Just count how many people you have convinced to visit and then figure that most of us do the same. Yet, I'm seeing an increasing number of people becoming disgruntled about the way they are being treated. And those people are leaving. Many of the others are no longer so enthusiastic about people they know coming over.

Those are just a few points that I feel are strangling the tourism business here.

I agree with points 1 - 3. Point 4 is interesting because I've heard several long-term expats make similar statements. It's not at critical levels yet but I do notice more and more people talking about where they might live should they decide to leave Thailand. Some site the costs but many of them specifically mention the change in attitude.

Don't get me wrong from this thread though. I still love Thailand. However, I do see it going in the wrong direction on many fronts.

[FarangFarang]

Interesting article in The Bangkok Post that says a lot of the same things I have been saying:

A winning way to bring in tourists

Published: 24/08/2011 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The catch-phrase "Thailand, the Land of Smiles" never fails to weave its magic on tourists around the world.

I totally agree with the description: Thailand is a very beautiful country, rich in culture and historical heritage as well as nature and good food. We have the sea, sand and sun that many Western people want to experience and Thai people are so generous and friendly to tourists.

With these strengths, the Thai tourism industry should have prospered and developed to the point that Thailand played a leading role in the Southeast Asian region. But in reality it seems more like Thai tourism has got stuck, with no new exciting products or developments for so long.

How has this come about? It could be because of the domestic political uncertainties and the intense competition from other countries. Moreover, the global economic downturn, especially in Europe and the United States, has made a lot of potential tourists give up or delay their travel plans.

Like many countries depending on tourism revenues, Thailand can't escape this unwelcome situation, but the degree of impact relies solely on the capability of the government in managing it.

It's true that the Thai tourism sector has been hit hard by negative factors these past few years. However, it's not too late to do something to turn the situation around.

It's time for the Yingluck Shinawatra government to outline a long-term strategic plan and direction for tourism. An ambitious goal must be set and the government must carry out all action plans consistently to make them happen.

We have to fill up many missing pieces in the jigsaw of Thailand's tourism industry.

The authorities, particularly those at the Tourism and Sports Ministry, should listen to what the private sector really needs. Listen to both positive and negative opinions, and impose proper measures to raise the competitiveness of Thai tourism.

The several tourism executives I spoke with all wanted to give their opinions to Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa, who is the new hope to help shape the future of Thai tourism.

Firstly, Thailand should improve its transport network to provide convenience to both local people and tourists. Currently, many infrastructure projects are not tourist friendly. Take the Airport Rail Link project for example. It is not convenient for tourists with luggage to use this rail link to go to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Makkasan Station, since they would have to carry their heavy bags and walk a long way to reach the check-in counters. There are no escalators at this station, which is so isolated, with no link to the nearby BTS skytrain.

And if you come back from Suvarnabhumi to Makkasan, you will find it very difficult to find a taxi, as the cabs are not interested in waiting there to pick up passengers. So, tourists will likely have to stand there for a long time, next to a pile of luggage.

Moreover, the Airport Rail Link's train carriages don't have a specific space for luggage and passengers can only place their belongings in front of the seats.

The government should also build a mass transit system to connect big exhibition and convention centres (like Impact Muang Thong Thani) with inner city areas.

Secondly, we should take the protection of tourism destinations and their natural environment very seriously. Don't forget that most foreign tourists visit Thailand because they want to be impressed by our natural beauty. If these sights are ruined or spoiled, the tourists will go to other countries like Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, where the natural environment is fresh and well cared for.

Thirdly, Thailand should craft new tourism products to promote the country. We have to ask ourselves what should be the new selling point - after beautiful nature, culture, food and Thai hospitality. Should we have a casino like Singapore and Malaysia?

If the answer is yes, then we should go for it. I think Thailand could have a series of proper measures to control casinos like Singapore does. It's almost unbelievable that Singapore's tourism industry grew substantially after the opening of its casinos, which proved to be a big contributor to last year's GDP growth of 14%.

Such a new selling point will help reinforce the branding and positioning of Thailand among the international community.

Let's hope Mr Chumpol considers these options. It's time Thailand came up with new ideas for tourism and made them happen.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/253159/a-winning-way-to-bring-in-tourists/page-3/

I think one of the people commenting on the Bangkok Post website said it the best:

Thailand wants tourism without tourists and investment without investors. As I said, TAT and Thailand in general, want their cake and to eat it too.

[FarangFarang]

More calls for legalizing gambling in the kingdom.

Don't bet on eradicating illegal gambling

Published: 30/08/2011 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

As expected, last week saw colour and controversy when the government delivered its policy statement in Parliament. Personally, I thought the highlight was the protests against the alleged bias of House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, a nine-time MP from Khon Kaen.

Known as "Khun Khawn" (or Gavel Master), Khun Somsak introduced the use of the gavel to end bickering among MPs when he was deputy House Speaker in 1997. But last week, he did not use it and chose instead to stand up when faced with difficult Democrat MPs.

In response and protest, the Democrats remained seated as the Speaker stood up. When he sat down, the Democrats stood up. This up-and-down performance was comical, to say the least.

But it was not as comical as the unfolding controversy ignited by Parliament's most colourful figure to date: Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit.

MP Chuvit played a video clip of a casino operating in the Sutthisan area (Ratchadaphisek Soi 18). It was the only performance which has produced a knock-on or ripple effect with its attention-grabbing mix of money, corruption, crime, politics and police.

At first the Metropolitan Police Bureau denied the casino existed. But they were dealing with the wrong man and Khun Chuvit quickly followed up by playing another video clip over the weekend showing furniture and equipment being moved. Police, caught with their pants down, had to admit its existence.

Sutthisan police chief and five senior officers were - yes, you've guessed it - transferred to proverbial inactive posts.

Now Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung has joined the fray, saying police have been given three days to clear Bangkok of all gambling dens, or other agencies will be asked to do the job instead.

Khun Chalerm said he would also propose a major revamp of the police if it failed to shut down the casinos. "I would consider putting the right men in the right jobs. But if doing that is not within the scope of my authority, I would ask the prime minister to make a decision," he said.

On paper, this looks like a good, although seemingly coincidental, combination. On the one hand we have Khun Chuvit, former owner of a string of massage parlours who knows how to bribe police. On the other we have Khun Chalerm, a former police officer who certainly knows the ins and outs of our law enforcement agency.

What we are likely to see in this current drama is perhaps another casino being closed or raided. But we all know that in the end, the bribery, corruption and protective political influence that go along with these gambling dens will continue. No one really knows how many gambling dens there are in this city. But the really big ones, backed with considerable political clout, are well known.

The most well-known and established ones operate in Taopoon and Pratuman districts. There's one along Rama 3 Road in the Chong Lom area. Another is located in the Pinklao area. These establishments remain open despite the current controversy. Others, like one in Lat Phrao, open and close depending on how the wind blows. And so the list continues.

These really big casinos operate because they have big-time political and police protection. The smaller ones operate along the same lines but with lesser clout. Any crackdown now and in the future will not shut down or wipe out these dens. Once the dust settles, they will be back and it will be business as usual.

Let's leave the song and dance aside and accept reality. Like it or not, Thai people - and many citizens of other countries around the world - like to gamble. If they cannot gamble legally at home, they will go abroad. And I don't mean Las Vegas. Just across from our Aranyaprathet province, there are nine casinos in Cambodia. One is owned by Cambodians, the rest are owned by Thais. In Burma's portion of the Golden Triangle area there are four casinos, while opposite Chanthaburi province, there are three. These are the places where Thais are going.

As long as gambling remains illegal, corruption, political influence and bribery of the police will continue. We must accept the fact that our police personnel are underpaid. Graft and extortion is used to finance some basic police operations as well as supplement incomes. Providing protection and owning shares in gambling dens is one major source of income.

Many of our neighbours, such as Singapore and Malaysia, have accepted reality and allowed casinos to be established. Like Macau, these governments have chosen to legalise and regulate - and earn income.

I admit that legalised casinos would not wipe out illegal gambling activities. Despite the legal lottery which millions of Thais buy every fortnight, illegal lottery bookmakers continue to conduct lucrative operations. They are able to do so because they provide better odds and higher returns.

There is no doubt that social problems persist as a result of gambling. We see it every day when Thais are embroiled in betting on football matches, on cock-fights, on boxing matches week in and week out. Crackdown after crackdown has not reduced the level of gambling. Other countries have legalised and regulated betting, and it is worthy of serious study.

Likewise, legalising casinos will not eradicate social problems. But making them legal means they can be regulated and should reduce the opportunity for corruption, bribery of police and shady use of political clout. The government will also have access to revenues it currently does not have.

Clearly, there are those who will vehemently disagree with my views, and the pros and cons of legalising casinos should be debated. But I believe that we must accept reality. Even those who oppose legalising casinos will have to admit that the current song and dance (or shadow play) we are witnessing will come to nought and, after a while, the cards will continue to flip-fall and the chips thrown across the blackjack or baccarat tables as usual.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/254085/don-t-bet-on-eradicating-illegal-gambling

Academic urges legalisation of casinos

Published: 30/08/2011 at 03:15 PM

Online news: Local News

Police reform and legalisation of casinos are solutions to the long-standing problem of illegal gambling dens, a prominent academic said on Tuesday.

Sangsit Piriyarangsan, chairman of the doctorate degree course of study on governance development at Chandarakasem Rajabhat University, was commenting on the problem of casinos operating in the heart of the capital city under the nose of the Royal Thai Police Office.

Mr Sangsit said a dual approach is needed to solve this problem - police reform, and legalising casinos.

He said reform is needed to ensure police to perform their duties honestly, and without demanding or accepting bribes.

To achieve this objective, the government must have a clear policy. After reform, police should be expected to perform their duties in a straightforward manner and their work would be subject to scrutiny.

On legalisation of gambling establishments, there must be measures to prevent relatives or close associates of people in the government, or other politicians, from investing or holding shares in casinos or benefitting in other ways.

"These twin approaches can solve the problem of illegal casinos, but they would be very difficult to carry out effectively because even if there are legal casinos, illegal ones will continue to exist," Mr Sangsit said.

As things are now, casinos are simply closed whenever police launch a crackdown, and they reopen soon after, he said.

Mr Sangsit said his research on the "Gambling Economy and Public Problems" showed there are more than 170 gambling dens in Bangkok. There were 10 large ones operating permanently, 60 medium and small ones, and about another 100 mobile casinos that move around.

Between 180 and 200 billion baht flows through these casinos every year. Those behind the operations rake in a yearly profit of 38 to 40 billion baht, he said. Of this, 5 to 20 per cent (2 to 8 billion baht) is paid to police.

Elsewhere in the country, there are between 700,000 and one million gambling dens operating. Of these, 75 are large operations and about 780 medium to small businesses. The rest are mobile gambling operations, operating at various locations including funerals.

Mr Sangsit's research revealed that throughtout the country between 640 and 820 billion baht circulates through these gambling dens each year, returning as much as 90 billion baht in profits.

A metropolitan police source confirmed there are still a large number of gambling dens in the heart of Bangkok. The operators pay bribes to police on a monthly or daily basis, depending on the agreement.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/254184/academic-urges-legalisation-of-casinos

[FarangFarang]

Another article talking about tourism. Here the Austrian consul threatens to issue a Europe-wide travel warning if Phuket can't get the tuk-tuk mafia cleaned up.

Control Phuket Tuk-Tuk Thugs or Lose European Tourists, Ambassador Warns

By Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

PHUKET: Austria's ambassador told Phuket officials today that travel warnings could be issued across Europe, specifically mentioning that Phuket's tuk-tuks should be avoided, unless action is taken quickly to solve Phuket's law and order issues.

The comments by Ambassador Dr Johannes Peterlik, who grew up in Thailand and has been a visitor to Phuket for more than 30 years, came at the climax of the most intense summit between Phuket's honorary consuls and Phuket's administrators to date.

Honorary consuls and officials at the quarterly meeting listened intently as Dr Peterlik made it plain that a sizeable number of European ambassadors had been waiting to see change on Phuket for some time and would act in concert to warn tourists if necessary.

''If the situation does not change, we will be forced to publish specific Phuket-related alerts in order to protect our citizens,'' Dr Peterlik said.

His comments, following some surprising reports from honorary consuls in the previous two hours, made it plain to everyone at Provincial Hall in Phuket City this afternoon that speedy action is required, whether from Phuket administrators or from Bangkok.

The bashing of a German expat resident of Phuket on Thursday night in Patong, plus the failure of police to report the matter to Germany's honorary consul until today, further spotlighted the need for the rule of law and commonsense to be restored rapidly.

While several honorary consuls made strong criticisms revolving around present concerns regarding tuk-tuks and jet-skis on Phuket, there was no acrimony at the meeting. The point was made several times that Thais or expats could just as easily become victims.

In a series of developments to the growing concerns about thuggery by tuk-tuk drivers and jet-ski scammers on Phuket:

.. British honorary consul Martin Carpenter said that tuk-tuk fares needed to be renegotiated downwards before the next high season;

.. Dutch honorary consul Seven Smulders warned that tourists now faced new scams when hiring motorcycles;

.. German honorary consul Dirk Naumann said he had been reliably informed that a television show highlighting polluted water on Phuket had resulted in 1000 cancellations of trips to Phuket in Germany alone;

.. Australian honorary consul Larry Cunningham said he had been told by Tourist Police that there had been '' a lot more'' assaults by tuk-tuk drivers than the ones reported in recent months in the media.

The problem, he said, was ''more and more about power. The jet-ski operators and the tuk-tuk drivers have power in Patong.''

At the start of the meeting, the honorary consul expressed dismay that the minutes of the meetings, introduced in February last year, had been doctored to remove criticisms, conveying false impressions to government officials and embassies in Bangkok.

Look for more Phuketwan reports about today's honorary consuls meeting with Phuket administrators, coming soon.

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/control-phuket-tuk-tuk-thugs-lose-european-tourists-ambassador-warns-14639/

This is somewhat what I was talking about though concerning TAT just moving on to the next mark. Arrivals from farang countries are dropping, consulates are demanding Thailand address certain safety and security issues, so Thailand:

a) Admits it has some problems and promises to get right on it.

Immediately enacts measures to crack down on tuk-tuks and jet ski scams

c) Edits the meeting minutes from the last meeting where these problems were brought up, smile politely, and then go target some dumb ass Indians and Chinese who haven't heard about the scams yet.

** The line about dumb ass Indians and Chinese is not meant to be derogatory towards either group. It's just how TAT views them since the farangs have begun to wise up and demand better treatment.

[FarangFarang]

Phuket taxi bullying continues

PHUKET: -- Police today were called in to resolve yet another taxi dispute, this time reports of drivers using their vehicles to block the entrance to the renowned Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort.

About 20 “black plate” drivers massed at the entrance to the Evason – one of the very first resorts on the island – at about 10am, reported Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Narong Laksanawimon.

“Apparently a staff member working at the hotel front desk called a local taxi to pick up guests from the hotel.

“The ‘black plate’ taxi drivers who have an agreement with the hotel were not satisfied with the situation so they formed a blockade,” explained Lt Col Narong.

A “black plate” taxi is the local nickname given to vehicles operated as taxis but not registered with the Land Transportation Office as commercial passenger vehicles.

The mob action prompted a two-hour meeting among taxi representatives, the hotel general manager and a Thai manager at the hotel to resolve the issue with Chalong Police officers present, said Lt Col Narong.

In addition to the front desk staffer calling in a local taxi driver – instead of using one of the black plate drivers – the taxi drivers complained of not having any parking spaces on hotel grounds.

“The hotel representative said that the hotel will reserve two parking spaces in the hotel parking area for taxi drivers to wait for guests and asked for the taxi drivers to dress appropriately.

“On the second issue, the hotel representative said that all staff had been informed to not call any other local taxi drivers or they will be fired, and that the hotel will be strict on this,” he said.

Satisfied with the newly “negotiated” terms of business, the taxi drivers ceased their blockade.

However, when asked by the Phuket Gazette, a representative of the resort downplayed the incident.

“It was a misunderstanding. They were about to block the road, but we had a talk and the issue was resolved,” the representative said.

“There was no such blockade,” the representative added, declining to comment any further on the reported conditions of the settlement.

Today’s blockade follows a gang of taxi drivers attacking a local tour driver for picking up guests at the Cape Sienna resort in Kamala and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Pekad Tantipong last month laying down the law that no more blockades will be tolerated by police.

The award-winning Evason has long been recognized by international travel giants, including Conde Naste Traveler magazine, as one of Phuket’s best resorts.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10941