Phuket Taxi Mafia Crackdown

[Specialist]

Good news!

 

Keep this up, extend this to Bangkok (especially, say, to the Asok end of Soi Cowboy, and I for one (and probably a lot of other guys) will be in *NO* hurry to see Gen Prayuth step down for the new elected government.

 

If they manage to nail the jet ski scammers, someone will nominate Gen Prayuth for a special "friend to tourists" medal.

 

And, of course, if he REALLY wants to make things interesting, start walking these scams up the food chain...

[Flashermac]

Phuket's Coup d'Taxi continues; cartels smashed

 

 

Police Thursday morning continued their campaign to smash Phuket's notorious taxi and tuk-tuk cartels by destroying illegal taxi stands in Cherng Talay, Kata-Karon and Kamala.

 

An estimated 500 officers began in Cherng Talay, where an illegal taxi stand in front of the high-end Twinpalms resort at Surin Beach was torn down.

 

Lt Gen Panya Mamen, Commander of the Royal Thai Police Region 8 division, who is spearheading the assault on Phuket's transport mafia, told the Phuket Gazette that his goal was to rid the island of taxi and tuk-tuk cartels by attacking them at the grassroots level - that is, on the streets.

 

Phuket Gazette

 

http://www.nationmul...d-30235520.html

[radioman]

Lt Gen Panya Mamen, Commander of the Royal Thai Police Region 8 division, who is spearheading the assault on Phuket's transport mafia, told the Phuket Gazette that his goal was to rid the island of taxi and tuk-tuk cartels by attacking them at the grassroots level - that is, on the streets.

 

Phuket Gazette

 

http://www.nationmul...d-30235520.html

 

 

Leaving the big shots in place and untouched?

[Specialist]

Very good point, Radioman.

 

The way you kill these things is you start with the paws and tail and you work your way up to the head.

 

There had to have been a lot of higher-ups, including quite a few police, who knew full well what was going on, and very carefully looked the other way (or, possibly, were very well-paid to look the other way).

[Flashermac]

"The Mayor of Karon, Tawee Thongcham ..."

 

That is something of a big shot.

[radioman]

"The Mayor of Karon, Tawee Thongcham ..."

 

That is something of a big shot.

 

One of I'm sure, but the statement about attacking this at the street level rather than taking out the higher level protection mechanism suggests some 'names' might escape. Had the statement made it clear that any and all at each and every level would face the full sanction of the law without exception then it might be more appropriate, then again...