The team accompanying the Governor – including Kathu District officials, senior police officers, and a variety of uniforms from various departments – drew fascinated looks from tourists, some of whom greeted the Governor and asked to pose for pictures with him.
Six tuk-tuks stood in front of Jungceylon as Gov Maitree approached – a fraction of the usual number, the rest having evaporated under the heat of the approaching official spotlight.
Gov Maitree met up with the leader of the remaining tuk-tuks and remarked, “Tuk-tuk drivers should have uniforms. That way they would have a better image.”
He remarked to those around, “Bangla Road is always popular with tourists. So the tuk-tuk service should be attractive and drivers should have good manners.”
Grinning broadly he climbed into one of the tuk-tuks, getting a feel for the driving position. In the vehicle he found a bottle of M150 energy drink and a packet of rolling tobacco. He joked to the uneasy tuk-tuk driver, “Got anything else?”
An explanation for the disappearing tuk-tuks was provided by Kathu police who said they had fined 27 drivers for driving unregistered “black” tuk-tuks and 145 more “legal” drivers for irregularities in their vehicle registration or operating papers.
This might also explain why supposedly legal tuk-tuk drivers in Patong refused to cooperate with a recent survey of their numbers and opinions, organised by the Phuket Land Transport Office. (See story here.)