About 20 bus drivers from a group calling themselves “Phuket Local Bus Group 30” arrived at Provincial Hall to hand to Governor Nisit Jansomwong their second formal complaint in two weeks.
“This is the second time we have come here about this. Last week, we submitted a letter of complaint to the governor, but there has been no progress. We want to know how the governor will solve this problem,” said group leader Chonnawee Ek-tiewsakul.
Phuket Local Bus Group 30 represents 132 Phuket tour bus operators, which comprises 420 buses and drivers.
The drivers joining the protest yesterday believe that a company called Oddski Co Ltd is funded by Chinese nationals and formed with Thai nominees to operate a tour bus business in Phuket.
“They have bought several tour buses to transport tourists from the airport, hotels and resorts to other businesses owned by Oddski, which include restaurants, jewellery stores, a show business and souvenir shops,” claimed Mr Chonnawee.
Last Thursday (Sept 10), about 100 bus drivers staged a protest in front of the Oddski-owned Aphrodite cabaret show on the bypass road, before filing a complaint at Provincial Hall. (Sees story here.)
“This is very unfair for the locals tour bus operation. How can we survive?” said Mr Chonnawee.
“We do not have any chains of businesses like them. They give away their bus services for free, or very cheap. We are dying right now.”
“We really want to know what the governor is going to do about this. We will come back again on Monday (Sept 21),” Mr Chonnawee added.
Governor Nisit was not available to receive the complaint in person. Instead, Pakpoom Intarasuwan, Provincial Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad), received the letter on his behalf.
“We have heard about this problem before. We will hold a meeting with the concerned party to find the best solution for them very soon,” Mr Pakpoom told The Phuket News.
However, Governor Nisit from October 1 will no longer be Governor of Phuket Province, as he has been transferred to serve as Governor of Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Former Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongthada, who was one of the key figures in the dismantling of the Phuket taxi mafia last year, will return to the island as Governor of the Province from October 1. (See story here.)