Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn confirmed that the arrests were made during a four-day enforcement operation carried out between Jan 13-16, as officials stepped up action against unlicensed and illegally operating transport services.
The crackdown saw police, transport and local administration officials establish 11 checkpoints at key locations across the province to inspect vehicles suspected of operating without proper licences.
Checkpoints were set up in Phuket Old Town, Patong, Kathu, Chalong, Wichit, Kamala, Tha Chatchai, Karon, Sakhu, Thalang and Choeng Thale, including a major checkpoint at the entrance and exit of Phuket International Airport under the responsibility of Sakhu Police.
Governor Nirat said the operation was jointly conducted by Phuket Police, the Phuket Provincial Transport Office and local administrative officials as part of ongoing efforts to suppress illegal taxi services, restore order to the transport sector and protect lawful operators.
Separately, Thalang District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed that district officials, working with the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), Phuket Provincial Office, Sakhu Police and Phuket International Airport authorities, carried out continuous inspections in the airport area between on Jan 13-17.
During those inspections, approximately 500 vehicles were checked ‒ averaging around 100 vehicles per day ‒ to ensure compliance with transport regulations. Mr Siwat said drivers and operators were warned to strictly comply with laws governing taxi and hired vehicle services, adding that inspections will continue.
E-BAN
Against this backdrop, the Phuket Provincial Office confirmed it had formally forwarded complaints from the Provincial Electronic Taxi Association to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, following ongoing disputes between local taxi drivers and ride-hailing vehicles operating illegally in the province.
In response, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary instructed the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) to review the matter within its legal authority and report back with regulatory recommendations.
Following its review, ETDA formally requested support from the Department of Land Transport to ensure strict enforcement of transport regulations and appropriate legal action against offending drivers.
To address the issue, ETDA convened a joint meeting last week with the DLT and representatives of digital ride-hailing platform operators. During the meeting, the DLT instructed platform operators to prohibit unregistered vehicles ‒ including private cars and motorcycles not registered for public transport use ‒ from accepting transport jobs in Phuket.
The DLT also ordered ride-hailing platforms to block vehicles registered outside Phuket from accepting platform-based transport jobs within the province, effectively banning “out-of-province” taxis from operating via digital platforms on the island.
Phuket authorities reported that illegally registered vehicles using ride-hailing applications had fuelled repeated disputes with local taxi drivers and raised concerns over Phuket’s image as a regulated and safe tourist destination.
Following those reports, ETDA issued urgent instructions to digital platform companies to strictly comply with DLT measures. The directives require platforms to refrain from allocating jobs to incorrectly registered vehicles, limit job allocation to legally registered public transport vehicles registered in Phuket, and prevent vehicles registered in other provinces from operating through applications in the area.
ETDA has also requested that ride-hailing platform operators submit monthly reports on job allocation and service usage in Phuket, starting from January 2026. The data must be submitted within five working days after the end of each month and will be used for monitoring, evaluation and ongoing regulatory planning.
Provincial officials said the combined enforcement and regulatory measures are aimed at restoring fair competition, reducing conflict between operators and protecting Phuket’s image as a well-regulated and tourist-friendly destination.