The notice confirms that the following taxi apps are legal to operate in the country:
- Hello Phuket
- Grab
- Airasia Super App
- Robinhood
- Bonku
- Asia Cab (operating as ‘Cabb’)
- Bolt
- InDriver
The notice also specifically singles out that ride-sharing service ‘Maxim’ as still uncertified by the DLT, and therefore illegal in Thailand.
The notice was issued on Thursday (Dec 7), one day after more than 200 taxi app drivers gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to submit a formal request for fairness and protection from violence from ‘green plate’ taxi drivers, who for decades have had a stranglehold monopoly on providing taxi services to tourists on the island.
The formal request was submitted after a Grab taxi driver was viciously beaten by a green plate taxi driver wielding a piece of wood after the Grab driver arrived near Bang Tao Beach to pick up passengers who had ordered a taxi via the Grab app.
Present to witness the Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan receiving the formal request was Kornpitak Atassuwan of the PLTO.
Of note, the attack on the Grab driver came just nine days after Vice Governor Amnuay had expressly called for local taxi drivers to “control their emotions” when in situations involving taxi app drivers.
That appeal, made directly to representatives of Phuket taxi cartel cooperatives with PLTO officials present, went ignored.
The PLTO so far has issued no statement of what action is to be taken against the two drivers involved in the attack at Bang Tao last Saturday, despite one of the men claiming responsibility for the assault after presenting himself at Cherng Talay Police Station on Monday.