PHUKET, THAILAND – Authorities on the tourist island announced a sweeping crackdown on illegal app-based taxis amid mounting pressure from licensed drivers and concerns over fraud.
Officials convene crisis meeting over taxi conflict
Provincial Vice-Governor Adul Chuthong described the situation as serious after an emergency meeting with police and the land transport office on the growing crisis in passenger transport. Associations representing licensed taxis increased pressure on officials, loudly demanding that unregistered vehicles using apps such as Grab and Bolt be banned from operating.
“The disparity between licensed and illegal services is no longer sustainable.”
said established operators.
Transport office plans tighter digital checks
Adcha Buachan, head of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), announced concrete steps to tighten oversight and said clear guidelines for app operators were being drafted. A central element was a direct database link to the national vehicle register and the driving licence database of the Transport Ministry, intended to close existing loopholes. Officials said forged documents had often slipped through in the past, but future registrations would be checked digitally, automatically and without gaps.
Police to expand ‘Phuket Eyes’ surveillance system
Police Colonel Phatsakorn Sonthikun confirmed that raids against illegal services were already under way but said they were no longer sufficient. From March, an expanded “Phuket Eyes” camera system was to support tracking and enforcement against non-compliant drivers.
“We must adapt our regulation to the new technology.”
said the police chief, adding that not only inspections but the laws themselves were under review, while physical checks at roadblocks and tourist hotspots would remain central to enforcement.
Chronic congestion complicates regulation
Officials acknowledged that Phuket’s chronic traffic problems lay at the heart of the dispute, with jammed roads and far too many taxis for the limited space available. These structural bottlenecks turned every regulatory effort into a Sisyphean task, they said, meaning any solution had to balance drivers’ livelihoods, guest comfort and protection of the island’s tourism image. Technology was presented as a key to better oversight and fairness, including a proposal that only vehicles which had passed an official inspection would be allowed to appear on ride-hailing platforms.
Tourists face fewer options now, more security later
For holidaymakers, the planned clean-up was expected to bring fewer choices and higher prices in the short term. In the longer run, officials promised greater safety and reliability for visitors using taxis and app-based services. The measures aimed to curb fraud involving inflated fares or unreliable drivers and sent a clear signal that Thailand intended to relieve pressure on one of its most important tourist destinations.
New rules to be phased in with consultations
Authorities said implementation would take place step by step within a clear legal framework, with consultations involving all stakeholders to limit conflict. The taxi dispute on Phuket was far from over, but the rules of the market were now being rewritten, with the state seeking a path between an uncontrolled grey market and a level of regulation that might stifle innovation.