Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asked Phuket locals to ensure tourists are not exploited by local operators, said Werachon Sukondhapatipak, a member of the prime minister's working team.
On Wednesday, two Australian tourists filed complaints at Karon police station that a passenger van driver charged them 3,000 baht to take them from Phuket airport to a hotel about 50 kilometres away. The matter was widely shared on social media.
"If local operators keep taking advantage of tourists, the province's reputation, and even the country's, could suffer," Lt Gen Werachon quoted the prime minister as saying.
Pol Maj Techin Deethongorn, an investigator, has contacted the van's driver to reach an agreement between the two sides.
Prapai Suankool, the head of the Transport Technical Group of Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office (PLTO) said Karon police and the Transport Technical Group held a meeting on the issue, and have not yet reached any conclusion.
He said there are posters stating fares for tourists at many public places. The fares, however, depend on the type of vehicle. There are no fixed fares for van taxis, so it usually depends on what the drivers and passengers agree upon. Tourists are normally charged 1,600-2,000 baht for a trip from the airport to Phuket's Kata area, where the hotel is located, he said.
Naruemol Champathong, one of the accused who offered the two Australians transportation service, was fined 2,000 baht for picking up passengers in a restricted area with no authorisation, which violates Section 8 of Airports of Thailand Act, a source said.
