Clean-up at the airport

By Suthiwit Chayutworakan

Police have vowed to rid Suvarnabhumi airport of unlicensed black-plate taxis and illegal tour guides within 15 days.

Pol Maj-Gen Wut Liptapanlop, deputy chief of Police Region 1, said the new airport has been plagued with the problem of black-plate taxis overcharging passengers. It was reported that there are more than 30 groups operating unlicensed black-plate taxis at the airport, each with 10-100 cabs.

If this is allowed to continue, their operations will cause the state to suffer 300 million baht in lost revenue per year, he said.

To clean up the mess, Police Region 1 would seek the cooperation of other police units to crack down on unlicensed taxi drivers, he said, adding both criminal and civil laws would be strictly enforced against them.

If caught, drivers would face a maximum fine of 2,000 baht each and have their driving licences seized while the cab operators would face back-taxes. Police already know who are the operators. He said a crackdown would also be launched against illegal tour guides operating at the airport.

Pol Maj-Gen Chayut Thanataweerat, Samut Prakan police chief, said a court order would be sought to prohibit black-plate taxi drivers and illegal tour guides from operating at designated areas in the province.

The Immigration Police Office yesterday held a meeting with Suvarnabhumi airport representatives, airlines and relevant agencies to discuss security measures at the airport. The meeting, held at Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport hotel, also discussed measures to cope with serious crimes, including human trafficking, drug trafficking and terrorism.

A source said since the airport's opening on Sept 28 last year, 214 Thai and foreign criminals have been arrested. Another 289 foreigners had been denied entry.