Video: Tourist has just two words (repeatedly) for cabby who won't turn on the meter

[Matt96]

1 minute ago, wealthychef said:

That makes him a lawless punk.

and if you leave a durian in his car, does it make you  a lawless punk?

 

1 minute ago, wealthychef said:

Leaving a bag of durian on a car seat for 5 minutes does not do irreparable damage, I disagree.

did you ever try to clean a car after durian? i did

[wealthychef]

3 minutes ago, Matt96 said:

and if you leave a durian in his car, does it make you a lawless punk?

I suppose it does.  

 

Quote

Did you ever try to clean a car after durian? i did

Nope, tell me more.  So someone put a bag of durian on your back seat for 5 minutes and it irreparably damaged your vehicle?  Please give some details here so I can understand, thanks.  

[alant]

3 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Another British chav in Bangkok.

Didn't sound British to me

[sawadee1947]

1 hour ago, wealthychef said:

 I would also suggest leaving a nice durian surprise in the back

wow, you got a durian all time in your pockets? You must be very lonely night and day?

[wealthychef]

3 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

wow, you got a durian all time in your pockets? You must be very lonely night and day?

Haha, I was waiting for someone to notice how stupid my plan is...  as others have said, the best plan is write down his number, take his picture, make a big deal out of it, maybe ask him to take you to the police station.  

[Destiny1990]

Let this brave suicidal farang go to Pattaya to set these taxi meter drivers straight.

[wvavin]

Only the government pretends they are using the meters.

[bander]

4 hours ago, YetAnother said:

those are fighting words in thailand; whether deserved or not, this tourist did not recognize how dangerous that could be;;lucky

You mean at least ten TAXI drivers beating one tourist and his GF with baseball bats? Probably his first time in LOS (land of scam).  

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, OldSiamHand said:

waste of time for most of us, as they will turn on the meter nearly all of the time - it's only in the tourist trap areas you need to be aware of these things and make sure the meter is going to be used.

 

on a related point, taxis are not supposed to deny a fare based on destination.  i always tell them my destination before getting in, and if they refuse, i engage in the petulant act of only partially closing the door so they need to stop and shut it themselves.  i'm a good actor, and make this a purely passive aggressive act, giving the impression that i really meant to fully close the door. 

If you're patient enough, even in the wee hours, you will find a driver willing to use the meter.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Bluespunk

[over2you]

4 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Absolute divy. 

 

I used to get annoyed by taxi drivers, now I just ignore them if they try to charge a ridiculous price. It certainly isn't worth the risk. A friend of my wife's (young Thai guy) got shot in the leg by a taxi driver a few years ago for arguing over the meter. As foreigners it is better to shut up and not be a gobshite. 

Sadly I have to admit that what you say is good advice in this land of lawlessness. Doesn't come easily to me though. I hate injustice. 

[hellstens]

The reason I use UBER I know the price before I get into the Taxi, even before it comes.

[sushi5734]

2 hours ago, Matt96 said:

what exactly are you talking about? what is shameful?

 

and he was terribly wrong. now tourists will watch it and conclude it's ok to say <deleted> you to a Thai

all unpunished wrongdoing cause more wrongdoing

no. I offered my conditions. instead of refusing to accept the politely and go away in peace you offended. me. I will make you regret.

 

improve? for whom? for you?

 

Thai people live and work to make life for them better. not for you. they live how they like - according to their way of thinking, not yours. if you cant accent it - go back home.

The taxi drivers refusal to accept a meter fare is shameful. It's the law which is in place to protect the public, a law introduced by the Thai government.  

 

The behaviour of some taxi drivers is an ongoing problem for Thai people too, especially in Bangkok.   It's worth noting that it's actually a Thai person who is videoing the encounter, they are sick of the problem too.  There was a large social media campaign about this problem organised by Thai people.  One of the changes in Thai culture is the willingness to shame this kind of behaviour online.  I've had Taxi's trying to charge me 2000 baht from Rangsit to Survnabhumi.  I personally choose to smile tell them that I'll only accept a metered fare and wait for an honest taxi.  

 

It's not all drivers and the honest taxi drivers I have spoken to about are also unhappy the situation.  Sadly, tourists are particularly susceptible to this scam.  I think you'll find that a lot of Thai people are unhappy with the situation too, as they also frequently fall victim to this poor behaviour.  The foreigner did not need to use foul language but that's his choice.  I personally choose to wait for an honest taxi driver but they can be really quite pushy and sometimes even aggressive at places like bus terminals.  Some taxi drivers see a foreigner and get excited because they want an expensive fare to Survanabhumi Airport.  When you tell them that you want to go somewhere less profitable, they have a sulk or even a tantrum.  If they want a set route then try being a bus driver!!  I once had a driver who got very aggressive swearing in Thai because I wasn't a long distance fare.  You sometimes find that at busy pick up points, all of the taxi drivers will have an agreement to refuse to take a metered fare.  I once had my taxi hemmed in by other taxis, my driver was threatened by the other drivers for taking meter fare.  

 

Fortunately companies like grab are offering an alternative, which many Thai people are choosing.  

 

As someone who lives and works here and has done so for over a decade, I would like things to improve for all people who call Thailand home, whether they be Thai or foreigners.  I would also like to see Thailand improve its record of looking after people who choose to visit this country and support the tourism industry.  It is also a part of Thai culture to be polite and welcoming of visitors.  

 

You seem to assume that any criticism of a Thai person's behaviour is some kind attack on Thailand and the Thai people.  The old 'if you don't like it, go home' argument is weak. This isn't a case of a westerner trying to impose their values.  Anyone who isn't Thai is not allowed to complain?  Should you only be a silent guest or should you engage and help to improve the country you live in? Is Thai society perfect?  If you think it is, then maybe you need to spend some time speaking to a range of Thai people.  

 

Oh and by the way I am home.  

[Jonmarleesco]

5 hours ago, Essecola said:

It looks like somewhere on Sukhumvit. Actually it is normal many of them don't use the meter there. If the guy had waited for a moving taxi maybe this doesn't happen. Maybe not nice but in some areas in fact taxis insist on getting a set fare for a trip.

Set fares were a problem long ago, and they were as illegal then as they are now. But so long as the DLT continues to talk the talk, while sitting on its collective a_se rather than walking the walk, nothing will change.

[Regyai]

As soon as no meter switched on

Phone out :

Photo taxi rego

Photo driver

 

Then ask for meter

Slightest <deleted> out of him

Stop

Exit (leaving all doors open is a good show of contempt for the theiving lowlife)

 

Photo licence plate

 

Foxtrot Oscar

 

Report the bastard

[hobobo]

Obviously an intellectual. Vocabulary straight out of Oxbridge.

[khunano]

I remember visiting Thailand for the first time 30 yeas ago when it was customary to negotiate the fare each time you were to take a taxi (no meters then) or a tuk-tuk. 

 

I am really pleased to see how well Thailand preserves its culture and custom rather than giving in to modern influences like fixed (taxi) prices.

 

I am now planning my next trip with a tour of splendid temples and visits to pristine beaches and national parks all over the country - OR NOT!

 

 

[Monkeyrobot]

Just open the door , say location then have meter? If no just hail another. 

[JungleBiker]

5 hours ago, Matt96 said:

if I were this taxi driver and a cocky farang would say "<deleted> you" to me - i would beat the shit out of him regardless on any repercussion.

 

the moral obligation of any decent man is to prove him how wrong he is.

 

in my whole life i never ever let anyone who said "<deleted> you" to me run away without repercussions. and I never regretted for punishing them

 

Hmm...

 

1. You are assuming the cocky farang would not be able to defend himself and inflict greater punishment on you. So aren't you also being cocky? 

 

2. Beating the shit out of someone for saying  "<deleted> you" wouldn't make you a decent man but it would make you a criminal. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2018 by JungleBiker
Correct grammar

[aussie11950]

44 minutes ago, Regyai said:

As soon as no meter switched on

Phone out :

Photo taxi rego

Photo driver

 

Then ask for meter

Slightest <deleted> out of him

Stop

Exit (leaving all doors open is a good show of contempt for the theiving lowlife)

 

Photo licence plate

 

Foxtrot Oscar

 

Report the bastard

Report to  www.dlt.go.th/cmpweb/ 

This is for reporting on public transport and private cars.

English can be selected too.

 

[Tom Parkinson]

I live on Sukhumvit, so I get refused by taxis or offered set price multiple times daily. I’ve long since stopped getting too worked up over it. Life’s too short for that. 

 

But it that doesn’t mean I condone the practice. It’s simply not worth much of my time and effort to complain to the authorities. 

 

What I would love to see, however, is a phone app with the following functionality.  A taxi driver fails to respect his DLT obligation. I pull out my phone, tap the app, which turns on my camera. I take a picture of his plate. The app then brings up a number of check boxes (“Refused fare”, “Would not use meter”, “Abusive or rude driver”, “Dangerous driving”). I touch the appropriate box and then the “Send” button. The app would then send an email to the DLT complaint hotline (is there really such a thing?) and also upload the information to a web site that would keep a running (and searchable) list of offenders. 

 

Anybody skilled led in app development?

[SOTIRIOS]

,,,they should have photographed him because he could claim someone else was driving...and taken his plate number

 

...although they paid good money to go on vacation...not to work for the authorities...

 

..at the same time that this practice is supposedly 'being addressed'....

 

...they security guard is supporting the cabbie....

 

...seems like too many people still revere the statue with the 3 monkeys....see....hear...speak no evil...

 

 

[Cranky]

The guy is a moron and lucky to be walking away. 

 

Problem with Meter-Taxis in Thailand is that they have not been allowed, by law, to increase the minimum fare or mileage fee for years so in reality they are actually way too cheap.  It may be 'illegal' but so are many, many things which go unpunished, or made to go away with a payment so quoting the law is a rather pointless thing to do.  I don't blame the cabbies for not wanting to put the meter on - the answer is simply do not get in until you either establish the meter is going to be used or a fair fare is agreed upon.  At the end of the day it's his car, his place of work and his overhead so he should be able to decide.  They are still excellent value if you use a little experience and shop around much the same as buying anything in a country used to bartering.

 

What does crack me up is why anyone would assume that by getting in to some filthy garlic smelling 25 year-old Toyota with 800k on the clock would be operated by some kind of saintly public servant put on this earth to serve them for a pittance.  

 

Try Japan where the fare from the Narita to downtown Tokyo will cost you about the same as the flight from here.  Guess what - most people use the bus. 

[LatPrao]

This phenomenon of taxi drivers dropping windows on standing customers to force a price has been occurring for about 2 weeks on Sukhumvit.  Prior to that it was pretty much restricted to Soi 11 Sukhumvit where mostly foreigners walk the soi.  Taxi drivers were well known to scam tourists arriving at Hualumpong train station or on any night in Silom when public transportation closed. More recently at night if you're looking to go beyond Sukhumvit.  But in broad daylight, on Sukhumvit, taxi after taxi routine and regardless of speaking Thai or not this has never happened to me in the past.

Something is afoot and I suspect drivers are hemmed in between their costs, no help from the government on fares, declining tourism, and broader awareness through social media of the disparity between the thai baht and outsider's financial edge.  I've had discussions with taxi drivers recently - one comparing access and the cost of women, foreigners being able to buy and thai men priced out.  Another's general complaints about the economy and money making opportunities  under the junta rule versus the democratically elected governments.

All in, these people feel boxed in financially.  So maybe the logic goes gamble making a foreigner pay a lot more versus taking little money off a meter ride.  How many times do they have to win the argument to make it a success?  What are the real chances of the police or government actually penalizing them for not accepting a meter fare?

Personally it really steams me for when it happens.  I just stare back into the face when they roll down the window until they get the message.  If they allow entry to the cab and then try to push no meter I make them turn on the meter or I get out (this has rarely been a problem once in the cab).

In any case it's turning into open warfare between customer and a lot (not all)  taxi drivers around Sukhumvit.   Unwelcome times.

Edited February 26, 2018 by LatPrao
typo

[Bangkok Barry]

Why is it that in London, Berlin, Sydney, New York, anywhere, you get into a taxi and tell them where you want to go, they turn on the meter and take you. That's the way it works, everywhere. But in Bangkok all too often that doesn't happen.

If the authorities were really serious they would send out people to take a ride, and every single time the driver refused to use the meter or even to take them somewhere they should be taken off the road, immediately and with no argument, on the basis that they are both refusing to do the job they are licensed for and that they are breaking the law. Spend a few days doing that, especially at the 'black spots' they know about and do nothing about except for a few hours on one day each year, and things might change.

 

The problem though is that you simply cannot discipline a Thai, not only about this but about anything. It's deeply imbedded in the culture, part of the Me First culture.

[anon789561]

i once years ago got in a taxi and when i told him where i wanted to go he said no, i said oh for <deleted> sake and before i could get out he whacked me straight in the mouth. i never use the f word around thais anymore

[Shiver]

And they don't want services like Grab/Uber/Lyft which are cheaper, pre-agreed price, and won't do that they are legally obligated to do.  They wouldn't have the competition if they were competent in the first place.

 

The biggest taxi company in the world doesn't have a single car.

[Boatfreak]

Taxi maffia! Last week they wanted to charge me 800 baht from Central Festival to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital . Hurray for Uber taxis those are real heroes !

[Bangkok Barry]

11 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Problem with Meter-Taxis in Thailand is that they have not been allowed, by law, to increase the minimum fare or mileage fee for years so in reality they are actually way too cheap.  It may be 'illegal' but so are many, many things which go unpunished, or made to go away with a payment so quoting the law is a rather pointless thing to do. 

 

One - the drivers who take the job know how much the fares are, so it is rather stupid to take a low-paying job and then complain that the pay is low. A good way for them to make more money is by not refusing fares. Passengers will pay them to take them somewhere.

Two - the fact that no-one in Thailand can be bothered to do their job and actually enforce the rules is the real problem, as the drivers know they can break the law with impunity.

Three - solution. Allow the drivers to make a living wage, and ban all drivers who break the law.

[DM07]

3 hours ago, Matt96 said:

so why dont you go back home. seems like Thailand will not cry...

Oooooh...here we go: the good old "if you don't like it, go home"- chestnut!

I guess, it might be time for a quote from the OP...

[wabothai]

3 hours ago, Matt96 said:

if you will make the car impossible to work on - you will pay for it. twice.

 

you don't like the taxi? don't use it. complain.

 

or if you are going nasty - pay the f*cking price.

hey, take your stuff elsewhere