Police crackdown on taxi and tuk-tuk drivers around Emerald Buddha Temple

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, sahibji said:

sorry i disagree. either you sweep the floor or you do not.

 

Good point but at least this guy is trying and let's be honest he can't change the laws about levels of punishment etc.

 

Hopefully his activity might stir up enough discussion that might be the catalyst for change. 

 

Can only dream.

 

 

 

[Cadbury]

13 minutes ago, Catoni said:

   Stole from Laos ? ?   Are you serious ? ?    You mean recovered from Laos don't you? ? 

          ....  an insurection was put down. And the "Emerald" Buddha (in reality it's actually Jasper or Jade)  returned to Siam.  The design of the Buddha strongly suggests it is of Chiang Saen style...  meaning it would be originally Thai Lanna made.  It was originally discovered in Chiang Rai at Wat Phra Kaew in 1434. Ended up in Chiang Mai...  

           Don't forget it was in Chiang Mai until 1552 before it was in Laos. 

Wikipedia has a habit of falsely making people appear extremely knowledgeable. I congratulate you on your reading and comprehension skills.

[Millcx]

1 hour ago, sahibji said:

he is lucky. this is a situation for getting abused and assaulted as 150Baht cannot even cover the fuel.

Fuel doesn't matter because the jewellery shops and tailors top them up for getting the tourists to them.

 

[peperobi]

"Mission impossible" how you think to get all those hundreds of thousands of criminals? But good, the begin is done, now please continue on that way otherwise make no sense.

Edited June 18, 2018 by peperobi

[natway09]

Took them  45 years to see the problem, just like lightening are they not ?

[scorecard]

33 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Took them  45 years to see the problem, just like lightening are they not ?

Well yes, but why no real action for 40+ years or more, simple, the police are up to their ears in payoffs etc., and they're too busy looking after 'other income', now some simple questions:

 

-  Why do many police actually join the force?

-  Why do they pay the very large 'fees' to buy their way in / ensure they get in?

-  Why do they pay the very large fees to get the exam answers in real-time by some electronic form and the scam operating this is a gang of mafia police?

-  Why do they borrow big money (even millions) and pay for promotions, which is all illegal and immoral?. And the money is not official revenue it's paid to to other cops who can get promotions for those who pay.

 

Why none of the above tackled for decades and decades?  Simple answer, nobody wants to investigate it, nobody wants to disrupt a solid revenue stream (actually a pyramid scheme which is illegal in Thailand) / in fact nobody would be game to investigate it. Anybody who did try to challenge it / investigate it would probably need to flee Thailand or never be seen again.

 

 

 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

The same faces have been around Wat Pho and Pak Klong Dalat for years.

I'll bet they are still there today despite the "crackdown"  . . . . . ?

The crackdown will only last 24 hours, just as they all do

[The Teacher]

5 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

The same faces have been around Wat Pho and Pak Klong Dalat for years.

I'll bet they are still there today despite the "crackdown"  . . . . . ?

Oh remember in the time of the Coup, such a crackdown was implemented then too and taxies were warned not to refuse fares then too and to always use the meter. so 2014 to 2018 looks like a revolving news story door again ?

[atyclb]

article should read

 

"well known police scam of arresting and gaining cash fees form taxi and tuk tuk scammers takes place"

[MyFriend You]

5 hours ago, Arkady said:

Recently met an Australian couple who regard themselves as savvy world travellers and who told me how grateful they were to a knowledgeable English speaking tuk tuk driver they met outside the Royal Palace. He warned them that Wat Pho was closed that day and took them to the “Lucky Buddha” temple (open only 2 or 3 days a month) instead which they really liked. Then he took them shopping, helping them get bargains. At the end of the day they were so happy with his service that they gave him an extra 1,000 baht.

 

Some tourists obviously enjoy being ripped off so much that it is not worth the effort of protecting them. The problem with this case will be all their friends coming to Bangkok looking for the “Lucky Buddha Temple”.

Its all a matter of perspective, they were happy, and didn't know they were being overcharged, key point is "they were happy"........your perspective of them being ripped off doesn't count for a hill of beans.  if the story is true, I'm happy for them - but you probably ruined it for them by telling them "You were ripped off, you could have got it cheaper, there is no such thing as the Lucky Buddha" - Right??

[kentrot]

I'm a 15 year resident in the Kingdom. My wife is Thai.

 

In February I had 2 visitors who wanted to see the Grand Palace. It was overrun with Chinese Tourists - so we gave up tried to hire a metered taxi Non would take us with the meter on.

 

So we asked 2 Army Uniformed Guards standing nearby to help us get a metered taxi. They spoke to a couple of taxi drivers who refused to use meters. Then the Soldiers shrugged at us as if to say we can't do anything -  and walked away.

 

Lovely enforcement !

[impulse]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The operation was launched after police were notified that Tuk Tuk and taxi drivers were taking advantage of tourists by taking them to buy low quality products.

 

Maybe.  About 20 years after they were first notified.  Probably longer, but...

 

My favorite was the guy who told me Chinatown was closed that day.  All of it.

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by impulse

[Emmess]

10 hours ago, gjoo888 said:

They were there 30 years ago when I first went to the Grand Palace. The first thing I tell people that visit the palace is to ignore the touts who tell you it's closed. A friend of mine who visited recently, told me he accepted an offer from one of the tuk-tuk drivers who said the palace was closed, and had a nice half-day tour for 150 Baht and didn't buy anything at the gem shops or tailors that the tuk-tuk driver took him to.

Sorry, as you are wrong. Even if your friend did not buy anything the drivers are given a fixed amount. The only requirement is that the customer should be in the shop longer than 10 minutes. After that he buys or not the driver is entitled to a fix amount. In case he buys the commissions are 30% in both the shops. If nothing is bought the drivers get THB 300.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Emmess

[shan777]

ban them full stop ,from all tourist areas . they will never change there spots

last time in Phuket I got a tuk tuk to go fromKaron to the centre of Patton quoted 300 baht got half way there and the driver refused to go further because police would arrest her ,and demanded 200 baht with 8 thais around me .

[wvavin]

Just how long will this enforcement lasts?

[DrDave]

13 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

How many million tourists never got to look inside The Grand Palace or Wat Po because of these a..holes lies ??

Yes, and the sad thing is that this problem could easily be eliminated if the government would just erect a few large signs outside the gates informing people that the Grand Palace is never closed, and beware of scammers saying otherwise.

[Henrik Andersen]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

response to numerous complaints from tourists for being taken advantage of by the drivers in different forms, such as refusal to use taxi meters, taxi drivers posing as illegal guides, fare overcharging, intimidation and demanding commissions from jewelry and tailor’s shops.

Absolutely nothing new here and it will continue in all tourists city

Thailand is still just corrupt and will never change 

[spidermike007]

If there is one thing you can always count on with this administration, it is that anything positive they do, will only last two weeks. Then, it is all forgotten, or someone at the top is given enough to make it go away. 

[edwarda909]

Pol Maj-Gen Surachet said that all the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers catering to tourists around the famous temple would have their photos taken and their personal history recorded and their driving licenses suspended for up to three months if there were complaints against any of them by the tourists.

 

Guilty until proven innocent.  So  much for due process

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, edwarda909 said:

Pol Maj-Gen Surachet said that all the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers catering to tourists around the famous temple would have their photos taken and their personal history recorded and their driving licenses suspended for up to three months if there were complaints against any of them by the tourists.

 

Guilty until proven innocent.  So  much for due process

Does that mean we could see ferang-mafia groups blackmailing tut-tuk drivers for money, or they'll make a complaint to the police?

Oh, the irony!

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 6/18/2018 at 5:49 AM, ezzra said:

This is like applying a band-aid to a gushing wound, unless the mindset of ' let's rip off these clueless and rich tourist for all we can' will change from it's core, like sewer infested cockroaches they will come back...

And it will come back because the cops get a kick back...

[flyingtlger]

Never ending story.......

[Damrongsak]

If only there was a King...

[Awinkl]

Why only in Bangkok? These practices go on at ALL major Tourist Destinations around Thailand!!! Try and get a Taxi that will use it's Meter in Pattaya - it's virtually impossible - and yet there are many Taxi Drivers that prefer to just "sit around" with some of the other Drivers, rather than take a Fare. The same goes on with Songthaw's. They don't move unless the Bath-Bus is completely "packed"..... and trying to find a Songthaw, while standing at the side of the Street can be (sometimes) a long wait... while there are long lines of Bath buses idle at the major pick-up points in Pattaya.