Suvarnabhumi taxi driver fined for rudeness and no meter

 

Chief of the department of land Transport Sukree Jatuphoom confirmed to Channel 7 TV that a taxi driver at Suvarnabhumi would be fined 1,000 baht for rudeness and a further 1,000 baht for not turning on his meter.

 

A family of six made a complaint on Facebook about driver Amphai Silaporn who operates a large cab.

 

The driver had told the family that as there were six of them they would need two taxis. He was abusive to the family saying they could not use one cab adding that it was illegal. He refused to use the meter.

 

Sukree said that the large cabs at the airport can carry up to seven passengers legally. 

 

He added that the driver concerned had a previously clean record but any more offences would mean he would lose his license temporarily. 

 

Source: http://news.ch7.com/detail/294116

 

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I just arrived in bkk yesterday and had my taxi driver refuse to use the meter and say the charge is 800baht with tolls.  The normal meter charge is about 350 plus 75 for tolls.  

 

I confronted the driver and he said because i was in a large taxi that the meter was not valid for the trip.  

 

I said ok to the 800 and immediately pulled the taxi receipt out and started to file a complaint with the information on the form.

 

The driver saw what I was doing and quickly turned on the meter  and said that the charges would be meter plus tolls.  I guess the 1000baht fine or loss of license temporarily was a big enough deterrent to have him follow the rules.

 

I haven't decided to file the complaint yet as he did turn on the meter.  But it just shows that they are well aware of what the rules are and will follow them once they know you are not a newbie to the country and are willing to report them.  

 

It really would do good to help solve the problem by making sure that the meter is turned on when they exit.  They all have to go through an exit gate and could have somebody posted there to make sure that the taxis are in compliance at least to start.

 

But I guess this is down to the traveler beware and to know the rules them self.

2000 baht fine! Pathetic as ever punishment and oversight


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10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A family of six

I feel sorry for the provider.  Anyway, I never ask the driver to use the meter. I just offer the driver a sum of money that I feel comfortable with. If he's not interested, I'll ask the next driver.

17 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

I feel sorry for the provider.  Anyway, I never ask the driver to use the meter. I just offer the driver a sum of money that I feel comfortable with. If he's not interested, I'll ask the next driver.

Why would you feel sorry for the provider? he would have been aware of the system before he took the job on, nobody forces them to do so.

 

You shouldn't need to ask the driver to abide by the rules and use the meter, they should do so automatically, and in my experience most do.

 

By encouraging driver to disregard the rules, you're making it more difficult for other passengers.

16 minutes ago, thonglorjimmy said:

Why would you feel sorry for the provider? he would have been aware of the system before he took the job on, nobody forces them to do so.

 

You shouldn't need to ask the driver to abide by the rules and use the meter, they should do so automatically, and in my experience most do.

 

By encouraging driver to disregard the rules, you're making it more difficult for other passengers.

With "provider" I meant the 'head of family of 6' 

A couple of months ago I needed a cab from the airport. He did not want to turn on the meter. I got out and went back in the line up, to get a new number! I got a new cab. Up to me.

Took a cab from Swampy 2 months ago. Got min the cab told the guy where I wanted to go then as soon as we got to the freeway he complained the entire way that he did not want to go there. I will be taking the train for now on.

3 hours ago, Vacuum said:

I feel sorry for the provider.  Anyway, I never ask the driver to use the meter. I just offer the driver a sum of money that I feel comfortable with. If he's not interested, I'll ask the next driver.

What??

You just throw up a number and whatever lands you pay ?

 

 

2 hours ago, chilidog said:

Took a cab from Swampy 2 months ago. Got min the cab told the guy where I wanted to go then as soon as we got to the freeway he complained the entire way that he did not want to go there. I will be taking the train for now on.

Exactly! Half of them complain while driving you. Why even accept to go then?!

 

I love Grab! Much much better.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He added that the driver concerned had a previously clean record but any more offences would mean he would lose his license temporarily. 

Well temporarily, that is what concerns me....... 

3 hours ago, chilidog said:

Took a cab from Swampy 2 months ago. Got min the cab told the guy where I wanted to go then as soon as we got to the freeway he complained the entire way that he did not want to go there. I will be taking the train for now on.

I know what you mean You sometimes have to remind them that is there job Taxi driver. I also tell some of them maybe you are not cut out to be a taxi driver when they refuse to take me somewhere. Some of them actually think they are doing you a favor taking you somewhere. Now I can understand why foreigners use the word "brain-dead" in Thailand a lot

The authorities fined an official taxi driver in Bangkok for not using the meter and being rude ?!!

 

I will give 10 waïs in public to the Hon. Chief of the DLT who has taken action against the taxi rascal.

 

Well done Sir,  and hope to read on many such more such steps taken against the taxi cheats all over Thailand,  who give a disastrous image of the coutry.

16 hours ago, Calover said:

It really would do good to help solve the problem by making sure that the meter is turned on when they exit.  They all have to go through an exit gate and could have somebody posted there to make sure that the taxis are in compliance at least to start.

 

At Don Muang the soldiers did that for a while, after crackdown 353....

Thailand's airports have been haunted forever with those cabbies and some strong forces - most likely on the take - keep this rip-off going. Had my wife picking me up on the departure level; you should have seen how the whistler-on-duty went over the moon. Only once I told him in Thai to chicken off and gave my wife a hello kiss he retracted just for police colonello Somchai to show up. By the time he almost made it to the car we drove off. 
There is a reason why I (and many others) prefer to be picked-up by known people; these slimy clowns are another nail into Thailand's tourism coffin! 

Some troll posts have been removed. 

After traveling 4 years with the taxi from Swampy to downtown, and playing the old game 'meter on pls', experiencing bad service and .. you know the drill, the thing that got me quit using the taxis was one morning when I left at 05 to Swampy, and the taxi driver started to lecture another driver by racing and breaking at the highway 120-160kmh. I could use many words to describe the incident, but let's say that I had to fear for my life, but how do you tell a sub 80 IQ Thai taxi driver to stop racing and emergency braking. Nowadays either the wife picks me up, or if I only have hand luggage I use the airport link. But in 80% of the cases I use AOT, which costs about 3x the price of the taxi. I don't mind. I know that my probability to survive the trip has increased by 80%. And no stinky cab anymore :)

I travel every week and I've never had an issue with them not using the meter. I had one bitch and complain the entire trip because I live On Nut, not far from the airport, but he still used the meter.

I have about 24 trips back and forth to Swampy and Don Meung from all over town and never had a taxi problem...ever....

 

A tuk tuk guy in Khon Kaen did overcharge me one time by 5 baht. Another one in Vientiane had skunk instead of the fire he said he had...