Latest developments and discussion of recent events in the Ukraine War

[Rimmer]

Army throws another book at taxis for not using meters

PATTAYA:-- The army again is threatening to come down hard on Pattaya taxi drivers amid continued complaints about cabbies not using meters and ripping off tourists.

 

National Council for Peace and Order Banglamung chief Maj. Gen. Popanan Lueng­panuwat, who also heads the Pattaya City Council, met July 19 with police, business leaders and representatives from the Dolphin and Pattaya taxi cooperatives and the Pattaya Baht Bus Cooperative.

 

Popanan said the military will again crack down on metered cabs due to a surge in complaints about rip-offs. Of course, supposed “crackdowns” are common, with the army swearing both in August and March of last year that it would enforce the law and force drivers to use meters.

 

As is always the case with such announcements, they are soon forgotten and things go back to business as usual.

 

Taxi drivers, for their part, also continue to sing the same old song of woe, with a Pattaya Taxi Cooperative official – who wouldn’t even give his name – justifying the illegal no-meter practice.

 

He noted that Department of Land Transport regulations require metered cabs to charge 40 baht for the first two kilometers, six baht a kilometer up to ten kilometers, and 10 baht a kilometer for each kilometer after that. Meters also tick off single-baht charges per minute when stalled in traffic.

 

Read more: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/army-throws-another-book-taxis-not-using-meters-217291

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2018-07-27

[johng]

6 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

Army throws another book at taxis

I guess it won't be a heavy tome like "war and peace"  

maybe it will be the postage stamp sized

"Achievement's of Military coup government volume 19"

[sammieuk1]

A crackdown on throwing books to follow no doubt.

[colinneil]

Pattaya taxi drivers are laughing their socks off.

The book the army threw at them was.........A comic book.

Edited July 27, 2018 by colinneil

[stanleycoin]

Think the books first page started 

with the line,  Once upon a time.

 

Ps. Maybe it was a new cheque book !!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Edited July 27, 2018 by stanleycoin

[brucec64]

Crackdown is just a euphemism for "time to renegotiate the split".

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Moti24]

15 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

Crackdown is just a euphemism for "time to renegotiate the split".

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I live about 12mins from Pattaya.  I don't visit that often, and would walk home before I gave any money to those scumbags.  I have been verbally abused on several occasions when I have politely refused a taxi, and have been spat at on one occasion when I waved a taxi past.

 

And now, these guys are demanding 100 Baht for the first 2kms, or they won't turn-on the meters.

 

Every one of them should have their taxi licence cancelled, and their cars impounded.  Better still, let's go back a few years to when there were no Pattaya taxis.  The songtaow drivers, although have a few bad eggs, are not a bad bunch.

[AsiaHand]

4 hours ago, johng said:

I guess it won't be a heavy tome like "war and peace"  

maybe it will be the postage stamp sized

"Achievement's of Military coup government volume 19"

Ah yes,You can hear it now,the army "You taxi drivers must use the meter or we willlll (whats this on my desk ? A brown envelope ?)  As I was saying we will be studying this further.

[cookieqw]

They were checking the taxis yesterday on beach road 

[Justgrazing]

Only books to be chucked .!

[Bangkok Barry]

Why do they even bother to report this? Everyone, the officials, the drivers and the reporters, know that nothing will be done. Ever. It comes to something when taxi drivers are more powerful than a country's army.

 

An international news agency needs to take this up and report it worldwide. 'Taxi Drivers Take On Thai Army - And Win', Imagine the ridicule, and we'd see if losing face makes any difference to the authorities who spend all their time talking and doing absolutely nothing.

[Media1]

Army lol

[edwinchester]

You could throw a library at the taxi drivers and they still wouldn't give a shit.

[digger70]

What's wrong with the Government /Army? Weak as Piss ,Stand Up Do you're Job If they don't use their Meters,,,, Peace of Cake, Take their Taxi and Crush it  they will soon Learn to use the Meters.

[Get Real]

8 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Army throws another book at taxis for not using meters

So, know they throw books at cars??! Yeah, well, I guess that must give the same result as if they had tried to reason with the drivers.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Get Real

[The Deerhunter]

Yawn!!!!   Lets have a competition.  Which story has been released the most times in the last 4 years?  (1) Throwing the book at Taxi drivers for not using meters or (2)  Chipping foreign tourists with GPS tracers?   

[falangjim]

I don't have too much trouble with taxis unless after 10pm in a tourist area such as Silom. Bastard chimps seem to have aggressively taken over the area.

[jenny2017]

I feel sorry for the books. 

[mok199]

the book was placed ''into a plastic bag then that bag into another bag then into its final bag''which was then thrown ...

[a977]

11 hours ago, Get Real said:

So, know they throw books at cars??! Yeah, well, I guess that must give the same result as if they had tried to reason with the drivers.

They ran out of bullets the money for new bullets was misappropriated Oh <deleted> it just went missing!!!!!!

[mikebell]

20 hours ago, Rimmer said:

metered cabs to charge 40 baht for the first two kilometers, six baht a kilometer up to ten kilometers, and 10 baht a kilometer for each kilometer after that.

A tourist in Bang Saray went with her mother & autistic son to Jomtien.  I reckon 15 kilometres?  I put the legal price at about 120 baht based on the above data.  She was charged 600!

It's nice that the army are showing an interest in this Police Benevolent Scam.  It could be cured in four days - alright , as Thais are slow learners, a week if the authorities had the will.

[Redline]

What a joke 

[Basil B]

[chama]

On 7/27/2018 at 4:09 AM, brucec64 said:

Crackdown is just a euphemism for "time to renegotiate the split".

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Ah Bruce...you are far too wise!

[melvinmelvin]

 

don't quite understand why the military is addressing taxi drivers

the taxi business is regulated by law and legal stipulations and maybe some local ChonBuri rules

 

if the military (as representatives of the military junta government) should play a role they should

focus on the law enforcing authorities not doing their job rather than the taxi drivers

round up the police and put them in the military clink - and do some rounds of attitude adjustment

 

 

[swerve]

Sweden, the humanitarian superpower that she is, should take all of the world's asylum seekers.  Perfect fit.  5555

Edited July 29, 2018 by swerve

[BestB]

I am split on this one. On the one hand i am all for taxi using taxi meters, and all for police/army to enforce it, BUT what about baht buses? They do not have meters and do private trips where the charge whatever they want.

 

How are the planning to crack down on them? In fairness and from taxi metered point of view, if they have to turn on the meter, then baht buses also should not be allowed to charge extra

 

Also, Pattaya being rather small, 40 baht up to 2 km is dirt cheap. Bangkok is a large city, an average trip can take up to 40 mins to an hour, Pattaya on the other hand is 10 -15 mins.

 

 

[AlexCanada]

32 minutes ago, BestB said:

How are the planning to crack down on them? In fairness and from taxi metered point of view, if they have to turn on the meter, then baht buses also should not be allowed to charge extra

Undercover police and Thai/Farang trying to hop on obvious taxi baht buses and offering 10 baht for a ride.  If the baht bus driver refuses, suspend his/her license and tow their vehicle on the spot.

Edited July 29, 2018 by AlexCanada

[BestB]

Just now, AlexCanada said:

Undercover police and Thai/Farang trying to hop on obvious taxi baht buses and offering 10 baht for a ride.  If the baht bus driver refuses, suspend his/her license and tow their vehicle on the spot.

Many baht buses offer private hire and its not illegal. But baht buses do not have or use meters. 

[fullcave]

Is the army now officially in charge of monitoring taxis? ?