Video: "Welcome to Chiang Mai" - tourists forced to leave GrabCar as tempers flare

[webfact]

Video: "Welcome to Chiang Mai" - tourists forced to leave GrabCar as tempers flare

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Two tourists who got in a GrabCar outside the Chiang Mai bus station found themselves caught in a argument between the driver and local drivers. 

 

A video showed the tourists get out of the car and one is heard to say:"Maybe we should just walk". They then move away from the ongoing confrontation. 

 

One of the angry local drivers - wearing a t-shirt that says "Welcome to Chiang Mai" - is so angry he goes to get a weapon to confront the Grab driver. 

 

Winston Vaduz who posted his experience on CM108.com also facetiously referred to the incident as "Welcome to Chiang Mai".

 

Sanook said that tuk-tuk and red bus drivers were involved and that the local Department of Land Transport are investigating. 

 

This was very damaging for tourism, they said.

 

One poster on Facebook Watthanaanan Imviseth said that he was fed up with his country. He said that Grab was safer and more convenient than the local taxis and it was time that the service was recognized and made legal. 

 

Sanook quoted a Chiang Mai woman who said that locals had been urged to report the operations of Grab but certainly not resort to violence. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-02

 

[worgeordie]

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

[keith101]

I drive myself everywhere but watching all these type of videos and had to use a taxi i would definitely use grab .

[wendyfromoz]

plenty of tourists to go around

[rossd]

What a bloody moron!!!

[johng]

What a disgusting "welcome to Chaingmai"  !!!!

[Thian]

Well they did the same in Pattaya.

 

Welcome to Thailand...

[holy cow cm]

These guys need to go to jail and have their licenses suspended to drive their tuk tuk or red truck. I might actually of joined in to tell those morons I choose and ride in what I want. Not your choice. 

[ReneTH]

I live in CM too, always use the motorbike but otherwise a grab; affordable, friendly drivers, safe etc. 
It are the the red trucks that cause danger and small traffic jams in the city all the time but they clearly have a maffia style power in place together with the tuk tuk's. 

Wouldn't mind using tuk tuk's more if they would be reasonable with their pricing.

Hope the suckers get problems over this but most likely a 1000 baht fine and it's done.

[mok199]

And they wonder why they are so disliked..

[orchis]

Recently in Kuala Lumpur; the airport and shopping malls have especially designated Grab waiting areas and parking spots, no conflicts there.

Edited October 2, 2018 by orchis
sp

[dotpoom]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

In a previous life I was a Taxi driver back home for 28 yrs. It was a very rigorous system to get into the Taxi business. First off, one had to have an almost exemplary police record (a bag snatcher or molester would not be the most suitable person for the job).

Secondly, you had to have a thorough knowledge of the area you were seeking the licence for (city).

You had to have a car that was not over a certain age and was checked yearly, along with your meter (for not being tampered with for overcharging purposes, etc).

You had to dress respectably and have no "smells etc., in the car (body odour).  I could go on...

Then the "Hackney cabs started to appear. While they were regulated by the Government...they by no means had to go through the rigours. Many "real" Taxi men resented them greatly because they had mortgaged their homes or borrowed from the banks to set up a secure job that would earn them enough money to rear their children, send them to college and support their families. Then, all of a sudden one had this competition by people who had laid out very little money and had less expenses than the "real" Taxi man. Would a normal guy not get a bit "miffed" at this.

   I would imagine that the likes of Grab and Uber would be cause for resentment for many Taxi drivers who have invested everything in the job only to see people with little or no "qualifications" being able to get behind the wheel of their car and start working at the same level...without many checks in any department...criminal past or abilities.

Nothing to do with whether there are enough customers to go around...or not.

Edited October 2, 2018 by dotpoom

[CanuckThai]

The land of smirks...

[wimpy]

21 minutes ago, orchis said:

Recently in Kuala Lumpur; the airport and shopping malls have especially designated Grab waiting areas and parking spots, no conflicts there.

Same in the Philippines.

[Deli]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

 

It's not that the taxi mob wants to make a living, they are lazy, full of envy and wanna become rich, whilst sitting in their lazy arse.

Not a single Bath they make with me.

 

[spermwhale]

>>>

One poster on Facebook Watthanaanan Imviseth said that he was fed up with his country. He said that Grab was safer and more convenient than the local taxis and it was time that the service was recognized and made legal. >>

GRAB is legal here, so I don't know why the locals are pissed off? Seems like in BKK many normal taxis also do Grab services. 

 

[anon467367354]

as long as governments continue to try to micromanage people's lives, this will continue. Let people contract with whoever they choose to and let the competition improve the product.

What has any government ever done better than what the people can do themselves is given an equal opportunity?

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Well they did the same in Pattaya.

 

Welcome to Thailand...

Yes but we have baht buses. We also have plenty of entertainment, no smog and a good immigration office.

[mr_lob]

Got to Thailand 15 years ago....am sure the Thais weren't so ''angry'' back then....or maybe it was just the lack of social media?

Either way, they are just shooting themselves in the foot, but are too pig-headed to realise...

[Happy Grumpy]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Welcome to Thailand...

 

Welcome to the jungle... 

[Briggsy]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

You are correct but you need to keep going up the chain. The drivers who use thuggery to protect their low quality service are organised by and under the protection of local politicians. This emboldens them as they know they are under orders to use all means necessary including violence to eliminate competition and the police will not get involved. The local politicians, of course, take a hefty chunk of the profits of the operation. Same happens in every city in Thailand. Monopolies defended by thuggery alone only tends to work with visible low-skilled services. So the local politicians always take over the public transport system as it fits their skill set.

[johng]

58 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

I would imagine that the likes of Grab and Uber would be cause for resentment for many Taxi drivers who have invested everything in the job only to see people with little or no "qualifications"

The Taxi (public service) drivers in Thailand  have "little to no qualifications" , are hardly regulated

( some regs have started to be reinforced) vehicles often have "brake failure" and end up in the ditch

and quite a lot of the drivers are high on drugs or drunk at the wheel.

[MekkOne]

get the tourists and deport them for sharing the video, then blacklist them for 5 years so they will have to spread 'fake news' about some other country! Don't forget to issue a warrant for the arrest of the owner of the website.

[1337markus]

Just made a reminder note. Must post this video overseas to a group of 120 farang coming soon to CNX for a conference. Cancel CNX go to Malaysia instead.

[hobobo]

1 hour ago, wimpy said:

Same in the Philippines.

And the same in almost any country in the world. The taxi driver mafia in Thailand reacts like all mafias: the moment someone steps on their turf, they resort to intimidation on violence.

[DeeMak9]

Hello??? 24 hours are past and still no force of 120 officials welcoming white tourists?!?!?!

Edited October 2, 2018 by DeeMak9

[Khun Paul]

We forget that these so-called drivers of local taxis, Tuk Tuks and Red buses are employing THAINESS so beloved by the PM, who are we mere farangs or tourists to complain eh !!!!!!

[CLW]

Just made a reminder note. Must post this video overseas to a group of 120 farang coming soon to CNX for a conference. Cancel CNX go to Malaysia instead.

Only that way they learn it...
Many friends that had been coming here in the past switched to Malaysia, Vietnam or even Cambodia instead of Thailand

[CLW]

>>>
One poster on Facebook Watthanaanan Imviseth said that he was fed up with his country. He said that Grab was safer and more convenient than the local taxis and it was time that the service was recognized and made legal. >>
GRAB is legal here, so I don't know why the locals are pissed off? Seems like in BKK many normal taxis also do Grab services. 
 

That surprised me too when I arrived at the arcade bus terminal in CM and seeing that ridiculous banners all over the place.
Who's saying grab is illegal?
The taxi mafia?
They should be sued and forced to remove this BS from the bus station.

[car720]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

In a previous life I was a Taxi driver back home for 28 yrs. It was a very rigorous system to get into the Taxi business. First off, one had to have an almost exemplary police record (a bag snatcher or molester would not be the most suitable person for the job).

Secondly, you had to have a thorough knowledge of the area you were seeking the licence for (city).

You had to have a car that was not over a certain age and was checked yearly, along with your meter (for not being tampered with for overcharging purposes, etc).

You had to dress respectably and have no "smells etc., in the car (body odour).  I could go on...

Then the "Hackney cabs started to appear. While they were regulated by the Government...they by no means had to go through the rigours. Many "real" Taxi men resented them greatly because they had mortgaged their homes or borrowed from the banks to set up a secure job that would earn them enough money to rear their children, send them to college and support their families. Then, all of a sudden one had this competition by people who had laid out very little money and had less expenses than the "real" Taxi man. Would a normal guy not get a bit "miffed" at this.

   I would imagine that the likes of Grab and Uber would be cause for resentment for many Taxi drivers who have invested everything in the job only to see people with little or no "qualifications" being able to get behind the wheel of their car and start working at the same level...without many checks in any department...criminal past or abilities.

Nothing to do with whether there are enough customers to go around...or not.

I said the same thing.  In Australia taxi plates cost upwards of half a million dollars.