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

[Cadbury]

5 minutes ago, BEngBKK said:

Where is Big Joke when you need him ....

 

If they were Chinese tourists the PM and Big Joke would be all over this issue like a bad rash while offering grovelling apologies. Farang tourists can eat cake.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Cadbury

[Blue Muton]

2 hours 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.

 

[PatOngo]

7 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

Well…….they've got plenty of feet to choose from!

[wazzupnow]

well the thing is 

i live in CM i drive grab mostly because of good pricing and the aircon

but in my app i can order grab economy, just grab or grab songtaew

wich means that also the songtaews join grab

so if more than 4 u order grab songtaew

how ever i have noticed they always try to get extra money from the customers if they get in the car with more than 4 people

old habits never die  overpricing is in the nature of the guys

soon grab has a adittion for tuk tuk

problem solved, how ever??

tuk tuk can only take 2 /3 persons or 6 chinese

negotiation will never end i guess

[hobz]

19 minutes ago, baansgr said:

nasty horrible country. no manners, nothing. no wonder no one comes here any more, regardless of the lies TAT tell us. 

Talk about black and white thinking. Just because there's lots of nasty ppl doesn't mean the vast majority aren't friendly, helpful, polite etc. 

 

[gerritkaew]

Its not a real taxi , so he take client from real taxi and the don't like it.

[malibukid]

the problem with Songthews are that most of the time the driver does understand where i want to go and the pricing is so whimsical, Tuk Tuk smelly and noisy little things.  with Grab you know the price and there is little confusion regarding your destination.  done deal. these guys need to grow up.

[Caine]

3 hours 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.

Spot on.

[Derek B]

Is GRAB illegal in Thailand?

I thought UBER had to leave which left Grab approved.

[dpspike]

Tuk tuks and taxis are crazy expensive in Chiang Mai, compared to those in Bangkok. You can't even find a taxi except at the airport or bus station, and they never use the meter. 

[malibukid]

2 hours ago, johng said:

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.

good point, some on Yaba and drive like crazy man,  i get the hell out.

[SpeakeasyThai]

Reminds me of the bakery in Chiang Mai when I asked him if his bread is 'baked today'. 

Edited October 2, 2018 by SpeakeasyThai

[Caine]

2 minutes ago, Caine said:

Spot on. Been there done it

 

[Sumarianson]

This is a very good advertisment for Grab. Would any sensible tourist want to get in a yellow cab with such violent weapon weilding thugs. The ministry of transport does not care about the safety of tourists or the behaviour of the taxis that they licenced. If that incident happened in the UK ( where they have proper black taxis who have to spend a long time doing the knowledge and exams) the driver would lose his licence immediatly, and rightfully so. No implementation of such a penalty will be implimented here in Thailand which makes it all the more dangerous for tourists.

[tingtongtourist]

This sort of conflict is happen in every country i been to in last 5 years.

I must have sympathy for the guys who paid for licence to be there and did it right.

 

now these other platforms and internet tech allows the other guys to the scene, not to pay or be regulate like the others.

 

And now there are so many of them competing that it causes all them to stuggle and this just make it worse.

 

The GRAB and all the others will fail eventually as they will do ok first but

human greed kicks in and zoom up go prices!

 

It was like this with AIR b&b..

they started as a cheaper alternative which was great until the greed take over.

 

now in most countries Air b&b are way more expensive than a regular hotel and dont even have the service or overheads and dont employ anyone.

 

Anyway, its only the white farangs here hating on the regular drivers, because themself are stingy keenoks who must scratch around for 8 baht to get on a baht bus.

 

I using taxis many years now. speak polite Thai.

Never have to question this and that and rant and rave about meter as soon as sit down.

never ripped off and never a problem. 

 

Suprise: when you treat people like they are dishonest and a scammer all the time (with a bad attitude) then dont be suprised they give you what you expect and you get scammed!

[hobz]

20 minutes ago, gerritkaew said:

Its not a real taxi , so he take client from real taxi and the don't like it.

He didn't like it because the real taxi refused to use meter ????

[hobz]

23 minutes ago, malibukid said:

the problem with Songthews are that most of the time the driver does understand where i want to go and the pricing is so whimsical, Tuk Tuk smelly and noisy little things.  with Grab you know the price and there is little confusion regarding your destination.  done deal. these guys need to grow up.

The only taxi that works well in Chiang Mai is the airport taxi.. very good prices and they know where to go etc... Outside that cm is either inhale exhaust fumes (red car, tuk tuk) or pay ridiculous amounts to unmetered meter taxi. Grab wins every time.

Edited October 2, 2018 by hobz

[Classic Ray]

I use Grab in Bangkok, but always get  my wife to collect me in Chiang Mai. I don’t want to use the taxi scammers or mafia red buses or yuk tuks. As soon as the scammers realize times have changed, I will use Grab in Chiang Mai too. The ability to have an advance fixed fare and rate the drivers is well worth the cost. But common sense and forward planning are underused talents here, I am sure they will complain for years yet.

[Benmart]

8 hours ago, keith101 said:

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

I drive as well and tell my friends to avoid Pattaya "taxi meter" as they are not to be trusted and don't use the meter. In the odd times I had too, I used Grab or Uber.

[0815]

3 hours 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.

If you think GRAB drivers have no check ups by GRAB, you think wrong. 
Tuk Tuks are the kind of taxis in the worst technical conditions with many drivers obviously in the same bad mental conditions...
Many red pick-up taxis are rented from a company for 250 - 500baht / 24 hrs.
What makes many drivers of the red trucks mad is that Grab drivers get tour jobs from hotels as well, without any legitimation. 

[harrycallahan]

It is known as a disruptive technology. 

[snoop1130]

Tuk-tuk driver faces charges following violent incident at Chiang Mai airport

By The Nation

 

 

A tuk-tuk driver who led a blockade of a Grab taxi at Chiang Mai International Airport on Monday has no public-transport driving licence and will face several charges following the incident, which was exposed by a foreign visitor, police said on Tuesday.

 

The Chiang Mai Land Transport Office and the Chiang Mai police head office on Tuesday met to plan legal actions after @Winston Vaduz posted a video clip on the Chiang Mai CM108 Facebook page to expose the incident at the airport.

 

The tourist made the post at 4.39pm on Monday under the topic “Welcome to Chiang Mai?”

 

The clip showed six male and female tuk-tuk drivers surrounding and kicking a private car, forcing a man and a woman – both foreigner visitors – to leave the vehicle.

 

The couple eventually decided to walk out of the airport.

 

In the clip, a man was seen pulling the car’s driver out of his seat and kicking him once.

 

The assailant then walked to his tuk-tuk, grabbed a stick and returned to intimidate the car driver further.

 

Pol Colonel Piyaphan Pattarapongsin, deputy Chiang Mai police chief, said the aggressor who attacked the Grab driver in the clip had been identified as Rungruj Jinaruan, 37.

 

Piyaphan said police had summoned Rungruj to face charges of causing a public disturbance, carrying a weapon in public and intimidating others.

 

Police will ask public prosecutors to charge the man in court.

 

He added that Rungroj had been arrested in August on similar charges, and he had at the time been found to be driving the tuk-tuk without a public-transport driving licence.

 

Phannee Pumphan, chief Chiang Mai land transport officer, said the owner of the tuk-tuk that was rented to Rungroj would also face a fine of Bt2,000 for allowing a person without such a licence to drive his public-transport vehicle.

 

Phannee said Rungroj will also face a charge of driving a public-transport vehicle without a proper driving licence.

 

She added that the driver of the Grab car involved in Tuesday’s fracas had been informed that he was being fined Bt2,000 for using a private car for public-transport purposes.

 

He will also be subject to an attitude-adjustment session about traffic laws, so that he does not violate the law again, the official said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30355635

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-2

[richard_smith237]

40 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

This sort of conflict is happen in every country i been to in last 5 years.

I must have sympathy for the guys who paid for licence to be there and did it right.

 

now these other platforms and internet tech allows the other guys to the scene, not to pay or be regulate like the others.

 

And now there are so many of them competing that it causes all them to stuggle and this just make it worse.

 

The GRAB and all the others will fail eventually as they will do ok first but

human greed kicks in and zoom up go prices!

 

It was like this with AIR b&b..

they started as a cheaper alternative which was great until the greed take over.

 

now in most countries Air b&b are way more expensive than a regular hotel and dont even have the service or overheads and dont employ anyone.

 

Anyway, its only the white farangs here hating on the regular drivers, because themself are stingy keenoks who must scratch around for 8 baht to get on a baht bus.

 

I using taxis many years now. speak polite Thai.

Never have to question this and that and rant and rave about meter as soon as sit down.

never ripped off and never a problem. 

 

Suprise: when you treat people like they are dishonest and a scammer all the time (with a bad attitude) then dont be suprised they give you what you expect and you get scammed!

 

You've never had a problem with a taxi driver? never been overcharged, never been refused, never been concerned for your safety in a taxi?... never been told 'no meter' ???.... and its all because you are polite with them ?

 

Which implies that anyone else who has a problem with a taxi in Thailand must be impolite...  

 

....

 

These taxi threads always have a one or two guys implying that as they never have a problem any problem or issue which does exist must be the fault of the passenger.... I'm sometimes astonished by the increduous apologist - above is one such example. 

 

[Formaleins]

8 hours ago, keith101 said:

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

They ruin everything they touch, bunch of ar$eholes the lot of them Time for more tourists to use Grab, if it gets around enough it will be stopped aand people can choose their ride freely. Nothing worse than some of those old repulsive fossils that "drive: those red cars around Chiang Mai. They cannot drive to save their lives and continuously cause hold ups and near accidents. I would drive them all out to a big empty field, lock them in their shitty red cars, chuck a gallon of gas on them and burn the lot of them. Chiang Mai would be better off without them.

[harleyclarkey]

These vicious thugs are (licenced??) taxi drivers?

No wonder I, for one, would choose Grab.

 

Brutes like these should be nowhere near any of the public and especially tourists.

[cookieqw]

well done to the tourists for getting out, once that goes round the world these thugs will be seen for what they are.

[SpeakeasyThai]

29 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

They ruin everything they touch, bunch of ar$eholes the lot of them Time for more tourists to use Grab, if it gets around enough it will be stopped aand people can choose their ride freely. Nothing worse than some of those old repulsive fossils that "drive: those red cars around Chiang Mai. They cannot drive to save their lives and continuously cause hold ups and near accidents. I would drive them all out to a big empty field, lock them in their shitty red cars, chuck a gallon of gas on them and burn the lot of them. Chiang Mai would be better off without them.

If you did that you would be killed. Sounds like you have anger management issues, all things considered. Suggest you book a session on a couch and see a shrink before you come unstuck in LOS. 

Good Luck 

Edited October 2, 2018 by SpeakeasyThai

[Grusa]

1 hour ago, Derek B said:

Is GRAB illegal in Thailand?

I thought UBER had to leave which left Grab approved.

Correct me if I am wrong - I am sure somebody will - but I believe there is a difference between Grab Taxi and Grab Car. The former is a regular taxi, with or without meter, but at least you know the cost up front, and it's Legal.  Grab Car is an unlicensed private car, like Uber, cheaper, and possibly/probably illegal, but again you know the cost upfront but with a better chance to be shot in the head. Then there's Grab Tuk Tuk, Motocy, Delivery, Prostitute, etc., wouldn't know about them!

 

I am just back from atriparound Australia. My impression of taxis there, in even the skankiest towns, one number nationwide to call a taxi, courteous service, vehicles vary from very good to atrociously old and filthy, drivers in the boonies very good and knowledgeable, in fhe cities clueless immigrants, the GPS and Communications systems are awesome including payment by EPOS, expensive and all suffer from the supplementary charges for airport pick-up/delivery. 

I tried Uber, no response, useless - in Sydney, at least.

[tingtongtourist]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You've never had a problem with a taxi driver? never been overcharged, never been refused, never been concerned for your safety in a taxi?... never been told 'no meter' ???.... and its all because you are polite with them ?

 

Which implies that anyone else who has a problem with a taxi in Thailand must be impolite...  

 

....

 

These taxi threads always have a one or two guys implying that as they never have a problem any problem or issue which does exist must be the fault of the passenger.... I'm sometimes astonished by the increduous apologist - above is one such example. 

 

 

well sorry, i should have said, no problem since i stopped having a attitude of..

the evil thai cabbie gonna scam me off my life savings. lol.

 

cant count the times they taken the short cut through many small difficult sois which actually get me home quicker,

but in the old days i admit i would have mouthed off at them, ASSuming theyd gone taken the long way 

 

In the early days yes, i had one who stop at a gas station and leave the meter running.

but it was about 40baht extra so nothing to cry about, (although im sure many others here would).

I simply just gave him the exact coinage instead of rounding up.

 

In those days i had a few who didnt have change but nowadays nothing like that ever.

I find the younger guys these days are pretty good. 

Usually i even gotta tell them to keep the small baht. 

 

edit: refused yes, but that is normal as there are other factors.

but that can even work in your favour: many traffic jam my way when raining, and im not sitting in a cab for hours, just get a bus or van.

easy.

no big evil conspiracy.lol

Edited October 2, 2018 by tingtongtourist

[lvr181]

"Mafia" same same all over the country!