Samui "song thaew" driver agrees to pay foreigner's 6,000 baht hospital bill after fare "misunderstanding"

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A fight broke out between a group of foreign exchange students and drivers at Chaweng beach road on Koh Samui after the New Year countdown. 

 

James Joshua Michael Fagin, 21, went to Pol Capt Daenchai Buntham of the Bo Phut police to say that he was attacked by a song thaew driver and several other male drivers after a disagreement over the price of a fare to Mae Nam. 

 

Mr Fagin, from South Africa, said that he was with three others including his girlfriend. He said that the song thaew driver wanted to charge them 800 baht per person.

 

He laughed at this that annoyed the driver who attacked him with his fists. 

 

Seeing this five or six other public vehicle drivers joined in and he was knocked to the ground as fists and kicks flew, he claimed. 

 

The attackers then fled the scene as police arrived and Mr Fagin was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries racking up a bill of 6,000 baht. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Shortly after making his statement to police the song thaew driver arrived at the police station. 

 

Wanchai Phoonsawat, 47, gave a different story. He said that he had offered an 800 baht all-in fare for the tourists and having got no reply to his request he asked "How much then?".

 

He said that he was attacked by the tourists who started it. He said that two Thai women then grabbed him by the arms so that the "farangs" could punch him. 

 

"Thank goodness my mates arrived to help me out," he said as a melee ensued. 

 

He said that he was willing to let bygones be bygones but now the matter had been reported to police he said that he would agree to pay for the South African's hospital bill. 

 

Pol Capt Daenchai fined everyone for affray and noted that the song thaew driver agreed to pay the 6,000 baht hospital bill. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-01-03

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that he was willing to let bygones be bygones but now the matter had been reported to police he said that he would agree to pay for the South African's hospital bill. 

Another instance of those in the tourism service industry looking to fleece its customers, then getting angry and aggressive when their outrageous demands are not met. And of course another instance of a wai and a small fine to allow this shitty behaviour to go relatively unpunished. Given several drivers were involved, one wonders why they too were not dragged to the police station over the matter. Having got clean away with it, you can see this will happen again and again.

Details are in the existing thread.

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that two Thai women then grabbed him by the arms so that the "farangs" could punch him. 

Sounds very plausible.

At the ripoff price of 800 baht a fare, the payment of the 6000 baht hospital bill is probably about half a days work. So a relatively cheap way for the driver to save face. 

 

 

 

 

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

"Thank goodness my mates arrived to help me out,"

This should be tattooed on every Somchai's chest as a reminder of brotherly love.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Seeing this five or six other public vehicle drivers joined in

Only 6 to 1 ratio .. Unusually low geared this one .. 

And......Que story of helpful taxi driver returning an unusually large amount of cash left in his cab to a tourist!

1 hour ago, SkyNets said:

And......Que story of helpful taxi driver returning an unusually large amount of cash left in his cab to a tourist!

Shhh! Don't let everyone in on the secret ????

assaults on human beings should not be tolerated.

 

 

The reporting leaves a lot to be desired as usual. 

First it says Mr Fagin went to the police and then it says that the police arrived at the scene. 

Which is it? 

3 minutes ago, sahibji said:

assaults on human beings should not be tolerated.

 

Agreed, but it would be a catch-22 situation. How can it be solved without inflicting physical harm on the perpetrators?

It is highly doubtful the tourists were lying about the fare. This kind of fleecing is so common on Samui. And the driver deserves whatever beating he got. It is all about face. And how do I feel about face, the single greatest form of human weakness there is?

 

Face is no doubt, the greatest form of weakness, a human can engage in. Many will say it is societal, cultural, etc. No matter. It is the absolute and complete lack of the ability to introspect, and look within for the source of any problem, shortcoming, conflict, or issue. It is the polar opposite of spirituality, and therefore an absolute scourge on Buddha, and all of the precepts he taught. By practicing face, you are denying your spiritual heritage. You are refusing to man up. To take responsibility for your actions. If a man or a woman cannot, and will not take responsibility for their actions, the problems they create, the mistakes they make, and the issues they involve themselves in, what are they? Are they still an adult? Are they a complete individual, if they allow themselves to be limited by such infinitely small social convention? 

 

Who cares what people think of you? For those of us with high self esteem, it just does not matter. Sure, close friends and family. But strangers on the street? Who gives a rat's butt about this? It means nothing what they think, nor what they say about you. They count for nothing. They are just people, and people you do not know, nor will ever see again. Face is rife with self doubt, and by subscribing to this weakness, and man or woman is made a far lesser person. For those of us with high self esteem, we know who we are. What others think, what society thinks, what a guy or gal thinks, means less than zero.

Real men or women, simply own a situation, and take responsibility for their errors or mistakes. Small men, social deviants, or emotional adolescents deflect, obfuscate, attempt to confuse, and do everything in their power to deny that they made a mistake, or that they are responsible in any way, or on any level. They make up narratives about fake news, or alternative facts. Anything to avoid looking within, for the source of the problem. Anything.

5 minutes ago, seahorse said:

The reporting leaves a lot to be desired as usual. 

First it says Mr Fagin went to the police and then it says that the police arrived at the scene. 

Which is it? 

Mr Fagin went to the police station and rang the bell to wake them up, then they arrived at the scene.

6 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Agreed, but it would be a catch-22 situation. How can it be solved without inflicting physical harm on the perpetrators?

How would assaults on human beings not being tolerated stop us from beating up Thais?

 

And yet everyone was fined ?????????????

 

Young guy gets his head bashed in and then he gets fined by police , seems fair????

14 minutes ago, seahorse said:

The reporting leaves a lot to be desired as usual. 

First it says Mr Fagin went to the police and then it says that the police arrived at the scene. 

Which is it? 

And little detail of the 'misunderstanding', 800 each or 800 for the group? Was it ever established whether the students misunderstood? 

 

Perhaps there really was misunderstand and maybe, just maybe the driver was offering a fare of 800 for the group? Who knows?

 

Did the reporter try to get some clarity? 

 

Probably not, just write down whatever has been heard, no check for logic or correct details.

 

Poor reporting, as always.

 

An inflammatory post has been removed. 

 Hmmm .... "Misunderstanding..."

 I was thinking , possible  "Wet Road" as I started  reading.

 

The saffa appears to have come out of it better than the TT man anyway ...

All good PR for TAT. Soon BJ wont have tourists to worry about LOL

Song teaw costs 0,10 bht in Pattaya why this one is 4,000 bht? 

driver willing to let "bygones be bygones" as tourist would "be gone by" time this ever got to court.

What type of treatment for 6000B? Not saying it is expensive but rather the treatment for the injuries occurred from the group beating...

 

fellow taxi drivers - repressed anger? Instead of mediating and civil obedience, gladly and freely joined in...is this an example of biting the hand that feeds you?

 

will the other drivers receive a stern warning or does mai bpen rai just kicks in so it will happen again and again like road fatalities....

6,000 thb for what?

In 2002, was given a spring-loaded cosh scar on my forehead laughing at a taxi driver who wanted Baht 400 for a 200 metre trip.   Policeman wanted to put me, with blood running down my face, in the back of a police pick-up to drive me up Bangla Road, Patong Beach to the police station.   A more senior officer who appeared on the scene had more sense than to permit that.   

After statement, etc., they then took me to be cleaned up at the hospital.

Nothing ever came of it despite being able to give the car reg.

So this story is a good outcome thanks to the development of social media.

For Thai's 6000 OK, but generally Farang price should be 60,000 to be fair enough!

24 minutes ago, Nickymaster said:

6,000 thb for what?

For buying plasters at 7-11... ????

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

And little detail of the 'misunderstanding', 800 each or 800 for the group? Was it ever established whether the students misunderstood? 

 

Perhaps there really was misunderstand and maybe, just maybe the driver was offering a fare of 800 for the group? Who knows?

 

Did the reporter try to get some clarity? 

 

Probably not, just write down whatever has been heard, no check for logic or correct details.

 

Poor reporting, as always.

 

I think it's almost impossible that it was a misunderstanding. Samui taxi mafia doesn't play around.... Specially not on New year's .. 

Maybe be a good idea for set price from here to there, and have a bill board where all taxi is waiting, people don’t have to ask the price then, if they don’t like the price, no nead to get in conversation. Better still why do the police not make the taxi use the meter, saves any problem, do the taxi people not realise if they used the meter more people would use the taxi.

On my way to early Golf I saw a large group of Farangs who were concerned about the workings of the ATM machine. I drove to station at Threpasit & Sukumviit to report what I considered a suspicious gathering. Irate at being awoken I was told to report to Police at Jomtien Beach. Again waking up officers was required to fill out statement. Meanwhile the gang of farangs an their Thai accomplish I'm sure had long gone. No more citizen concern from me.