Bangkok taxi: White spirits, stinky food, someone sleeping on the floor - and dangerous driving to boot!

 

Caption: "Moo Nam Tok" Taxi!

 

A Bangkok man posted his experience of taking a taxi in the capital.

 

Thanasit Chatthaweeudom went on Facebook to say he hailed a cab to take him to the Phayathai airport link station. 

 

As soon as he got in he noticed the reek of white spirits and pungent food. 

 

Sure enough, there was a half consumed bottle of "lao khao" in the door compartment and some really stinky "namtok moo" (a pungent Thai dish) by the gear stick. 

 

But that was nothing. 

 

On the floor on the front passenger side was someone sleeping.

 

The driver's nameplate was folded over and hidden from view.

 

However, none of this was the reason that the passenger decided to get out half way at the Jamjuree intersection. 

 

That was because of the driver's incredibly scary driving - speeding up for red lights and braking dangerously when he couldn't get though intersections. 

 

Thanasit eventually aborted the journey and gave the driver 100 baht and didn't get any change either, reported Sanook. 

 

He went to a police booth to report the driver but seemingly didn't stick around to see what happened next. 

 

Picture: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-05-03

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Most taxis smell like years of baked in sweat and cheap air fresheners.

Edited May 3, 20197 yr by mok199

That ''new car smell''.......same same bust different

No doubt the driver gave the 100 Baht to the Cops and all was well !

Welcome to Thailand!

 

Grab all the way! The taxi industry here deserves to collapse!

4 hours ago, mok199 said:

Most taxis smell like years of baked in sweat and cheap air fresheners.

Not true.  Lived in Thailand for 20+years and only had a couple of taxis that were a little decrepit (aka very much used), never any with alcohol or food smells, and nobody ever sleeping in the front, which is where I usually sit.  Never seen any "cheap air fresheners" although I do not like the plant life that is sometimes put across the back window.  The one thing I seriously object to is the blare from the radio but always the driver obliges when asked to turn it down.

'nuf sed.

It may have been one of his children sleeping in the front foot well or his pet dog.

Glad to see it isn’t only “farangs” complaining about some of these local taxi drivers who are clueless. ( And these clueless taxi drivers can’t figure out why Grab is preferred.  -A Grab driver can be evaluated by each customer.  

Yeah, I much prefer the redolent vomit smell in New York yellow taxis. ????????

 

Or the Taximeters in Pattaya that charge you 200bht for 100m.

Just part of the Bangkok experience and charm!!!

11 hours ago, TVGerry said:

Grab all the way! The taxi industry here deserves to collapse!

I have this app ready to go when I return to Bkk.   I have watched many times as the cab drivers refused my exThai gf a ride.  She says it's just the way it is, some are good, some are bad.  I said few are good, most are bad...

Why do people eat durian? For the special pleasure it gives. The same with smelly Thai taxis... and NY taxis for that matter... that special experience.

Obviously the passenger was Thai and the driver Issan. Nam tok moo is an Issan dish, and doesn't really smell that bad. I have eaten it a number of times and find it very tasty. Just Bangkokian snobbery directed at Issan folk. Nothing new there.

 

If you really want a smelly cab ride, try a cab in the UK. Almost exclusively operated by drivers from the Indian sub continent.

That passenger who smelled the food and drink and saw the sleeping child "as soon as he got in" didn't have to stay there, he had the option to get out again.

 

I have noticed that a few taxi drivers have their child with them, particularly during school holidays, but I will always wave them on, just as the complainant  in the OP could have done.

On 5/4/2019 at 6:52 AM, Just Weird said:

That passenger who smelled the food and drink and saw the sleeping child "as soon as he got in" didn't have to stay there, he had the option to get out again.

Correct, but he/she would miss a lot of 'likes' on fakebook.