Bangkok taxi driver arrested after ripping off British tourist

[terryofcrete]

3 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Certainly not scammed, as I offer the driver a price that I'm willing to pay.

Me too

[Chongalulu]

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

They've obscured the guys eyes but have a picture of an unredacted driving licence, complete with ID number, date of birth etc. Rgerdless of what the guy has done, this is a violation of privacy.

No it isn’t...not unless someone is pointing at it. ???? 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Weird this doesn’t get punished more severely.

 

Not really. The authorities don't care. Note that the tourist came to the authorities, because the only thing the authorities do is go out and arrest drivers for a couple of hours in one place once or twice a year.

If they were serious they would get soldiers, who otherwise do who knows what all day, out there in plain clothes at all the well-known rip-off places, and every driver who refuses to use the meter should be arrested. Do that for a week, and then again a couple of weeks later and then again, and the drivers might begin to get the message.

 

They should do the same with all the drivers who complain of being poor and at the same time turn down paying passengers. More of those around than meter-broken drivers, drivers who haven't worked out that if they accept passengers then those passengers will give them money. Not rocket science, really.

But the authorities simply don't care. Thailand is a lawless place, whichever way you turn.

While on the subject, where else would you get taxis where some have a green light that says they are available and a red light that says they are not, and some which have a red light that says they are available, but either might not stop and take you where you want to go anyway. It must confuse the hell out of the tourists, and that is before they manage to hail a taxi that says Taxi Meter on the roof and then the driver then refuses to use the meter.

[Mavideol]

police told him..... do as I say don't do as I do

[Terry2905]

Where did the government official taxi meter go?

 

 

Edited June 21, 2019 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[Mavideol]

5 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Good, That MIGHT Teach the GREEDY Taxi Driver a Lesson !!

you kidding right?  he will be out and about by next week doing exactly the same

[MaxYakov]

5 hours ago, Vacuum said:

That's why I never use the meter.

This is why I almost never use taxis and when I do it's for very short trips on meter.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2019 by MaxYakov

[moe666]

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Has the taxi driver been also banned from driving a taxi and had his taxi license taken away from him? Or is it business as usual?

Read the original post all info you need is there.

[Benmart]

How could this slime driver make merit for this? The illusion of following the great teacher for many is ludicrous.

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, the guest said:

Perhaps the authorities should spot-check every taxi in the country ?

 

There's an idea I'll bet no one in the DLT ever thought of....  

 

Or, maybe they did consider it briefly at some point, and then decide, "nahhh..... too much bother about that."

 

[RangerF]

Can we (aliens/foreigners) report to Royal Tourist Police for being ripped off by their Royal Thai Immigration on "sub-standard" immigration/visa matters? Without being blacklisted or backfired?

[digger70]

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Has the taxi driver been also banned from driving a taxi and had his taxi license taken away from him? Or is it business as usual?

What's the difference ? banned & no taxi license they keep on driving and ripping off people .Lawless country No one cares.

[malt25]

7 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Has the taxi driver been also banned from driving a taxi and had his taxi license taken away from him? Or is it business as usual?

"the driver faces a combined fine of 7,000 baht and has had his license suspended for three months."  Did you read the OP ?

[Basil B]

Taxi Drive must be new in town, probably from Pattaya where taxi's ripping off tourists is a national sport.

[Penicillin]

7 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

You have always been scammed then, the number of rigged meters is quite small and you can notice it racing as soon as you set off.

No,  there are quite a few rigged meters . I travel to and from DMK sometimes 3 x per week and find more and more are rigged.  I have had some drivers panic and turn off the meter when I pointed it out and others fly into a rage.  A few are good, however, most of them have the conscience of a bar girl. 

[whaleboneman]

8 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

 

Things are quite Ritzy.  I own the same chair you see in the picture.  Each one is 18,000b.  This is an Ergohuman Chair which is comfortable beyond belief.  Good that they take care of their spines so well here.

When your job requires you to sit all day, you need a quality chair.

[Fairynuff]

11 hours ago, madmitch said:

They've obscured the guys eyes but have a picture of an unredacted driving licence, complete with ID number, date of birth etc. Rgerdless of what the guy has done, this is a violation of privacy.

Yeah....disgusting innit! NOT

[kevin612]

Thai scam is everywhere 

[Rael007]

10 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

You have always been scammed then, the number of rigged meters is quite small and you can notice it racing as soon as you set off.

Yep.  Just a couple weeks ago, I got into a taxi at the entrance of the Renaissance Hotel near Chit Lom, at about 12:30pm.  Meter started at the usual 35, but before we even left the parking lot, it was up to 39.  Sat in traffic along the main road for about five minutes, hadn't even gone a few blocks, by which time the meter was already up to 61.   As I watched the meter, it appeared it was set to run at normal rate when going highway speeds, but ran faster than usual when going slow or stopped in traffic.  Ultimately cost 433 baht to go from Renaissance Hotel to DMK, which is way overpriced.  (not counting the additional 70 for having him take the toll way).  I took photos of his ID, license plate, and meter, along with video of the meter, and sent it to tourist hotline.  Not sure if anything was ever done about it.  Probably not.  I'll be glad to post his name, taxi ID number and license plate here, if that's allowable.

 

GRAB Taxi is often a better way to go, because there's a set price, which is usually reasonable.

[chessman]

I've been taking taxis in Bangkok for years and very rarely had any problems... sometimes a pain to get home after midnight from Sukhumvit but walk for 5 minutes to a quieter spot and it's usually fine. If you avoid the stationary taxis outside tourist places and bars, 99.9% of taxis drivers will put on the meter straight away... never seen a rigged one.

 

Of course (unfortunately) this guy will probably be back driving a taxi before his ban ends... but the lack of regulation is partly why the fares are so cheap. Would people be happy with a more tightly regulated system if they paid more? I can't think of another city where taxis are such good value.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Good, That MIGHT Teach the GREEDY Taxi Driver a Lesson !!

NOT GOOD !!!!

3 months suspension.. not going to teach him anything.

It should have been a lifetime ban from being a taxi driver.

[Vacuum]

17 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

He would only accept if it's more than the meter fare = scammed

Call it a tip.

[TumblinDice]

Should have fined him his cab!

[5633572526]

20 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

You have always been scammed then, the number of rigged meters is quite small and you can notice it racing as soon as you set off.

Actually I prefer to haggle also. I have a good idea of what it should cost from living here for years and I normally get where I’m going faster as there is no incentive for them to go with the normal slow flow of traffic in Bangkok also they know a lot of shortcuts that they will use when they know the price is the same no matter how long it takes.

[Matzzon]

20 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

I never pay off the meter. 

 

Rarely any bother with Bangkok cabs in 30 years living there.

 

You must be doing Thailand wrong. 

Thats. right. Never had any problems either. Just had to tell some that they should use the meter.

[armadillo215]

License suspended for 3 months...Do you think he'll stop driving or if he does after 3 months be reformed and NEVER do something like this again?? No point in stating my thoughts on what should be done as all who are reading these posts know....It ain't gonna happen, So...

[RJRS1301]

23 hours ago, madmitch said:

They've obscured the guys eyes but have a picture of an unredacted driving licence, complete with ID number, date of birth etc. Rgerdless of what the guy has done, this is a violation of privacy.

Not sure the privacy laws in Thailand are similar to western privacy laws.

Non the less I agree with you

Wife probably back in some village with hungry kids now 

[Nong Khai Man]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

NOT GOOD !!!!

3 months suspension.. not going to teach him anything.

It should have been a lifetime ban from being a taxi driver.

Ooooohhhh !! You're a Very Hard Man !! Lifetime Ban ?? Did He MURDER Somebody ??

[TumblinDice]

WOW!

Listen (read about) to all you "stable geniuses" on how to ride a cab in Thailand. Its amazing you are all so proficient & expertise(d) on everything there is posted that you offer your first hand experience to "one up" the other.