"We can't have Thais taking advantage of tourists", says airport cop as rip-off taxi driver fined

[sambum]

12 minutes ago, Jaxxper said:

Isn't that why the taxis have meters to prevent this ?

I agree a Thb 500 fine is not a significant penalty. Suspend the licence for 3 months the first time, then subsequent occurrences a year, plus a large fine.

IMHO it is a violation of the Trades Descriptions Act - oops, sorry forgot where I was for a moment!

 

Seriously, they need to make a few examples of these rogues, and I agree completely with your comments above. How about a monthly public festival to remove the "Taxi Meter" sign to also show the taxi owners that they are also partly to blame for allowing rogue drivers to use their vehicles. I am sure that many schoolchildren would enjoy the opportunity of destroying something with official approval!

[bimmerbob]

Are those police in the picture the ones who actually "sprung into action" when the taxi was reported, or do they take turns in photo opportunities?

[sambum]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Fine, fine, fine ,fine, fine, fine... that's all they do... and where does the fine end up?

A fine obviously does nothing to deter rogue drivers from ripping off customers, either by way of direct over-charging, rigging the meter or whatever other means they've dreamt up!

Just kick them out of the company, take away the licence & put them on a national database.. which all companies have to check before employing anyone!

 

Sounds far too sensible! 

[dallen52]

I think it's about drawing a line as to the level of ripping off, and then parties move on accepted. 

It starts with to 50 baht fee for the ticket from the machines!!!

What for?

The hundreds of taxis are sat waiting anyway..

 

Then the controller suggests the possible fare when you ask a destination..

Why?.. 

Its supposed to be a meter cab.

 

Response is,  up to driver.

 

Then you get to the cab indicated on the ticket. 

And the stupid looks start, plus the opportunistic indication of a fare cost, no meter obviously. 

You look at the other drivers and they say, same same.

Closed ranks. 

 

If you walk away and get a controller they just say to get another ticket and try another taxi driver.

 

Never do they enforce the meter use or haul the driver in for profiteering..

 

It's a win lose situation. 

They win, we lose..

Edited June 30, 2019 by dallen52

[taken]

Wow. So many Police officers and their services rendered to sort out one cabbie.

 

I wonder why these guys like photographic sessions. Looks like that each of them celebrating for getting highest gallantry awards (???? OBE sorry its OTE) for the service to the nation. Interesting 

Edited June 30, 2019 by taken

[rodpav]

22 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

How can any Policeman in Thailand keep a straight face when making such a statement !

Ha ha yeah

[JMSIII]

On 6/29/2019 at 1:41 AM, rooster59 said:

"We can't have Thais taking advantage of tourists", says airport cop as rip-off taxi driver fined

Well, maybe, just maybe, if the police actually policed...

[wreckingcountry]

All the photos and 1500 baht fine ! Meaningless junk ! And no deterrent ! I tell potential tourists on other websites about the crass fake nature of Thailand ! Spread the word


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Wann]

Thai Taxi are so cheap the drivers work 12 hours in this stressed bkk traffic and must pay 600 bth to the owner + gas + wash not easy to make money driving a taxi.

How much cost taxi in Tokyo London Paris Berlin.

[ThomasThBKK]

10 minutes ago, Wann said:

Thai Taxi are so cheap the drivers work 12 hours in this stressed bkk traffic and must pay 600 bth to the owner + gas + wash not easy to make money driving a taxi.

How much cost taxi in Tokyo London Paris Berlin.

Then higher the taxi tariffs, problem solved. But i hope they pay taxes then...

 

Not an excuse to scam people. It's not about the money spend, it's the ripoff, the scam involved. Grab is more expensive but people still prefer to use it. can't be the amount.

Edited June 30, 2019 by ThomasThBKK

[ttrd]

On 6/29/2019 at 11:49 AM, nev said:

How about making a real example like stripping him if his taxi licence, Will send a better message than a paltry fine.

Yes - that is how it should be.

 

The real problem is the mistunderstood enforcement of the law's which sadly result in different outcomes for similar offences. When the Thai's do something wrong they often get a small fee, must perform a wai and are free to go, but when a foreigner do something similar it's heavy fines and sometimes deportation ...

 

There is no logic in that one should get 100k/thb in fine for smoking on the beach while Thai's only get a 500thb fine to swing the sword in public or that all foreigners are fined for not using a helmet when the majority of Thai's runs without and rarely gets fined to mention some ...

In other words, it is the 2 price system that is performed at all levels that lays the foundation for the rip-off practice and everything starts at the top where also the changes must be established to ensure fair enforcement down the road, but sadly it seems to be a long way to go ...

Edited June 30, 2019 by ttrd

[oslooskar]

I took a jitney last week and paid the driver 40 baht when my wife and I got off at our stop. The driver called us back and insisted on returning 20 baht to us. I explained to him that I was paying for two people and not one; however, he already knew that and he then informed me that the fare was only 10 baht per person for the distance my wife and I had traveled. So the moral of the story is....there are honest and dishonest people everywhere.

[Fairynuff]

On 6/29/2019 at 8:06 PM, wisperone said:

Great...I guess that will eliminate foreigner pricing at attractions. Good news????

Of course not...it only says Thai people, not the government 

[newatthis]

8 hours ago, 30la said:

Think, what a photo it would be, a policeman and the trickster alone!

How would people be able to differentiate?

[newatthis]

3 hours ago, Wann said:

Thai Taxi are so cheap the drivers work 12 hours in this stressed bkk traffic and must pay 600 bth to the owner + gas + wash not easy to make money driving a taxi.

How much cost taxi in Tokyo London Paris Berlin.

True,  but this is not Tokyo, London, Paris or Berlin.

[elliss]

On 6/29/2019 at 4:49 PM, nev said:

How about making a real example like stripping him if his taxi licence, Will send a better message than a paltry fine.

 

 You Thai bashers , are having a field day on this topic .

    Keep up the good work . 555

 

 

[Kevbo]

12 hours ago, sahibji said:

sorry what do you mean by "what licence" ? any implication of unlicensed taxi drivers?

Like in UK you mean ?

[Happy Grumpy]

On 6/29/2019 at 7:28 PM, trainman34014 said:

How can any Policeman in Thailand keep a straight face when making such a statement !

He was slipped a few hundred to. 

[observer90210]

Smoking on a beach can get one jail....same should be done with such scumbags who cheat people that are the official thai taxi drivers...

[Boedog]

So the when Government charging tourists 4 or 5 times what a Thai pays to enter a national park or waterfall that's ok, welcome to Thailand 

[kcpattaya]

So,  get rid of the DUAL-PRICE system if you really want to tackle something. 

[AhFarangJa]

17 hours ago, Almer said:

Well if you been ripped of thats your problem.

eg..   i had to go to Bangkok for a couple of days and we had arranged to have a new door hung, wooden door wooden frame.

the Chippy quoted the Mrs 650 baht to include new hinges and he would come at lunchtime the next day. True enough 14.00 Mrs rings me o say he is there and im now about an hour from home.

i get back man just finishing and tidy clean job, that will be 1000baht, wife asks why 1000 you said 650, ah but i didn't know it was for falang.

so around to workshop pozi screwdriver and commence removing door, why the chippy says because you can take your hinges and p-ss of 650 is for any colour any shape any body so you just wasted 2 hours and thankyou for marking out for me, he stands and watches and says ok 650 i tell him no because these are now not new hinges, in the end we settled on 650 and the cold water the Mrs gave hime i took back in before he could drink it, childish i know but thats how people would treat me if the roles were reversed, as i said if you are being overcharged, your problem.

 

I did not say that I had been ripped off, so no problem. I simply stated that it is a National Sport here. I am like you, I will not let them get away with it. I always get the wife to find a price, then sometimes they get angry because they find out it is a Farang, other times you can see it in their faces but they keep quiet. I like what you did, and I would do the same, ( except in your case as I am a boatbuilder by trade I would hang my own door...).

Cheers,

AFJ

[hotchilli]

Motorcycle taxis, cars, mini-vans, tour coaches... it's all a nightmare!

No drivers are thoroughly checked before getting a licence and none are punished effectively when breaking the rules!

[Expat Tom]

Foreigners in general are viewed a sheep waiting to be sheared by Thai's. That is just the simple fact of the matter. There are many things wrong with my home country but differential pricing for foreigners and price gouging by licensed public utilities would NEVER be tolerated. One has to wrap one's mind around the fact that , "this isn't Kansas Dorthy". There is no democratic traditions anywhere in Asia. This is an area of the world with traditions of absolute rulers and total lack of empathy for the common man. Human life is cheap here and if you wander around void of situational awareness, you might meet some serious misfortune.

[oslooskar]

2 hours ago, Expat Tom said:

Foreigners in general are viewed a sheep waiting to be sheared by Thai's.

Taxi drivers in San Francisco are viewed by the local government there as Cash Cows waiting to be milked.

[Just Weird]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 11:24 PM, TVGerry said:

This taxi rip off thing is serious but they needed 10 policemen for this?

Where did it say that 10 officers were needed?

[Just Weird]

On ‎6‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 11:53 AM, bkkcanuck8 said:

Stop fining the drivers and start charging them for fraud for using a hyped up meter.

He wasn't using a "hyped up meter".

[Just Weird]

23 hours ago, eddysmit said:

True,in my forty odd years of visiting Thailand it quickly became obvious that many 'Private' taxi drivers were rip off merchants, surely this has not just been discovered ?

What's a "'Private' taxi driver"?

[Seldomseen]

A friend of mine had an old couple stay with him in Patong 3 weeks ago arrived at Phuket and exchanged his money grabbed a taxi to Patong 800 baht 

didnt realise after the taxi left he had pealed off 8 1000 baht notes

sad but true

 

[jwbrit]

Just a shout out to the tourist police. A friend left his wallet in a taxi after airport drop off. TP got everything back for him in a couple of hours using cctv. I don't know any other capital city where you'd see your wallet again. Good job tourist police.