Taxi for hire! Bangkok cabbie hopes to capitalise on his COVID-19 shot

[webfact]

Thai taxi driver Sombat Subin wipes down a sign above his cab showing that he has been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in order to attract more customers in Bangkok, Thailand, May 29, 2021. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

 

By Chalinee Thirasupa

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - After losing countless fares during the pandemic, Thai taxi driver Sombat Subin has sought to reassure nervous clients by letting them know in three languages on the sign above his cab that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

"I think the lit-up sign creates confidence for passengers and I feel that it has also helped increase my income," said Sombat, from Nonthaburi, a province north of Bangkok. 

 

The 43-year-old said the sign, which reads "Vaccine" and then "COVID" with a tick next to it and appears in Thai, English and Mandarin, was a conversation piece in his taxi.

 

"It's to confirm to them that the driver has been fully vaccinated... So, the passengers are not afraid," he said.

 

Sombat said he became a taxi driver three years ago after finding working in an office stifling. Before the pandemic, he earned about 60,000 baht ($1,920) a month, but this has slumped to as little as 10,000 baht during the latest wave of infections.

 

Thailand had managed to largely contain virus cases for much of last year, but since April has struggled to quell its most serious outbreak so far that includes more contagious variants.

 

This has increased pressure on authorities to speed up vaccinations with the country's rollout lagging many neighbours.

 

Only 2.7 million Thais have received a first vaccine dose and the government has been scrambling to source more.

 

Authorities have tried to prioritize frontline workers including taxi drivers and public transport staff.

 

Kanokwan Sattawong, a passenger in Sombat's taxi, said: "I feel more confident when drivers are fully vaccinated and feel safe to use public transportation."

 

(Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-07

 

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[jaltsc]

"...in three languages on the sign above his cab that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19."

 

If you can't trust a Bangkok taxi driver's word, who can you trust?

[smedly]

I wonder if he has had 1 or 2 jabs

[Changoverandout]

Covid tick 

 

very reassuring 

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

"It's to confirm to them that the driver has been fully vaccinated... So, the passengers are not afraid," he said.

He could stick a revolving, flashing, whooping light on the roof, it would not mean he was a policeman 

[rasmus5150]

But he can still transmit the virus, even though he has been vaccinated.

 

Makes no sense..!!..!!..

 

 

[BangkokReady]

Thank goodness.  I have been looking for a taxi driver who was less likely to get very sick or die if he contracted covid, but could still pass it onto me.

 

Joking aside, it's a little worrying that anyone believes that they pose less threat to others due to being vaccinated.  We need a bit more time to know about that and we're a long way from being able to "get back to normal".

[impulse]

On 6/8/2021 at 7:12 AM, BangkokReady said:

Joking aside, it's a little worrying that anyone believes that they pose less threat to others due to being vaccinated.  We need a bit more time to know about that and we're a long way from being able to "get back to normal".

 

Scarier still that anyone thinks you'd have to be vaccinated to buy such a sign.

 

The vaccinated may not be 100% safe, but they're a lot safer than the non-vaccinated.

 

[BangkokReady]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

The vaccinated may not be 100% safe, but they're a lot safer than the non-vaccinated.

 

I think that depends on 1, which vaccine was used and 2, whether being vaccinated affects people's behavior in such a way that it makes them reckless enough to negate any reduction in chance of spread.

[phetphet]

I wonder how long before his colleagues start copying him. Vaccinated or not.