Taxis used in Bangkok area for five years with fake plates - danger to passengers highlighted

[webfact]

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Siam Rath reported on action by the metropolitan police and local forces in Klong 3, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani against taxis with fake registration plates.

 

Back on october 26th they investigated a man called Ronnachai, 46, who they found with fake plate making equipment at his house.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

At a shop he ran nearby were 300 damning items of evidence that showed he had been producing fake plates for vehicles that could not be legally registered as taxis due to their age.

 

A subsequent inquiry led to an Altis taxi that had fake plates that had been driven around the Bangkok area for 5 years. 

 

It was more than 12 years old and had had a makeover to make it look like a newer vehicle.

 

In other moves a further five taxis were seized and sent to forces in the metropolitan area where crimes occurred.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Forgery of plates and other items like tax discs can see people jailed for up to 5 years and fined up to 100,000 baht.

 

Police said that the proliferation of fake plates meant problems for the public in that the police were unable to catch taxi drivers responsible for sex crime or theft.

 

It also made it hard to get back things that forgetful passengers left behind. 

 

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[Will B Good]

Scary.

 

I always make a point of photographing the plates and the driver if the wife is catching a taxi by herself.

[Tropicalevo]

59 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Scary.

 

I always make a point of photographing the plates and the driver if the wife is catching a taxi by herself.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Police said that the proliferation of fake plates meant problems for the public in that the police were unable to catch taxi drivers responsible for sex crime or theft.

It is scary.

The police can do nothing with your picture other than hope to see the cab one day.

[ikke1959]

Is it so difficult to set up a good registrationsystem for legal taxidrivers/cabs??? In the land of mai pen rai things are totally out of hand and people should be educated that there are rules and they need to be followed. And the RTP is first organization that has to start to work, in shifts 24 hrs a day instead of 9.00 to 17.00..It is for the better country and everyone benefits from it

[richard_smith237]

The cynic in me suggests nothing will change.... 

 

Some of the taxi’s around Bangkok are new, clean and in great condition, but there are a lot which aren’t...  many probably older ones such as this. 

 

To avoid all this nonsense I use Grab as much as possible, but when flagging down a taxi on the street I ignore the older taxis..   Sometimes I get in taxi’s and there are some dodgy noises etc  grinding brakes, clunks and punches from the suspension - if going on an expressway or a faster road I make an excuse and get out, the same if they have no functioning seatbelt. 

 

 

 

 

[swm59nj]

Maybe better enforcement would have curtailed the problem in the first place 

[Aussieroaming]

I've seen some taxis that are so decrepit that I was amazed that they were even on the road. 

[digger70]

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

people should be educated that there are rules and they need to be followed.

That's easier said than done , the place is so corrupt the people are Born with it and see nothing else everyday.

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

A subsequent inquiry led to an Altis taxi that had fake plates that had been driven around the Bangkok area for 5 years. 

 

It was more than 12 years old and had had a makeover to make it look like a newer vehicle.

Where there's a will there's a way..

[Phnom Penh Trader]

In other news the grass is green and the sky is blue!