A Bangkok taxi-driver has been fined 3,000 baht and has had his driving license suspended for 90 days by the Land Transport Department for overcharging a passenger by 299 baht.

 

The cabbie, Prasert Chanthai, was also ordered to return the overcharged amounts to the female passenger, a 20-year old who boarded his taxi on Friday night for a trip from Chatuchak Park to Lat Phrao Soi 101. He was also ordered to attend a 3-hour course in service orientation for public transport operators.

 

The Land Transport Department’s action against the cabbie was in response to a Facebook post, by the uncle of the passenger, who had come to Bangkok to apply for admission to a university in the capital.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/cabbie-fined-3k-driving-license-suspended-for-overcharging-passenger/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-12-27

 

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Very area specific (i.e. mostly downtown sukhumvit at night) - not one taxi has used the meter. 

About 30 taxi’s asked in the last couple of months (they are asking 300 baht for what is usually an 80-100 baht journey) .

 

Conversely, in other area’s taxi drivers have no issues using the meter. 

 

IF the police were really bothered they could go out and catch 1000’s of taxi drivers refusing the meter. 

The reality is - they [authorities] don’t care, this is nothing than some BS publicity to present the facade that they are ding something. 

That having said, now imagine being overcharged or overpaying $11k. 

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501209589/high-fare-man-makes-11000-tuk-tuk-error/

 

 

This piece is purely an PR and photo exercise by the RTP....they couldn't give a flying fig what taxis do and don't do!

We can expect a story and photo of a honest cabbie returning billions of baht left in his cab by a careless person any day now.

If fare was 151 baht half way the traffic was indeed dead stop.  That road is a main exit path out of Bangkok and on Friday evening would always be packed - and due to the decade long sky train construction blocking half the road and making the usable area torn up expect driver was more than a little upset.  Fare structure just does not cover such travel properly.  That said driver was clearly at fault for dumping pax and not providing change.  But pax ignored rule number one - have correct change.

Many cabbies are tempted to either overcharge, not turn on the meter or bamboozle their fares and many do and the only way to prevent them from even thinking about it is punishments and serious ones as this is the only language they will understand...

Enjoyed reading some of the comments, I guess some of Aseannow readers have brains!

I thought under the new rules that drivers were allowed to commit up to 12 offences before they exhausted all their points and had their licence suspended for three months.

 

Had this guy already overcharged 11 others ?

9 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

If fare was 151 baht half way the traffic was indeed dead stop.  That road is a main exit path out of Bangkok and on Friday evening would always be packed - and due to the decade long sky train construction blocking half the road and making the usable area torn up expect driver was more than a little upset.  Fare structure just does not cover such travel properly.  That said driver was clearly at fault for dumping pax and not providing change.  But pax ignored rule number one - have correct change.

If the driver doesn't like driving in traffic for a living then perhaps he should find alternative employment. Just a suggestion. Being suspended for three months gives him the perfect opportunity.

4 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

If the driver doesn't like driving in traffic for a living then perhaps he should find alternative employment. Just a suggestion. Being suspended for three months gives him the perfect opportunity.

The driver does not like driving in heavy traffic due to the fare structure of meter taxi service - which is why there are issues getting a taxi to even use meter during peak travel times in some areas of Bangkok.  I said did not agree with action of this driver and agree with action being taken in response - but also know meter taxi drivers are mostly hard working folks just trying to get by - in spite of being painted with a broad brush by many of us.

27 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

The driver does not like driving in heavy traffic due to the fare structure of meter taxi service - which is why there are issues getting a taxi to even use meter during peak travel times in some areas of Bangkok.  I said did not agree with action of this driver and agree with action being taken in response - but also know meter taxi drivers are mostly hard working folks just trying to get by - in spite of being painted with a broad brush by many of us.

The driver knows exactly what is involved with the job, or he should do. If he doesn't like it he shouldn't have taken the job. No-one made him take a job with the fare structure it has. If no drivers took the job because of it the authorities would have to do something to it to attract drivers.

On 12/27/2022 at 5:00 PM, snoop1130 said:

A Bangkok taxi-driver has been fined 3,000 baht and has had his driving license suspended for 90 days by the Land Transport Department for overcharging a passenger by 299 baht.

Did he have a License? 

What is/if anything  is the RTP doing about the Taxi drivers with their over charging and not using the Meters?   Sweet <deleted> all 

What in Satans Name does one expect with the Taxi Mafia running the place.

They run the place ,not the Government .

Isn't it time the Government Grows a Pair and shows Who's in charge off the country and get Everyone to adhere to All the Laws and stop corruption from the Top Down.

On 12/28/2022 at 4:24 AM, hidbehindthesofa said:

I thought under the new rules that drivers were allowed to commit up to 12 offences before they exhausted all their points and had their licence suspended for three months.

 

Had this guy already overcharged 11 others ?

The reporting is poor... it was likely his ‘taxi driving’ licence that the taxi driver lost. 

 

The Points system is on the main DL... some offences cost more points than others... All somewhat moot - the points system has existed for years, then forgotten about, recently re-introduced and mostly likely forgotten about within a year. 

 

 

On 12/28/2022 at 11:24 AM, hidbehindthesofa said:

I thought under the new rules that drivers were allowed to commit up to 12 offences before they exhausted all their points and had their licence suspended for three months.

 

Had this guy already overcharged 11 others ?

What you're referring to are traffic offences, this driver was punished by the LTD, his taxi licencing authority, not the police.

A "this is not newsworthy" troll post and a reply has been removed.

On 12/27/2022 at 6:46 PM, HuskerDo2 said:

Kudos to the RTP for cracking this important case. I'm sure everyone is sleeping much better knowing this notorious criminal can't drive his cab for 3 months. Yeesh! 

 

What was the RTP police doing out on Facebook anyway?

This did not involve the RTP, try reading the OP properly.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Points system is on the main DL... some offences cost more points than others...

And it involves the police prosecuting traffic offences, this case was not a traffic offence involving the police, only the LTD.