Bangkok taxi driver condemned for ripping off foreign tourists

[snoop1130]

Photo via Facebook/ อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทริน์ part 6

 

Thai netizens condemned a Bangkok taxi driver for ripping off two foreign tourists. The driver was caught on a viral video charging the tourists 700 baht for about a 7 kilometre trip which was considered almost seven times more expensive than the standard fare.

 

On Saturday, April 15, the Facebook page called Let Me Know If You Wanna Be Famous Return Part 6 (อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทริน์ part 6) posted a video capturing the moment when two foreign women were travelling by taxi in Bangkok. The caption stated…

 

“A page follower found this video and sent it to me. Songkran is the golden time for taxi drivers. The follower told me that he watched a livestream of these two foreign tourists while they were travelling in Thailand during the Songkran Festival. They took a taxi from SO/ Bangkok Hotel to Asiatique the Riverfront. It should be less than 10 kilometres, but the driver asked for 700 baht fares. This is 10 times more expensive than the standard fare.”

 

In the video, the two foreign women are seen getting into the yellow-green taxi in front of the SO/ Bangkok Hotel. After the driver learned that the destination was Asiatique the Riverfront, he said…

 

“It’s 700 baht because of the traffic.”

 

The tourists were shocked by the price and urged the driver to turn the meter on but the driver refused. He said…

 

“No, no. It’s traffic. 700 baht.”

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/bangkok-taxi-driver-condemned-for-ripping-off-foreign-tourists

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-17

 

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[OneMoreFarang]

And what will happen now?

Will he lose his license?

Will he have to pay a fine which will hurt?

Or is it a fine of maybe 1000B and the next day he will continue as usual?

 

And let's not forget: Maybe of those taxi no meter drivers wait in no parking areas every day. The police know that. And the police do nothing. We don't have to speculate a lot why the police do nothing... 

[connda]

Which one?  ????
There are good guys out there too. 

[connda]

23 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai netizens condemned a Bangkok taxi driver for ripping off two foreign tourists. The driver was caught on a viral video charging the tourists 700 baht for about a 7 kilometre trip which was considered almost seven times more expensive than the standard fare.

Well they got a deal!  Normal prices for farangs at most venues which charge "farang and foreigner pricing" is 10 times what a Thai pays.   

[bignok]

Best to use Bolt. Fixed price no scams. It is so cheap you can add a tip on if you want. Lot cheaper than Grab.

[zib]

5 minutes ago, bignok said:

Best to use Bolt. Fixed price no scams. It is so cheap you can add a tip on if you want. Lot cheaper than Grab.

It's cheaper for a reason. They are illegal. I'll gladly pay Grab prices then have some taxi mafia guy threaten me.

[Letseng]

5 minutes ago, bignok said:

Best to use Bolt. Fixed price no scams. It is so cheap you can add a tip on if you want. Lot cheaper than Grab.

If they show up. You wait 20 mIns then driver cancels. 

 

[bignok]

9 minutes ago, Letseng said:

If they show up. You wait 20 mIns then driver cancels. 

 

Used Bolt no problems. Was very cheap.

[bignok]

11 minutes ago, zib said:

It's cheaper for a reason. They are illegal. I'll gladly pay Grab prices then have some taxi mafia guy threaten me.

Uber was illegal in many countries early days.

[richard_smith237]

Well...   this was the taxi I took the other night... 

Stickers placed over meter..... 

 

Yet there are still those posters who quote "these things never happened to me !!!!”.... with the implication that we must be stretching the truth somehow !!...

 

[richard_smith237]

40 minutes ago, bignok said:

Best to use Bolt. Fixed price no scams. It is so cheap you can add a tip on if you want. Lot cheaper than Grab.

The issue with both Bolt and Grab is that its often difficult to get a ride... it seems to be getting a lot more difficult. 

 

BOLT - mostly unavailable to take the ride (only ever once taken Bolt in Bangkok - always unavailable). 

 

GRAB - very often unavailable and sometimes have to wait 45 mins to successfully confirm a ride. 

 

I have to walk out of my Moobaan and chance it with the passing taxi’s who may or may not want to take the journey which gets irritating to downright annoying when its raining. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Wasn’t the increase in rates for taxi’s supposed to stop all this... 

Meanwhile most on this forum were stating, nothing will change....  And, it never will until there is better enforcement and regulation... (as with everything here). 

[bignok]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

The issue with both Bolt and Grab is that its often difficult to get a ride... it seems to be getting a lot more difficult. 

 

BOLT - mostly unavailable to take the ride (only ever once taken Bolt in Bangkok - always unavailable). 

 

GRAB - very often unavailable and sometimes have to wait 45 mins to successfully confirm a ride. 

 

I have to walk out of my Moobaan and chance it with the passing taxi’s who may or may not want to take the journey which gets irritating to downright annoying when its raining. 

 

 

Easy in Chiang Mai. Get one in 5 to 8 minutes.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Well they got a deal!  Normal prices for farangs at most venues which charge "farang and foreigner pricing" is 10 times what a Thai pays.   

Usually the taxi thugs ask for 2-3x the meter price. 10x is outrageous.

[richard_smith237]

26 minutes ago, bignok said:

Easy in Chiang Mai. Get one in 5 to 8 minutes.

Yep... But the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, just to get a grab in 5-8 mins seems a bit excessive.... 

 

.... you may also have noticed the headline of this thread which is not in the Chiang Mai news section for the forum but the Bangkok News section.... "Bangkok Taxi driver..."  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

1 hour ago, connda said:

Well they got a deal!  Normal prices for farangs at most venues which charge "farang and foreigner pricing" is 10 times what a Thai pays.   

Usually the taxi thugs ask for 2-3x the meter price. 10x is outrageous.

Indeed...  

 

Now... Lets wait for the usual suspects to state the usual ‘golden droplets of dum<deleted>ery'... ... i.e. “A Taxi London costs £50 on New Years Eve” !!!

 

OR... "They weren’t scammed, they were told the price in advance"

 

OR... “Serves them right for being in a tourist area"

 

OR... “they could have refused to pay and taken another taxi"

 

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, bignok said:

Best to use Bolt. Fixed price no scams. It is so cheap you can add a tip on if you want. Lot cheaper than Grab.

Can you pay Bolt by cash or debit card or bank app in Bkk?

 

Seems that in Chang Mai Bolt only accepts cash. Please share your comments on this

[Lemsta69]

10 hours ago, bignok said:

Easy in Chiang Mai. Get one in 5 to 8 minutes.

Chiang Mai not same same Bangkok. 

[new2here]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Wasn’t the increase in rates for taxi’s supposed to stop all this... 

Meanwhile most on this forum were stating, nothing will change....  And, it never will until there is better enforcement and regulation... (as with everything here). 

To me, there will never be an officially set rate that will stomp out these crimes.. For those drivers it’s going to be X + (legal rate) .. so i don’t think chasing those off-meter drivers by upping the official rate will ever eliminate the problem.

 

To me, those drivers who been arrested/fined previously should have their taxis seized via criminal forfeiture… yes, many don’t own the vehicle.. but by the state seizing the vehicle, now the driver has a second “penalty” issue to deal with the taxi cooperative… in addition to the criminal side … To me, that’s how you root out these issues— you take their stuff .. anything used in the commission of their crime should be subject to criminal seizure. 

 

Harsh, yes… but at this point, there really isn’t any credible argument in my mind that the crime is unknown to the drivers nor do i think you can argue that the fare haven’t been increased — due in large part to driver complaints… 

[KCPhuket]

Make a note of the number plate hopefully. This is the accurate photo of the taxi?

[kennw]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Wasn’t the increase in rates for taxi’s supposed to stop all this... 

Meanwhile most on this forum were stating, nothing will change....  And, it never will until there is better enforcement and regulation... (as with everything here). 

Never changes? Correct. Aussie guy 4 years ago wanted to move from a hotel corners of Sukhumvit and Asoke to NaNa, about 1 km taxi prices ranged from 600B down to 300, he tried 6 different taxis, ended up having to take the B300 because it was the cheapest.  

[bignok]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Can you pay Bolt by cash or debit card or bank app in Bkk?

 

Seems that in Chang Mai Bolt only accepts cash. Please share your comments on this

I paid in baht which is better anyway. Long trips only 65 to 75 baht. Grab was more than double.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The tourists were shocked by the price and urged the driver to turn the meter on but the driver refused. He said…

 

“No, no. It’s traffic. 700 baht.”

 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This is 10 times more expensive than the standard fare.”

Take away his licence for life.

[jabis]

25 minutes ago, kennw said:

Never changes? Correct. Aussie guy 4 years ago wanted to move from a hotel corners of Sukhumvit and Asoke to NaNa, about 1 km taxi prices ranged from 600B down to 300, he tried 6 different taxis, ended up having to take the B300 because it was the cheapest.  

Asking the taxis parked along any roads or side sois along sukhumvit is usually just asking for punishment for your pocket book ????

Edit: 4 years ago - hell even 8 years ago - there were ride-hailing apps to combat the "taxi meter not work"-bull<deleted>. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by jabis

[Bangkok Barry]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Wasn’t the increase in rates for taxi’s supposed to stop all this... 

Meanwhile most on this forum were stating, nothing will change....  And, it never will until there is better enforcement and regulation... (as with everything here). 

In the Land of Apathy there is obsoletely no desire to do anything at all about the scams. None. If they were serious, instead of doing a 'crack down' for a few hours once a year outside one shopping centre, they need to pull a load of soldiers out of a barracks where they do who knows what all day long, dress them in civvies and get them to hire taxis. Any who refused to use the meter or do their job by actually taking people where they want to go (often an alien concept here, I know) should immediately have their license withdrawn. No ifs or buts. The word would soon get around. I'm sure that plenty of foreigners could be found who would be only too happy to take on the job too. But in Thailand nobody cares about anything, from taxi scams to kids dying on motorcycles.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Bangkok Barry

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Name and shame the taxi driver , make the authorities remove his licence to be a taxi driver. 

[DonniePeverley]

12 hours ago, bignok said:

Used Bolt no problems. Was very cheap.

 

In Central Bangkok ? 

 

For me they always cancel, and that's after waiting an age for them. Rarely get good experiences with them here. 

 

Something needs to be done with the official taxis.  

Edited April 17, 2023 by DonniePeverley

[cheesecakegirl]

"Bangkok taxi driveR" ripping off farangs -- as in only ONE.  ????????????????????

[Puerto Rican In Thailand]

"Thai netizens condemned a Bangkok taxi driver for ripping off two foreign tourists."

 

I thought the taxi driver had received the death penalty????‍♀️

[stoner]

cue story about tourist leaving a huge bag of cash in the back of a cab in 3....2....1