Bangkok taxi driver condemned for ripping off foreign tourists

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, new2here said:

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… 

"now the driver has a second “penalty” issue to deal with the taxi cooperative… in addition to the criminal side …"  Reality is that it's NOT a taxi cooperative (although the word 'cooperative is on many taxis). It's one owner who owns all the cars for that colour and rents them out by the day. 

[hkt83100]

1 hour ago, kennw said:

move from a hotel corners of Sukhumvit and Asoke to NaNa, about 1 km

Sounds like a walkable distance to me.

[ChipButty]

26 minutes ago, hkt83100 said:

Sounds like a walkable distance to me.

I used to live in Suk soi 2 sometimes it was quicker to walk 

[Bazerino]

Songkran Surcharge......

[tandor]

should be relegated to a Samlor

[BangkokKnights]

My favourite story was the three American girls who were charged 1,500b for a short tuk tuk ride in BKK. Luckily their tour agent complained to the cops they located him and negotiated down from 1500b to 500b. Cops said 500b is fair????

 Its a 40 b fare divided by 3 passengers. 

TIT

[sahibji]

If you want to make an example, then suspend his license for one year and impose  a fine of 5000 Bahts.

[Frankie baby]

Only Baht-700! Now you know what it feels like getting around in Phuket, that would be considered the norm?

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, cheesecakegirl said:

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

The two girls in the video are not farang. 

[spidermike007]

Where is the deterrent? Are these guys afraid of losing their license? No. Are they afraid of having their cars confiscated? No. What are they afraid of? Certainly not the weak, corrupt and feeble army. Certainly not the transportation dept. Maybe a small fine? 

 

When there is no moral authority, and no deterrent the taxi mafia knows they are above the law. 

 

The miracle here, is that there is not more crime. With the administration being so weak, and the police bring so feeble, it shows you the generally good nature of the public, that there is not utter mayhem every day! 

[IvorBiggun2]

I had similar story to the 2 tourists back in 2014. I jumped in a taxi at the airport and asked to go to Mo Chit bus station. The driver pulled away but didn't turn the meter on. I asked him to turn it on but he said, similar to the 2 tourists in this story, 'too much traffic'. Being as we weren't going fast I opened the taxi door and said 'I'm getting out'. He backed down and put the meter on. At Mo Chit I had to get my luggage out of the boot myself being as the driver stayed sat in the vehicle. Obviously I never gave him a tip.

[steven100]

here we go round the mulberry bush '    tra la la la la .....     same .. same ...    same ....

[crazykopite]

Withdraw his license to drive taxis for life 

[crazykopite]

1 hour ago, Frankie baby said:

Only Baht-700! Now you know what it feels like getting around in Phuket, that would be considered the norm?

Same on Koh Samui

[shackleton]

Get a feeling a good taxi story coming up 

Driver finds wallet  loaded with money ???? 

And being the good citizen hands it back to foreign tourist ????

[metisdead]

A post with a trolling meme has been removed.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I had similar story to the 2 tourists back in 2014. I jumped in a taxi at the airport and asked to go to Mo Chit bus station. The driver pulled away but didn't turn the meter on. I asked him to turn it on but he said, similar to the 2 tourists in this story, 'too much traffic'. Being as we weren't going fast I opened the taxi door and said 'I'm getting out'. He backed down and put the meter on. At Mo Chit I had to get my luggage out of the boot myself being as the driver stayed sat in the vehicle. Obviously I never gave him a tip.

I know this is not Thailand but back in Scotland driving a taxi, I dropped a couple age maybe 50's, at their guesthouse at the bottom of maybe about 20 steps. The guy paid me the exact fare then asked me to carry his case up the steps. Bet you can imagine what my reply was.

[Andrew65]

1998 taxi flag-fall = 35 Baht
2018 taxi flag fall = 35 Baht

I used to use a taxi most days when I lived in BKK, and reckoned that the flag fall sould have been 50-60 Baht by now. (My one regular trip cost 47 Baht on the meter, I always used to give the driver 60).

[JackGats]

17 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.

Bolt taxis do not even come to touristy areas most of the time. I couldn't get one on Soi 11 Sukhumvit.

[Snugs08]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

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 !!...

 

Haha, I have seen a few attempts of this over the years, usually big mess of amulets perfectly located swinging in front of the meter then they reset the meter before you can see the real total but that one takes the biscuit. I also seen a fair share of taxis with no internal number plates recently too, already on the way by time I noticed though, nothing happened and fare seemed okay, but probably best skipping if the door plates are missing

 

[Jiggo]

Sky train, Bolt motorbike or even walking in Bkk, never use taxis.

[MrJ2U]

18 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.

Hard to believe anyone bothers with overpriced and greasy taxis when Grab, Bolt, etc are available.

 

 

[n00dle]

17 hours 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. 

this is very true, pre covid grab took miuntes to get a ride. now it takes a half hour, if you can even find a driver.

[n00dle]

6 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Hard to believe anyone bothers with overpriced and greasy taxis when Grab, Bolt, etc are available.

 

 

you are aware that any taxi driver can use grab. correct? Unless they are private vehicles (the minority) the cars are  no different.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, n00dle said:

17 hours 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. 

this is very true, pre covid grab took miuntes to get a ride. now it takes a half hour, if you can even find a driver.

I think a lot of the Grab taxi drivers became GrabBike riders during Covid and concentrated on the deliveries etc - they probably make a similar amount of money and are not interested in going back to GrabTaxi. 

 

Then there is also the possible facet that regular taxi drivers are applying pressure on their colleagues not work through Grab.

 

Since Covid I have also noticed a lot more of the taxi’s charging flat rates rather than using the meter -  particularly at night. 

 

 

[n00dle]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Since Covid I have also noticed a lot more of the taxi’s charging flat rates rather than using the meter -  particularly at night. 

once I would have argued this, but the fact of the matter is I became more of a habitual homebody after COVID and am just out less so didn't really notice.

 

Recent experiences both day and night (i live on soi11) however have shown it difficult to get a car willing to use the meter unless you don't mind closing the door and waiting for the the next car along, It usually take two or three tries, but taxis are plentiful round here and if you chill it only takes minutes to find a more reasonable driver. 

[n00dle]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think a lot of the Grab taxi drivers became GrabBike riders during Covid and concentrated on the deliveries etc - they probably make a similar amount of money and are not interested in going back to GrabTaxi. 

 

Then there is also the possible facet that regular taxi drivers are applying pressure on their colleagues not work through Grab.

 

Since Covid I have also noticed a lot more of the taxi’s charging flat rates rather than using the meter -  particularly at night. 

 

 

As an aside, I rode my bicycle around the under construction benjakitti park a lot during covid and at one point a section of road near the park entrance was used to park up around 100 new corollas that I was told had been repossessed.  This was around the same time taxi drivers were protesting outside the finance houses on Asoke.

[bristolgeoff]

How many times it happens,daily in bkk I imagine.I ask a taxi no meter i move on.The tourist should know better than get in and pay the no meter fare

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, n00dle said:

19 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Hard to believe anyone bothers with overpriced and greasy taxis when Grab, Bolt, etc are available.

you are aware that any taxi driver can use grab. correct? Unless they are private vehicles (the minority) the cars are  no different.

There is a very significant difference between GRAB / Bolt and flagging down a conventional taxi. 

 

That difference is ‘dual accountability’ - When using a GRAB or BOLT, the passenger has a record of the car and drivers details, the driver has a record of the passengers details. 

 

This in itself is sufficient ‘incentive’ for both to behave, or rather greater inventive than anonymity for both not to behave like criminals. 

 

In effect - using GRAB or BOLT comes with a greater guarantee that a driver provides a professional level of service whereas flagging down a taxi comes with a greater chance that the driver is a lunatic. 

 

 

This difference makes a difference... 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Recent experiences both day and night (i live on soi11) however have shown it difficult to get a car willing to use the meter unless you don't mind closing the door and waiting for the the next car along, It usually take two or three tries, but taxis are plentiful round here and if you chill it only takes minutes to find a more reasonable driver. 

Agreed... Soi 11 has always been one of the worst for getting an ‘honest flag-fall taxi’... I don't think I’ve ever successfully managed it in the evening...  

 

... Soi 11 is particularly ‘amusing’... a lot of the time as soon as I speak Thai they’re not interested !... 

OR.. their doors are locked and they wind down the window... which is a defiantly give away form them wanting to negotiate an elevated flat-rate. 

 

 

IF the police really wanted to ‘clean up’ the industry and prevent this ‘entitled* attitude’ of the taxi drivers, they could easily catch drivers in this area. 

 

 

‘entitled* attitude’ drivers refusing to use the meter and charging elevated flat rates becomes the norm such much that they are actually upset when it is expected of them to behave honestly and use the meter !!..