Pattaya taxi drivers avoid charges after harassing and frightening Bangkok driver

[webfact]

Pattaya taxi driver was angry when being accused of harassing a Bangkok cabbie near Walking Street. Picture courtesy of Pattaya Mail.

 

by Top 

A group of taxi drivers in Pattaya recently found themselves in hot water but avoided any charges or fines when they were caught harassing a Bangkok driver and frightening his passengers.

 

The driver, 43 year old Jamnong Sutaboon, showed no remorse when summoned by the police on Thursday, May 4 to explain his actions. A video circulated online showed him and a fellow Pattaya taxi driver harassing a 43 year old Bangkok-based driver named Supiwat, 43 years old, near Walking Street.

Supiwat stated that he brought tourists from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Pattaya early in the morning and then stopped to grab a meal. While eating, without his “available” light on, he accepted a ride request for three passengers through the Grab app to take them to Laem Chabang.

 

However, as he was leaving the passengers’ hotel, he was confronted by two Pattaya-based taxi drivers, including Jamnong. They questioned Supiwat’s origin and claimed that he was not allowed to pick up Pattaya passengers, despite him being legally registered to use the Grab app.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/pattaya-taxi-driver-group-questioned-over-harassment-of-bangkok-cabbie-and-passengers

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-05-08

 

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[Skallywag]

City needs a moratorium and buy back program for taxis and Songtheaws.  Over 600 baht buses (songthaews)  is just ridiculous.  Simple rules need to be in place as too many taxis parking wherever they please.  No meters of course, which is illegal.  Those with meters never use them or claim they are broken. 

A reasonable number and locations needs to be implemented. 

Motorcycle taxi numbers are ridiculous as well.  Seems any guy with a motorcycle and 200 baht to buy an orange vest can set up his "business" anywhere he pleases

[Goat]

19 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

City needs a moratorium and buy back program for taxis and Songtheaws.  Over 600 baht buses (songthaews)  is just ridiculous.  Simple rules need to be in place as too many taxis parking wherever they please.  No meters of course, which is illegal.  Those with meters never use them or claim they are broken. 

A reasonable number and locations needs to be implemented. 

Motorcycle taxi numbers are ridiculous as well.  Seems any guy with a motorcycle and 200 baht to buy an orange vest can set up his "business" anywhere he pleases

Be careful what you wish for.

Pattayas songteows and wins are cheap and convenient. Taxis are not metered but fairly competitive.

 

Compare that to Phuket. On average at least triple the price of the same distance in Pattaya. And sometimes ten times the price.

[JoseThailand]

5 minutes ago, Goat said:

Compare that to Phuket. On average at least triple the price of the same distance in Pattaya. And sometimes ten times the price.

Phuket is notorious for its taxi mafia. Pattaya taxi drivers are choir boys when compared with Phuket crooks.

Edited May 8, 2023 by JoseThailand

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

avoided any charges or fines

That says it all... and is the reason why the continued poor taxi services in some cities persist. 

 

Thugs are permitted to get away with their thuggery without any fear of consequence.

 

The end game here is that the customers (tourist) were exposed to this dark-side of Thailand, not a nice situation. 

 

 

I recall a story from Phuket whereby a lady (western) picked up her visiting friend from a hotel in Phuket, her car was blocked from leaving by the Taxi thugs because the demanded the ‘business’ to transport hotel guests... (it turns out the lady in question (driver) was the Wife of some foreign council in Phuket).

 

 

Very little is done to dissuade the entitlement of these, their behaviour is simply enabled by all authorities concerned. 

[hotchilli]

A million taxi drivers trying to make a living off of half a million passengers.

 

[sikishrory]

When will the phasing out of these neanderthals be complete?

During covid they were crying poor us. I really hoped they might learn from it. Here we are again though with the same issues.

The fact that they can sit on an armchair all day on the street doing nothing and be financially ok means nothing will ever change. They just need to do 1 or 2 overpriced fares per day and they have already made the minimum thai wage. No skills or any kind of real work needs to be done. Just sit around ripping people off and making the country look bad.

I give it 10 years max and the apps will have phased them out

 

[sikishrory]

3 hours ago, Skallywag said:

City needs a moratorium and buy back program for taxis and Songtheaws.  Over 600 baht buses (songthaews)  is just ridiculous.  Simple rules need to be in place as too many taxis parking wherever they please.  No meters of course, which is illegal.  Those with meters never use them or claim they are broken. 

A reasonable number and locations needs to be implemented. 

Motorcycle taxi numbers are ridiculous as well.  Seems any guy with a motorcycle and 200 baht to buy an orange vest can set up his "business" anywhere he pleases

The vests cost around 35-40,000 baht. Saw one for sale online once.

[Mickeymaus]

These people are so rude and aggressive. I would never drive with one of them. And then there is weak law enforcement. Not a good situation as a customer (or perhaps better "victim").

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

These people are so rude and aggressive. I would never drive with one of them. And then there is weak law enforcement. Not a good situation as a customer (or perhaps better "victim").

Referring to the Pattaya taxi drivers, right ?

 

In comparison to places like Phuket and Pattaya the Bangkok taxi drivers are angels... But, they have their moment and come night time so many are refusing to use their meters - but that seems like a first world problem compared to the relative lawlessness of Pattaya and Phuket. 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The end game here is that the customers (tourist) were exposed to this dark-side of Thailand, not a nice situation. 

They just like to show tourists the real Thailand, as opposed to the TAT Land Of Smiles, so they have a story they can take home and tell all their family and friends as well as post around the world on social media. All part of the Thai Experience. 

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, Skallywag said:

City needs a moratorium and buy back program for taxis and Songtheaws.  Over 600 baht buses (songthaews)  is just ridiculous.  Simple rules need to be in place as too many taxis parking wherever they please.  No meters of course, which is illegal.  Those with meters never use them or claim they are broken. 

A reasonable number and locations needs to be implemented. 

Motorcycle taxi numbers are ridiculous as well.  Seems any guy with a motorcycle and 200 baht to buy an orange vest can set up his "business" anywhere he pleases

Only 200 baht for an orange vest in Pattaya? Sure there's not a zero or two missing there?

[jacko45k]

So he gets away with being aggressive by being aggressive?

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Goat said:

Be careful what you wish for.

Pattayas songteows and wins are cheap and convenient. Taxis are not metered but fairly competitive.

 

Compare that to Phuket. On average at least triple the price of the same distance in Pattaya. And sometimes ten times the price.

It's a fair point... Pattaya and to some extent Bangkok, are really the only places in Thailand where it is quick, easy and quite cheap to get transport.....As you say, a short spell in Phuket, or Samui and you soon find out what rip-off, bad service and attitude are all about. And many a Nakhon Nowhere you are stuck after 9.30pm to find anything. 

[mikebell]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

A group of taxi drivers in Pattaya recently found themselves in hot water but avoided any charges or fines

because they have an arrangement with the local cops who refuse to enforce the law about meters or in this case intimidation.