Overcharging Phuket Motorbike Taxi Driver Attacks Foreign Tourist

[Bravefart]

I don`t know perhaps it is just me and yes I am one of the so called tight assed Scotsmen , yes I am proudly one of the only race that can peel an orange in their pocket and the good old short arms and deep pockets joke. . 

 

But seriously why not give the man the extra baht I assure you that for the price he was asking you could not sit in a taxi in Australia or ,USA,Germany,France or anywhere else let alone get to your destination.

[Jackbenimble]

all for 44 baht..........just pay. I'd have tipped him the change anyway if he'd have asked me for the 56thb. So if he had asked me for 100thb its not a problem. certainly not worth causing a stink about.

[Jackbenimble]

7 hours ago, stoner said:

shocker. another low life scum bag taxi loser in phuket. i bet tomorrow a taxi will return a gold chain or a billion baht. 

another lowlife scum bag? Another fully paid up Cheap Charlie more like. 44 baht!!

[spidermike007]

I know I look like a man. I sort of dress like a man. I smell like a man, and I sure eat like a man. So, why don't I behave like a man? That sure is a good question. When I get frustrated I seem to lose my mind, alot. I do not seem capable of reaching within for patience, understanding, or goodwill. And my skin is so thin, it takes very, very little for me to get offended. What on earth is wrong with me? Why have I failed so miserably at being a decent human being?

 

 

[Jackbenimble]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

Really? isn't there so many of them in all over Thailand who preys on tourists? just say no and get the next one, we are not here to educate those lowlife.

Lowlife? U sound like such a nice guy. And some people wonder why we're not welcome here.

[1happykamper]

For 44 baht this idiot could have been killed. Idjiot! 

[Red Forever]

Could A.N. run a daily page titled "Today's thuggery in Phuket"?

A nasty island run by crooked, entitled thugs.

[Surasak]

7 hours ago, bob smith said:

Phuket is littered with these wannabe gangsters. 

 

horrible place.

I actually like Phuket. Its the people I can't stand????

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

A clear case of Poundland tourism jai the both of them ????

Not about Poundland tourism, its about the price quoted and price then asked for.

The amount is immaterial and the more these guys get away with it, the more they will do it as the " norm " and it isn't right.

[Frankie baby]

I try not to use any form of transport for getting around Patong, I leg it every time. On the very very few occasions I need to use a bike, theirs a group of women motor bike taxis 150m up the road. The few times I've used them over the years they've always been very polite and given me a decent price. Wouldn't it be great if all the motorbike taxi guys were binned & a mass take over by the ladies. If that would ever happen the punters using these services would at least double. (services for the bikes I mean?).

[BarraMarra]

1 hour ago, new2here said:

I’ve long advocated for seizures.. If you’re arrested and convicted of a crime, any assets that were used in the commission of said crime should be subject to seizure and forfeiture.  

 

If you use a motorbike to rip someone off - and you’re convicted, then you should loose the bike.. If you sell drugs out of a house, you loose and house and -

land, etc… Criminal forfeiture is a powerful tool if used correctly and consistently. 

 

Once you start taking people assets away, that’s when it hurts. 

The difference in Patong is you get attacked and beaten and if the attacker is arrested or handed himself in the next day he is out again fleecing tourists. They are never fined they know it so they carry on. Im surprised the Tourist was not waing him and giving him a bouquet of flowers with the local news team to document it.

[Surasak]

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It is a misunderstanding... it is called soft power to attrack tourists...Scamming in Thailand?? No Thais don't do things like that.. Honest and reliable...

Honest and reliable... About as honest as Dick Turpin. As to reliable... The only thing that could be relied upon, would be doing the same thing to some other unsuspecting soul.

[klauskunkel]

7 hours ago, bob smith said:

why do these farangs always get roped into these silly photo ops with their assailants?

I would of told him to get stuffed if he put his hand out and asked me to shake it!

 

cheeky little git.

I'd shake his hand in front of the camera, until he is on his knees crying: "Jep! Jep!"

[bluemoon58]

8 hours ago, bob smith said:

why do these farangs always get roped into these silly photo ops with their assailants?

I would of told him to get stuffed if he put his hand out and asked me to shake it!

 

cheeky little git.

Yep, I'd have told him to <deleted> right off! 

[Toby1947]

8 hours ago, bob smith said:

why do these farangs always get roped into these silly photo ops with their assailants?

I would of told him to get stuffed if he put his hand out and asked me to shake it!

 

cheeky little git.

Should of laid the little squirt out in the first place

[Felt 35]

2 hours ago, Jackbenimble said:

all for 44 baht..........just pay. I'd have tipped him the change anyway if he'd have asked me for the 56thb. So if he had asked me for 100thb its not a problem. certainly not worth causing a stink about.

..eh and if a Grab Taxi just had driven you to Surat Thani for Thb 5600,- you will be fine if the driver demanded Thb 10000,- on arrival.......????

Felt

[Henkjan2]

 

56 baht is 2 liter of fuel? 60 km range for a motorbike. The ride wouldn't have been more than 10 km i'm sure.

 

So there still was a reasonable profit for the driver/hustler.

[paulikens]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

next time walk save yourself 56 baht, and save your life 

@ChipButty Just as dangerous walking around Thailand. Especially crossing roads.  

[Gilligan In Drag]

I've lived in Thailand for the last 24 years, and only been to Phuket once, no incidents when I did go, but the general atmosphere is rather mercenary much less friendly than the rest of the country. I felt somewhat uncomfortable at the pushiness I felt afraid of security in the bars as well.

 

If I want an idyllic tropical island holiday, Indonesia is streets better than Phuket, it doesn't cost that much more to fly down there 8000 baht round trip to Bali and from there you can also  explore many other very interesting islands and places if the touristyness of Bali sucks too much, Java, Lombok, Sulawesi, natural environment and traditonal culture in better shape than post-modern consumerist shambles Thailand.

[stoner]

4 hours ago, Jackbenimble said:

another lowlife scum bag? Another fully paid up Cheap Charlie more like. 44 baht!!

wrong.

 

did the taxi sign up to an app as a registered driver ? yes.

 

did the driver then accept a fare and route pre determined with customer ? yes

 

did the driver then try to change said agreement ? yes

 

revert back to my original comment for more info. 

[kwaussie]

I wouldnt jump on the back expecting to pay anything less than 100 bht.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

12 hours ago, bob smith said:

why do these farangs always get roped into these silly photo ops with their assailants?

What's the alternative? looking over your shoulder all the time to make sure a gang of drivers don't try to assault you? better to shake hands and let it be than risk revenge from scum like that.

[Scouse123]

5 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

The difference in Patong is you get attacked and beaten and if the attacker is arrested or handed himself in the next day he is out again fleecing tourists. They are never fined they know it so they carry on. Im surprised the Tourist was not waing him and giving him a bouquet of flowers with the local news team to document it.

We know very well, there is a heavy dirty influence that oversees and looks after these motorcycles and taxi mafias and basically allows them to behave how they wish.

 

I no longer go to the place and agree with others on the board that they are a nasty lot when they don't get their own way.

 

 They accept tourists for cash only and without the tourist cash element we are disliked and not wanted.

 

They tolerate us for two or three weeks, and tolerate is the word.

 

They have got away with this behavior for too long now and they won't change, they know the legal and police loopholes and ways of getting back in the good graces of the local BIB.

 

My other half totally refuses to go.

 

She will go to Bangkok, Rayong, Koh Chang, anywhere in Isaarn. She likes Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam, Europe etc but detests the Thai islands of Koh Tao and Phuket, and actually is not that keen on Samui but will suffer it for a few days if there is a few of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

27 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

What's the alternative? looking over your shoulder all the time to make sure a gang of drivers don't try to assault you? better to shake hands and let it be than risk revenge from scum like that.

Agreed,

 

But better not to go to there in the first place and give your tourist cash to a bunch of cheats and lowlifes.

 

Also, what kind of holiday is it when you have to look over your shoulder, get ripped off by taxis and motorbike taxis as well as the age old scam of jet ski damage.

 

The place isn't cheap to stay in either.

 

I much prefer Cambodia and Vietnam for a holiday destination where the people are friendly and helpful.

 

Phuket is just a toilet these days.

[swm59nj]

I read the stories and watched the video.  Unless I missed something I don’t see where the tourist was actually physically attacked.  I see yelling and kicking the gate. 
Was the fare paid in cash to the driver?  Or was it charged via the app? Because the tourist obviously was able to walk away to get behind the gate.  And possibly the police were called by the owner or staff of the accommodation because of the damage to the door. 
If the tourist wanted to pose for some ridiculous photo. That’s on him.  I guess the issue wasn’t that much of a big deal then.  I would not have done it. 
These types of incidents are not exclusive to Phuket.  And while I lived in Bangkok.  I experienced some local behavior.  Where a local would get upset and confrontational if they couldn’t take advantage of you.  Or over some ridiculous nonsense.  
 

[Brick Top]

I actually saw that exact same motorbike taxi guy today , he was very near Phuket Palace in Patong , one thing i noticed immediately is he has NO Yellow Plate on that Honda PCX , just an ordinary White plate .

So he isn't even a proper licensed motorbike taxi , i watched him take off like a lunatic  and drive straight across Sirirat Road almost causing an accident to pick pick up a fare at the Family mart across the other side of the road 

[save the frogs]

30 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

She will go to Bangkok, Rayong, Koh Chang, anywhere in Isaarn. She likes Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam, Europe

europe? seriously?

most of western europe rips off tourists with exorbitant prices. 

[Thjames]

13 hours ago, bob smith said:

why do these farangs always get roped into these silly photo ops with their assailants?

I would of told him to get stuffed if he put his hand out and asked me to shake it!

 

cheeky little git.

ya but do you really want to stay on the wrong side of these people.  these taxi drivers have friends in low places ????

[Foreign Jim]

13 hours ago, ezzra said:

Really? isn't there so many of them in all over Thailand who preys on tourists? just say no and get the next one, we are not here to educate those lowlife.

You don't seem to understand how GRAB works. The tourist booked and the arranged price was 56 bhat. He got driven to his destination and the driver tried to charge 100 baht.  How was the tourist supposed to "get the next one?" 

[Scouse123]

7 hours ago, Bravefart said:

I don`t know perhaps it is just me and yes I am one of the so called tight assed Scotsmen , yes I am proudly one of the only race that can peel an orange in their pocket and the good old short arms and deep pockets joke. . 

 

But seriously why not give the man the extra baht I assure you that for the price he was asking you could not sit in a taxi in Australia or ,USA,Germany,France or anywhere else let alone get to your destination.

We are not in Australia, Germany, France or the USA. The overheads that the guys have to pay in those countries for insurance, fees, government charges, licenses are vastly different. That's without talking about extensive training, testing and driving to a higher standard than normal private drivers.

 

So a guy gets physically aggressive because ' he decides ' en route to change an agreed ' Grab ' fare? you think that's OK?

 

You see this where people like you become part of the problem by allowing these guys to run around unchecked. He gets away with it once or twice, Thai mentality, it becomes the ' normal ' and if you don't like the response from the customer, get violent.

 

Nope, don't agree with you.

 

So you book a hotel room, (one of the few things that are value for money in this country now) and their prices are sneaking up, and you agree prior that it is 1500 baht a night, but when you get there, they say they want 1700 baht a night, with no reason given? .................It's the same principle, ...........it is just the amounts that differ.

 

I am in Cambodia and Vietnam regularly and when using these apps for transport, that behaviour does not happen and wouldn't be tolerated.

 

If anything, Grab, Bolt, Passapp, has encouraged the tuk tuk drivers in Siem Reap to ' up their game! ' and get competitive.

 

If he doesn't like the pay as a motorbike taxi, he needs to change his job, however, he probably won't be qualified to do anything else!