Thai taxi turmoil: Fare fight leaves traveller abandoned on road to Pattaya (video)

[webfact]

A Thai woman took to social media to share her experience with another one of Thailand’s notorious taxi drivers who abandoned her in the middle of the journey to Pattaya after she refused to pay more when he tried to hike the fare mid-journey.

 

The victim shared a video of herself arguing with the taxi driver on her TikTok account, @maimumu56 , yesterday, December 11. She began the caption by saying, “Abandoned by this taxi driver in the middle of the journey.”

 

The woman explained that she booked an app-based driver via the ride-hailing application, Bolt . The fare on the app was 1,217 baht, excluding the toll fees which were about 200 baht. The car was supposed to be a private car registered with Bolt but the vehicle that picked her up was an orange taxi with a different number plate.

@maimumu56 โดนรถแท็กซี่ปล่อยทิ้งไว้กลางทาง เหตุเกิดจากเรียกรถในแอพ bolt เราเรียกเป็น economy นะคะ ราคา 1217 บาท ยังไม่รวมค่าทางด่วนอีก (ประมาณไม่เกิน 200 เราออกให้ ) ในแอพเป็นรถส่วนตัวแต่พอมารับกลับเอาแท็กซี่มารับแล้วรถคนละทะเบียนกัลที่แจ้งในbolt ด้วยความที่เหนื่อยมากเลยหลับตั้งแต่กรุงเทพ พอถึงหนองขาม ศรีราชาอีก 30กว่ากิโลจะถึงพัทยาจุดหมายของเรา คนขับปลุกเราบอกน้องค่ารถในแอพ 1217 ใช่ไหม ค่ามิเตอร์ตอนนี้มันจะ 1300 แล้ว น้องต้องจ่ายตามราคามิเตอร์นะ พร้อมเอาผ้าคลุมสีดำที่คลุมมิเตอร์ออก (คนขับแอบเปิดมิเตอร์ตั้งแต่ตอนไหนไม่รู้แล้วเอาผ้าคลุมไว้ ) เราเลยบอกว่าเราจะจ่ายราคาตามแอพ ปกติก็จ่ายตามแอพไม่เห็นมีปัญหา คนขับบอก ถ้าจะจ่ายตามแอพ ผมก็คงจะส่งคุณได้ถึงตรงนี้ งั้นเราจะลง แล้วเขาจะจอดไว้กลางทางด่วน เราเลยบอกว่า เอาเราไปส่งที่ปั้มน้ำมัน เขาบอกว่า ถ้าจะรายงานแอพ ก็ฝากบอกด้วยว่า แอพหัวควย พอถึงปั้ม เราโทรแจ้งตำรวจ เขาก็มาด่าเราต่อว่า อีตอแหล ขึ้นมึง ขึ้นกู อีเหี้ย พอเรามองหน้า เขาก็บอกว่า อย่ามามองหน้าผมแบบนี้ ผมโดนแอพโกง ด่าเราว่าเหี้ย เราบอกว่าให้หยุดพูด รอตำรวจ ก็ด่าเราว่า มึงไม่ใช่แม่กู ทำไมกูต้องเชื่อมึงด้วย สักพักตำรวจมา พอลงบันทึกประจำวัน เขาบอกว่าเขาโดนแอพโกงเงิน ตำรวจบอกว่า ถ้าจะเอาราคาตามมิเตอร์แล้วถ้ามิเตอร์ขึ้นไป3000-4000 บาท แต่น้องเขามีอยู่แค่ไม่เกิน 1500ละ จะทำยังไง เขาเลยยอมรับว่าเขาผิด เราเลยจ่ายตามระยะทางจริงที่เขามาส่ง คือ 1026 (ค่ารถ946 + ค่าทางด่วน 80 บาท ) ก็จบกันตรงนี้ค่ะ ตำรวจยังพูดว่า ก็เขาเรียกในแอพ ก็ต้องคิดราคาตามแอพ ทำไมให้จ่ายตามมิเตอร์ สรุปคุณตำรวจมาเคลียร์แท็กซี่ถึงยอมรับว่าตัวเองผิด #แท็กซี่ #bolt #พัทยา #ไทยรัฐทีวี #taxi #โดนโกง #โกง #แท็กซี่โกง #แท็กซี่หัวร้อน #แท็กซี่ไทย ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ - maijamg

After confirming with the taxi driver that he was the Bolt driver on the app, she got into the car and fell asleep. The driver woke her when they reached Siracha district in Chon Buri, about 30 kilometers from her destination in Pattaya.

The driver uncovered a black cloth covering the meter and told her he wanted the fare on the meter, not in the app. The fare on the meter was 1,300 baht and would increase if she continued.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via TikTok/ @maimumu56

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-13

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[BritManToo]

Shouldn't have got in the taxi, should have immediately contacted Bolt that the car arriving wasn't the car booked. She not only risked overcharging, but risked rape.

[flyingtlger]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

She not only risked overcharging, but risked rape.

I think that’s a little overkill…

 

[ezzra]

The driver, seeing a woman passenger thought he is not going to get any resistance from her so he took his chance is price gauging, oh boy was he wrong...

[keith101]

I had friends come from Aus to play golf and have fun so on the way back to the airport in a taxi that the price was agreed on he pulled over halfway on highway 7 said he wanted more to which they said no he took a u-turn and told them to get out if they dont pay more and drove off when they wouldn't leaving them stranded maybe the same guy who knows 

[BritManToo]

43 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

I think that’s a little overkill…

 

Nah, the reason for a single woman to use the transport apps is so there's a record of the car and the driver picking you up.

Once a different person/car arrives, something is wrong and you need to refuse the ride.

[NextG]

One taxi driver decided to go on a ‘go slow’ to the airport because he was in a bad mood. 
Unfortunately for him, the risk of missing my flight outweighed his bad mood. 
Let’s just say that his gambit didn’t work and he got me to the airport ‘tout de suite’ after I had some words with him at a gas station. 

[NextG]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A Thai woman took to social media to share her experience with another one of Thailand’s notorious taxi drivers who abandoned her in the middle of the journey to Pattaya after she refused to pay more when he tried to hike the fare mid-journey.

 

The victim shared a video of herself arguing with the taxi driver on her TikTok account, @maimumu56 , yesterday, December 11. She began the caption by saying, “Abandoned by this taxi driver in the middle of the journey.”

 

The woman explained that she booked an app-based driver via the ride-hailing application, Bolt . The fare on the app was 1,217 baht, excluding the toll fees which were about 200 baht. The car was supposed to be a private car registered with Bolt but the vehicle that picked her up was an orange taxi with a different number plate.

After confirming with the taxi driver that he was the Bolt driver on the app, she got into the car and fell asleep. The driver woke her when they reached Siracha district in Chon Buri, about 30 kilometers from her destination in Pattaya.

The driver uncovered a black cloth covering the meter and told her he wanted the fare on the meter, not in the app. The fare on the meter was 1,300 baht and would increase if she continued.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via TikTok/ @maimumu56

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-13

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

I would have had no problem with this. He would have got precisely 0 baht from me. I would have called another car and not given him the opportunity to change his mind. At 1217+ baht down, he would have had ample opportunity to reflect on his behaviour. 
 

[KhunBENQ]

Can't find where she started.

When I need a taxi from airport to Pattaya I use old fashioned prebooking.

1000 incl toll.

No discussion. No hassle. No bad mood.

Usually give a 100 tip.

 

For me it looks like these app based hailing services are overrated here.

Once had one from Phuket airport and also on the way back.

Spare details but both troublesome experiences.

[mokwit]

This taxi anarchy* is out of control and seriously damages Thailand's image with tourists - they have just never experienced taxi drivers like this before.

 

* yes there are 'salt of the earth' drivers too.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, flyingtlger said:

I think that’s a little overkill…

 

i know of a woman in Rayong who got a Bolt taxi recently and was raped and killed by the driver, never made the news

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The woman explained that she booked an app-based driver via the ride-hailing application, Bolt . The fare on the app was 1,217 baht, excluding the toll fees which were about 200 baht (...)

 

So, was that actually the Bolt taxi? If so, I wouldn't pay a penny more (if not a tip) than it said on the app.

[Jimbo 12345]

2 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I think that’s a little overkill…

 

Yeah,  rape for gods sake,  bit over the top,  

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The driver uncovered a black cloth covering the meter and told her he wanted the fare on the meter, not in the app. The fare on the meter was 1,300 baht and would increase if she continued.

Rather dubious to say the least.

[gintis0604]

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

I had friends come from Aus to play golf and have fun so on the way back to the airport in a taxi that the price was agreed on he pulled over halfway on highway 7 said he wanted more to which they said no he took a u-turn and told them to get out if they dont pay more and drove off when they wouldn't leaving them stranded maybe the same guy who knows 

Why did they leave the taxi?

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

So, was that actually the Bolt taxi? If so, I wouldn't pay a penny more (if not a tip) than it said on the app.

 

She didn't. She refused. That is the entire point of the thread 

[Bangkok Barry]

Amazing how this driver and others act as they do, despite knowing they are being filmed. How dumb can you be? But I suppose backing down is out of the question as they'd lose face. Thinking ahead to knowing they'll lose even more face by being 'dealt with' is also out of the question for yet another idiot who lives only in the moment.

[cjinchiangrai]

The 1200 + 200 is a fair price. It looks like the taxi stole a fare from Bolt and then tried to scam her. He should be arrested for fraud.

[expat_4_life]

If I'm really stuck, usually at night, in Bangkok I use the LINE taxi app.  For planned longer trips I use a booking service.

LINE drivers show up and they use the meter +20 Baht ...

I get my metered taxi and they get a tip, only app I'll use

[Thumbs]

He’ll get reported have to make an ingenious apology to her and a small insignificant fine, thats why these price gauging stories are heard time and time again. Traffic light point system 

 

first offense fine (green)

second offense fine and 30 day license suspension (amber)

third offense license revoked for 12 months (if caught operating without a license mandatory 3 months jail sentence)

 

Thailand makes things difficult for itself because there are no severe consequences for their actions, in this day and age with social media every tourist and local getting ripped off post the interaction on social media which damages the tourist industry and locals confidence in taxi services and apps

[SiSePuede419]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

private car registered with Bolt

Checks out, Mamn. ✅

 

Bolt (slang)

1. to leave, to run off 

[renaissanc]

In short, the driver confirmed the reputation of taxi drivers.

[jacko45k]

21 minutes ago, renaissanc said:

In short, the driver confirmed the reputation of taxi drivers.

In a few days one will be returning a large sum of cash money to a forgetful and grateful passenger!

[Marco51]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I think that’s a little overkill…

 

oh, really? Somewhere on the road where she has to depend on help from whoever comes along?.....................this is not the Thailand of the 80s/90s but Thailandistan of the 2020s after the chinese plague and during the next maoist invasion, putting everyone on economic and emotional edge .....not unlike the rest of the world.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Marco51 said:

oh, really? Somewhere on the road where she has to depend on help from whoever comes along?.....................this is not the Thailand of the 80s/90s but Thailandistan of the 2020s after the chinese plague and during the next maoist invasion, putting everyone on economic and emotional edge .....not unlike the rest of the world.

Take a chill pill mate!

[soalbundy]

Supertramp comes to mind, 'Take the long way home'

[thairookie]

The Thai lawyers that I have come across are the same.  After collecting full fees (even before a bullet is fired), they will coax you to settle the case, even if you are in a winning position.  And very often, the terms on which your own lawyers want you to agree are favorable to the other party.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

I had friends come from Aus to play golf and have fun so on the way back to the airport in a taxi that the price was agreed on he pulled over halfway on highway 7 said he wanted more to which they said no he took a u-turn and told them to get out if they dont pay more and drove off when they wouldn't leaving them stranded maybe the same guy who knows 

Which is why I always insisted on using the meter and refusing to get in if the driver wanted to negotiate. It's a common scam.

They thought they were saving money and found out that they were not in Aus any more.

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, expat_4_life said:

If I'm really stuck, usually at night, in Bangkok I use the LINE taxi app.  For planned longer trips I use a booking service.

LINE drivers show up and they use the meter +20 Baht ...

I get my metered taxi and they get a tip, only app I'll use

 

Sadly this doesn't seem to be available on Apple. 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Can't find where she started.

When I need a taxi from airport to Pattaya I use old fashioned prebooking.

1000 incl toll.

No discussion. No hassle. No bad mood.

Usually give a 100 tip.

 

For me it looks like these app based hailing services are overrated here.

Once had one from Phuket airport and also on the way back.

Spare details but both troublesome experiences.

Internet tells me Bell bus is still running to Pattaya, Airport to the door service.

I'm sure the other bus service is still running. No hassle, no toll fees, way cheaper than taxi.

If people want to take a taxi, they can take the risk too.