Thai taxi driver slams cops for toll indulgence

[brianthainess]

31 minutes ago, cncltd1973 said:

another thai misunderstanding. time to phase the entire country out of that dying language and convert to english and watch the economy blossom. how can you expect to be a global hub of anything with a limiting language? it only serves to benefit their misplaced pride. if they really want to enter the global economy then it's time to follow the path that Singapore and Hong Kong chose and make english their language; it would completely revitalize their economy

 All Thais should speak Russian now as they are taking over. Russians need to learn English.

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Whenever I've been in a Bangkok taxi the driver has asked for the toll fee at each toll gate. Simples.

[Docno]

I only wonder if the police would have been helpful and generous had the passengers been a pair of beer-gutted old fellas... 

[praguecr]

I believe the Thai women taxi driver. In any case, never a good idea to argue anything in Thailand over 50 Baht. 

[cardinalblue]

Defamation suit coming against the taxi driver for bad mouthing the tourist industry….why not?

 

have they never heard of “ the customer is skeet’s right”…

[thenewgoo]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

The driver said she then informed passengers that the transport fee from the application was 326 baht, and they had to pay an additional toll fee.

Blame the app maybe, but ultimately a lack of transparency of the fare was the issue.

[bristolgeoff]

When I take a taxi in bkk always meter  or no ride.All depends time and where u go of course.but if heavy traffic then  the tollway saves time,or else the long way ok.Just make it clear with the taxi driver about everything before u get into the cab.Doing a runner happens but a bad look  for tourist

[MangoKorat]

Seen this before and although I agree with the taxi driver, this situation has been going on for many years - long enough for the taxi companies to put it in writing, in multiple languages, on a sign inside that car.

 

There used to be something like that but only in English, can't remember or maybe I just don't notice it but I don't think I've seen it for a while.

 

I'm not so sure that the tourists running away shows their guilt, thinking they were being ripped off, they may have thought that would be an end to the matter.  With some taxi drivers it would be but this girl stood her ground.

[bradiston]

12 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Shriek away pal,  but learn to read between the lines, and question what you are told especially by certain online publications

Oh you mean, make up your own version to fit your prejudices? Running off without paying is called bilking. Now, what motive would she have to make that up? She's been ripped off, and I can tell you from my own experience, taking somebody to their chosen destination and have them do a runner can REALLY MESS UP YOUR SHIFT, OK? Have you ever driven a cab? Do you know how difficult people can be? She's done her job. They've basically refused to pay her for it.

[bradiston]

12 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Shriek away pal,  but learn to read between the lines, and question what you are told especially by certain online publications

Oh you mean, make up your own version to fit your prejudices? Running off without paying is called bilking. Now, what motive would she have to make that up? She's been ripped off, and I can tell you from my own experience, taking somebody to their chosen destination and have them do a runner can REALLY MESS UP YOUR SHIFT, OK? Have you ever driven a cab? Do you know how difficult people can be? She's done her job. They've basically refused to pay her for it.

[kiwikeith]

15 hours ago, shackleton said:

This is getting beyond a joke  🤡 

The Thai authorities bending over backwards to please the tourists 

Gives the impression Thailand is obsessed with upsetting the Tourist

In getting Thailand a bad name  🤔

 

So ,free tolls and a 600%  increase in visa fees should fix it.

The 2 women were dolled up and didn't look short of a few bhat, but I can think of some ethnic groups  are very mean,and fight taxi drivers over fares, seen it myself whilst sitting in the front of a Songtel,and when this person asks how much to the night market, the driver said 60 bhat. 

Then 6 of them jumped on, so the driver had to tell them, no,60 each and they started fighting with the driver, who told them to get another taxi, they spoke English quote well, the taxi driver spoke broken English, we had a good laugh afterwards. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

15 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

Are you calling the taxi driver's version BS or are you, without the tourists side of the story, say they actually ran away deliberately to avoid the toll fee. Please, let us know if you have more info  than the rest of us

Do you see the quotation marks... then reference who said that by reading the complete OP... there you have your answer.

[Bday Prang]

5 hours ago, bradiston said:

Oh you mean, make up your own version to fit your prejudices? Running off without paying is called bilking. Now, what motive would she have to make that up? She's been ripped off, and I can tell you from my own experience, taking somebody to their chosen destination and have them do a runner can REALLY MESS UP YOUR SHIFT, OK? Have you ever driven a cab? Do you know how difficult people can be? She's done her job. They've basically refused to pay her for it.

             is the use of capitals supposed to indicate that you are actually shrieking ?     No of course I have never driven a taxi, but have sat in plenty in Bangkok  and without fail toll money is collected at the point of payment never at the end of the journey.  They did not refuse to pay the fare the argument was clearly only about the toll fee, we will never know exactly what was discussed and agreed.  The police, who were at the scene and spoke to both parties, and  who are not exactly famous for taking the side of foreigners were prepared to accept that it was possibly the result of language or communication problems, but based on your own prejudices, you have arrived at your own conclusion from reading a badly written article with very little detail  from a source which is far less reliable than any tabloid newspaper I can think of.   

              Hardly surprising as your comment indicates that you are or have been a taxi driver, I am well aware how "difficult" some people can be , I am also well aware how devious some taxi drivers can be, to the extent that considering the lack of details, I would take her account of the matter with a pinch of salt.Had they "done a runner" after refusing to pay the entire fare I might feel differently. in any case they didn't "run" very far did they  and they did not appear out of breath in the video.

                She did her job,  they did not refuse to pay the fare , they were never accused of that ,  They were stupid to argue over a small toll fee, she was equally stupid and more than a little bloody minded not to accept the police's solution 

                You are of course perfectly at liberty to believe what you want , as am I,  and your opinion on the matter, just like mine, is really neither here nor there. Shrieking will not change anything or add any credence to your opinion, just the opposite in fact

Edited March 3 by Bday Prang

[4MyEgo]

On 3/2/2024 at 9:27 AM, webfact said:

The driver said officers arrived and tried to pay the toll fee but she would not accept it, saying it was wrong. She argued that police assistance would spoil foreign tourists and encourage them to repeat such behaviour. She wanted the foreign women to understand the Thai transport system.

 

Perhaps they should promote her to Tourism Minister.

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

             is the use of capitals supposed to indicate that you are actually shrieking ?     No of course I have never driven a taxi, but have sat in plenty in Bangkok  and without fail toll money is collected at the point of payment never at the end of the journey.  They did not refuse to pay the fare the argument was clearly only about the toll fee, we will never know exactly what was discussed and agreed.  The police, who were at the scene and spoke to both parties, and  who are not exactly famous for taking the side of foreigners were prepared to accept that it was possibly the result of language or communication problems, but based on your own prejudices, you have arrived at your own conclusion from reading a badly written article with very little detail  from a source which is far less reliable than any tabloid newspaper I can think of.   

              Hardly surprising as your comment indicates that you are or have been a taxi driver, I am well aware how "difficult" some people can be , I am also well aware how devious some taxi drivers can be, to the extent that considering the lack of details, I would take her account of the matter with a pinch of salt.Had they "done a runner" after refusing to pay the entire fare I might feel differently. in any case they didn't "run" very far did they  and they did not appear out of breath in the video.

                She did her job,  they did not refuse to pay the fare , they were never accused of that ,  They were stupid to argue over a small toll fee, she was equally stupid and more than a little bloody minded not to accept the police's solution 

                You are of course perfectly at liberty to believe what you want , as am I,  and your opinion on the matter, just like mine, is really neither here nor there. Shrieking will not change anything or add any credence to your opinion, just the opposite in fact

So what did they think they were agreeing to when the driver explained the different routes? As you say, trying to piece together the whole story is impossible. But there's no doubt if they came on toll roads, they should have paid the tolls, if that's what they agreed to, and she should have collected the money at each toll. They slipped away, and she's presumably left out of pocket. Google translate doesn't always work. But she felt aggrieved enough to wait for the police. If it was a scam, and she never actually came on the toll road, would she have bothered? If that was the case, well then she's got no sympathy from me.

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

             is the use of capitals supposed to indicate that you are actually shrieking ?     No of course I have never driven a taxi, but have sat in plenty in Bangkok  and without fail toll money is collected at the point of payment never at the end of the journey.  They did not refuse to pay the fare the argument was clearly only about the toll fee, we will never know exactly what was discussed and agreed.  The police, who were at the scene and spoke to both parties, and  who are not exactly famous for taking the side of foreigners were prepared to accept that it was possibly the result of language or communication problems, but based on your own prejudices, you have arrived at your own conclusion from reading a badly written article with very little detail  from a source which is far less reliable than any tabloid newspaper I can think of.   

              Hardly surprising as your comment indicates that you are or have been a taxi driver, I am well aware how "difficult" some people can be , I am also well aware how devious some taxi drivers can be, to the extent that considering the lack of details, I would take her account of the matter with a pinch of salt.Had they "done a runner" after refusing to pay the entire fare I might feel differently. in any case they didn't "run" very far did they  and they did not appear out of breath in the video.

                She did her job,  they did not refuse to pay the fare , they were never accused of that ,  They were stupid to argue over a small toll fee, she was equally stupid and more than a little bloody minded not to accept the police's solution 

                You are of course perfectly at liberty to believe what you want , as am I,  and your opinion on the matter, just like mine, is really neither here nor there. Shrieking will not change anything or add any credence to your opinion, just the opposite in fact

 

"Hardly surprising as your comment indicates that you are or have been a taxi driver"

 

I was a London cabbie. Almost every journey was on the meter. It took me 2 1/2 years to get my badge. Losing it for whatever reason would have been a total disaster. Arguing with customers, fighting, overcharging etc etc would have jeopardised it. I tend to pitch in when I see a lot of ignorant comments about taxi drivers. How they should learn English, how by nature they're dishonest scammers, like they're some kind of low life scumbags. So don't use them! They're not really in a position fight back.

[metisdead]

A slow news day troll post contravening our Community Standards has been removed.

[NoshowJones]

On 3/2/2024 at 1:54 PM, cjinchiangrai said:

 As I clearly stated: I have never entered a toll road without the driver asking.

Suppose you enter a taxi at a rank in Bangkok and you want to go to Pattaya for a fixed price. Firstly you and the Taxi driver come to an agreement what that price is. Tolls do not even need to be mentioned. If you and the taxi driver agree to a fare of 1,400 Baht, then that is what you pay at arrival in Pattaya, plus a tip if you so wish. 

[bradiston]

59 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Suppose you enter a taxi at a rank in Bangkok and you want to go to Pattaya for a fixed price. Firstly you and the Taxi driver come to an agreement what that price is. Tolls do not even need to be mentioned. If you and the taxi driver agree to a fare of 1,400 Baht, then that is what you pay at arrival in Pattaya, plus a tip if you so wish. 

The driver has always asked about tolls in my experience using the same trip. Maybe 1200 excluding tolls.

[HammerGuy]

On 3/1/2024 at 10:27 PM, webfact said:

 

A female Thai taxi driver condemned police officers for indulging two foreign tourists who refused to pay toll fees by covering the costs themselves.

 

The female taxi driver shared a video of when she engaged in an argument with police officers and two foreign women passengers on Facebook. In the video, she refused to accept money from the police and asked two foreign women to pay the toll fee.

 

The taxi driver later gave an interview with Channel 3 yesterday, February 29, explaining that two foreign women booked a ride from Soi Song Prapa 1 to Ratchanatdaram Temple via an application. She claimed that she offered two options to the passengers – one route with a toll fee and one without. The passengers chose the toll route.

The driver said she then informed passengers that the transport fee from the application was 326 baht, and they had to pay an additional toll fee. The passengers reportedly agreed, and the trip began. However, upon reaching the destination, the foreigners refused to pay the toll fee.

According to the driver, the two foreign women ran away from her car to avoid payment. She chased after them and asked people in the area to call the police.

 

The driver said officers arrived and tried to pay the toll fee but she would not accept it, saying it was wrong. She argued that police assistance would spoil foreign tourists and encourage them to repeat such behaviour. She wanted the foreign women to understand the Thai transport system.

 

Police story

 

The Superintendent of the Samranrat Police Station, Thossapon Ampaipipatkul, came forward to share his opinion on the matter. He believed that the two foreign women did not intend to refuse payment, but they misunderstood due to the language barrier.

 

Thossapon agreed with the taxi driver that the police should not cover toll fees for foreigners and scolded the officers involved. However, he also understood his subordinate desired to swiftly resolve the issue to protect Thailand’s tourism image.

 

Thossapon encouraged Thai taxi drivers and app-based drivers to enhance their language skills to provide better service to foreign visitors.

 

The taxi driver did not clarify whether she eventually took the money from the police. Police did not reveal whether they clarified the toll and taxi systems to the foreigners.

 

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo by เบื่อจัง เหงาจัง via Facebook/ อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทริน์ part 6

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-02

 

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Whenever i get in a cab and the taxi driver asks you the low congested road or the toll ? I take the toll but if I haven't small change I always ask the driver to pay for me then add it on my fare Simples!

[cowellandrew]

I am not a gambler But!

 

10 to 1 Russi@n 

Look how they run around Ukraine!

 

20 to 1 Chine@e small legs near to the ground not very fast, 

 

100 to 1 cant be a brit as it would have been posted on here by now

[fallup88]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:04 PM, BestB said:

and what does your driving have to do with them booking a ride on an app and not understanding the ramblings of a taxi driver?

My driving gives me the knowledge of gps apps like google maps aren’t always the most accurate when it comes to time it takes to reach a destination. Which is why some car hailing drivers give passengers another route option, it’s not to try to ripe passengers off. Not too hard to understand.

[fallup88]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:16 PM, Bday Prang said:

So why did she not ask for the extra money when she was at the toll booth,   like they always unfailingly do?   She was trying it on in my opinion

It’s up to the driver, based on my experience majority of times drivers ask for it at the end of the ride since it’s communicated beforehand and most ride hailing drivers will use their easy pass for convenience sake.

 

I suppose when it comes to tourist it’s best to get them to pay at the toll or get toll receipt too.

 

[Lopburikid]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:29 PM, Bday Prang said:

so you have never been on the receiving end of a shrieking Thai woman, ?  and you pay everything asked without question? Fair enough  

What in my comment are you referring to? Can you comprehend English.?

[Ausie11]

On 3/2/2024 at 9:47 AM, flyingtlger said:

Why did they run away?

Who said they run away? Taxi driver? They did not run away, they just refused to pay more than it was agreed.

[Sydebolle]

All in, per meter and extra toll to be mentioned before accepting the fare. If unhappy, get the meter tariffs adjusted by the mighty Thai governmental goons and surcharges like highway tolls printed in English and Chinese for potential passengers to chose. 

What makes this soooooooo difficult? 

[Jackbenimble]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:08 PM, BestB said:

so by making this post you claiming taxi drivers never lie or cheat? and thai in general also never lie or say distort the truth to fit their agenda?

Ran way, according to honest driver? because if someone runs away police does not catch them so fast.

Walked away? yes, most certainly did not do a runner 

if I had claimed "all Thais never lie" then that would have been really stupid. But I didn't claim that. If I had claimed "Thais in general never lie" that would also have been stupid. But I didn't.

I think if you're going to make assumptions and mis-quote people you're in for a world of trouble. Should I assume from your post you're the same nationality as the passengers and that everyone from that country runs away and tries not to pay? 

[BestB]

6 hours ago, fallup88 said:

My driving gives me the knowledge of gps apps like google maps aren’t always the most accurate when it comes to time it takes to reach a destination. Which is why some car hailing drivers give passengers another route option, it’s not to try to ripe passengers off. Not too hard to understand.

and what does google maps have to do with apps where they booked?

[BestB]

1 hour ago, Jackbenimble said:

if I had claimed "all Thais never lie" then that would have been really stupid. But I didn't claim that. If I had claimed "Thais in general never lie" that would also have been stupid. But I didn't.

I think if you're going to make assumptions and mis-quote people you're in for a world of trouble. Should I assume from your post you're the same nationality as the passengers and that everyone from that country runs away and tries not to pay? 

was there a point to your rant or just some drivel spouting?

[bamnutsak]

Sounds like this may have been Bolt? A lot of visitors use that service as it allows for cash payment. 

 

There shouldn't be any confusion as the passenger and the driver have the same route/price info.

 

Any tollway option needs to be discussed and agreed to. Probably some confusion on the options, but the driver has the receipts.

 

There are a few toll routes and non-toll routes from the DMK area to Wat Bowoniwet.

 

I am curious about the disputed amount. I don't think it could be much more than 50 ~ 60 baht.