Tuk-Tuk Driver's Rip-Off Lands Him a Fine and License Suspension

[webfact]

Tuk-tuk for reference only. Picture credit: Wikipedia

 

In a recent crackdown on overcharging, a tuk-tuk driver has been fined 2,500 baht and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.

 

This came after he was found guilty of charging four Japanese tourists an exorbitant fare of 6,000 baht for a brief journey from Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 18 to Thaniya Plaza in Silom on the 13th of May.

 

The incident came to light when one of the tourists shared their unfortunate experience on social media, drawing widespread ridicule and anger towards the driver, known as "Phumiret." The post quickly garnered attention, prompting officials from the Land Transport Department to investigate.

 

Through meticulous inspection of the tuk-tuk's ownership and license number, authorities identified the driver and summoned him for questioning.

 

 

During the inquiry, Phumiret confessed to the overcharging, mentioning that the high fare was due to heavy rainfall at the time.

 

As a consequence, the Land Transport Department fined him 2,000 baht for overcharging and an additional 500 baht for improper attire. Moreover, his driver’s license has been suspended for three months.

 

To top it off, he has been mandated to complete a three-hour public service course.

 

This incident serves as a stern reminder to all tuk-tuk drivers about adhering to fair pricing and maintaining professional standards, as authorities continue to crack down on such exploitative practices.

 

-- 2024-05-15

 

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[impulse]

By my calculation, the guy's still 3,500 baht ahead, and I'd bet dollars to donuts he's back out plying the streets in his tuk-tuk by tomorrow.  At worst, maybe across town where they don't recognize him.

 

At the very least, they should have made him return the 6,000 baht.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

a tuk-tuk driver has been fined 2,500 baht and had his driver’s license

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

found guilty of charging four Japanese tourists an exorbitant fare of 6,000 baht for a brief journey

So he is still 3,500b up. No mention of the tourists getting their 6K back. init

[HappyExpat57]

Whatever happened to "Whatever the market will bear?" Are the prices posted ANYWHERE? Let the buyer beware.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

as authorities continue to crack down on such exploitative practices

Really? When and where does that happen?

For an hour at a stretch of maybe 100m on the road?

What a joke!

[Gottfrid]

License suspended for 90 days. So what, never seen police stop tuk tuk drivers to check license. He can just continue as usual.

[ChipButty]

What about giving the 6000 grand back to the tourist? 

[ChrisY1]

15 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

What about giving the 6000 grand back to the tourist? 

Thieves in Thailand never have to pay the money back.....just look at the hi-so lot....scam millions and have you ever hear of the money being returned?

[bristolgeoff]

Nice to know they are doing something about this issue,but how many more are doing the same thing.

[wensiensheng]

“This incident serves as a stern reminder to all tuk-tuk driversabout adhering to fair pricing and maintaining professionalstandards, as authorities continue to crack down on suchexploitative practices.”

 

the only stern reminder here is for tuk tuk drivers to make sure they charge enough to cover the fine AND make a fat profit. As this one did.

[wensiensheng]

4 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Whatever happened to "Whatever the market will bear?" Are the prices posted ANYWHERE? Let the buyer beware.

Yup. And the Japanese tourists are entitled to moan online about their experience and then maybe future tourists will not use tuk tuk at all because they will be aware.

 

Hows your free market then?

[newbee2022]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Tuk-tuk for reference only. Picture credit: Wikipedia

 

In a recent crackdown on overcharging, a tuk-tuk driver has been fined 2,500 baht and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.

 

This came after he was found guilty of charging four Japanese tourists an exorbitant fare of 6,000 baht for a brief journey from Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 18 to Thaniya Plaza in Silom on the 13th of May.

 

The incident came to light when one of the tourists shared their unfortunate experience on social media, drawing widespread ridicule and anger towards the driver, known as "Phumiret." The post quickly garnered attention, prompting officials from the Land Transport Department to investigate.

 

Through meticulous inspection of the tuk-tuk's ownership and license number, authorities identified the driver and summoned him for questioning.

 

 

 

During the inquiry, Phumiret confessed to the overcharging, mentioning that the high fare was due to heavy rainfall at the time.

 

As a consequence, the Land Transport Department fined him 2,000 baht for overcharging and an additional 500 baht for improper attire. Moreover, his driver’s license has been suspended for three months.

 

To top it off, he has been mandated to complete a three-hour public service course.

 

This incident serves as a stern reminder to all tuk-tuk drivers about adhering to fair pricing and maintaining professional standards, as authorities continue to crack down on such exploitative practices.

 

-- 2024-05-15

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Hefty fine, indeed 

[HappyExpat57]

43 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Yup. And the Japanese tourists are entitled to moan online about their experience and then maybe future tourists will not use tuk tuk at all because they will be aware.

 

Hows your free market then?

That's EXACTLY what free market is.

[drgoon]

heavy rain....  555

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Through meticulous inspection of the tuk-tuk's ownership and license number, authorities identified the driver and summoned him for questioning.

Yea gods man do you know what you've done to the image of Thailand...

We'll fine you less than the sum of the fare you took and stop you from working legally for 90 days.

Let that be a lesson.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Thieves in Thailand never have to pay the money back.....just look at the hi-so lot....scam millions and have you ever hear of the money being returned?

"Thieves in Thailand never have to pay the money back.."

Cobblers.  Have you never read any of the frequent reports of tens of millions of baht being seized from criminals and scammers?  

[Liverpool Lou]

55 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Yup. And the Japanese tourists are entitled to moan online about their experience and then maybe future tourists will not use tuk tuk at all because they will be aware.

 

Hows your free market then?

Er...it would still be free.

[smew]

land of the free...scams.. get him to return the money to the tourists  

[kwaussie]

Yes the Japanese tourists would have been to polite and probably first time in Thailand to query cost until thinking about it later.

[mr_lob]

6000 baht ''because of heavy rain''. Some of these guys really do have coconut milk for brains

[CecilM]

I'm surprised he even had a driver's license. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

No mention of the driver overloading his vehicle with four passengers....

[Ben Zioner]

Is it me, or are we observing recently, on Aseannow, a shift from Farang offenders to Thai crooks and rapists.

 

Interestingly none of the latter gets the beating some of those poor Swiss, Kiwi, etc. got

 

This guy should be banned from any activity involving services to foreigners, and that under a suspended 5 years prison sentence.

Edited May 15 by Ben Zioner

[richard_smith237]

As others have pointed out - so the TukTuk driver is 3500 baht up then... Winner for him !!!... 

 

And he'll be back in his TukTuk tomorrow - they should have confiscated it for 90 days... 

 

But, then he'll have no money and have to turn to something else to make ends meet - its difficult to practically penalise someone (theoretically) so poor without pushing them into 'other crime'...

 

What of the Japanese guys - 6000 baht for a TukTuk fare is ridiculous - can't believe they paid it.

 

[richard_smith237]

6 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Whatever happened to "Whatever the market will bear?" Are the prices posted ANYWHERE? Let the buyer beware.

 

A fundamentally flawed model...   becuase they (the taxi's and TukTuks) all get into cahoots and fix their fares illegally high.

 

Leaving the Rajamangla stadium last month - Every single taxi we asked wanted a 1000 baht flat fare...  TukTuks wanted the same.

(No Grab or Bolt available)...    The Grab to the venue was less than 100 Baht. 

 

We refused to pay and went and had a late bite to eat - then called a Grab an hour later.

 

 

These guys are all scammers & rip off merchants.

Edited May 15 by richard_smith237

[Asquith Production]

3 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

Nice to know they are doing something about this issue,but how many more are doing the same thing.

Only when social media points it out and makes them look bad.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

high fare was due to heavy rainfall at the time.

 

If true an open air tuk tuk would not be a choice for travel. More likely a taxi. Especially if there is a air pollution alert and/or high temperature. 

No where do these tourists mention negotiating the fare or even establishing the fare before traveling. Tuk tuks don't use meters. Seems to me these Japanese tourists were culturally dependent on Japanese travel means such to expect without inquiry the cost of the trip to be fair to whatever would have been expected in Japan. 

 

[cracker1]

He should have been made to repay the tourists who remain "Ripped Off" and of course, his Took Tuk should have been impounded.

However without any form of metering this will continue to happen.

[hkt83100]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Thieves in Thailand never have to pay the money back.."

Cobblers.  Have you never read any of the frequent reports of tens of millions of baht being seized from criminals and scammers?  

This is mentioned quite often, but I never read where the money was going...

[BangkokHank]

They could have flown for that price.