Foreign men attack Phuket taxi driver over fare dispute - video

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Some are, others are fine just doing a job.

That could be said of taxi drivers anywhere in Thailand, but for some reason its Phuket taxi drivers that continually hits the news, coincidence??

[NorthernRyland]

Curious now, does Bolt have a standard fee per kilometer across Thailand or does it fluctuate with location? Only been the Phuket twice and I think the farthest you can could drive is ~50KM north to south but is 570 baht a typical rate for that distance?

[mdr224]

Why doesnt the article specify their nationality like other articles here? Is it because they are muslim?

[kevin612]

570+200= 770， it is super expensive. The government needs to control the fare

[baansgr]

14 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

So, the driver asked for 570 baht for the journey.

Guest does not argue.

The guests were short of Thai money and offered 200 baht + some foreign currency.

Driver said no.

Guest said, please take us to currency exchange and we will change it for you.

Driver says OK - does not mention that the guests have to pay to go and change his money.

Hmm

I can understand why the guests are feeling a tad upset about this one.

Try paying a London taxi driver with Thai Baht...sure they would take you to an atm but at extra cost....the real crime is the 570 baht fare to begin with

[NorthernRyland]

2 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Try paying a London taxi driver with Thai Baht...sure they would take you to an atm but at extra cost....the real crime is the 570 baht fare to begin with

Going to Phuket as a tourist is like a cow taking a morning stroll in a slaughter house. The levels of tourism and commercialism there are grotesque, feels more like an amusement park than a real location in a real country. Went twice during COVID when it was dead and will never return. Too may other nice places to visit that aren't ruined. 

[hotchilli]

22 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

That could be said of taxi drivers anywhere in Thailand, but for some reason its Phuket taxi drivers that continually hits the news, coincidence??

Trash attracts flies

[Hamus Yaigh]

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

So, the driver asked for 570 baht for the journey.

Guest does not argue.

The guests were short of Thai money and offered 200 baht + some foreign currency.

Driver said no.

Guest said, please take us to currency exchange and we will change it for you.

Driver says OK - does not mention that the guests have to pay to go and change his money.

Hmm

I can understand why the guests are feeling a tad upset about this one.

I cannot understand it! As much as I despise Phuket and its taxis, if as a customer you cannot pay with the current currency then the added inconvenience is on the passenger and any additional costs. Isn't that how the entire world works?

 

[Peterphuket]

2 hours ago, Aleksey75 said:

Once long time ago, I was on Samui for the first time and needed a ride, so I booked a Grab. And the distance of around 6 km that can cost around 70 baht in Bangkok, took 398 baht on Samui... The same application... Never been to either Samui or Phuket after the COVID, and not going to..

Totally true, 15 years ago I lived in Patong, if you wanted to go from one side of Patong to the other by motrbike taxi you were charged 20 thb, now it's 100 thb. And it's no more than 3 to 4 km.

[Peterphuket]

49 minutes ago, mdr224 said:

Why doesnt the article specify their nationality like other articles here? Is it because they are muslim?

That was also the first thing I thought of, given their appearance.

[Centigrade32]

2 hours ago, flexomike said:

he got 50 baht, do you know how to read

 

Yes, I do. Do you?

 

He got 570 baht PLUS 50 baht. They refused to pay more and he went to his car as if to get a weapon. That's why the boy ran to him, to disarm him. They weren't interested in fighting. You can see how far away they were from the taxi in the first place. That means the taxi driver walked away from them and went back to his car as if to retrieve something. After disarming him, they walked away quickly. Obviously not interested in any altercation. The taxi driver was in the wrong and he knew it. He threatened them and got embarrassed when disarmed.

[Captain Flack]

An abusive post has been removed.

 

@Ironmike reminder of forum rule 15. You will not discriminate or post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, medical history, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, paternity, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other irrelevant factor.

[Centigrade32]

1 hour ago, mdr224 said:

Why doesnt the article specify their nationality like other articles here? Is it because they are muslim?

 

How would 'the article' know their nationality and what bearing would it have anyway?

There seems to be a motley crew of Far Right elements on this board. Always agitating.

[BarBoy]

These Phuket taxi bandits deserve all they get!

 

Absolutely no sympathy from me whatsoever.

 

They have been scamming tourists left right and centre for decades, so it's nice to see one of them stand up for their rights and deliver a bit of street justice!!

[PJ71]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

None of it would have happened if the Taxi drivers do not refuse to use the Meter. 

 

 

This was a Bolt - so there were simple solutions. 

The Bolt Fare was 570 baht (really ???) - the additional fare was 200 baht ? (really).

 

IF the driver had turned on the meter for the extra distance - would the passengers have become so angry ?

 

 

Regardless, thats no way to behave and the tourists were aggressive ayholes...  Ayhole tourists - ayhole taxi drivers - its always one or the other causing problems and in Phuket these issues seem more common than else where, as if like attracts like. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Richard.

[Centigrade32]

1 hour ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

I cannot understand it! As much as I despise Phuket and its taxis, if as a customer you cannot pay with the current currency then the added inconvenience is on the passenger and any additional costs. Isn't that how the entire world works?

 

 

The cost should be reasonable. Did he take them back to their original disembarkation point or leave them at the currency exchange, but still demand an extra 200 baht? What was the distance? They obviously thought that part of the journey was worth no more than 50 baht. Greedy and violent taxi driver got his comeuppance.

[ronster]

Doesn't look like will be hard to find the guy although the app booking should have details.

Pretty sure the police will want to charge him even if the taxi driver doesn't as it won't look good on the areas image.

[Centigrade32]

2 hours ago, chmeatloaf said:

Do you beat up people who disagree with you? Can't justify the action of those two unless it was in self defence. 

 

I think it was self defence. The driver went to his car as if to retrieve a weapon and the boy ran at him to disarm him. 

A few here looking to find fault with the tourists, rather than putting the pieces together. There's good reason why the driver doesn't want to take it further.

 

[Centigrade32]

5 minutes ago, ronster said:

Doesn't look like will be hard to find the guy although the app booking should have details.

Pretty sure the police will want to charge him even if the taxi driver doesn't as it won't look good on the areas image.

 

Rubbish...

[riverhigh]

The key sentence in this article is that the trip was booked through Bolt. Let me repeat the word "Bolt" for the foreign tourist sympathisers on this thread.  In this case the two entitled-foreigners knew the fare was 570 baht before they got into taxi. This begs the question why did these entitled-foreigners not go to FX shop and exchange the money beforehand . There are plenty of FX shops in Phuket. I will tell you why, these sh%ty young foreigners were just too lazy and  beleived the world runs around them.  They expected the taxi driver to either accept their foreign currency or find them FX shop.  Taking the law into their own hands and attacking a taxi driver over an additional 200 baht fare to find the FX shop  is rediculous. 

[Centigrade32]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Look Arab to me.  No matter what the circumstances it is ok for them to assault him?  They should be arrested for assault.

 

Looks to me that the taxi driver went to get a weapon and the boy kicked it out of his hand.

[ronster]

2 minutes ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

Looks to me that the taxi driver went to get a weapon and the boy kicked it out of his hand.

Rubbish...

[Centigrade32]

Just now, ronster said:

Rubbish...

 

So detail your analysis of what took place, using the report and the evidence in the video. Why do you think there was space between them when the boy ran at him? They surely were standing together, so the driver must have walked away to go to his car. The boy used his foot to deflect any possible weapon and then walked away immediately. There was no attempt to beat the driver.

Interested to read your take on the events.

[J Branche]

Sounds from the story the foreigners are mostly wrong.  You see the fare estimate for different options in ride share app.  Check wallet get it sorted before starting trip.  

 

Not enough info what the distance from the hotel to supermarket (currency exchange is) but this would be an additional round trip since they would get money from currency exchange for taxi and still need to get to hotel.

 

Language barrier probably added to escalation.  Both sides probably yelling and none understand what about.

 

How can taxi be Wrong with Ride share app price?  You can compare by asking another taxi what it would cost or compare both ride share apps Bolt, Grab.

[black tabby12345]

On one day, the passenger attacked taxi driver.

In some other time vice versa.

And so on and on and on.

Phuket looks like a rough place...

[Woke to Sounds]

The passengers are just another set of entitiled narcissistic Tik Tok generationists corrupted by violent videogames, heavy mettle music, vape chemicials and corrupt TV stories.

 

Throw the book at 'em.

[Blueman1]

4 hours ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

They look Chinese or maybe Korean.  I guess in their home countries taxis don't charge an extra fee when you don't have the correct payment (Bolt clearly displays Baht) and they need to drive you to an exchange and wait for you, then take you back to your intended destination. 

 and they need to drive you to an exchange and wait for you, then take you back to your intended destination. And THEY ( The Passengers NEED To PAY ) Taxi Drivers the World over Do NOT / Cannot work for FREE !! Hope the BIB Catch the IDIOTS & LOCK Them up for Assault !!

[smew]

taxis notoriously overcharge and demand tips. Any detours or slight change in trip routings charged at unbelievable rates…

[Blueman1]

3 hours ago, sikishrory said:

Both sides are in the wrong.

Entitled passengers should have had the cash or not got in the cab. This goes both way though. The amount of times I have got a taxi that said "sorry I don't have change" is basically a scam in itself.

Taxi guy should have mentioned there was a further fee. 

I doubt they struck him because he was being overly polite. Argument escalated.

Also never seen a Bolt metered taxi. Don't they require different plates as well.

There seems to be a real us vs them vibe in the media in the last few years. Magnified by social media.

 

 

Taxi guy should have mentioned there was a further fee......SO You THINK It Should be a 'FREE "Ride Do YOU ???

[Centigrade32]

57 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

The key sentence in this article is that the trip was booked through Bolt. Let me repeat the word "Bolt" for the foreign tourist sympathisers on this thread.  In this case the two entitled-foreigners knew the fare was 570 baht before they got into taxi. This begs the question why did these entitled-foreigners not go to FX shop and exchange the money beforehand . There are plenty of FX shops in Phuket. I will tell you why, these sh%ty young foreigners were just too lazy and  beleived the world runs around them.  They expected the taxi driver to either accept their foreign currency or find them FX shop.  Taking the law into their own hands and attacking a taxi driver over an additional 200 baht fare to find the FX shop  is rediculous. 

 

You are ranting and missing the point. The fare is not the issue. They paid the fare, but didn't agree with the extra 200 baht. Instead offering 50 baht. The taxi driver went to his car to retrieve a weapon and the boy ran at him to disarm him.

I don't know if you've been to Thailand before, but negotiations are the norm. It's the taxi driver who escalated to violence.