Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

The Tourist Police Bureau, in partnership with the Department of Tourism, has officially launched the “Safe Taxi” training programme to improve safety, service standards and public confidence among international and domestic tourists travelling by taxi.

 

The training session took place at the Tourist Police Headquarters in Samut Prakan province and was presided over by Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira Phuak-am, Commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau. He was joined by senior officers including Pol. Col. Milin Pearnchang, Superintendent of Division 1, and Pol. Lt. Col. Torlarp Tinamat, Chief of Pattaya Tourist Police. The event also welcomed Mr. Jaturon Phakdeewanit, Director-General of the Department of Tourism, who delivered a special lecture to participants.

 

A total of 120 taxi drivers took part in the session, receiving guidance from expert lecturers across multiple fields. The initiative is part of a broader campaign to promote professionalism, reduce complaints and create a trustworthy transport network, particularly in high-traffic tourist zones like Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and Don Mueang.

 

Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira emphasised that the training is designed to equip drivers with the knowledge and mindset of a “professional taxi operator”, capable of delivering safe and reliable service to tourists. By doing so, the project seeks to reduce the number of complaints associated with public taxi services and support the national goal of enhancing tourist safety.

 

“Taxis are often the first point of contact for many visitors. This programme not only improves safety but also represents a key strategy for strengthening Thailand’s tourism image,” he said.

In a tangible step towards building trust, each participating taxi received a TPB App and Tourist Police 1155 hotline sticker to display prominently. These labels help inform passengers how to seek assistance or report incidents quickly, further integrating drivers into the broader tourist safety network.

 

The project falls under the jurisdiction of Tourist Police Division 1, which is responsible for Bangkok and key gateway locations. Authorities say the trained drivers will now serve as part of a community-based support network, capable of assisting travellers in real-time and collaborating with the Tourist Police when needed.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-06-14

 

 

 

How about launching start the meter and accept passengers campaign.

120 taxi drivers so far. It would be nice to know how many drivers there are in total, whether this training is mandatory and how many drivers will be trained per week, penalties for those who don’t attend etc etc.

 

The cynic in me says two weeks in this will be quietly forgotten about and the original 120 might limp up to 240.

 

This safety PR blitz ( like the high fives for dealing with a malfunctioning escalator at suvarnabhumi airport) is all very well, but stickers and news releases have to be backed up with action, consistent action.

Wait, isn't this just another launch of the same thing... In effect admitting to past failures... Odds on this will be another failure.

More lip service I'm afraid. Taxi drivers will get away with whatever they can. When I lived in Bangkok these guys were terrible. Especially late at night near entertainment areas. The rule of thumb was, if they're parked outside don't use them.

12 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The Tourist Police Bureau, in partnership with the Department of Tourism, has officially launched the “Safe Taxi” training programme to improve safety, service standards and public confidence among international and domestic tourists travelling by taxi.

 

Whitewashing the real problem

12 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

“professional taxi operator”

I wonder what university degree they have and what peer organisation approved them. Usual conditions for a Profession these days.

1 hour ago, GreasyFingers said:

I wonder what university degree they have and what peer organisation approved them. Usual conditions for a Profession these days.

I don’t know about university degree, I’d settle for them having a driving licence!

Taxi problem acknowledged.

I bet as soon as the taxis drivers leave this useless lecture they will pick their first passenger and  drive of without the meter turned on. They better pray there passenger is not Mr Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira Phuak-am who presided over the lecture.