Photo via X/ @musasino231

A Japanese tourist was allegedly overcharged nearly 2,000 baht by a taxi driver at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, prompting him to cut his trip short and return home. The tourist, who had come to Bangkok to photograph trains, shared his experience on social media, stating that the overcharge occurred after arriving late at night when taxis were the only available transport option.

He claimed that the driver demanded 10,000 yen, almost 2,000 baht, shortly into the ride, making him feel unsafe. Complying to avoid harm, he paid and advised others against arriving at night due to limited transportation choices. The incident led him to abandon his plans and fly back to Japan the next day, as confirmed by an update from Narita International Airport via Zipair.

Photo by JR via Canva

The issue gained traction when the Facebook page J-doradic shared his post on January 20. Efforts to obtain more details, such as the taxi's registration, have not been successful. The incident sparked discussions among Thai netizens, with many suggesting that tourists use ride-hailing services like Grab, available at the airport, for transparent pricing.

Some questioned the authenticity of the tourist's claim, expressing doubts about cancelling an entire trip over a taxi fare. The incident highlights the importance of safe and reliable transport options for tourists and raises awareness about potential issues faced by travelers, reported The Thaiger.

Key Takeaways

• A Japanese tourist felt unsafe after being overcharged by a Bangkok taxi driver.

• The incident led to his early return to Japan, causing mixed reactions online.

• Discussions emphasized the use of ride-hailing services for clear fare expectations.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2026-01-21

 

 

Good for the touristic image of Thailand. The tourist must be careful as he can be prosecuted for defamation too.. everything is possible in the number 1 tourist destination Thailand. TAT will be happy

The latest TAT logo is.....Trust Thailand ☹️

Another boost for Thai tourism.

20 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Good for the touristic image of Thailand. The tourist must be careful as he can be prosecuted for defamation too.. everything is possible in the number 1 tourist destination Thailand. TAT will be happy

Can't be prosecuted - he's not in Thailand. And prosecuting him (by who? TAT??) would be a PR disaster. It's very common for taxi drivers to prey on Japanese tourists - a few years ago I met one who was upset because an airport taxi driver took him to Silom instead of Sukhumvit, then demanded 1500 baht to take him to Sukhumvit. They target Japanese because they tend to avoid conflict and just pay up instead of confront.

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

with many suggesting that tourists use ride-hailing services like Grab, available at the airport, for transparent pricing.

In Japan they use almost exclusively public transport and taxis, and 100% of taxis use the meter - scams are not a concern. A typical Japanese person wouldn't even think to use a ride-hailing app. The first time I came to Bangkok (lived in Japan at the time) I wasn't aware ride-hailing apps were a thing and used taxi.

For the most part I've found taxi drivers in BKK to be OK, certainly much better that the songthaews in Chiang Mai.

I can tell honestly say that I've had more issues with taxi drivers in Australia, US, and Spain than here in Thailand. In fact, I've had some very positive experiences with BKK taxi drivers (both owners and day-hirers)!

I still remember back in the 1970's when BKK taxis did not have meters. Back then, you had to negotiate the price of every ride, and that price increased exponentially as the night got later.

Today, it still amazes me how cheap the BKK taxis still are.

18 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

In Japan they use almost exclusively public transport and taxis, and 100% of taxis use the meter - scams are not a concern. A typical Japanese person wouldn't even think to use a ride-hailing app. The first time I came to Bangkok (lived in Japan at the time) I wasn't aware ride-hailing apps were a thing and used taxi.

OK, But there are private limousine services within the airport with prices displayed plus a GRAB booth is there.

On 1/21/2026 at 5:39 PM, ikke1959 said:

Good for the touristic image of Thailand. The tourist must be careful as he can be prosecuted for defamation too.. everything is possible in the number 1 tourist destination Thailand. TAT will be happy

Yes, I wonder how TAT will spin this?

Never mind, this is just a snowflake with victim culture, who deprived himself of spending time in one of my favorite cities on the planet because of one very minor negative incident. Imagine how this weakling would do if faced with a real tragedy?

18 hours ago, Jim Waldron said:

For the most part I've found taxi drivers in BKK to be OK, certainly much better that the songthaews in Chiang Mai.

I can tell honestly say that I've had more issues with taxi drivers in Australia, US, and Spain than here in Thailand. In fact, I've had some very positive experiences with BKK taxi drivers (both owners and day-hirers)!

I still remember back in the 1970's when BKK taxis did not have meters. Back then, you had to negotiate the price of every ride, and that price increased exponentially as the night got later.

Today, it still amazes me how cheap the BKK taxis still are.

Interesting how personal experiences differ.

I’ve had some good BKK taxis and some bad ones. Biggest problem I have experienced on an ongoing basis is refusal to take me. Non use of meter used to be a big issue, particularly from the airport, but that seems to have been controlled these days. Of course, this is all at normal times of the day, not early hours of the morning.

35 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Never mind, this is just a snowflake with victim culture, who deprived himself of spending time in one of my favorite cities on the planet because of one very minor negative incident. Imagine how this weakling would do if faced with a real tragedy?

Bit of a pussy I think

Totally agree safer to use Grab taxis never had a problem

Can't be bothered with the hassle of pricing or the not using of meters ect

A post with a derogatory ethnic slur comment toward Japanese people has been removed.

On 1/21/2026 at 6:45 PM, petermik said:

The latest TAT logo is.....Trust Thailand ☹️

Yeah; trust them to rip you off at every opportunity !

On 1/21/2026 at 6:45 PM, petermik said:

The latest TAT logo is.....Trust Thailand ☹️

It doesn't state how far though

I use Grab and avoid issues such as the Japanese tourist experienced

However in a moment of complete stupidity I used a Tuk Tuk to take me to a show in Bkk

The journey should have taken about 30 minutes as I had been to the show before

The driver got lost twice- and had to U turn 3 times on the same road as he went up and down this dual carriageway looking for the theatre

At the end he demanded 2500 baht- I told him in very blunt terms I was going to give him 400 and I was not there to pay for him learning where to go in Bkk

He accepted the 400 with no complaint- a complete try on

On 1/21/2026 at 6:45 PM, petermik said:

The latest TAT logo is.....Trust Thailand ☹️

Lisa will take care of it...

Unfortunately he was the victim of a theft but to let that one incident convinced him to return to Japan the next day was totally irrational.

I've been ripped off and had so many rip off attempts from Taxi Meter drivers, it is ridiculous, AT LEAST 20 times. The feigned outrage by them when they get caught is kinda like a woke Karen at a political protest! I was so incredibly thankful when Grab came on the scene!! I think it was around 2013-14. Since then, I could probably count the number of times I've used a Taxi Meter on one hand. Never again, as far as I can help it!

18 minutes ago, Suetape said:

Unfortunately he was the victim of a theft but to let that one incident convinced him to return to Japan the next day was totally irrational.

Indeed - once incident caused him to cut short his holiday - thats somewhat of an over-reaction - this guy must have been a real princess.

Not condoning the actions of a scamming taxi driver either - there are a number of them who are opportunistic scum - they give the good drivers a bad name - but the scummy drivers are not completely avoidable - thus, as others mentioned, I mostly use BOLT and GRAB - and choose the car option rather than taxi option which on 'average' results in less hassle.

9 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

OK, But there are private limousine services within the airport with prices displayed plus a GRAB booth is there.

Most of which are far more expensive than the taxis unless you get into a mafia cab.

From Suvarnabhumi to Sukhumvit soi 15, I pay between 325 and 375 depending on traffic and including highway

21 minutes ago, Sig said:

I've been ripped off and had so many rip off attempts from Taxi Meter drivers, it is ridiculous, AT LEAST 20 times. The feigned outrage by them when they get caught is kinda like a woke Karen at a political protest! I was so incredibly thankful when Grab came on the scene!! I think it was around 2013-14. Since then, I could probably count the number of times I've used a Taxi Meter on one hand. Never again, as far as I can help it!

In some parts of Bangkok, at certain hours, getting a Grab or Bolt is simply unrealistic - Sukhumvit Soi 11 at midnight being a good example. At that point, regular taxis have the area sewn up, quoting a fixed 300 baht for what should be a 100 baht ride (around 150 on Grab or Bolt).

That leaves little choice but to take a street taxi, yet negotiating them down from an opening demand of 500 baht is tedious and irritating - some lose interest the moment I speak Thai.

I have some sympathy for taxi drivers - it’s hardly a glamorous job and the flag-fall is low - but in high-tourist areas many are known for trying to rip off visitors. These drivers are easy to find, which means the police could find them too, if they were inclined to bother - and that’s the real issue.

Turkey is a lot worse IMO. Almost every taxi ride became an argument over fares, poor driving, or both. With a family, that sort of friction puts you off and can sour an otherwise good trip. It may not stop tourism outright, but when options are equal, past experiences matter - which is why I try to avoid Turkey for stopovers and choose Doha or Dubai instead when prices are similar.

1 hour ago, Jimjim1 said:

Most of which are far more expensive than the taxis unless you get into a mafia cab.

From Suvarnabhumi to Sukhumvit soi 15, I pay between 325 and 375 depending on traffic and including highway

They may be, but it's better than flying back to Japan and cancelling your holiday.

2 hours ago, Jimjim1 said:

11 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

OK, But there are private limousine services within the airport with prices displayed plus a GRAB booth is there.

Most of which are far more expensive than the taxis unless you get into a mafia cab.

From Suvarnabhumi to Sukhumvit soi 15, I pay between 325 and 375 depending on traffic and including highway

Hardly 'far' more expensive - its not as if they are 2000 baht...

AOT Limo's (Camry) are about 900 baht into BKK... Wife uses them, so she doesn't have to deal with the Scummy Taxi drivers...

GRAB is not so convenient from the Airport - have to wait outside etc for the car to drive around to you...

After a long trip when tired etc - 900 baht for a well organised AOT service isn't exactly a lot of money.

Wife also gets 2x journeys per year (Airport to home) included in her credit card.

On 1/22/2026 at 2:27 AM, PingRoundTheWorld said:

In Japan they use almost exclusively public transport and taxis, and 100% of taxis use the meter - scams are not a concern. A typical Japanese person wouldn't even think to use a ride-hailing app. The first time I came to Bangkok (lived in Japan at the time) I wasn't aware ride-hailing apps were a thing and used taxi.

You must have been in Japan a while ago. I was in Tokyo this last year, an there are many ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft that I used on a daily basis when I was there with no problems. It didn't appear to me that only foreigners were using the service.

16 minutes ago, SanSaiExPat said:

You must have been in Japan a while ago. I was in Tokyo this last year, an there are many ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft that I used on a daily basis when I was there with no problems. It didn't appear to me that only foreigners were using the service.

True - but use is less prolific than in other cities because the flag-fall service is so reliable, polite and immediately available.

Tokyo taxi's are quite something !!...

But.. To be fair - for the price, Bangkok taxi's are incredible value... but so is GRAB and UBER.

3 hours ago, Suetape said:

Unfortunately he was the victim of a theft but to let that one incident convinced him to return to Japan the next day was totally irrational.

I was thinking the same thing.

Why turn around and cancel the holiday over getting cheated by a taxi driver?

To punish the nation of Thailand?

Doesn't make sense.

I prefer the MRT/BTS over taxis for this reason.

Good for him. Speak with your money.