A Phuket tuk tuk driver has accused a foreign passenger of fare evasion and misrepresentation in Patong, Kathu district. The driver shared a video online showing him confronting the passenger in a hotel lobby after being accused of overcharging. This incident has prompted the driver to consider collecting fares in advance to avoid future disputes.

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The driver explained to ThaiRath that the fare was agreed at 300 baht for a trip from Bangla Road to a nearby hotel, with the passenger initially offering a 200 baht tip. Upon arrival, however, the passenger allegedly refused to pay, claiming the driver attempted to charge 3,000 baht. In the video, the passenger is seen requesting hotel staff to confirm his claim with CCTV footage.

Details about how the conflict was resolved remain unclear. The driver did not disclose whether he received the fare. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between local drivers and tourists regarding fare agreements and enforcement.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Thaiger · 03 Apr 2026

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From another news website "The rider said in a video on Facebook that a foreign customer had booked a trip through an app showing a fare of 31 baht"

31, 300, 3,000 baht. i'm sure follow up reports will clarify the details, probably translation confusion.

As Hansen notes above, it really does sound like this might have been a simple misunderstanding, with the driver's price of ฿300 being mistaken for ฿3,000 by the tourist.

Tuk Tuk drivers do get a lot of criticism, but most of them are just trying to make an honest living in a tough, thankless environment.

Hopefully this incident was nothing more than crossed wires rather than any attempt to dodge the fare.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The driver explained to ThaiRath that the fare was agreed at 300 baht for a trip from Bangla Road to a nearby hotel, with the passenger initially offering a 200 baht tip. Upon arrival, however, the passenger allegedly refused to pay, claiming the driver attempted to charge 3,000 baht. In the video, the passenger is seen requesting hotel staff to confirm his claim with CCTV footage.

Sounds like a proper rip off attempt, and if anything he is spoiling the image of Thai touism!

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The driver explained to ThaiRath that the fare was agreed at 300 baht for a trip from Bangla Road to a nearby hotel

20 years ago the going rate for a short trip by tuktuk in Patong was 300 Baht. I've heard that it had later been lowered to 200 Baht, but even that is a total rip-off and why I will never visit Phuket again.

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Sounds like a proper rip off attempt, and if anything he is spoiling the image of Thai touism!

300 Baht to a "nearby hotel" (seemingly in the Patong area).

The usual and totally normal rip off.

Phuket lives of once and never again visitors.

But the reservoir seems inexhaustible (Chinese, Russians and all the other newbies).

300 baht to a “nearby hotel “ says it all.

But I guess if the Russian agreed to pay that, AND a tip?? then I guess he should have paid up.

Not sure how the 3k baht comes into the picture. If the Russkie paid the 500 baht, why wouldn’t that be the end of the story?

In my view, he appears to resemble a stereotypical individual from the British Boiler Room scene, likely facing unemployment and relying on his father for financial support. Quite an unflattering character, to say the least. 😎

He doesn't sound like a Russian Tourist. During and after Covid the Authorities claimed to do something about the overpricing by the Tuktuk Taxis in Phuket, but obviously nothing happened, as usual.

On 4/3/2026 at 4:40 PM, Jim Waldron said:

As Hansen notes above, it really does sound like this might have been a simple misunderstanding, with the driver's price of ฿300 being mistaken for ฿3,000 by the tourist.

Tuk Tuk drivers do get a lot of criticism, but most of them are just trying to make an honest living in a tough, thankless environment.

Hopefully this incident was nothing more than crossed wires rather than any attempt to dodge the fare.

Honest living? In the tourist rip off zone of Surin to Kata, Patong rules as the epicenter of low end tourists and dishonest transport people. The visitor demographic was deteriorating prior to Covid, but post Covid it went into the gutter. The greed of the people who work the zone is insatiable. It's like a B grade crime movie with stereotypes galore. It doesn't have to be that way, but the transport monopoly has obstructed improvements.

23 hours ago, Beat666 said:

In my view, he appears to resemble a stereotypical individual from the British Boiler Room scene, likely facing unemployment and relying on his father for financial support. Quite an unflattering character, to say the least. 😎

Most certainly British. But why do the hotel staff have his mobile phone? Very strange that they would withhold his property. Maybe he didn't have any money at all to pay any fare.

On 4/3/2026 at 11:54 PM, jacko45k said:

Sounds like a proper rip off attempt, and if anything he is spoiling the image of Thai touism!

Perhaps "Sounds like a proper rip off attempt, and if anything he is spoiling confirming the image of Thai tourism!" ?

On 4/3/2026 at 8:52 PM, Xonax said:

20 years ago the going rate for a short trip by tuktuk in Patong was 300 Baht. I've heard that it had later been lowered to 200 Baht, but even that is a total rip-off and why I will never visit Phuket again.

Three dollarsUS ruined the whole trip, I tell you (!), Phuket sucks. 😂

13 hours ago, Homburg said:

Perhaps "Sounds like a proper rip off attempt, and if anything he is spoiling confirming the image of Thai tourism!" ?

Certainly my recollections of taxis etc in Phuket!