Believe It Or Not

[needforspeed]

Is there realy a taxi driver who found 200,000 baht in his cab and "his only though was how to find the foreign family to return the money"

Wasn't so difficult as there was key card from the hotel in the bag.

Is this a setup to confirm the honesty off all Taxi drivers as the Taxi driver handed over the bag to the owner at the Radio station,

or is this real.

[cognos]

I have found 95% of taxi drivers in BKK good.. in 20 trips there have only had a couple bad ones..have no idea of the veracity of this story, but as a Buddhist he would gain a TON of merit

[DP25]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if it is true. If you listen to the taxi radio station drivers are always calling in reporting items that were left in their car. Hope they gave him a nice tip.

[highlander76]

I have heard of this happening a few times.

[needforspeed]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if it is true. If you listen to the taxi radio station drivers are always calling in reporting items that were left in their car. Hope they gave him a nice tip.

They give him 10,000 baht that is 5%, isn't much

[Norrad]

My wife left her nice new cellphone in a taxi once, and the next morning the driver called me to tell me that he could drop it off anytime I am available. I gave him a 500 Baht tip because he really went out of his way to help us.

On the flipside: Unfortunately last week my wife left her phone in a taxi again, the driver gave it to his wife as a gift and she used it to call some friends, my wife got a list of the calls from DTAC and used all her detective wits to track it down. Needless to say the driver and his wife got an earfull of abuse from my wife.

So yes, some taxi drivers are really honest and some are not. Just like everyone else on the planet.

[tonititan]

I agree, you just never know and it depends on the driver. There have been several instances in which I accidentally hand the driver a 1000 baht bill instead of a 100, or a 500 instead of a 50 (usually because it's dark). The drivers have always been very worried and made sure to hand the money back right away. One even got out of his car to holler at me as I was walking away.

But, I too have had a negative cell phone experience. Last year my phone fell out of my bag in a taxi. When I got to my destination and noticed it missing, my friend (who speaks fluent Thai) called the phone. The driver answered, and said he would give it back, but he would not agree on a time or place. Repeated calls over the next couple days were unanswered, and I never got my phone back.

I think the safest bet is to make sure never to leave anything in a taxi. I'm working on that one!

[jackr]

They give him 10,000 baht that is 5%, isn't much

That's a bit tight. I would have gone for 10% at least - 180 grand from nothing.

Remember reading a story back home a few years ago of someone finding 3,000 quid outside someone's front gate. Knocked on the door and handed it in... the owner was delighted and gave them a chicken. <deleted>!

[needforspeed]

Why i dont believe the story myself as i have only bad experiences myself.

Left a bag with money and some jewelry totall value around 250,000 Baht in a taxi (taxi always wait outside my condominium), went back to my condominium he was gone and never came back.

Got the Police involved they went to the company where we hired his cab, they found him but as you all gues he told that he picked up 2 other passengers and they must taken my bag, end off the story.

Never saw him again

[Meridian007]

But for him 10,000 Baht is likely more than 2 months wages. They are generally good guys, like many others in Thailand, they leave the family farm to come to BKK to make some money for the family. There are a few bad ones, but at least as many good ones.

[StreetCowboy]

But for him 10,000 Baht is likely more than 2 months wages. They are generally good guys, like many others in Thailand, they leave the family farm to come to BKK to make some money for the family. There are a few bad ones, but at least as many good ones.

I left my bag with computer in a taxi once, and it came back the very next day - luckily I always leave my business cards in my bag...

So if you compare that sort of honesty and endeavour, worth tens of thousands of baht, to the odd minor scam from time to time, I think we come out streets ahead.

I always make a point of tipping drivers 50 or 100 baht extra if they have seat belts fitted, and make it clear what the extra is for...

Also, if he has to scrabble to get the change together, I try to give it back to him - people should be rewarded fror their honesty

SC

[Donnyboy]

Also, if he has to scrabble to get the change together, I try to give it back to him - people should be rewarded fror their honesty

SC

good point

[Maizefarmer]

Yes - the Baht 200k story is a true story. I remember it clearly (and with considerable suprize) - it was around 2002/2003 - and was written up in the Bangkok Post. Said taxi driver was well rewarded by the owner of the cash.

This and similar stories about taxi driver honesty get printed from time to time in one or other of the papers.

[tonititan]

Actually, I saw it in the newspaper today. I think it just happened.

[needforspeed]

Yes - the Baht 200k story is a true story. I remember it clearly (and with considerable suprize) - it was around 2002/2003 - and was written up in the Bangkok Post. Said taxi driver was well rewarded by the owner of the cash.

This and similar stories about taxi driver honesty get printed from time to time in one or other of the papers.

Sorry this happened 3 days ago

[needforspeed]

But for him 10,000 Baht is likely more than 2 months wages. They are generally good guys, like many others in Thailand, they leave the family farm to come to BKK to make some money for the family. There are a few bad ones, but at least as many good ones.

I left my bag with computer in a taxi once, and it came back the very next day - luckily I always leave my business cards in my bag...

So if you compare that sort of honesty and endeavour, worth tens of thousands of baht, to the odd minor scam from time to time, I think we come out streets ahead.

I always make a point of tipping drivers 50 or 100 baht extra if they have seat belts fitted, and make it clear what the extra is for...

Also, if he has to scrabble to get the change together, I try to give it back to him - people should be rewarded fror their honesty

SC

Hopefully you mean seatbelt at the back seat, if so you can keep your 50 or 100 baht in your wallet as almost all cabs don't have them installed.

Should be a law put in placed for this bas this is a real safety issue.

[lioness]

In my experience you are more likely to get your money/goods back in Thailand than in the UK or Australia.Thats been my experience anyhow.

[clockworkorange]

I have found 95% of taxi drivers in BKK good.. in 20 trips there have only had a couple bad ones..have no idea of the veracity of this story, but as a Buddhist he would gain a TON of merit

Seconded - most Thais are honest people. Just like anywhere else, there are a few that aren't, and it's a shame that so many foreigners believe that all Thais are bad simply becaue all they do is hang out in the touristy bits of Thailand when the con artists naturally congregate.

[andyww]

I had a driver try to sell me a phone once which a previous fare had left in the taxi.

But on the whole I do believe they are mostly OK. I tend to tip them well as the fares are really absurdly low.

[needforspeed]

I had a driver try to sell me a phone once which a previous fare had left in the taxi.

But on the whole I do believe they are mostly OK. I tend to tip them well as the fares are really absurdly low.

Did you buy it

[kiwiinasia]

I think I should get a taxi job driving farangs round Thailand as they seem to leave a lot of valuables behind.

Where do I apply?

[needforspeed]

I think I should get a taxi job driving farangs round Thailand as they seem to leave a lot of valuables behind.

Where do I apply?

Good idea, you can also wait outside headoffice off Bangkok Bank waiting till some one droped a bag with 200 K on the floor .

550 Baht rent- 350 Baht gass and 1.100 Baht turnover and that is on the weekend days

[needforspeed]

I think I should get a taxi job driving farangs round Thailand as they seem to leave a lot of valuables behind.

Where do I apply?

Good idea, you can also wait outside headoffice off Bangkok Bank waiting till some one droped a bag with 200 K on the floor .

550 Baht rent- 350 Baht gass and 1.100 Baht turnover and that is on the weekend days

[jackr]

I tend to tip them well as the fares are really absurdly low.

No they're not... the fares in your home country are high.

[JayF]

I'd been in Thailand a month or so and took my first trip to Bangkok. I decided the best place to start would be KSR; was I mistaken or what?

There were countless attempts to overcharge me by tuk-tuks, meter taxis and everyone else. I'd taken a meter taxi the previous day from KSR to MBK BTS and it had come to around 60 baht. The next day one tried to charge me 200, I said no and insisted on the meter, he said no and refused the fare ("I'll wait for the next naive farang ATM, thanks"). The very next driver tried to charge me 100, again I said no and insisted on the meter, he begrudgingly said OK and then proceeded to take us on a roundabout trip to god-knows-where and ran the meter up to 110 baht anyway.

I know it wasn't a lot of money, but it doesn't exactly project a good image for Bangkok. It was dishonesty like that coupled with the sheer number of people trying to sell me tours of tailors and gem shops for 10 baht, that made me cut a two week trip to four days and leave BKK with a pretty bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't have trusted any single one of them to return something lost. I left my wallet in a bar in Pattaya a while back, I retraced my steps the next day and as soon as the girls saw me they gave it back to me with everything in it, I rang the bell as a thank you which pretty much emptied my wallet anyway, but I appreciated the honesty and 1,500 baht was nothing for the hassle they'd saved me in lost cards.

[Maizefarmer]

Yes - the Baht 200k story is a true story. I remember it clearly (and with considerable suprize) - it was around 2002/2003 - and was written up in the Bangkok Post. Said taxi driver was well rewarded by the owner of the cash.

This and similar stories about taxi driver honesty get printed from time to time in one or other of the papers.

Sorry this happened 3 days ago

Indeed it did (now in the Thai press) ... and it also happened in June 2003 (the sum then was 180k)

[SaikoIsaan]

I think taxidriver is a profession that is particularly attractive for people with shady morals in Thailand, and most of them tend to go places where they can pick up foreign guests. I have many experiences with taxidrivers trying to "cheat" one way or another when getting on a cab from the airport, along Sukhumvit, and other tourist spots.

I know lots of people who got scammed, but then that's what they keep talking about. Did you ever get on a taxi, the driver just did his job, and then you posted on an internet forum or talked to your friends: "Hey, I took a cab, and he just switched on the meter and brought me where I told him, and gave me the change!!!". No. But take ten rides, have one cab driver try to pull one over on you, and "you" (well, not you of course... but those guys who complain all the time) will keep on repeating that story a hundred times. And I think that's natural - I do it too, because being cheated makes me feel upset, and I want to vent that anger. But overall, I think it's not nearly as bad as reading ThaiVisa.com could make you believe, because it's a place where people not just like to share valuable infos, but also vent their frustrations too :-)

[h90]

My wife left her nice new cellphone in a taxi once, and the next morning the driver called me to tell me that he could drop it off anytime I am available. I gave him a 500 Baht tip because he really went out of his way to help us.

On the flipside: Unfortunately last week my wife left her phone in a taxi again, the driver gave it to his wife as a gift and she used it to call some friends, my wife got a list of the calls from DTAC and used all her detective wits to track it down. Needless to say the driver and his wife got an earfull of abuse from my wife.

So yes, some taxi drivers are really honest and some are not. Just like everyone else on the planet.

not even changed the Sim :D

[Kadafi]

Why i dont believe the story myself as i have only bad experiences myself.

Left a bag with money and some jewelry totall value around 250,000 Baht in a taxi (taxi always wait outside my condominium), went back to my condominium he was gone and never came back.

Got the Police involved they went to the company where we hired his cab, they found him but as you all gues he told that he picked up 2 other passengers and they must taken my bag, end off the story.

Never saw him again

If you are stupid enough to leave a bag of that sort of value in a taxi, i can understand why a Thai taxi driver would just think you are a stupid rich farang and keep it for himself.

If i was travelling around with 250k i would be gripping hold of that thing like a bitch, not just dumping it on a taxi seat next to me and forgetting....

[needforspeed]

Why i dont believe the story myself as i have only bad experiences myself.

Left a bag with money and some jewelry totall value around 250,000 Baht in a taxi (taxi always wait outside my condominium), went back to my condominium he was gone and never came back.

Got the Police involved they went to the company where we hired his cab, they found him but as you all gues he told that he picked up 2 other passengers and they must taken my bag, end off the story.

Never saw him again

If you are stupid enough to leave a bag of that sort of value in a taxi, i can understand why a Thai taxi driver would just think you are a stupid rich farang and keep it for himself.

If i was travelling around with 250k i would be gripping hold of that thing like a bitch, not just dumping it on a taxi seat next to me and forgetting....

Tough words , scarry

First of all i going to help you out of your dreams, you never be able to travel with 250 k. Not now and not in the future.

Second if travel every day with jewelry this can happen and has nothing to do with stupid behaviour, just a mistake and

ofcourse i am not proud of it.

Cheers