Phuket Tuk-Tuk Driver Gets Suspended Sentence For Attack On Tourist

[Screws]

"An argument ensued, which resulted in Mr Sirapob losing control and striking the Egyptian in the face twice before fleeing on foot"

I would say 400 baht would be a pretty good price for a tuk tuk - so long as it is in good nic -

[bobobo]

I totally agree with Monty 68. I stay in South Pattaya. I go to Jomtien, Big C etc it*s 10-20 baht. Something must be very wrong

in Phuket that's for sure...

/B

[Beng]

A tuk tuk is a 3 wheeler and accomadates 3 to 4 passengers max. Amazingly, the driver accepted 6.

Even more amazing though is, that the Egyptians managed 10 people into it. Love to see a pic of that

The fare of 40 Baht/person is ridiculous of course.

[waza]

What for pure Guy's travelling around the Globe for fighting for 3.5$ .........are there no better Things to do in Holiday as this .......

$3.50 = 400 baht, where do you get your money exchanged??

[waza]

A tuk tuk is a 3 wheeler and accomadates 3 to 4 passengers max. Amazingly, the driver accepted 6.

Even more amazing though is, that the Egyptians managed 10 people into it. Love to see a pic of that

The fare of 40 Baht/person is ridiculous of course.

They were his family so undoubtedly some were infants and small children

[firestar]

Of course he can, in any transaction if you notice the other party did not fulfill their part of the agreement you will ask to be compensated. during or after the facts.

Anyway I get the feeling you are just trolling. Carry On.

is that what you feel? thank you for sharing your feelings with the board

The other party did not eat more food or drink more water

If the driver was too stupid to notice double the amount of people, thats tough luck.

He could always renegotiate or cancel the agreement, instead of making the trip and THEN demand more money.

But all of the above is really just common sense, which you clearly do not posses, so carry on

If he was "too stupid to notice" how could he renegotiate the agreement?

Oh yeah clearly you possess common sense

Love the argument though, if you initially get away with reneging an agreement the other party should not ask for compensation but just take it.

I wonder if you'd be on the same side of the argument if it was a Thai who broke an agreement with a Farang.

Actually you don't need to answer that I already know the answer toots.

[NomadJoe]

Has anyone tried to get 10 people in a tuk tuk, something very wrong with the facts in this story. That would be unusual in Thai for the facts to be stretched a little.

Have you seen Phuket tuk tuks or are you talking of real tuk tuks like in Bangkok?

[johnlandy]

Yeh ... right .... gives the tourists that welcome safe feeling ..... I don't think. I will say no more and stay within the forum rules ...

But when they give the perp an open invitation to reoffend it's very hard isn't it "to stay within the rules"

[NomadJoe]

Well, the normal price in Pattaya is 10- 20 THB without ordering an exact destination.

But 10 people isn't that much, maybe 12- 14 is quite usual, 11 can sit, 3 can stand or even more.

But 400 for each of these 10 people ??? NEVER EVER !!

So I guess, now I'm a little prepared, if I want go on holiday to this suspicious island... :s

Not interested in such stupid problems.

Your talking about a songteaw, "two rows" truck that is 10B per person. A Phuket tuk tuk is smaller.

[skorchio]

10 more happy tourists. Keep up the good work.

Sorry, I don't agree. The deal was 6 tourists for 300bt. That's 50bt per tourist.

The tuk-tuk driver can count to 10, so can I.

He only wanted an extra 100bt for the other 4 tourists. That's a great discount. The Egyptian should have been ecstatic.

But no, the 10 rich tourists had to try and scam the tuk-tuk driver, didn't they!

For what? 100bt .... that's three freakin' dollars .... for heaven's sake!

Was it worth it for $3? They've probably spent $15,000 between the 10 of them for this holiday ... and they're making a fuss over $3.

I am THOROUGHLY SICK AND TIRED of this sort of attitude from foreigners towards Thai workers.

Wake up .... the lot of you!

I'm usually charged 70-100bt. I always tip a tuk-tuk driver a 20. I always tip a taxi driver a 50. For a buck or two, we both walk away with a smile.

We all tip in the US, UK, or Australia ... but when we get to Bangkok, rich tourists suddenly turn into misers, scrouges, and whingers.

Where is that tuk-tuk driver? I'll pay his fine - for the moral wrong - and shout him and his family dinner for standing up for himself!

3 cheers

There is no fare under 300 baht in Phuket. To move the tuktuk, it is 300baht. Thats 6 GBP, 7.3 Euro, 9 USD. If you are trying to tell me thats OK to move 500m up the road, well you need to come here and see how you feel after 2 weeks of these <unts. I am living in Patong 9 yrs and I have watched the fare go from 50-80 negotiable, to 300 non negotiable, and these <unts are becoming increasingly violent.

Futher, tourists have no options for transport. None, diddly squat, zero, except the one bus route that goes to Phuket town. These <unts have gone to extremes of violence to ensure that no public transport service is allowed to operate. They almost killed a naive young man who took the job of driving a public bus run by local authorities. They beat him to within an inch of his life. So I cant stay silent when I read some short sighted comment defending the driver in this instance. Come live here and see how these <unts operate.

And before you tell me 'why dont you move back to your own country'.....let me tell you that I can tolerate this one disgusting facet of life in Patong Phuket Thailand. I will never ever use a tuktuk unless I am dieing. Thats about my limit I reckon. I have a car and a bike, I will not sponsor their intimidation with my patronage. Come here and tip them 50 Baht mate, before long you'll be paying 500 to sit in the bloody thing.

[phl]

Of course he can, in any transaction if you notice the other party did not fulfill their part of the agreement you will ask to be compensated. during or after the facts.

Anyway I get the feeling you are just trolling. Carry On.

is that what you feel? thank you for sharing your feelings with the board

The other party did not eat more food or drink more water

If the driver was too stupid to notice double the amount of people, thats tough luck.

He could always renegotiate or cancel the agreement, instead of making the trip and THEN demand more money.

But all of the above is really just common sense, which you clearly do not posses, so carry on

If he was "too stupid to notice" how could he renegotiate the agreement?

Oh yeah clearly you possess common sense

Love the argument though, if you initially get away with reneging an agreement the other party should not ask for compensation but just take it.

I wonder if you'd be on the same side of the argument if it was a Thai who broke an agreement with a Farang.

Actually you don't need to answer that I already know the answer toots.

Well spotted, if he was too stupid, he can not renegotiate after the fact

Also do feel free to share with me what extra service was rendered??

Did he miss out of taking other passengers? NO

Did he have to drop off at different locations? NO

Did he have to physically carry anything extra? NO

I could not care less who was involved Thai or a Martian, facts are still facts, so is common sense

PS. IF he was a bus who sold tickets per person per sit, then you could continue with your argument, but since he was not and price is agreed on the car and a trip, it's time you stop to troll and start to think

Edited July 2, 2012 by phl

[catweazle]

Even though I am not a Tuk-Tuk driver's best friend, I see this as a fair outcome of a stupid and unnecessary brawl. Both parties guilty as charged! Should have been ten stitches though

[NomadJoe]

A tuk tuk is a 3 wheeler and accomadates 3 to 4 passengers max. Amazingly, the driver accepted 6.

Even more amazing though is, that the Egyptians managed 10 people into it. Love to see a pic of that

The fare of 40 Baht/person is ridiculous of course.

No. A Phuket tuk tuk is a small truck. You can fit 10 people in it, especially if some are children as it appears may have been the case here, and one or two ride in the cab. Because tuk tuks are controlled by mafia, prices are set 3 to 10 times what they are elsewhere in Thailand. They are priced specifically for the tourists. Phuket is the only place in Thailand where this occurs. Local people have no affordable way to get around the island.

Edited July 2, 2012 by NomadJoe

[Cardiff1963]

just avoid phuket, i lived in chalong, the main reason for me re-locating was extortionate travel fares

[notime]

It seems that "10 people claiming onto the tuk-tuk" is the account of the driver only. The article doesn't mention if the Egyptian man actually supported these claims. As usually the media is taking the Thai side and white-wash the culprit. And even if that was the truth the driver could stop the vehicle when more then the negotiated number of passengers were boarding it and demand the increased fare then, not after the trip. What more, does his tuk-tuk is licensed to carry 10 passengers? I doubt that. So, why didn't the cops charge him for bridging safety rules, possibly removing his license in addition to assault charge? And is "suspended sentence" the way this country is trying to remove tourist mafia operations in 6 months, as pronounced somewhere else?

[sunshine51]

I'm gonna keep my fingers off the keypad on this crap and go sailing. BTW we have TT's on Phuket.

TT's you mean Audi cars?

Yeah...Audi's....waddaya expect...3 wheelers?!

please try again, only this time in English

Yeah...we got Audi TT's and we have the other TT's...Tuk Tuks aka 3 wheelers.

Hope this helps you.

[vijer]

Seriously you are all daft. IMO the tuk tuk should have been let off without any charges. The A from Egypt clearly was trying to pull a fast one. "hey there are six of us to transport" "OK here's my price" "OK everybody in" "wait there are ten of you" "no no you don't understand we don't count women as people in Egypt, so only six" "sorry women are people in Thailand, ten people" "listen you dirty little tuk tuk man you are lower than woman from my country, shut up" "[bam] [bam] [run away]"

[Guest]

I'm usually charged 70-100bt. I always tip a tuk-tuk driver a 20. I always tip a taxi driver a 50. For a buck or two, we both walk away with a smile.

In Phuket you will never be charged 70-100bath. Minimum charge is 200bath.

There is clear misunderstanding for people who do not live or have not visited Phuket. First the tuk-tuks are not three wheelers, like in Bangkok. Phuket tuk-tuks are small cars with 4 feels. Like this one http://www.asienguiden.se/thailand/karon_bilder/bilder/phuket_tuk-tuk.jpg

Phuket tuk-tuks is one of the main reason that there is no good public transportation on the island as they block the efforts.

Maybe we should start calling Phuket tuk-tuks as Red Buffaloes as in the picture above?

I believe nobody who is living in Phuket have anything against the Bangkok tuk-tuk drivers, who seem to be driving with reasonable prices and do not try to stop Bangkok public transportation.

[TheWalkingMan]

The victim didn't want to press charges or accept compensation, but still they considered it a serious enough offence to sentence the guy anyway, and actually the sentence isn't particularly light, suspended jail term and fairly big fine (by Thai standards). Surely this is a positive outcome???

A big fine? lol. That fine was a pittance.

[phl]

10 more happy tourists. Keep up the good work.

Sorry, I don't agree. The deal was 6 tourists for 300bt. That's 50bt per tourist.

The tuk-tuk driver can count to 10, so can I.

He only wanted an extra 100bt for the other 4 tourists. That's a great discount. The Egyptian should have been ecstatic.

But no, the 10 rich tourists had to try and scam the tuk-tuk driver, didn't they!

For what? 100bt .... that's three freakin' dollars .... for heaven's sake!

Was it worth it for $3? They've probably spent $15,000 between the 10 of them for this holiday ... and they're making a fuss over $3.

I am THOROUGHLY SICK AND TIRED of this sort of attitude from foreigners towards Thai workers.

Wake up .... the lot of you!

I'm usually charged 70-100bt. I always tip a tuk-tuk driver a 20. I always tip a taxi driver a 50. For a buck or two, we both walk away with a smile.

We all tip in the US, UK, or Australia ... but when we get to Bangkok, rich tourists suddenly turn into misers, scrouges, and whingers.

Where is that tuk-tuk driver? I'll pay his fine - for the moral wrong - and shout him and his family dinner for standing up for himself!

3 cheers

So Nigel, back home you also always tip 30%-40% on top? I bet you are one of those 2 week Millioners's who tips 60 baht on a 40 baht ride

Edited July 2, 2012 by phl

[piewarmer]

A tuk tuk is a 3 wheeler and accomadates 3 to 4 passengers max. Amazingly, the driver accepted 6.

Even more amazing though is, that the Egyptians managed 10 people into it. Love to see a pic of that

The fare of 40 Baht/person is ridiculous of course.

No. A Phuket tuk tuk is a small truck. You can fit 10 people in it, especially if some are children as it appears may have been the case here, and one or two ride in the cab.

I was hoping someone was awake, Patong doesn't have 3 wheeled tuk tuks like the rest of the country.

Only these imported Japanese Daihatsu Hijets. They seat 6 adults at a squeeze but only have 600CC of grunt.

Everyone calls them Tuk Tuk anyway.....Great photo.

Edited July 2, 2012 by piewarmer

[maidu]

“We always have meetings with taxi operators, asking them to exercise self-control. Some of them are not very well-educated; they do not quite understand that when they harm tourists, they will have to suffer the consequences, or that it will damage the tourism industry that sustains them,” he said.

What does education have to do with it? You can grow up in a garbage dump and know that sucker punching a tourist will harm tourism. 8 stitches around the left eye, heck, he could have blinded the guy. Even by Thai standards, the fine was too light. Should have been Bt.6,000 and suspend the taxi license for a month (do those guys even have taxi licenses?)

[phl]

Yeah...we got Audi TT's and we have the other TT's...Tuk Tuks aka 3 wheelers.

Hope this helps you.

Ohhh i see , thank you. the 3 letter word was to hard for you to spell, so you shortened it

[phl]

Seriously you are all daft. IMO the tuk tuk should have been let off without any charges. The A from Egypt clearly was trying to pull a fast one. "hey there are six of us to transport" "OK here's my price" "OK everybody in" "wait there are ten of you" "no no you don't understand we don't count women as people in Egypt, so only six" "sorry women are people in Thailand, ten people" "listen you dirty little tuk tuk man you are lower than woman from my country, shut up" "[bam] [bam] [run away]"

yeah and charging 10 times the actual rate i guess is pulling the slow one

[transam]

Bet the TT driver doesn't even know what a suspended sentence is, all he knows is he can go back to work after he pay's this poultry fine.

Great message eh to these morons, and it seems the judiciary don't give a toss about the effect on tourism these guys are having.

[sunshine51]

Yeah...we got Audi TT's and we have the other TT's...Tuk Tuks aka 3 wheelers.

Hope this helps you.

Ohhh i see , thank you. the 3 letter word was to hard for you to spell, so you shortened it

You're welcome. By the way...I don't use Tuk Tuks...(6 letters actually not 3)...I ride a Harley

Sportster.

[NomadJoe]

Even though I am not a Tuk-Tuk driver's best friend, I see this as a fair outcome of a stupid and unnecessary brawl. Both parties guilty as charged! Should have been ten stitches though

What story are you reading? This wasn't a brawl. It was an assault and battery. Notice the tuk tuk driver didn't try to press charges on the tourist for anything.

[phl]

Yeah...we got Audi TT's and we have the other TT's...Tuk Tuks aka 3 wheelers.

Hope this helps you.

Ohhh i see , thank you. the 3 letter word was to hard for you to spell, so you shortened it

You're welcome. By the way...I don't use Tuk Tuks...(6 letters actually not 3)...I ride a Harley

Sportster.

WOW

[phl]

Bet the TT driver doesn't even know what a suspended sentence is, all he knows is he can go back to work after he pay's this poultry fine.

Great message eh to these morons, and it seems the judiciary don't give a toss about the effect on tourism these guys are having.

I am not sure how this fines are actually enforced.

From what i have seen, they are not, unless something is taken as a deposit or he is held in the cell until paid up

[garyk]

Lot of people, must have been a stretch tuk tuk.

LOL, good one.

I have lived here for 3 years now and have never been to Puckett and spent one night in Pattaya.

After visiting Pattaya once I never went back. But I can see why it is a tourist town.