Motorbike Taxi Drivers

[gharknes]

OK, I park my bike outside a Familymart on walking street (plenty of room) I go into shop and buy a packet of ciggies, outside I decide to have a smoke before I move on so I light up, next thing 2 motorbike taxi drivers arive on their bikes and stop beside my bike, they then motion me quite rudly to move my bike about 6 feet down the street claiming that particular unmarked spot was theirs, it's a lot of hassle to move a big bike a few feet so I motion the 2 guys that I'm going once I finish my cig, probably about 1 minute or less, they are obviously quite angry at this and motion me to move now or they beat me up (2 onto 1) so I remain calm and gesture to my cig which is almost finnshed and I'm about to go, not acceptable so one of them approaches me and takes a swing I step back and avoid contact, the other one then moves towards me, I motion both of them to calm down and stub cig out on ground and proceed to put my helmet on. I get on m y bike and one of them hits me a thump in the back, I am a peacful sort of guy and to avoid getting into a fight with maybe 5+ Thais I ignore this and drive off, hearing something like farang go home muttered from the other one.

What are these guys on, are they just nasty by nature, I use MB taxi's all the time and have a few friends that ride MB taxi's, there where no markings on the street, there was no way to see that this was their spot, did they just want a fight, don't they realise that farang money feeds them, what would anyone else have done in this situation, would the police have acted if I reported an assault ?

[Joey Boy]

Offering them a smoke might have defused the situation

[Mobi]

.

...What are these guys on, are they just nasty by nature......

The fact is that motorbike taxis, like the baht bus drivers, are generally from the bottom of the pile. They are very poor, uneducated, and have manage to scrape some cash together from wherever - frequently crime related - and pay daily/weekly fees/ protection money to local mafia/police in order to operate their bikes. They live day to day and are surrounded by farang tourists who are pissing more money away in a night than they see in a month. Is it any wonder they can be a bit bolshi? I'm not sure you would get too far by trying to enage them in a debate along the lines of why do they 'bite the hand that feeds them' etc.. I'm not condoning their behaviour - just stating the obvious. Life's too short - I'd walk (or drive) away if I were you - which is what you did, when you finished your fag. I rhink I might have stubbed it out a bit earlier.

[CGW]

Excellent explanation, reasoning and advice Mr Ark, the bottom line is "drivers" have nothing to loose in a altercation, the Police would undoubtably come out on their side anyway.

It's hard but the easiest and best thing to do is walk away, remembering you are dealing with what you are, I learnt this the hard way some years ago.

Cheers

[Pattaya_Fox]

Cowardly scum who were probably jealous of your bike. You did the only thing you could under the circumstances and being the hero could have resulted in both you and your bike being damaged.

The good thing is you know where they work from.....if you get my drift

[Phil Conners]

Same thing with the several groups operating outside Royal Garden.

Who allow these people to piss off a piece of public road as their turf anyway?

Edited February 12, 2006 by madsere

[gburns57au]

Just wondering as to your attitude at the time...you obviously didnt speak Thai to them and made "motions"...could your "motions" have been taken as aggressive??

Me, I would have smiled and made a joke of some sort...I know a few of the guys in that area and they are mostly ok guys.

[lovethailandlongtime]

Just wondering as to your attitude at the time...you obviously didnt speak Thai to them and made "motions"...could your "motions" have been taken as aggressive??

Me, I would have smiled and made a joke of some sort...I know a few of the guys in that area and they are mostly ok guys.

would you have pretended to be australian again??

Would that work though?

Edited February 12, 2006 by lovethailandlongtime

[alexth]

Joking it's the est solution, getting angry won't do it, none would have helped you, the last time I had a motornike accident with a crazy baht bus driver, I had to pay for everything and I was the only one coming at the police station. The owner of the car that I damaged while avoiding the crazy baht bus, actually showed me the insurance papers telling me that he is not going to use it...I got muted

[gburns57au]

would you have pretended to be australian again??

Would that work though?

I am Australian......Got the papers to prove it...and anyway most of the MTD's in that area know me as an Aussie also....

Would it work ???....stands more of a chance than anything else unless you have really upset someone. Its hard for someone to hit someone who is smiling at them...

Edited February 12, 2006 by gburns57au

[alexth]

I am Australian......Got the papers to prove it...and anyway most of the MTD's in that area know me as an Aussie also....

Would it work ???....stands more of a chance than anything else unless you have really upset someone. Its hard for someone to hit someone who is smiling at them...

It depends on the smile, teeth, gums, rtc. )

[gharknes]

Just wondering as to your attitude at the time...you obviously didnt speak Thai to them and made "motions"...could your "motions" have been taken as aggressive??

Me, I would have smiled and made a joke of some sort...I know a few of the guys in that area and they are mostly ok guys.

would you have pretended to be australian again??

Would that work though?

I actually remained very neutral in my response, refering the the ciggy i was about to finish and go, these guys where just aggressive and looking for a fight no matter what, very rude very crude and i did back down to a point but it was no walk over, I remained calm and resolute in my stance, and yes it was probably a mixture of jealousy and hate for farang.................I parked outside a 7/11 went in came out and these two where just plain ignorant, to move my bike 6 feet would have required me to back it up go round a couple of bikes parked in front of mine and park it 6 feet away, neither practical for me or something i was willing to do and i didn't, who lost face...well it wasn't me, i refused to do waht they wanted and continued smileing the whole time, yes i could probably pay these chaps a visit with a few thai friends of mine but I would then be just like them...thugs. They are such big men when there's 2 or 3 of them.

[britmaveric]

Perhaps a one off? Never had any bad experience w/Motorcycle taxi. A laff to get a ride from - normally need a few to use them!!!

[Mighty Mouse]

I hope that you learned something from all of this.................

........smoking is dangerous for your health.

[penzman]

Crappy job, crappy wages, shitty mood.

[gburns57au]

It depends on the smile, teeth, gums, rtc. )

If it looks really bad I take the teeth out and show them my gums.....works everytime....

see the smilie agrees.....

Edited February 13, 2006 by gburns57au

[Phil Conners]

How many of you defending those idiots actually live in Pattaya? Try taking your bike and try parking in any of the zones they've decided are their turf.

There are nothing polite in the way they ask you to get the <deleted> of their turf.

[opothai]

How many of you defending those idiots actually live in Pattaya? Try taking your bike and try parking in any of the zones they've decided are their turf.

There are nothing polite in the way they ask you to get the <deleted> of their turf.

and the more you walk away, well, as the saying goes give some people an inch and they'll take a mile.

[chuckd]

How many of you defending those idiots actually live in Pattaya? Try taking your bike and try parking in any of the zones they've decided are their turf.

There are nothing polite in the way they ask you to get the <deleted> of their turf.

I have lived in Pattaya for years. I agree with this statement as I have also accidentally ventured onto their own little playground. I was always in my jeep though so there was little they could do. I drove off nonetheless.

These guys are nothing but a bunch of thugs.

Edit in: Opothai, I suggest strongly that you give in. You WILL be outnumbered and severly thrashed if you decide to get physical. Discretion is still the better part of valor.

Edited February 14, 2006 by chuckd

[opothai]

i would not enjoy getting into a violent confrontation with a bunch of thai chaps, but its in my nature to stand up for what i believe is right and old enough not to be treated like a pr+ck

[CGW]

i would not enjoy getting into a violent confrontation with a bunch of thai chaps, but its in my nature to stand up for what i believe is right and old enough not to be treated like a pr+ck

Respectfully, you should also be old enough to recognise a situation you simply cant win - and walk away As much as you may hate doing it

[Ulysses G.]

i would not enjoy getting into a violent confrontation with a bunch of thai chaps, but its in my nature to stand up for what i believe is right and old enough not to be treated like a pr+ck

Respectfully, you should also be old enough to recognise a situation you simply cant win - and walk away As much as you may hate doing it

Walking away from scum is better than getting seriously hurt and being able to do nothing about it.

[britmaveric]

Walk away so can fight another day??

[Wes Turner]

Never happened to me but i quit smoking in 98.

Edited February 14, 2006 by Wes Turner

[opothai]

agreed boys best to walk away, but not easy.

the best for me is not to go to pattaya, we had a bunch of us go 3 and 4 times a year starting in 1999 and things were always great, but over the years i personnaly have sensed things have become worse with confrontations arguments etc.

the last time we were in pattaya was nearly a year ago, now ive got a little piece of los a long way away from the touristy areas and things are a lot quieter and no doubt safer for people of my nature

as i've mentioned before something needs to be done about the thai 'gangs' if not they will take the falangs for granted and get more adventurous in thier misdemeanors, it is a police problem but leaving things like this in the hands of the keystone cop outs, i would not hold out to much hope of an improvement.

given that it is agreed it is better to walk away how do the pattaya residents envisage tackling this ever growing problem.???

[CGW]

agreed boys best to walk away, but not easy.

the best for me is not to go to pattaya, we had a bunch of us go 3 and 4 times a year starting in 1999 and things were always great, but over the years i personnaly have sensed things have become worse with confrontations arguments etc.

the last time we were in pattaya was nearly a year ago, now ive got a little piece of los a long way away from the touristy areas and things are a lot quieter and no doubt safer for people of my nature

as i've mentioned before something needs to be done about the thai 'gangs' if not they will take the falangs for granted and get more adventurous in thier misdemeanors, it is a police problem but leaving things like this in the hands of the keystone cop outs, i would not hold out to much hope of an improvement.

given that it is agreed it is better to walk away how do the pattaya residents envisage tackling this ever growing problem.???

I envisage the Police will do absolutley Nothing, except continue to take money from the "Taxi boys" and give them protection where and when they need it so this can continue.

Living in a country that is blatantly corrupt - has it's upsides, but boy, does it have it's down side to. Cowboy truck drivers with no exhausts are One of my pet hates

[Rimmer]

It's also bad for your health to park outside a tailors shop. I was once told quite nastily that they own the road right up to the middlle. I moved my car, there were three of them fixing to alter the bodywork..

[barryofthailand]

Motor bile taxie drivers have ques all over the place. Much easier to smile, move your bike a couple of feet and not have any problems. Remember we are a guest in this country and good to Understand Thai culture.

Barry

[CGW]

Motor bile taxie drivers have ques all over the place. Much easier to smile, move your bike a couple of feet and not have any problems. Remember we are a guest in this country and good to Understand Thai culture.

Barry

If all the illegal parking that goes on in Pattaya was stopped, eg. Rental cars removed, Motor cycles for rent, Baht Busses etc, and the Public spaces were used by the Public, moving around Pattaya would be much easier for the Public. The only reason they are allowed to park\have taxi ranks where they do is due to the fact they are paying the right people.

Driving is becoming more of a nightmare daily as no traffic laws are enforced, we are guests but we also pay road tax and have as much right to use Public areas as these people do.

We may have to smile and move on or drive arounf the block yet again trying to park as Tailors\Bars ect have "their" area barricaded, but I for one wont be smiling and Mai Pen Rai'ing

Thai culture (corruption is acceptable, it doesn't matter how you got to be rich, as long as you are!) doesn't come into this, the majority of Thai's would like to see some sort of order

Cheers

[gburns57au]

If all the illegal parking that goes on in Pattaya was stopped, eg. Rental cars removed, Motor cycles for rent, Baht Busses etc, and the Public spaces were used by the Public, moving around Pattaya would be much easier for the Public. The only reason they are allowed to park\have taxi ranks where they do is due to the fact they are paying the right people.

Yes they are paying the right people....they are paying the proper authorities... They pay for the right to park in certain spots...This is why they are always parked in the same spots day in, day out.

Can you imagine what it would be like if it wasnt under some form of control....they would be parking anywhere, there would be fights as each group try to get the best spot, there would be rentals strung all along the street with no room for anyone else to park, or for delivery trucks to get in.