Bangkok Taxi Passenger Dragged Out Of Car By Driver

[exalll]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You cannot possibly mean this. On a normal working day, I take three taxis, starting at 5:30AM on Srinakharin Rd. At that time I very rarely have a problem, but I have had a taxi refuse me because (a) he didn't know the way to the BTS - so I told him I could direct him; and then ( because it was the end of his shift. I got another taxi very quickly and was able to watch the original taxi travelling slowly along until picking up another passenger.

[Nisa]

And to note, the report that kicked this thread off was about a taxi driver who physically removed a passenger from the cab; that's assault, altho I'm sure he'll never be charged with it.

I have a big question if it is assault or not and actually if it is not the passenger who could technically be charged. It is his taxi regardless if he owns it or rented and this equates to his property. He certainly can be fined for refusing to take a fare but there is no law that I am aware that would give a fare a right to refuse to leave his property. No different if it is a store that asks somebody to leave for unjust reasons ... the customer cannot use force to remain on the premises but believe the store can use reasonable force to eject somebody from your property who refuses to leave.

I'm not a Thai Lawyer and laws don't always make sense but would bet I am right on this one.

[giztate]

To be fair, there are around 100,000 plus taxis in Bangkok , so i would expect some to horrible cheating little shits. I used them often and rarely have any issues day or night. The area in question soi 11 is a pain in the arse anyway - so i just avoid if possible when i'm out for a few beers.

If a taxi guy refuses to take me to my destination or wants to charge a fixed over inflated price - I just tell them no thank you and have a nice evening with a smile. I can wait to the next taxi driver to come along and accept my destination with the meter on. Life is too short to argue.

[PhilipCook]

Its time for premium taxis to come to the market. This happens in Seoul, Korea and you definitely get a decent taxi experience, a receipt, clean taxi, drivers wearing gloves sometimes too. The goal should be to raise the level of service and if that involves a rise in price, the demand is certainly here to support it. And as for the locations where taxis linger, its a bit hard to control the process now because its out of control in virtually every aspect including oversupply. Otherwise why not have the BTS run later, possibly with a night premium to offset costs.

[airconsult]

1,000 baht fine possible for assaulting a woman. Perhaps if they made it that cheap in my country I would make it a hobby to assault women. Of course I'm not serious, but I do think it's outrageous.

I think the fine they are talking about there is because the driver refused to take her to the destination - yes, in theory, they *must* accept the fare.

The matter of assault I don't think the police were considering until after the hospital examination for evidence of injury.

You don't have to have injuries to constitute assault.

assault means the direct or indirect application of force by a person to the body of, or to clothing or equipment worn by, another

person where the application of force is without lawful excuse. placing someone in emotional fear of being physically assaulted also constitutes an assault.

I understand what you say - but right at that moment the police had her statement and nothing else. Possibly they wanted to see if there was physical evidence to back up her statement before proceeding further?

[RisqEM]

A buddy of mine had the same story in the same area around 12AM. He's an amateur weight lifter, do when the taxi started going weird routes and trying to raise the price by going the long way, my buddy simply got our and walked away at Asoke. The driver chased him down the road and pulled out a sword. Different ways to deal with different people.

[skorchio]

Well, this will only stop happening when the Thai's themselves get so pissed off about it that a stink is made and things change.

EXACTLY!!!

[jaiyen]

TOP TIPS FOR MAKING A SUCCESSFUL STRESS-FREE TAXI JOURNEY IN THAILAND

1. Ignore the taxis that are parked on the side of the road, just walk on by, they are waiting for the big ripoff fares.
   
2. Look at the age of the driver, if under 40 (ish) ignore them and wait for an older driver.
   

That's pretty much it. Works like a charm all the time. Based on my experiences, older drivers tend to be more polite, much friendlier, and not in it to rip people off. They are the ones I give my big tips to at 3am, not the <deleted> that won't even open the doors for less than 500 baht.

I partially agree with you. At the airport I go to departure level and look for a younger driver as I think he will have a family and wants to earn money. Never had a problem, they are happy to get a return fair, are nice to talk to and appreciate a good tip. My number 1 choice in choosing a taxi is to look for a very new car. Most times it contains a good driver.

[Nisa]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You cannot possibly mean this. On a normal working day, I take three taxis, starting at 5:30AM on Srinakharin Rd. At that time I very rarely have a problem, but I have had a taxi refuse me because (a) he didn't know the way to the BTS - so I told him I could direct him; and then ( because it was the end of his shift. I got another taxi very quickly and was able to watch the original taxi travelling slowly along until picking up another passenger.

So it was a problem for you to have to take the next taxi instead of the first and then watch the other taxi pick up another passenger? To me this 30 seconds or minute of work to hail a taxi is part of life and not a problem. I'd personally be happy there was another taxi to jump into and never give it another thought. A problem for me would be not being able to find a taxi and having to walk.

My point was that you can see things as a problem or just accept them. Certainly walking a 1/2 block or waiting a few minutes for a taxi or even having to ask a couple taxis that are so abundant before you get your ride isn't really a big problem is it? Yes you run into jerks all the time in every aspect of life but when it comes to taxis in Bangkok there is almost always another one seconds or minutes away to take you wear you want to go ... to me that is not a problem but a blessing.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Nisa

[airconsult]

1,000 baht fine possible for assaulting a woman. Perhaps if they made it that cheap in my country I would make it a hobby to assault women. Of course I'm not serious, but I do think it's outrageous.

I think the fine they are talking about there is because the driver refused to take her to the destination - yes, in theory, they *must* accept the fare.

The matter of assault I don't think the police were considering until after the hospital examination for evidence of injury.

How do the hospital find evidence of assault?

Bruises?

[exalll]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You cannot possibly mean this. On a normal working day, I take three taxis, starting at 5:30AM on Srinakharin Rd. At that time I very rarely have a problem, but I have had a taxi refuse me because (a) he didn't know the way to the BTS - so I told him I could direct him; and then ( because it was the end of his shift. I got another taxi very quickly and was able to watch the original taxi travelling slowly along until picking up another passenger.

So it was a problem for you to have to take the next taxi instead of the first and then watch the other taxi pick up another passenger? To me this 30 seconds or minute of work to hail a taxi is part of life and not a problem. I'd personally be happy there was another taxi to jump into and never give it another thought. A problem for me would be not being able to find a taxi and having to walk.

Fine, it's not a problem for you. Is it annoying for you? In your years of living here, how often have you had a taxi refuse to take you?

[RefinedGentleman]

I was in Bangkok in December and I had a driver pull over to the side of the road and refuse to continue driving because the AC had stopped working. Couldn't believe it.

[RefinedGentleman]

Look at the age of the driver, if under 40 (ish) ignore them and wait for an older driver.

In my experience it's the young drivers that are willing to run the meter while the old ones always refuse.

[robblok]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You either are really lucky or full of B.S. I have had plenty of cabs refuse me or refuse Thais that were with me. Especially near tourist area's, near my home i almost never get refused.

[chooka]

1,000 baht fine possible for assaulting a woman. Perhaps if they made it that cheap in my country I would make it a hobby to assault women. Of course I'm not serious, but I do think it's outrageous.

I think the fine they are talking about there is because the driver refused to take her to the destination - yes, in theory, they *must* accept the fare.

The matter of assault I don't think the police were considering until after the hospital examination for evidence of injury.

You don't have to have injuries to constitute assault.

assault means the direct or indirect application of force by a person to the body of, or to clothing or equipment worn by, another

person where the application of force is without lawful excuse. placing someone in emotional fear of being physically assaulted also constitutes an assault.

I understand what you say - but right at that moment the police had her statement and nothing else. Possibly they wanted to see if there was physical evidence to back up her statement before proceeding further?

Probably, oh and I wasn't having a dig at you either I don't know this area, but it sounds like a busy one so I guess there would be plenty of CCTV footage that may capture her being pulled from the cab. If there is then the cabbie doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. Refusing a fare is unlawful so pulling her out of the cab because he is refusing her, then that is an unlawful assault as well even without physical injuries. I actually charged a cabbie in Melbourne with this. Yes I know 2 different places. .

[pedro01]

There's so many taxis in this town, I don't really mind when one won't take my fare.

They'll either make more money that way or not I guess and if cherry picking fares makes someone some extra $$$, then that's fine with me. I don't feel entitled to get into any particular taxi, especially as they are so prevelant here.

[Nisa]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You cannot possibly mean this. On a normal working day, I take three taxis, starting at 5:30AM on Srinakharin Rd. At that time I very rarely have a problem, but I have had a taxi refuse me because (a) he didn't know the way to the BTS - so I told him I could direct him; and then ( because it was the end of his shift. I got another taxi very quickly and was able to watch the original taxi travelling slowly along until picking up another passenger.

So it was a problem for you to have to take the next taxi instead of the first and then watch the other taxi pick up another passenger? To me this 30 seconds or minute of work to hail a taxi is part of life and not a problem. I'd personally be happy there was another taxi to jump into and never give it another thought. A problem for me would be not being able to find a taxi and having to walk.

Fine, it's not a problem for you. Is it annoying for you? In your years of living here, how often have you had a taxi refuse to take you?

Countless times and never was it a problem to get another taxi. I find it incredibly easy to get a taxi in Bangkok and incredibly cheap ... I just don't see this as a problem but rather a good thing.

As I said, I don't see on occasion having to spend a few minutes or having to walk up a Soi to the main road to get a taxi as a problem. I am not even sure I find it annoying and just one of those things that are part of life be it waiting in lines. There are times I am going outside Bangkok or even just outside Bangkok Metro where I know the driver is going to have a hard time getting a fare back to town. Even in these times I haven't spent more than 5-minutes trying to get a cab and I am not the least bit bothered as I don't want to get into a taxi or do business with anybody who doesn't want my business such as a taxi driver who may prefer to stay local or may be getting off soon. What probably would be a problem for me is making some driver spend an hour with me driving me somewhere they don't want to go knowing if I just waited there would be a driver happy to take me.

[moe666]

As of 1 September 2012 it was illegal for a taxi to refuse a fare, but nothing has changed, the law is not even worth the paper it is written on despite all the propaganda at the time it was announced. My wife works on Sukhumvit way out towards Bang Na and no taxi will pick her up to bring her to our house because they have no clue that if they just get on the expressway at Soi 62 it only takes 15 minutes to get to Sathorn, so she drives and I take taxis. Living on Sathorn Road and having to go to the airport I find no problem to get a cab to take me for the meter fare (but I always pay more because they are going almost 50km with not that much chance of a return fare so 50 baht on top is reasonable - in Singapore you have to pay add-ons to go to/from the airport, add-ons for peak periods and after hours and more in other places, time we all got real and let these guys make a decent living). Conversely when trying to get a taxi to bring me from my office at Ratchaprasong to Sathorn they all refuse, I normally have to walk over to Langsuan and get a taxi there to avoid the greed of the taxis around Erawan area near my office. I took a photo of a taxi with his "fai wang" (little red sign saying he was available) after he refused me and told him I would report him to the police hot line, he got out of the car, berated me in some pretty nasty Thai profanity, threatened me and drove off. The staff of the hotel lobby I was standing at did nothing to assist and were next to useless (a 5 star hotel in the Ratchaprasong area where I have my office and spend oodles on noodles and more). So the consumer continues to have no rights in this lovely country unless you can buy them and even then the thugs control it. Taxis in Bangkok are becoming more and more like mafia thugs similar to their Phuket cousins, it will be a wonder if Thailand can maintain any kind of tourism popularity except for Chinese (who don't know any better). However, in their defence (The Taxis'), when I arrived in Thailand in 1991 the "flag fall" to start the meter was not much less than the current 35 baht, and the price per 200 meters (or whatever) hasn't much changed, yet the price of fuel has gone from 6.8 baht in those days to over 45 baht nowadays (as a comparison, I know they use gas mostly but don't know the price of gas in those days). So... cut them some slack, pay over the meter if you can because frankly if you were in London, Sydney, New York, or pretty much any other city you could never get a taxi from the airport to the city for under $10... Singapore, KL, Jakarta - also cannot - only Manila are the taxi prices about the same but there you end up in a dirty smelly old corolla or similar with bad airconditioning and taxi drivers who do not know the way around, but mostly at least they are polite. I travel frequently, in and out of the country on business at least weekly and sometimes twice in one week I am making my way back and forth from the airport, 90% of the taxis are in reasonable condition, drivers pretty much know where they are going and drive reasonably carefully (for taxi drivers - try Moscow if you want to be scared as hell, ripped off or mugged). Of the other 10% either the driver is new and doesn't know how to get to Sathorn, or the car is smelly without good air con or the driver appears to be over stimulated (if you know what I mean). Any cheap skate that pays only whats on the meter better avoid New York where the drivers expect to get at least 10% above it if not 20% and will give you heaps of crap if no tip offered. But to the point of the article, a taxi driver cursing a passenger and physically assaulting them should be banned from holding a license for life, definitely the crime committed is under penalised in Thailand, which is why in our last election some HiSo types were quite willing to go around slapping the faces of others knowing it would only end in a 500 baht fine... be careful Farangs, if you think getting into a fight and hitting someone will only get a small fine, its still a criminal offence even if the fine is small and that means instant deportation once you serve your sentence (eg pay the fine).

Actually the taxis were meterlesss until around 95 or 96 give or take a year. When I came back in 1998 there were still a few of the negotiate your fare taxis around but staying below the radar by cruising the back streeets

[pedro01]

The fundamental problems are that the government keeps taxi fares artificially low because it isn't politically expedient to increase them but at the same time neglects to enforce the laws which are supposed to protect both operator and consumer.

In most countries (that do enforce laws) either the taxi fares would have to keep up with inflation or there wouldn't be enough taxis on the road. However in Thailand, the combination of low fares and lack of law enforcement means that the best option for a taxi driver is to seek other ways of increasing income. I think that the police know this and are reluctant to take much action.

Realistically, taxi fares in BKK could double and they would still be cheap by most standards.

Absolutely agree - I've been here 15 years and there has been very little change in taxi fares. Unlike fuel costs.

[CrisRMenumate]

The question is why didn't she exit the cab respectfully when he refused to take her. What a dingbat. It's not like he's obligated to take her. He's running a business and needs to earn a proper buck.

If a taxi stops for you, they're legally bound to take you wherever you want (within reason, of course).

No they are not. Where did you get this from?

Legally they are since 1 September 2012, if they have the red "Wang" light on and stop for you, they are obligated to take you and charge only the metered fare (within the city) or agreed fare. But of course that is just words on a paper. In most other countries taxis do have the right to charge extras - for example if the place you go to requires a toll road use then you must pay for the cab to go back on the same toll road, if the place you are going to is far away you may have to pay 25 to 50% surcharge to allow for the taxi to return to its origin, or peak hour surcharges, late night surcharges, airport surcharges or out of city surcharges - these are normal and accepted in most countries, but mention them in Thailand and every foreigner starts bleating about taxis ripping them off. Please think, $10 to go from one of the busiest airports in the world to the 3rd most visited tourist city in the world by a reasonable, clean, air-conditioned taxi. Is that a rip off? 3am taxi asking for more than the meter? I think he should be allowed to charge double the meter and you should be able to prove that you aren't going to vomit in his cab and can pay for the fare. NOt all taxi drivers are good, nor safe, not all tourists are good, nor safe to be with. Taxi activity isn't racism, they are equal opportunity rip-off merchants, they will rip off Thais just as quickly and easily as foreigners. My friend told me a story, When it comes to the golden goose, Americans and Europeans will go looking to see if there aren't more of them, Singaporeans will make sure that it has laid all the golden eggs then will pluck it, cook it and eat every morsel, Thais will pluck and cook it, and never know what the golden egg was because they only see the goose, not what it could give them. (yes I am generalising)

[Nisa]

There's so many taxis in this town, I don't really mind when one won't take my fare.

They'll either make more money that way or not I guess and if cherry picking fares makes someone some extra $$$, then that's fine with me. I don't feel entitled to get into any particular taxi, especially as they are so prevelant here.

I actually question how much more money they can make. I see some of them gathered for hours waiting for a customer while the other guys with the meters on keep picking and dropping off passengers. At best I think they make the same but just are working less but am sure some nights they don't even get a bite from a customer with their meter off.

[oldsailor35]

Foreign passengers pay what is written on the meter ..... unless they are stupid enough to pay what the taxi wants but that is another story , more and more it seems taxi in Bangkok have too much money as they refuse to bring you if they are not in the mood. This happen all the time.

They had a purge last year on drivers refusing to take fares. This certainly improved things in my experience. Towards the end of last year things declined again. I started to get the regular excuses - no fuel, starting break, finishing shift, or just a rude "mai chai". Then you see the same driver pick up another passenger just down the road! I went with a UK colleague from the Erawan to the Novotel arround 9.00pm and the driver tried several times to agree a set price and only after a strong conversation reluctantly put the meter on. (Probably because the hotel security keep a note of his numbers). The fare was a third of the 'set price".

1000 THB is the fine for refusing the fare. Assault should be a different charge altogether.

So how does one complain and to whom, when a taxi driver refuses to pick one up for no apparent reason.

[exalll]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You either are really lucky or full of B.S. I have had plenty of cabs refuse me or refuse Thais that were with me. Especially near tourist area's, near my home i almost never get refused.

Got to be careful, robblok ... Nisa never said taxis do not refuse him, he just said he has never had a problem

[Nisa]

I have never had a problem getting a taxi in Bangkok in my years living here unless you consider sometimes having to wait 5 minutes or sometimes needing to walk up to the main road a problem. I think they are incredibly cheap and the vast majority of the drivers keep clean cars, are pleasant to deal with and take you on the quickest route to get you where you want to go.

Not sure how people can make general complaints about a service that is very abundant and incredibly cheap. They don't even expect a real tip here.

You either are really lucky or full of B.S. I have had plenty of cabs refuse me or refuse Thais that were with me. Especially near tourist area's, near my home i almost never get refused.

Got to be careful, robblok ... Nisa never said taxis do not refuse him, he just said he has never had a problem

I thought the first sentence made that pretty clear but can understand how a quick glance might take it to mean something I clearly didn't. The point was that it has never been a problem finding a taxi. except for maybe when it is raining hard.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Nisa

[pedro01]

There's so many taxis in this town, I don't really mind when one won't take my fare.

They'll either make more money that way or not I guess and if cherry picking fares makes someone some extra $$$, then that's fine with me. I don't feel entitled to get into any particular taxi, especially as they are so prevelant here.

I actually question how much more money they can make. I see some of them gathered for hours waiting for a customer while the other guys with the meters on keep picking and dropping off passengers. At best I think they make the same but just are working less but am sure some nights they don't even get a bite from a customer with their meter off.

I agree with you. I don't think it gets them any more money. That goes double when they park somewhere like Suk 11 or Silom late at night with 300 other taxis. I would imagine there's someone to pay just to stop and wait there. I think it's just their perception.

I routinely pay 200 Baht to get home from town to Saphan Sung - the meter fare is usually about 120-150 depending on where in town I'm leaving from. My tip is a few dollars and is given to every driver that is nice and that drives OK. I find that most drivers are actually OK both in terms of their driving and their manners.

The funniest one was a mechanic that picked me up. He had repaired the taxi and was out giving it a run to make sure it was OK. He figured he may as well pick up a fare along the way. My wife thought it hilarious.

[Tatsujin]

Look at the age of the driver, if under 40 (ish) ignore them and wait for an older driver.

In my experience it's the young drivers that are willing to run the meter while the old ones always refuse.

Exactly the opposite experience to my own lol

[oldsailor35]

As of 1 September 2012 it was illegal for a taxi to refuse a fare, but nothing has changed, the law is not even worth the paper it is written on despite all the propaganda at the time it was announced. My wife works on Sukhumvit way out towards Bang Na and no taxi will pick her up to bring her to our house because they have no clue that if they just get on the expressway at Soi 62 it only takes 15 minutes to get to Sathorn, so she drives and I take taxis. Living on Sathorn Road and having to go to the airport I find no problem to get a cab to take me for the meter fare (but I always pay more because they are going almost 50km with not that much chance of a return fare so 50 baht on top is reasonable - in Singapore you have to pay add-ons to go to/from the airport, add-ons for peak periods and after hours and more in other places, time we all got real and let these guys make a decent living). Conversely when trying to get a taxi to bring me from my office at Ratchaprasong to Sathorn they all refuse, I normally have to walk over to Langsuan and get a taxi there to avoid the greed of the taxis around Erawan area near my office. I took a photo of a taxi with his "fai wang" (little red sign saying he was available) after he refused me and told him I would report him to the police hot line, he got out of the car, berated me in some pretty nasty Thai profanity, threatened me and drove off. The staff of the hotel lobby I was standing at did nothing to assist and were next to useless (a 5 star hotel in the Ratchaprasong area where I have my office and spend oodles on noodles and more). So the consumer continues to have no rights in this lovely country unless you can buy them and even then the thugs control it. Taxis in Bangkok are becoming more and more like mafia thugs similar to their Phuket cousins, it will be a wonder if Thailand can maintain any kind of tourism popularity except for Chinese (who don't know any better). However, in their defence (The Taxis'), when I arrived in Thailand in 1991 the "flag fall" to start the meter was not much less than the current 35 baht, and the price per 200 meters (or whatever) hasn't much changed, yet the price of fuel has gone from 6.8 baht in those days to over 45 baht nowadays (as a comparison, I know they use gas mostly but don't know the price of gas in those days). So... cut them some slack, pay over the meter if you can because frankly if you were in London, Sydney, New York, or pretty much any other city you could never get a taxi from the airport to the city for under $10... Singapore, KL, Jakarta - also cannot - only Manila are the taxi prices about the same but there you end up in a dirty smelly old corolla or similar with bad airconditioning and taxi drivers who do not know the way around, but mostly at least they are polite. I travel frequently, in and out of the country on business at least weekly and sometimes twice in one week I am making my way back and forth from the airport, 90% of the taxis are in reasonable condition, drivers pretty much know where they are going and drive reasonably carefully (for taxi drivers - try Moscow if you want to be scared as hell, ripped off or mugged). Of the other 10% either the driver is new and doesn't know how to get to Sathorn, or the car is smelly without good air con or the driver appears to be over stimulated (if you know what I mean). Any cheap skate that pays only whats on the meter better avoid New York where the drivers expect to get at least 10% above it if not 20% and will give you heaps of crap if no tip offered. But to the point of the article, a taxi driver cursing a passenger and physically assaulting them should be banned from holding a license for life, definitely the crime committed is under penalised in Thailand, which is why in our last election some HiSo types were quite willing to go around slapping the faces of others knowing it would only end in a 500 baht fine... be careful Farangs, if you think getting into a fight and hitting someone will only get a small fine, its still a criminal offence even if the fine is small and that means instant deportation once you serve your sentence (eg pay the fine).

So you are saying that its ok for Thai taxi drivers to refuse, abuse and threaten passengers, because its done in Russia and USA ?

[Arkady]

1,000 baht fine possible for assaulting a woman. Perhaps if they made it that cheap in my country I would make it a hobby to assault women. Of course I'm not serious, but I do think it's outrageous.

1,000 baht fine possible for assaulting a woman. Perhaps if they made it that cheap in my country I would make it a hobby to assault women. Of course I'm not serious, but I do think it's outrageous.

B1,000 is the penalty for refusing to take a passenger. Assault could get a jail sentence. Perhaps the police were suggesting they wouldn't bother with a an assault charge or it's just poor reporting.

[shawndoc]

This isn't all that new. I got thrown out of a taxi back around 2003 because I insisted on the meter. It was near one of the tourist temples, and since I wouldn't agree to some ridiculous fair (I think 400 baht for a 70 baht trip) he threw me out.

Just about every trip I've ever taken to the airport was a flat fee, unless I was staying at a nicer hotel and the doorman would insist (one time I thought a brawl was about to break out). At the smaller hotels the doormen seem to be friends with the local drivers and won't help out.

[Tboy928]

Thailand's future, becoming reality.

Phuket will not be alone for much longer.... It is the future of most places in Thailand where there are numbers of Westerners.

HERE in Phuket Patong , you cant even find a METER Taxi at all, can see some few ones pass by ,maybe from airport they come, but stationed ,i never seen any. Only TUK TUK mafia