Police Fining Private Taxis

[LongTimeLurker]

A mate came in on Tuesday and I arranged a pick up for him through Mr. T at Pattaya to bring him from the airport to Pattaya. He tells methat leaving the airport there was a police road block and they stopped tha taxi and asked him where he was going and how much he was being charged. They fined the taxi driver the amount of the fare.

This was a private vehicle not a taxi meter taxi.

Anyone heard of this happening before?

[scotto]

New BIB scam

[cnx355]

Same with PT Taxi. Two friends of mine were taken from Pattaya to Kho Chang and less than 30 minutes after leaving Pattaya police road block and fine for the driver. Maybe some people from Pattaya taxi-meter /songtaew coop complained that some private company charged lower prices and took business from them or the local BIB found a new way to make money.

[doggie888888]

My private taxi driver had the brains to tell me that in the event of a greedy cop asking questions, I was to say that the driver was a friend. Never been stopped though, perhaps because I always sit in front next to the driver and the taxi is unmarked so looks like a private vehicle.

[jbrain]

Going on for years, nothing new .

[Theboy]

Going on for years, nothing new .

Not true - the way they have set up a check point is not 'years old'

[chiang mai]

The (occaisional) checkpoint and the fining of private/illegal cabs has been going on at Swampy for at least the past five years.

[Kilgore Trout]

New BIB scam

Not a scam just selective enforcement of the law

[lopburi3]

I was first stopped more than 40 years ago so it is nothing new or illegal - private plate cars charging fee for transport is what is illegal. In those days the only taxi service at Don Muang airport were these vehicles and police checks would sometimes get them on way into town - had one waved to stop but he kept going until motorcycle got him about 2km later and they took his DL for collection at police station later after fine paid.

[LongTimeLurker]

My private taxi driver had the brains to tell me that in the event of a greedy cop asking questions, I was to say that the driver was a friend. Never been stopped though, perhaps because I always sit in front next to the driver and the taxi is unmarked so looks like a private vehicle.

I told my mate that's what he should have done, but it's only his second time here in 13 years so he wasn't aware there was anything wrong with the police check.

Don't think it was a scam as such as he said the cop gave the driver a ticket.

[Satcommlee]

It's not really a scam so to speak....... Taxi's like Mr T are illegal, unlicensed and uninsured.

If the car (except marked taxi's, songteaws etc) does not have a green plate, then it is a private vehicle.

[jbrain]

Going on for years, nothing new .

Not true - the way they have set up a check point is not 'years old'

The last time I used Mr T from the airport was August 2010, when we drove out of the carpark he asked me to lay down on the back seat for the first few kilometers as otherwise the police would stop him if they saw he had a passenger.

The previous time only a few moths prior the driver had to make a detour to enter the tollway, because if he would take the regular route he would face a roadblock.

[merijn]

Going on for years, nothing new .

Not true - the way they have set up a check point is not 'years old'

The last time I used Mr T from the airport was August 2010, when we drove out of the carpark he asked me to lay down on the back seat for the first few kilometers as otherwise the police would stop him if they saw he had a passenger.

The previous time only a few moths prior the driver had to make a detour to enter the tollway, because if he would take the regular route he would face a roadblock.

Asked to lay down on the back seat, Welcome to Thailand !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[asanee]

It's not really a scam so to speak....... Taxi's like Mr T are illegal, unlicensed and uninsured.

If the car (except marked taxi's, songteaws etc) does not have a green plate, then it is a private vehicle.

Nonsense again-like so often on TV.

Cars/buses that are licensed to carry people have YELLOW plates.

Purely private cars have white plates.

The yellow plates also differntiate between public buses (start with 10/11 etc,+ 4 more digits per province, BKK is now in range 15), those for private groups are numberd in the 30-xxxx.,, again apart per province.

Even most motosai for hire nowdays have yellow plates- 2/3 Thai letters+ 3/4 digits.

[Satcommlee]

asanee, on 03 Mar 2013 - 14:22, said:

It's not really a scam so to speak....... Taxi's like Mr T are illegal, unlicensed and uninsured.

If the car (except marked taxi's, songteaws etc) does not have a green plate, then it is a private vehicle.

Nonsense again-like so often on TV.

Cars/buses that are licensed to carry people have YELLOW plates.

Purely private cars have white plates.

The yellow plates also differntiate between public buses (start with 10/11 etc,+ 4 more digits per province, BKK is now in range 15), those for private groups are numberd in the 30-xxxx.,, again apart per province.

Even most motosai for hire nowdays have yellow plates- 2/3 Thai letters+ 3/4 digits.

No it is not the usual thaivisa nonsense..

I did say that obviously marked public transport.. ie Taxi meters, Songteaws, buses which have the yellow plate you speak of starting in 10 or 20 etc..

Find me a picture of any other 4 wheeled car-based vehicle with a yellow plate and I will buy you lunch for a year!

All other legal and licensed vehicles such as Airport limousines have plates with green backrounds..

Here's a link to get your petty little mind round..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Thailand

If you are jumping into a taxi with a plate that is white backround and black text (4 door car) or white backround and green text (2 door car).. or White backround and blue text (commercial van like company bus but not for public hire) then it is illegal!

There may be some exceptions to the above, but in essence the post was 99% correct!

edit: lunch offer does not extend to vehicles outside Thailand LOL