Fed-up driver boots tourists out of minibus

SURIN: -- A minibus driver was fined by police yesterday afternoon (August 13) after he evicted five Chinese passengers in Surin province, saying he was extremely upset and could no longer tolerate his passengers’ “unacceptable behaviour”, police said.

Preecha Wangjoonklang, employee of Best Amata Tour & Travel Co, ordered the Chinese tourists out of the minibus in tambon Ta Bao of Prasat district at about 1:30 pm.

Police were called to the scene and took the group to settle the problem at the local police station, Pol Lt Tassanon In-ngarm said.

Mr Preecha told police he left Bangkok on Monday evening with the five passengers and Chinese-speaking Cambodian interpreter Jia Chok Tai. He was asked to drive the group to Surin and Srisaket provinces.

The driver alleged that the passengers were very difficult to deal with because they wanted him to drive non-stop, refused to follow his travel plan and forced him to drive back and forth unnecessarily between Srisaket and Surin.

He and Mr Jia suggested they tour Srisaket first and then go to Surin before heading back to Bangkok, but they would not listen.

Mr Jia said the Chinese complained a lot and wanted him to take them to dine at luxury restaurants, but he could not find restaurants that satisfied them. He said he was so fed up that he no longer wanted to be their interpreter, Lt Tassanon said.

Mr Preecha also said the Chinese asked to smoke in his van. When he refused their request one of them slapped his head. Feeling angry, he laid his hand on a fruit knife. The passengers then accused him of trying to attack them.

At this point, he stopped the van and asked them all to get out, Mr Preecha said.

The driver was charged with threatening to assault others and evicting passengers and was fined.

Mr Preecha said he admitted his offences and was willing to pay the fine because he had had enough of his passengers’ behaviour.

According to reports, the tourists decided to cancel their trip to the Northeast while police were questioning the driver and the interpreter, and asked Mr Preecha to take them to Pattaya instead.

Mr Preecha initially refused, saying he was concerned for his safety. A long negotiation followed. He later agreed to drive them to Pattaya, after his boss ordered him to.


-- Phuket News 2013-08-14

He was fined because the Han tourists hit him aside the head? Tourist Hub? ok... ;-} rap.

Having been a taxi driver on an island in Auckland NZ, I can understand the driver's frustration.
Chinese would be the worst, rudest and most inconsiderate of customers.
To be avoided at all costs.

Screaming Chinese tourists and a van driver with a knife.. What could possibly go wrong?

Bloody PRC Chinese. Worse kind of tourists. Rude, boorish, loud, insensitive of local culture and think just because they have some money, they can do whatever they want. It's not just in Thailand, people find them offensive whereever they go.

Travelling on Chinese airlines and seeing the behavior of the locals I can understand him.

I compare it to when North Europeans went to Spain and Greece back in the 60-70s, no respect for rules or local customs.

So it is acceptible to not want to go where asked. They paid they decide where and when they go. Oh forgot.....thailand does not need happy tourists only their money.

Driver should have been charged with carrying a weapon.

The Chinese person who slapped the driver should be charged with some form of assault (however minor).

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

That said, If the tourists are impolite, the Van driver was well within his rights to refuse them. He did well to kick them out instead of allowing the situation to escalate further.

Bloody PRC Chinese. Worse kind of tourists. Rude, boorish, loud, insensitive of local culture and think just because they have some money, they can do whatever they want. It's not just in Thailand, people find them offensive whereever they go.

Yes, I find it quite amusing to hear the locals here in Singapore describing the PRC here. They really do loathe them.

Having been a taxi driver on an island in Auckland NZ, I can understand the driver's frustration.

Chinese would be the worst, rudest and most inconsiderate of customers.

To be avoided at all costs.

Can only agree on that, drove a cab for several years in Germany, avoid the Chinese was one of our rules, .

sounds to me the driver got a very raw deal.

Even their own govt calls Chinese the world's worst tourists. For once I sympathise (just a little) with a mini van driver.

Driver should have been charged with carrying a weapon.

The Chinese person who slapped the driver should be charged with some form of assault (however minor).

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

That said, If the tourists are impolite, the Van driver was well within his rights to refuse them. He did well to kick them out instead of allowing the situation to escalate further.

He was hardly carrying a weapon if the report is correct.

It was a fruit knife which I assume he uses when he is eating.

Driver should have been charged with carrying a weapon.

The Chinese person who slapped the driver should be charged with some form of assault (however minor).

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

That said, If the tourists are impolite, the Van driver was well within his rights to refuse them. He did well to kick them out instead of allowing the situation to escalate further.

He was hardly carrying a weapon if the report is correct.

It was a fruit knife which I assume he uses when he is eating.

Just like the baseball bat some drivers have next to their seat in other countries.....must be a lot of baseball playing drivers.

So it is acceptible to not want to go where asked. They paid they decide where and when they go. Oh forgot.....thailand does not need happy tourists only their money.

Usually the driver would be paid on pre-agreed destination/route, if it changes that means more time and more fuel - therefore he should have the right to say no or pay more please... story states they asked him to go back and forth and on routes that were not convenient. Chinese tourists are growing in number and the more that come the more they bring unusual expectations of what they should get for their money. They are invariably rude, ignorant, impolite, dirty in their manner (picking off fruit displays in supermarkets like they are a buffet is one example) and disrespectful to most they meet. Don't be surprised to see many more stories in the future of Chinese meeting un-"happy endings" in Thailand if they continue to p1ss off the locals in this way with their behaviour.

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

I work in the service industry, running a hotel. We do not work a lot with Chinese but the few we do get more often than not cause problems with their rude behavior towards staff, fellow guests, and each other. Any guest, regardless the nationality, who slaps one of my staff would find himself on the street so fast, his feet wouldn't touch the ground.

Maybe there were roads issues or something that made him hesitant to go where asked, this is what happens when people can not comunicate, or its just about rude chineese idk i know very little about them.

EVA flight from Bangkok to Amsterdam and back are generally good.

Good service, nice staff, always happy to help you out.

Twice the back of the 747-400 was filled up with Chinese travellers.

Halfway the staff were on strike, all drinks and food werd gone, just taken by the Chinese.

They refused to serve the Chinese, being Chinese themselves.

If you asked for some water, lemonade, coffee or tea?

All gone.

The breakfast near Amsterdam was not served, there was nothing left to serve.........

Besides that, very noisy, walking around in the plane, disturbing staff and passengers. shouting, gambling.

In short, a menace.

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

I work in the service industry, running a hotel. We do not work a lot with Chinese but the few we do get more often than not cause problems with their rude behavior towards staff, fellow guests, and each other. Any guest, regardless the nationality, who slaps one of my staff would find himself on the street so fast, his feet wouldn't touch the ground.

I agree with you if you expel a guest who hit a staff member. I would also fire the staff member if it turned out that the reason the guest was upset enough to do that is that the staff member would not provide the service requested and paid for by the guest if that service was part of his job.

I can sympathize with the guy - but only to an extent. We're a couple of months removed from a guy getting murdered over a 51 baht cab ride, but this guy thinks it's appropriate to carry a knife?

Anyway, I'm trying not to stereotype a billion people based on a handful of incidents - but seriously, smoking in the van? Nope - driver made the right call there. As for the circuitous route, it's unclear from the article whether they hired the minivan for the day or whether they're riding with other passengers...

Slapping taxi drivers over the head, misbehaving, no manners, ok, these are things to look forward to if you want the Yen, you see,there is a Karma, its called chinese tourists...

Haha. A nation of people who believe they are superior beyond the Thais.

Mainland Chinese and Thais will mix like oil and water.

EVA flight from Bangkok to Amsterdam and back are generally good.

Good service, nice staff, always happy to help you out.

Twice the back of the 747-400 was filled up with Chinese travellers.

Halfway the staff were on strike, all drinks and food werd gone, just taken by the Chinese.

They refused to serve the Chinese, being Chinese themselves.

If you asked for some water, lemonade, coffee or tea?

All gone.

The breakfast near Amsterdam was not served, there was nothing left to serve.........

Besides that, very noisy, walking around in the plane, disturbing staff and passengers. shouting, gambling.

In short, a menace.

Please don't confuse Taiwanese with Chinese...

First mini van driver I would break a beer (or two) with.

If they already do that to a driver..... What is their behavior when they have a few and try to have fun in a bar?!?

Driver should have been charged with carrying a weapon.

The Chinese person who slapped the driver should be charged with some form of assault (however minor).

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

That said, If the tourists are impolite, the Van driver was well within his rights to refuse them. He did well to kick them out instead of allowing the situation to escalate further.

" It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions."

I'd love to be around when you explain this to some driver in New York or London or Canberra or for that matter in Bangkok. " No matter what, you need to take crap from your passengers and do whatever they say."

I'm sure they'd be impressed.

Slapping taxi drivers over the head, misbehaving, no manners, ok, these are things to look forward to if you want the Yen, you see,there is a Karma, its called chinese tourists...

The Yen???

Driver should have been charged with carrying a weapon.

The Chinese person who slapped the driver should be charged with some form of assault (however minor).

Yes, the Tourists were poorly behaved, however the driver was hardly well placed in his position in a service based industry. It doesn't matter where the tourists wished to go, the its the van drivers job to follow their requests and instructions.

That said, If the tourists are impolite, the Van driver was well within his rights to refuse them. He did well to kick them out instead of allowing the situation to escalate further.

He was hardly carrying a weapon if the report is correct.

It was a fruit knife which I assume he uses when he is eating.

Depends on how big the fruit knife is... it was only a pocket knife that killed the student in Nakhon Pathom.... BUT the knife is not really the problem... it's the idiots that use the with no thought.

Haha. A nation of people who believe they are superior beyond the Thais.

Mainland Chinese and Thais will mix like oil and water.

I was very happy to be back in Thailand after a week in Shanghai. Rude, spitting, can't drive without one hand on the compressed air horn, ignore zebra crossings more than the Thais.

But be fair on the Chinese tourists - they were suffering from withdrawal symptoms, not being allowed to smoke in the bus.

Good on the driver for telling them "NO!"

The poor driver seems to have the most insensitive boss around. Being forced by the boss to take them on a new drive, to Pattaya, when it was evident the "chemistry" between the driver and the passengers was not the best. I believe the tour company had no obligation to take on a new tour with the same tourists, especially after they had hit the driver already.

Would have been good to see the boss taking them for a ride though.