Thailand's FDA warns passengers of new taxi 'scam'

[HUAHIN62]

Must be a haloween joke?

[EyesWideOpen]

Oh boy...... If actually true, this will not go over well. TAT can only pray that world news organisations do not

pick up this story. So it things run true to form, for damage control, I think next week we can expect a news

story about a taxi driver with a heart of gold who returns a suitcase with a million baht in it to the passenger

who "forgot" it in the taxi.....

[ginjag]

Is this serious or a joke..??? Chloroform....<deleted>!

Talk about transport problems in this place....trains out....busses definately out....tuk-tuks always out....now <deleted>' taxis !!.....

I'd avoid the planes and boats, too.

Seriously, I think some Thais should undergo training in the real virtues of Buddhism.

Many cases of hereditary brain disorder, nothing to do with religion, Look at the government-and departments-police-parental care/control-law and order-courts. to name a few. Scams are here to stay, if you find it fishy--walk away. Do what the Chinese do -DO NOT MIX WITH LOCALS.-near safe.

[rotary]

Can self contained breathing apperatus be biught on Ebay?

[skorchio]

FDA officials suggested that if you suddenly feel nauseous while using the services of a taxi cab, you should roll down the taxi’s windows.

I think I might have been in one of these taxis the other morning. I was going home from Cowboy at 5am and was sure I was going to throw up.

And let me guess, you were also short a lot of money you had earlier in the evening!

I'll go one step further and postulate that your sack was now completely empty, and this in turn affected your balance.

[animatic]

Actually the driver only needs a small breathing tube in his mouth,

linked through the floor to the outside. Breath through the tube,

gas the cab, and air it out while ransacking the tourists possessions.

Pretty sick none the less.

[gordon from yasothon]

Ready for the ride!

biochem-war12.jpg

hahaha classic...............

[chappie1207]

At least we men now have a good excuse coming home in the wee hours of the morning to an angry wife!!!!

[frankold]

Isn't chloroform extremely fast acting? Surely the driver could just hold his breath for 30 seconds, pull over, open the doors, then rob the passenger while they are KO'd?

[DGIE]

Maybe if you have runny nose you cannot smell that substance that make you dizzy.

[NoshowJones]

Well, to be perfectly honest, the AoT limo is the only SAFE option. You don't have endless threads here about how to beat their scams, catching them at Arrivals, negotiating fares, insisting on meters, watching for 'fast' meters and all that other horsesh!t.

I took an AOT limo once and the driver wouldn't take the luggage out of the trunk unless I tipped him beforehand. That was a last time for me.

I would have taken the luggage out the car myself then gave him a big smile. If it was in the UK, I would have refused to pay him at all as he never completed the job. It is the drivers job to put your luggage in and and take it out of the taxi. In the UK anyway.

[chrisinth]

Actually the driver only needs a small breathing tube in his mouth,

linked through the floor to the outside. Breath through the tube,

gas the cab, and air it out while ransacking the tourists possessions.

Pretty sick none the less.

IMO the clothes peg on his nose would still be a give-away.................

[animatic]

Actually the driver only needs a small breathing tube in his mouth,

linked through the floor to the outside. Breath through the tube,

gas the cab, and air it out while ransacking the tourists possessions.

Pretty sick none the less.

IMO the clothes peg on his nose would still be a give-away.................

I can go diving and not breath through my nose.

Chloroform won't just go up your nose if you only breath out through it.

[samtam]

I took a taxi from Sukhumvit going west yesterday afternoon. After I'd got in and he was pulling away I noticed he had his window open, and he was eating Issan sausage. He said he hoped I didn't mind, (it was a bit late to stop), but that he was hungry. He proceeded to eat all the way to Sathorn, whilst talking non stop on the phone to his g/f. Naturally the taxi stank. It was a joy (ride). Anyhoo, I did not pass out, nor did I complain to him, but remembered that you have to have your wits about you to avoid this sort of assault (to the senses). At least he knew where I wanted to go, without having to be prompted by me like his GPS.

[davetrout]

Ok, I'll bite.

To state the bleedin' obvious, why isn't the driver affected?

sent from my hippo phone

driver has his window down with his head sticking out. gets knocked off buy passing truck

[SteveB2]

Ok, I'll bite.

To state the bleedin' obvious, why isn't the driver affected?

sent from my hippo phone

Badly skimmed journalism again.

This was on the Thai news websites about 5 days ago. It was reported that if the driver opens his own window and turns on the A/C, then chances are you are being drugged.

If the driver opened his window, the gas would escape from the cab. There is no way that this report is true.

One should be aware that for both the victim and the assailant residing in the same volume of air, regardless of what one may read in the latest boys-own crime novel, there are far more efficient, and undetectable ways of rendering someone unconscious than chloroform. Chloroform has a very pronounced sweet smelling odor, and you would definitely know if someone was attempting to use it on you!

Consider…

‘During the Waco siege in Texas in 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno asked her law-enforcement advisors if a "knockout gas" could be used to render the Branch Davidians inside the compound harmlessly unconscious. She was told that no such incapacitating agent existed.

A knockout gas based on a derivative of the drug fentanyl was used in 2002 as the Moscow hostage crisis chemical agent to incapacitate terrorist attackers — and, unavoidably, hostages — and preclude any violent retaliation. The terrorists were rendered unconscious, and fewer than 15% of the roughly 800 people exposed were killed by the gas’ Ref: wiki ‘incapacitating agent’

Scopolamine, also known as 'The Devil's Breath’ could be used in these circumstances. You wouldn’t know what hit you.

Check it out via a Youtube search ‘scopolamine world's scariest drug‘and be thee educated.

Sadly, although not common, scopolamine is already around in Thailand and used by high end criminal gangs. It’s about as horrible a piece of gear as one could imagine.

[Time Traveller]

A few dubious things about this story are

1. Why is the FDA warning about these taxis instead of the warning coming from the police?

2. Why did they call this a scam? This isn't a scam, drugging people is a crime.

3. In practice putting chloroform over someone's nose will make them unconscious pretty quickly. On the other hand putting it into the air con and having a car window down at the same time would in practice be very unlikely to have that effect because of the dispersion of the chemical. You would also notice the effect before falling unconscious and it would be extremely dangerous if the driver was effected as well.

[cMe2]

Dubious indeed ..

[Don Thomas]

Just stop at starbungs to brighten up

[HerbalEd]

This is most likely a ploy by the government to instill great fear in the general public. Then, magically, there will be a fleet of Government Taxi's that have official emblems on the doors that will be safe to use. The public will flock to these safe vehicles regardless of the price they charge and the government will start recouping the millions of baht lost by tourists who use the medical services here.

Do you truly believe this is going to happen? Really??

[Thai at Heart]

This has been going on for some time??????

What is this, a state secret???? F*****g idiots. We get regaled about yinglucks latest clothing spending spree, but kidnapping doesn't register.

[MaxYakov]

"FDA officials suggested that if you suddenly feel nauseous while using the services of a taxi cab, you should roll down the taxi’s windows."

I get nauseous just thinking about "using the services of a taxi cab."

[unanimosity]

Ok, I'll bite.

To state the bleedin' obvious, why isn't the driver affected?

sent from my hippo phone

The obvious answer is that he closes the AC vents on his side and puts the chemical in the far left passenger vent pointed up and left to waft to the rear seat. One more reason why you should always sit behind the driver.

[Jackson86]

You need more than just chloroform to put me down.

[MaxYakov]

Ok, I'll bite.

To state the bleedin' obvious, why isn't the driver affected?

sent from my hippo phone

Badly skimmed journalism again.

This was on the Thai news websites about 5 days ago. It was reported that if the driver opens his own window and turns on the A/C, then chances are you are being drugged.

If the driver opened his window, the gas would escape from the cab. There is no way that this report is true.

One should be aware that for both the victim and the assailant residing in the same volume of air, regardless of what one may read in the latest boys-own crime novel, there are far more efficient, and undetectable ways of rendering someone unconscious than chloroform. Chloroform has a very pronounced sweet smelling odor, and you would definitely know if someone was attempting to use it on you!

Consider…

‘During the Waco siege in Texas in 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno asked her law-enforcement advisors if a "knockout gas" could be used to render the Branch Davidians inside the compound harmlessly unconscious. She was told that no such incapacitating agent existed.

A knockout gas based on a derivative of the drug fentanyl was used in 2002 as the Moscow hostage crisis chemical agent to incapacitate terrorist attackers — and, unavoidably, hostages — and preclude any violent retaliation. The terrorists were rendered unconscious, and fewer than 15% of the roughly 800 people exposed were killed by the gas’ Ref: wiki ‘incapacitating agent’

Scopolamine, also known as 'The Devil's Breath’ could be used in these circumstances. You wouldn’t know what hit you.

Check it out via a Youtube search ‘scopolamine world's scariest drug‘and be thee educated.

Sadly, although not common, scopolamine is already around in Thailand and used by high end criminal gangs. It’s about as horrible a piece of gear as one could imagine.

Wiki Scopolamine Entry (for the Literate/YouTube-challenged)

Article on Scopolamine

Hint: If the taxi driver is wearing a gas mask, it would be advisable to take another taxi (unless the pollution is really bad that day).

Edited November 1, 2013 by MaxYakov

[MaxYakov]

FDA officials suggested that if you suddenly feel nauseous while using the services of a taxi cab, you should roll down the taxi’s windows.

I think I might have been in one of these taxis the other morning. I was going home from Cowboy at 5am and was sure I was going to throw up.

This must be more widespread than they originally thought, the same happened to me on the way home from Silom too, I woke this morning with my pockets most definitely 'plundered'

I think rohypnol on the nipples was a much more fun way to get robbed though

Agree, as long as one passes out at least post-coital - yours, preferably.

[wileycoyote]

Good Grief

[JoeThePoster]

FDA officials suggested that if you suddenly feel nauseous while using the services of a taxi cab, you should roll down the taxis windows.

I think I might have been in one of these taxis the other morning. I was going home from Cowboy at 5am and was sure I was going to throw up.

This must be more widespread than they originally thought, the same happened to me on the way home from Silom too, I woke this morning with my pockets most definitely 'plundered'

I think rohypnol on the nipples was a much more fun way to get robbed though

Kinda tough for a taxi driver to get passengers willing to suck on his nipples. But there must be some out there.

[thaipod]

The government would like all tourists / passengers to use the buses and trains to increase revenue due to all billions in losses in the transport Dept because of the corruption .

[aechzen]

no problem we take tuk tuk