Brit Argues The Toss With Baht Bus Driver

[britmaveric]

Brit argues the toss with baht bus driver

Violence after fare disagreement Pattaya’s Beach Road, not far from the police station, provided the backdrop to an antagonistic encounter between a baht bus driver and a British tourist Mr Perry Smith aged 34. The transport driver, Mr Sawang Sangsoorea, aged 50, told police later that he had agreed a tariff of 100 baht with Mr Smith’s Thai girlfriend for a short journey on Second Road.

However, when the baht bus arrived at the soi seven destination, Mr Smith said he disagreed with such a high price and offered only 20 baht as a reasonable alternative. The driver refused to accept this breach of agreement, as he saw it, and a potentially threatening scenario was the result. Mr Smith threw a beer bottle at one of the vehicle’s windows which resulted in a crack and he appeared to be adopting a boxer’s stance with threatening hand gestures.

This is why Mr Sawang threw him a punch which sent him sprawling. Police arriving on the scene found it impossible to adjudicate the affair and Mr Smith spend a night in the cells until the influence of booze had worn off.

-Pattaya Today

by Somporn Pungsuk

2 May 2006

[Pattaya_Fox]

...Seems he`s not the only Brit to go for the baht bus window..eh Brit

[britmaveric]

...Seems he`s not the only Brit to go for the baht bus window..eh Brit

Well my mate was a yank, so that wouldn't qualify.

Not to mention if you tell the driver where you want to go - automatically going to cost you 100bht, so the lad was in the wrong I'm afraid.

[Pattaya_Fox]

Brit argues the toss with baht bus driver

The transport driver, Mr Sawang Sangsoorea, aged 50, told police later that he had agreed a tariff of 100 baht with Mr Smith’s Thai girlfriend for a short journey on Second Road.

Nice of the Thai girlfriend to want to give his money away!!

[Kerryd]

Nice of the Thai girlfriend to want to give his money away!!

Pretty standard treatment (from my experience). If I decide I want to "hire" the baht bus to take me somewhere for convenience sake, the g/f of the moment rarely says anything.

Sometimes it's just easier than having to cross busy streets and switch buses 2-3 times.

A fist in the face and a night in jail over 80 baht. Sad part is, this guy probably won't learn a thing from this incident.

[britmaveric]

Nice of the Thai girlfriend to want to give his money away!!

Pretty standard treatment (from my experience). If I decide I want to "hire" the baht bus to take me somewhere for convenience sake, the g/f of the moment rarely says anything.

Sometimes it's just easier than having to cross busy streets and switch buses 2-3 times.

A fist in the face and a night in jail over 80 baht. Sad part is, this guy probably won't learn a thing from this incident.

Well takes a while for someone to get the bhat bus system down....especially if no one tells you.

[davethailand]

A familiar pattern

Brits, soi7, drunk, <deleted>.

Serves him right.

[Kf6vci]

after some bad experiences, I no longer use a vacant baht bus. A few times, the driver would simply stop somewhere (once at a fuel station only 100 yards from the pick up point on Sukkhumvit Rd). And I never state where I want to go...

[Kerryd]

Well takes a while for someone to get the bhat bus system down....especially if no one tells you.

According to the original story, his g/f negotiated the 100 baht fare. Perhaps she failed to mention it to him ? Wouldn't be a suprise really. He wants to go to soi 7, she flags down a bus, negotiates the fare and guides her "tee rak" into the bus.

They arrive and he goes to pay the usual 20 baht fee, not knowing other arrangements had been made, the driver is expecting 100, he gets angry at the thought the driver is trying to rip him off.

Where was his g/f during this ? Why wasn't she explaining things to her ATM ?

I must have been amazingly lucky in my selection of "mia nois for the night" over the past few years. Never encountered a problem like this (or some others that have been reported). Now that I've "settled" down, I don't expect to have any problems in the future either

[britmaveric]

Kerry - faire enough, and you are right about the gf. She made the deal, but really when it comes down to it, is it worth smacking someone over a quid? Me think not - learn lesson and move on.

[Mobi]

Brit argues the toss with baht bus driver

The transport driver, Mr Sawang Sangsoorea, aged 50, told police later that he had agreed a tariff of 100 baht with Mr Smith’s Thai girlfriend for a short journey on Second Road.

Nice of the Thai girlfriend to want to give his money away!!

I rarely use the baht bsuses, but this reminds of the time I parked my car at the Royal Garden car park, and decided to take a Baht bus to Walking Street. My wife (who didn't know Pattaya) had a quick word with a waiting driver and as we got in the back, proudly announced that she had bargained him down to 100 Baht!

Mobi hadn't moved so fast in years! He hoofed it out the back of that wagon one one second flat, with wife flying along behind!

The sweet little sugar cake sure knows how to spend my money.

[Rinrada]

100 bt for a 5 bt bus ride........wot is it inflation?

[leftcross]

the shame of it, being decked by a 50-year-old thai!!!

come on england, you're letting the side down there mate.

[game4shame]

Mr Smith threw a beer bottle at one of the vehicle’s windows which resulted in a crack and he appeared to be adopting a boxer’s stance with threatening hand gestures.

<deleted>, that does the 'Brits abroad' stereotype a lot of use!!!

[Pattaya_Fox]

100 bt for a 5 bt bus ride........wot is it inflation?

No it`s Thai generosity

[Maigo6]

the shame of it, being decked by a 50-year-old thai!!!

come on england, you're letting the side down there mate.

Most of them are so drunk that a 70 year old could knock em over.

[itsme]

Brit argues the toss with baht bus driver

Violence after fare disagreement Pattaya’s Beach Road, not far from the police station, provided the backdrop to an antagonistic encounter between a baht bus driver and a British tourist Mr Perry Smith aged 34. The transport driver, Mr Sawang Sangsoorea, aged 50, told police later that he had agreed a tariff of 100 baht with Mr Smith’s Thai girlfriend for a short journey on Second Road.

However, when the baht bus arrived at the soi seven destination, Mr Smith said he disagreed with such a high price and offered only 20 baht as a reasonable alternative. The driver refused to accept this breach of agreement, as he saw it, and a potentially threatening scenario was the result. Mr Smith threw a beer bottle at one of the vehicle’s windows which resulted in a crack and he appeared to be adopting a boxer’s stance with threatening hand gestures.

This is why Mr Sawang threw him a punch which sent him sprawling. Police arriving on the scene found it impossible to adjudicate the affair and Mr Smith spend a night in the cells until the influence of booze had worn off.

-Pattaya Today

by Somporn Pungsuk

2 May 2006

Mr Sawang was a better boxer

[naka]

My rules :-

Empty bus, driver stops just past me, get on.

Occupied bus, driver stops just past me, get on.

Empty bus, driver stops next to me and wants to talk, walk away.

A few times I've had an empty bus stop about 20 meters ahead of me and when I ran for it

the driver floored the pedal and roared off. Now if they stop way ahead of me, I just stand

there looking at them. That really ticks them off.

Naka.