A truly unbelievably Thai story!

[ppmacready]

Ive lived happily in Thailand for nearly 2 decades now.

I think you need a good sense of humour to survive here.

Normally, I'm the first in line to point out the faults, with what would be unbelievable storys in the UK.

Now heres my unbelievable story.

And the only conclusion I can draw is, maybe he is what's known as a genetic throw back?

From times long ago in Thailand.

It was 7pm in Bangkok 3 days before Songkram..

Annoyingly several taxis refused to take take us to where we wanted to go.

Another pulled over.

He wasn't going the way we wanted to go.

But he invited us to get in and he would drop us in an area easier to get a taxi.

When asked to put the meter on, he refused and said he wanted no payment as he wasn't actually taking us to our chosen destination.

I could feel a confrontation brewing when we got out!

Meanwhile I changed the destination to a train station, because of the traffic.

Its was quite a long way as it turned out, and I got out 100 baht as a tip for his generosity.

When we stopped, I tried to get him to take it and he refused.

I really wanted him to take it more than any tip I think I've offered in my life.

And yet he staunchly still refused.

Enjoy Songhram, he said as I got out of the cab.

I didn't get his badge number.

I wish I had .

Cos, surely his the guy who should have a say in the running of Thailand, I told my young daughter Jazz!

[Jack Mountain]

You were part of the Candid Camera show ...

[sustento]

It's not unbelievable at all to anyone who thinks that Thais are simply ordinary people with all the quirks and fallibilities that the rest of us have.

[geronimo]

You met a kind Thai. I meet them all the time. I guess the meanies are on a different shift!!!!

[NaiGreg]

It's not unbelievable at all to anyone who thinks that Thais are simply ordinary people with all the quirks and fallibilities that the rest of us have.

Agreed. I've always said that, in my experience, Thais are just like real people.

Good story.

[chrisinth]

I wonder have they found that stolen taxi yet?

You just never know.....................

[Banshee]

Left my very expensive sunglasses in a restaurant, staff later pulled me up in the markets and gave them to me.

They must have been searching for me about forty minutes.

[Jip99]

Nice to have a good story

I won't accept it is anywhere near "normal" in Thailand - as it is not in any other country.

Nice to hear about it though when it does happen.

[KunMatt]

In my experience it depends where you find the taxi driver (or the other way around). If you take a taxi from lower Sukhumvit then more often than not you are going to get a driver who is trolling for the biggest fare they can get because they know that a tourist will pay an extortionate fare, whereas if you take a taxi from outside of the tourist areas then you will almost definitely get a normal driver who will use the meter without question.

Here's why; last week I went to Dusit Zoo with my son, we left at the gate that a regular taxi dropped us off at in the morning but there was only 2 taxis waiting, so I go to the first in the queue (which had his light on) and said in Thai that I wanted to go to Panthip Plaza (which I know is probably a 50 baht fare) he says "200 baht", I say (in Thai) "is your meter broken?" and he says "200 baht", so I say "of course not" and I say his cab number out loud as if I am going to call 1584 on him and I go to the second taxi in the queue. Immediately behind me is an older expat with a young Thai lady, he says to the taxi driver in English "Central Word", the taxi driver says "300 baht", the expat says "let's go".

As long as there are naive people who pay whatever the drivers want and there are no fear of repercussions to the drivers for refusing fares then there are always going to be a lot of taxis in tourist areas that refuse to take passengers on a regular fare, this is why a lot of foreigners think that ALL taxi drivers are crooks, they are not and the majority of them are hard working and honest, you just haven't been outside of the areas where the crook mafia taxi drivers work.

Edited April 23, 2014 by KunMatt

[JesseFrank]

Here's another truly unbelievably Thai story.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720857-local-boats-ignore-teens-and-leave-them-to-drown-in-chao-phraya-river/

[Tchooptip]

Why "unbelievably" in the title"

One day I forgot 1000 € in an envelope moving from one bungalow to another, the owner, an old gentleman brought it back to me, you can count, he told me.

Never did I thought one second "unbelievable" because he was a Thai man, for although I would have done it myself it does not means I am superior or better than most Thai people.

[ultimate weapon]

In my experience it depends where you find the taxi driver (or the other way around). If you take a taxi from lower Sukhumvit then more often than not you are going to get a driver who is trolling for the biggest fare they can get because they know that a tourist will pay an extortionate fare, whereas if you take a taxi from outside of the tourist areas then you will almost definitely get a normal driver who will use the meter without question.

Here's why; last week I went to Dusit Zoo with my son, we left at the gate that a regular taxi dropped us off at in the morning but there was only 2 taxis waiting, so I go to the first in the queue (which had his light on) and said in Thai that I wanted to go to Panthip Plaza (which I know is probably a 50 baht fare) he says "200 baht", I say (in Thai) "is your meter broken?" and he says "200 baht", so I say "of course not" and I say his cab number out loud as if I am going to call 1584 on him and I go to the second taxi in the queue. Immediately behind me is an older expat with a young Thai lady, he says to the taxi driver in English "Central Word", the taxi driver says "300 baht", the expat says "let's go".

As long as there are naive people who pay whatever the drivers want and there are no fear of repercussions to the drivers for refusing fares then there are always going to be a lot of taxis in tourist areas that refuse to take passengers on a regular fare, this is why a lot of foreigners think that ALL taxi drivers are crooks, they are not and the majority of them are hard working and honest, you just haven't been outside of the areas where the crook mafia taxi drivers work.

Well while it is true that charging without meter is unfair but the fact of the matter is you can reject them and that you don't have to take their cab at all. That older man paid 300 cos he could well afford it. It's also true that during periods like songkran you pay the fare without meter. I did this a number of times. Once in a tuk tuk from silom to ratchada 200 bht i think. I was with thai friends too didn't make a difference.

[KunMatt]

In my experience it depends where you find the taxi driver (or the other way around). If you take a taxi from lower Sukhumvit then more often than not you are going to get a driver who is trolling for the biggest fare they can get because they know that a tourist will pay an extortionate fare, whereas if you take a taxi from outside of the tourist areas then you will almost definitely get a normal driver who will use the meter without question.

Here's why; last week I went to Dusit Zoo with my son, we left at the gate that a regular taxi dropped us off at in the morning but there was only 2 taxis waiting, so I go to the first in the queue (which had his light on) and said in Thai that I wanted to go to Panthip Plaza (which I know is probably a 50 baht fare) he says "200 baht", I say (in Thai) "is your meter broken?" and he says "200 baht", so I say "of course not" and I say his cab number out loud as if I am going to call 1584 on him and I go to the second taxi in the queue. Immediately behind me is an older expat with a young Thai lady, he says to the taxi driver in English "Central Word", the taxi driver says "300 baht", the expat says "let's go".

As long as there are naive people who pay whatever the drivers want and there are no fear of repercussions to the drivers for refusing fares then there are always going to be a lot of taxis in tourist areas that refuse to take passengers on a regular fare, this is why a lot of foreigners think that ALL taxi drivers are crooks, they are not and the majority of them are hard working and honest, you just haven't been outside of the areas where the crook mafia taxi drivers work.

Well while it is true that charging without meter is unfair but the fact of the matter is you can reject them and that you don't have to take their cab at all. That older man paid 300 cos he could well afford it. It's also true that during periods like songkran you pay the fare without meter. I did this a number of times. Once in a tuk tuk from silom to ratchada 200 bht i think. I was with thai friends too didn't make a difference.

No. It is against the law for a taxi to refuse a passenger in Thailand and not use the meter, that is why there is a number to call to report a taxi driver that does this so multiple infractions would see him suspended.

Being able to afford paying multiple times the real price is irrelevant, they are metered taxis and should use the meter. Instead they charge tourist an extortionate fare which is why this is much more common in tourist areas as I explained.