Military to get tough with motorcycle taxies and passenger vans

[Benmart]

After months of careful research the "Panel" will conclude, that there are not enough legal parking spaces for all the passenger vans and therefore half of them HAVE to park illegally.

Cheers.

Please loan me your crystal ball. I need to check the stock market activity for next year.

[minikev]

Huge improvements in such a short time and still criticism from people on Thai visa.

These crackdowns are not empty threats or promises. They are cleaning up! That can only be good for the future of the country. We have all moaned about the corruption and laziness of the police force. Now things are changing there is new hope for the people. Very well done.

I hope they look at the way the minibuses drive and impose some form of restriction IE inside lane only, speed restriction and most of all check and licence gas conversions. Almost all have been converted to save money on fuel. If the fitters were trained and official fitting station put in place a lot of lives could be saved.

[realenglish1]

The Coup leaders need to get tough on the Taxi drives in commercial shopping areas. After the stories close and there are tons of people looking to get a taxi a huge about of drivers not only refuse to pick up some people but refuse to use the metre They tell people they have fixed rates of 100 pr 200 or 300 baht and no meter.

This is horrendous. Go to MBK or Paragon and try to get a metered taxi it is next to impossible but there are tons of taxis trolling for people. This is a true shame since so many tourists are taken advantage of and then to back to their native country with bad stories of Thai Taxis This is not an image I am sure the Thai people want

The Coup leaders are doing a good Job but they need to crack down on these rough drivers once and for all. This is for the Thai people and visitors as well Its that simple. Once solution would be creating a taxi stands in the area and not allow taxis to pick up people trolling, If they are caught trolling they are fined This would resolve the situation very fast.

Edited June 13, 2014 by realenglish1

[Benmart]

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Good! Looking forward and following the long needed action and the progress

I guarantee that we mean business, said Lt-Gen Thirachai affirmatively, ..... that's a statement to believe, not so much talk talk talk, just do! (y) (y) (y)

T

The problem with Thai's, is to maintain the momentum and continue this for twelve months of the year not one month , and that alas will be the result, the soldiers have to move on, the police will take over and the sleeping will begin, we've been through this time and again, it all becomes a yawn

I'm not Thai, this situation is occurring in Thailand and it will have to be worked out by Thais.

I don't know how it will turn out since I can't foretell the future.

I'm not qualified to diagnose problematic Thais. I dont know them all so I can't lump them all together.

I've not been through this particular coup before, so I can't comment time and again.

If I yawn, it may mean that I am bored or tired, at which point I will go away.

I am not in control and don't know everything.

[Oziex1]

And EXACTLY how do they intend to do this?

What complete and utter <deleted>.

Thai PBS: The Broadcaster You Can Trust

Men in green with guns!

[dangerousdan99]

Get them into the Samui airport as well. 700 baht for a half hour drive to Lamai is ridiculous. In fact, break Bangkok Airway's monopoly on Samui flights while they're at it... Talk about overcharging!

[Travel Dude]

Please don't forget Sukhimvit soi 11.

[smileydude]

I've seen that they mean business first hand.....a dozen motorcycles lassoed together with a long chain and locked on soi Wat Thepleela around the Ramkhamhaeng area. Most of the cartel/mafia's are people in uniform and politicians so it will be interesting to see if they can cleanse out the system. I believe in their good intentions to stamp out corruption but experience has proven that the snakes will slither away and be back just as quick if we lax on the stick.

[bellebkk]

Please start in sukhumvit 39! These vans will not allow me to take a motorbike!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[8OA8]

Just wait for Uber smart phone app to be introduced in Thailand, that will sort it all out.

London Black Cabs protesting over the Uber taxi app.

Big trouble for English Cabbies thanks to the Uber app.

Uber app on Android is already available here in Bangkok

[jimstar1]

I hope the army can get the taxis outside Hua Lamphong train station to use their meters. Some do, but sometimes all I get are fixed rate quotes. I've heard both tourists, Thai people and honest taxi drivers complain about them.

Also at the bus Station arrived last night chased by these bad taxi drivers wanting 400 baht go to M

Nana after long search found meter was 97 baht on meter come on guys clean these A Hole mafia taxis out of Thailand

[8OA8]

Soldiers were at the Motorcycle taxi rank on Rama 4 (beside Honda showroom)at about 4pm yesterday. They were at the rank on the small soi on opposite side of the road two days earlier.

[Stan7444]

And how about the Bangkok taxis while they are at it?

They very often refuse rides or demand ridiculous prices.

Agreed and there is supposedly an uninforced law that taxis cannot refuse any passenger to go to their desired destination and they MUST use their taxi meters. Especially later at night in the more popular areas of BKK such as Silom and areas of Sukhumvit, very difficult to catch any taxi without negotiating non-meter charges and if the destination is "desirable" to the taxi driver.

[glcdc]

motorbike taksis overcharging... they can't be overcharging more than 5-10 baht/ride...most people riding these vans and bikes don't have much money they surely arent being screwed out of any more than any other industry is screwing people. I have my own way of combating this problem myself ( know rough estimate cost before going; when i get there i pay fair value...if they want more i show them 1,000 baht and tey scoff cause rarely have change enough then i say okay i'll get change...they are then forced to.wait 10 minutes for the balance or drive off...they all lack patience. works everytime even with taksi's that try to.run the meter up by taking wrong turns) ....take care of your own business

[spambot]

Yesterday here in Banglamphu there were huge influx of police on bikes each carrying 20/30 wheel clamps per bike - Moving in on vehicles that had grown used to parking anywhere - Mostly Taxi's - Actions being used and not simply words talked.

[peterb17]

Now all the need to do is get rid of that negative dick Head from the BBC

Well said, after his reports had a flurry of messages from friends and family in the UK checking I was OK. Think they expected me to cowering under the muzzles of tanks surrounding my house.

Do not forget the BBC is run by the chattering classes to whom the idea of a military coup in a country they simply do not really understand is the same as Boko Haram rampaging around Nigeria.

[JohnRodger]

And how about the Bangkok taxis while they are at it?

They very often refuse rides or demand ridiculous prices

No they don't

Poppycock.What a silly comment.

Rarely they might refuse a fare if it's a long distance,in general it's an excellent service many other areas of the country would love to have.

[belg]

so did all those taxi maffia people get a personal letter at home or at least an sms ?

or they expect that they have free tv at their motosay shop or in the taxi ?

[AlphMichaels]

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Now all the need to do is get rid of that negative dick Head from the BBC

Which one? They're everywhere and most are poor excuses for quality journalists. Did not used to be the case but they outsource most of it now and take anyone they can get who is willing to incur expense to get to a news hot spot and report. They've stooped to conquer at a level heretofore believed impossible...., right alongside American broadcast journalism.

As Mark Twain once said; "If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed.

[HeavyDrinker]

Just wait for Uber smart phone app to be introduced in Thailand, that will sort it all out.

London Black Cabs protesting over the Uber taxi app.

Big trouble for English Cabbies thanks to the Uber app.

I've been using 'grab taxi' (Android) for a while now. Given the sheer number of cabs in BKK it's a little pointless here but comes in handy during busy times like at pub bunging out time, if I can't be mithered standing by the road for 3 minutes to flag one down or if I want to do a longer run to Pattaya, Ayutthya (or similar) as you can negotiate a fare up front.

You need to be able to write in Thai though (or have someone on hand who can).

The Lahndahn cabs are up in arms about it because it means their greedy extortionate monopoly is now at an end.

Having lived there for several years, paying about 6-7 quid for a short trip which would cost 50-60B in Bangkok, minus having some right wing Daily Mail reading bellend rattling on at you about Faakking Cyclists throughout made me really appreciate the Bangkok taxis when I came to live here even the old yellow/black pirates.

OK you always get your bad apples but on the whole their service is a credit to Bangkok which makes living here highly tolerable, especially for those who remember the old black and yellow taxis and the villains who used to drive them - now that WAS a 'mafia'. That wasn't all that long ago (I saw one last year up at Don Muang) so that there will be drivers extant today from that era is no real surprise.

[Larry001]

Excellent. Good to see someone at least trying to clean up the scum that is littering this country.

[HerbalEd]

After months of careful research the "Panel" will conclude, that there are not enough legal parking spaces for all the passenger vans and therefore half of them HAVE to park illegally.

Cheers.

Hopefully you'll be disappointed.

[7Heaven]

Just wait for Uber smart phone app to be introduced in Thailand, that will sort it all out.

London Black Cabs protesting over the Uber taxi app.

Big trouble for English Cabbies thanks to the Uber app.

It's already here https://www.uber.com/cities/bangkok

[Manbing]

Any idea of where to report these violations. I have a van mafia operation blocking access to my house and Soi every day at chareonpong anyuban in Soi bearing. They operate freely without any ppolicing, the school has declined to accept any responsibility saying they are imdependantly employed. They cause property damage and use the front of my house like a street corner.

How do I get rid of these lice.

[tezzainoz]

We've all heard this before, 100s of times. Actions will speak louder than words. I hope they clean all the bottom feeders out of every city. Thailand could be a GREAT country, much, much better than it is. They just need to get rid of the rift raft.

have you been sleeping

the Junta have done more in the last 2-3 weeks than governments have done in the last 10 years

I, and many of my friend would be proud to wear a

"A better Thailand with the Junta"

are there others would feel the same ????

[Calach]

Because of the construction anarchy in Bangkok center streets and roads occupy only 7% of the surface, which is one of the lowest rate in the world (in European cities it's about 20-25%).

That's (also) why traffic congestion is so frequent and huge, and why there is not enough parking space.

I can't say that road users behaviour is exemplary, but the main problem in Bangkok it's town planning, or the inexistence of it.

[MaxYakov]

We've all heard this before, 100s of times. Actions will speak louder than words. I hope they clean all the bottom feeders out of every city. Thailand could be a GREAT country, much, much better than it is. They just need to get rid of the rift raft.

Rift Raft = The part of the yacht the husband gets from the divorce settlement. The fortunate ones get the dinghy.

Edited June 13, 2014 by MaxYakov

[MaxYakov]

And how about the Bangkok taxis while they are at it?

They very often refuse rides or demand ridiculous prices

No they don't

Poppycock.What a silly comment.

Rarely they might refuse a fare if it's a long distance,in general it's an excellent service many other areas of the country would love to have.

They do! Have a look at Ekkamai's pic. No driver wants a fat smoking cigar in his car.

Try to get one from Sukhumvit to Din Daeng on meter in the wee hours (pre-curfew). I even had one increase his previously-quoted flat rate after I was in the cab and rolling. First stop I got out. There is a limit to extortion.

[dude123]

Just see what they have been doing in Phuket - they mean business

Are you being sarcastic, or have they really done something in Phuket? I've been out of the loop for awhile, but just don't believe anything is being done down there.