Police officer fines Bangkok taxi drivers for refusing fare

[Somtamnication]

You know things are bad when a good cop story makes the news!!

[lvr181]

Well done Mr Cop

Agreed.

A pity that he will probably never get to read this

[glcdc]

I screen my taksis the way they do..if they are going to have priveledge of driving me around they will abide. If ita uncomfortable or violent i am sure to record my exit from the vehicle. I am in full control as a consumer and dont complain about non metered taksi drivers i am fortunate i have 2 working legs though...not everyone is priveledged.

[Bob12345]

the op is about a taxi been fined for refusing a fare, I dont see that as a crime only a loss of earnings for the driver.

It does not matter how you see it, as the Thai Land Traffic Act (1979) is pretty clear about it:

Section 93 (1,000 baht fine)

Driver of a taxi shall not refuse to accept employment to convey passengers, except when such conveyance is likely to cause danger to himself or the passenger.

So it might not be a crime, it is a clear violation.

For the people demanding higher penalties: the effectiveness not only depends on the penalty but also on the chance of being caught. The penalty is currently 1,000 baht and the chance of being caught maybe 1:10,000 (estimate based on the fact that a newspaper dedicates an article to the fact that a police officer fined taxis for this). Instead of increasing the penalties it will work better to have more checks on this practice.

To immediately also give an approach how to do that: put 100 cops in normal clothing and let them stop taxis randomly on the streets. They ask the driver to take them somewhere and if they refuse they get a fine. If they agree you show them your ID and let them go again. Once this becomes common practice the fear of being checked increases and refusals will go down. Next you hire 10 foreigners to do the same. If the driver refuses they sign to the cop down the road who will fine them. Start in Bangkok, roll it out to the rest of the country.

The collected fines will more than pay for the costs and it will improve the image of Thailand, the BIB, and the whole taxi branch here.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Bob12345

[kennw]

Great job give this cop the 10,000 Baht, At the same place two months ago with two young children the driver threw us out of the taxi in heavy rain because I insisted on using the meter.

[Bob12345]

I screen my taksis the way they do..if they are going to have priveledge of driving me around they will abide. If ita uncomfortable or violent i am sure to record my exit from the vehicle. I am in full control as a consumer and dont complain about non metered taksi drivers i am fortunate i have 2 working legs though...not everyone is priveledged.

And your approach might work fine on sunny working days outside of rush hour when you want to go from 1 shopping mall to the next and have plenty of time to select a nice taxi.

Unfortunately we are not all that privileged, and sometimes we need to travel while it rains, or we need to go somewhere where the driver is unlikely to catch an easy return trip, or we have little spare time to stand 2 hours on the curb selecting a taxi, or its just rush hour. Any tips for less privileged people also?

[loongdavid]

License suspension is the only thing that would work. First offence earns 2 weeks, 2nd earns three months, and a 3rd offence or more gets a year's suspension.

Nanny state

I think that would still be too lenient - three strikes and you're out. Total loss of taxi licence for good.

As for this being a "nanny state", you've just got to be joking!

[mercman24]

its funny i get at taxi (or try) on sukhumvit road, a straight run to Phra Khanong, station, the times i get refused, its laughable, i went with a friend last week she insisted on the meter, it was about 50 bht, i always give 100 , so maybe the taxi hits a couple of lights but they would anyway, just dont understand the logic.

[mercman24]

had to smile, he had to pose for a photo, they just cant help it can they. he he !!

[ratcatcher]

Wow.....a cop doing his job....this guy'll be a superintendent soon!!

Thailand doesn't seem to have superintendent I'm afraid, not like the British system.

However if this dedicated policeman can ever afford any rank past Senior Sergeant Major, he'll be weighed down by more medals, wings, stars and hardware than George Patton.

[fritzzz25]

I don't believe it, people have the cheapest taxes in the World and still complaining. And it's so easy to simply ask the next taxi driver if the first does not want to go where you want to go.

How about if you dialed the emergency number and said "no, I don't want to go there, it is the end of my shift and I live in the other direction" for your call for you being held at gunpoint, or you are mowed over in a crosswalk and need an ambulance. If you provide a SERVICE and your customers are the public, then provide SERVICE to the public without your own personal drama being involved. If you can't do that, there are lots of rice fields that need tending to.

[b2bme]

I think it a good thing what this copper did and wish there was more like him. Yes it is a pain when the cabbies refuse you and frustrating that most get away with it. That said here in squeaky clean Singapore it has the same problem. If a cab driver does not want to go somewhere it is "sorry shift change, have to take cab back". Seems shift change is all day some days. As for the post about rain and can't get a cab well here in Singapore if it is a heavy down pour they pull over and don't drive. Good thing in one way as most can't drive in the dry let alone in the wet, but it will put you an hour behind schedule waiting to get a cab (even if you try calling one). In all honesty I get cabs all over the world and think Thai cabbies are some of the nicest. Lack of English lets them down for tourists and some old vehicles that should be crushed. I wish more of them had seat belts. You could try a cab in Norway where it costs you around 80NOK (400 baht) to get in the thing and close the door before the meter starts ticking over, risk your life in a crazed Russian taxi (they're just as crazy at home as they are on holiday in Thailand), and I could go on and on. It is not so bad in Thailand. If you don't like it and just want to complain GO HOME. See how long it is before you miss Thailand and all its imperfections and want to go back.

[Scully]

Well done to this particular police man but how I see it is the fare system. While sat in traffic the meter goes up 1.5 baht per minute, this probably just about covers fuel never mind pay. The waiting time needs to be reviewed so there is at least some incentive for a driver to sit in traffic.

[kurnell]

Do they have to pay money to stand in line at MBK?

[IAMSOBAD]

Make this cop the New Chief and promote him to General.

[Skytrain2hell]

How bad it has gotten: "Police officer does his job - receives viral praise"

[laobali]

Well done Mr Cop

One cop out of how many in Bangkok?

[Tokay]

Bravo!

[dslocum]

This officer should be given a 10,000 baht reward for doing his job, and leading by example. Maybe some of the other officers will get the incentive to start "working" for a living. Bravo Pol. Sub. Lt. Meewichai Muangklang.

I like this in theory, but it would truly open another can of worms!

[Jonmarleesco]

'We have all suffered the anguish of ... leaning in to tell the driver your destination ... Rejection.' As opposed to either ignoring the driver when his window comes down, instead waving down another one, or climbing into the back seat before telling him where to go.

Much of the problem can be put down to the Thais' failure to realise that the drivers' licences are a privilege, subject (theoretically) to revocation if they refuse to follow the terms of licencing.

But if more policemen were to follow Meewichai's example, and if more people complained, with the complaints acted upon, and if the fines were steep enough - especially given the drivers' view that they should be permitted a meter increase - the problem would resolve itself.

[charmonman]

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Why bother being a taxi driver in downtown bkk and refusing to take people anywhere? It's gridlocked nearly all the time. Where is this magic trafic free place they all want to take you to?

I have often wondered this myself. Sometimes, after being refused repeatedly, I have been tempted to jump in and say, "where the <deleted> is this wonderful place that YOU are waiting for someone ask you to go; just take me there (on the meter of course)"

Edited October 15, 2014 by metisdead
Profanity

[Bignose]

No matter how cynical some of the comments are this is still a good story, make no mistake the peer pressure on this guy to "toe the party line" will not be insignificant so he IS to be commended for doing his job.

Yes it would be great to have this whole sorry situation remedied, like most people I have had to endure several refusals from "greedy" taxi drivers who want to pick and choose what fares they accept, but this will take time to fix. It is not a simple or unimportant problem either, the world is getting smaller by the day with tourist destinations vying for the lucrative tourist dollar. The missing tourists will not be easy to tempt back as they will already have moved on to other more "hospitable" destinations, if Thailand wants to tempt back those previously loyal customers they will have to deal with this (and several other issues) before the tourist industry will recover.

The previous corrupt government didn't care whether it was a problem or not, this government must forge ahead and complete the rehabilitation of the tourist industry, the country as a whole deserves nothing less.

[ukguyinthai]

We could create change for ourselves,

step 1, don't open the taxi door begging for service. Just get in the car with your camera on mobile ready for action.

step 2, insist the meter is used then give destination.

step 3, when refused take a photo of his badge in the front .

step 4, repeat step 2.

step 5, if refused get out and report them.

Think of it this way,if they want to treat you with contempt let them pay 1000 baht for the privilege.

And think of all those people with kids ,on very hot days,and women out late at night who desperately don't need to be refused. You will never meet these people and you will never be thanked, but you will have changed the attitude of the taxi drivers to help others.

If everyone did this it would stop this nonsense very quickly. They don't start fighting with you, they just say ok and take you, or they just say nothing and wait for you to get out. I know this from experience,I do it every time. Now does anyone have the number to report because I have 20 taxis to report. Oh and the number of the local police if they did get offensive would be a good idea to have in your phone.

maybe I sound a little bitter to taxi drivers ,and I am 100% because they think they are the mafia and we are the punks.They don't care tourists,Thai,kids,police,or anyone. They need teaching a lesson.

[humqdpf]

Change comes, dropping slow, to paraphrase WB Yeats

[lildragon]

Why bother being a taxi driver in downtown bkk and refusing to take people anywhere? It's gridlocked nearly all the time. Where is this magic trafic free place they all want to take you to?

I have often wondered this myself. Sometimes, after being refused repeatedly, I have been tempted to jump in and say, "where the f&*k is this wonderful place that YOU are waiting for someone ask you to go; just take me there (on the meter of course)"

And what else grates me is that they sometimes refuse to take you short distances! For some reason it's impossible for me to get a taxi from my place at Victory monument to Khao Sarn road at 9-10pm when the traffic is lighter. It's an 80 baht ride away and then they have the chance to pick some tourists up. Taxi after taxi will refuse that journey. Am I missing something? Taxi mafia in that area will beat up any outsiders or what?

It's baffling.

[JacChang]

This cop is a good man, just looking at him, and give many thais a "father figure".

[Lex Talionis]

For those asking about whether it is illegal to refuse a fare, yes it is. For them to get and maintain their taxi license they must agree to take all fares. Same thing over here in New York City where people take these kinds of things very seriously. But then again it costs a hell of a lot more.

By way of comparison:

In NYC fares begin with an initial charge of $2.50 (B82), with added charges of $0.40 (B13) for each 1/5 mile (~4 north-south blocks) and B13 for each minute idle. An extra night charge of B16 is added between 8 pm and 5 am and B33 for rush hour between 4 pm and 8 pm.

It's really hard for me to gripe about the extra hassles when it's so damn cheap in BKK. Found me an honest middle-aged family man cabbie, got his number and use him every time I am able to plan ahead.

[BKKdreaming]

so that everyone here hates me.......

I totaly understand not taking a fare when its far away , a bad area , too much traffic

far away , no return fare

bad area , can get robbed and you do not know the area

too much traffic , fare is very low for time sitting in traffic.

RAISE the rate , raise the "sitting in traffic" rate ,

put the taxi number on every outside door with the Phone number under it to report bad taxis

Make them get a new licence and current photo every year , a drug test would be an added bonus !

Random drug tests at the Taxi depot at shift change would really show you things you did not want to know !

Cut 25% of the Taxis in the city , there are too many taxis so none make money except if they screw the few customers they get !

OK.........time for my medication and a nap

[steven100]

The taxi network needs an overhaul. Kick out most of them, employ competent drivers who genuinely care about their job.

Clean up the vehicles, no whisky drivers, no whining about got no money, just drive to where I want to go and keep quite, no Ferrari drivers.

Oh ..... I can only dream :-)

[tonbridgebrit]

Hold on, hold on, wait a minute.

If a driver is driving his own taxi, well surely, it's only right and sensible that he is allowed to refuse whatever customer ? It is HIS earnings we're talking about.

Now, if a sex worker doesn't like whatever customer, surely, we all feel that the sex worker should be allowed to not accept that customer. What about bars and restaurants ? Should a bar owner or restaurant boss be allowed to refuse a customer for whatever reason he seems fit ?

I know a few people who have whatever 'bussines', and yes, they want money, but they do reject customers for whatever reason. Actually, I know a plumber, who turns up at whatever customer's house, he'ill look at the job, and he's not going to turn up to do the job if he thinks it's no good. Surely, it's ridiculous to arrest that plumber ??