Suvarnabhumi bans taxi driver singled out in Japanese man's rant

[barberpg]

Problem solved. It could only be that single taxi operator.

All other taxi drivers are just fine! "We Love Farang" they all say on their taxis.

Well done AOT, you are spot on the mark for isolating this instance and fixing the problem permanently.

Yeah.. Right ....

[makescents]

Why just ban him from the airport, why can't he have his taxi license revoked?

Probably not even the license holder.

[denby45]

if you have been living in bangkok for at least a year or less, you should know by then that you can get a metered taxi on the 'Departure Area.'

There are lots of taxis in there who sent their passengers to leave thailand or to pick-up friends/relatives and those drivers are very much happy to get another passenger wherever you go on a meter.

Pattaya is another story I guess.

Correct, I do that most of the time on my personal trips otherwise I use the AOT limosines as I can expense the fare. When travelling to Pattaya I always negociate the price and can get it for 1200 baht. I did once ask the driver to put the meter on just as a comparison, he did, and the metered fare was just under the 1200 baht I actually paid. One thing to be wary of is that a lot of these taxis don't have enough gas to go to Pattaya and have to fuel up at a nearby gas station before they go. It happened to me once and we queued for 45 - 50 minutes behind all the other taxis, just to get gas ... I could have been half way home in that time!

I use Mr. T Taxi every time. 1,000 baht to Patty and 900 return including the tolls. I have been using them for at least 5 years and never a problem. The driver is waiting there at exit 3 and we are straight on the road. No need to negotiate or get involved with any of the touts there or have the hassle of non-turned on meters etc. Pick up at the hotel is equally fluid and the guy is always ahead of time. Only once did I have a problem with the guy taking a deviation and filling up. Yes that can take some time but I was lucky because I wasn't in any hurry. However now just to be sure I always tell Mr. T in the Email I send to make sure the driver has filled up before he picks us up.

Den

[peridot]

if you have been living in bangkok for at least a year or less, you should know by then that you can get a metered taxi on the 'Departure Area.'

There are lots of taxis in there who sent their passengers to leave thailand or to pick-up friends/relatives and those drivers are very much happy to get another passenger wherever you go on a meter.

Pattaya is another story I guess.

Yeah, we always go up to the 4th floor to get a return taxi into town. NEVER had a problem. Drivers are happy to get the return fare. these 2 trips pay for his car rent for the shift.

The last time I went up to the 4th floor (December 2014), there were one-way gates that prevented access to the taxis. No taxis there waiting, either. The only way to get to an arriving taxi would be to climb over the gate with your luggage. Are those gates gone now?

Edited January 20, 2015 by peridot

[fullcave]

Thank you and keep up the good work!

[stoli]

Let's hope this taxi driver does not see Mr koki Aki on the street,i fear for his safety,after all banned ,but more important Loss of face.

Is it your custom to run whenever faced with robbery, which this was? No wonder they keep doing it. What about your loss of face? Means nothing to you, but you worry that it is so important to them?

[stoli]

This check point is not bad idea.

But wait!

And what happens if driver shuts down the meter later ?

aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

That would be fine. I would just pay the metered fair. If he wants to jack around and shut the meter off early, his loss, not mine. Don't be intimidated.

[konying]

Why just ban him from the airport, why can't he have his taxi license revoked?

Because AOT isn't the police force so they don't have that authority. If someone made a complaint to the police they could start that process.

I wonder if you ever think or even capable of thinking before posting

Police force has nothing to do with taxi license what so ever.

Transport ministry is the only one with authority to revoke taxi license and/or drivers license.

Next time you want to make yet another troll comment, try to research a little

[stoli]

What about the fixed prices to go to another city? I always pay a flat rate of 3500 baht to go to the city of Trat, I really don't want the meter turned on!!

Always pay 1,000 baht to Pattaya. 3,500 baht to Trat sounds high. Yes, I have been to Trat many times. If you are happy, that is all that matters though.

[stoli]

I find it hilarious how people bang on about fares that amount to next to nothing for your own private use of a car - get the overcrowded buses if pennies are that important !!

Come to London - you can add another zero onto any fare in Bangkok !

I find it amazing that you compare London to Bangkok. Same difference in price would be true in San Francisco, but I would certainly not compare the 2 cities.

[Wilsonandson]

You can compare the two cities San Fransisco and Bangkok. Both are tolerant of homosexuality. As for taxi fares no.

[KCM]

The gates are still there, but they are very easy to walk through. They also have a guard sitting at the gate but they never try to stop you. Now I usually use Uber from the airport, but I recently went up to the 4th floor departures level and got a taxi that had just dropped someone off. He was very happy to have a fare back to the city.

By the way, if there are taxis waiting, don't use them. Only use a taxi that you see drop someone off. Some of the ones waiting are also part of the airport taxi mafia. That is why they are allowed to wait there.

if you have been living in bangkok for at least a year or less, you should know by then that you can get a metered taxi on the 'Departure Area.'

There are lots of taxis in there who sent their passengers to leave thailand or to pick-up friends/relatives and those drivers are very much happy to get another passenger wherever you go on a meter.

Pattaya is another story I guess.

Yeah, we always go up to the 4th floor to get a return taxi into town. NEVER had a problem. Drivers are happy to get the return fare. these 2 trips pay for his car rent for the shift.

The last time I went up to the 4th floor (December 2014), there were one-way gates that prevented access to the taxis. No taxis there waiting, either. The only way to get to an arriving taxi would be to climb over the gate with your luggage. Are those gates gone now?

[ggt]

I applaud the actions of officials who were cornered into making a stand here for the tourists...I thank the Japanese man for making this public...he will likely be leaving Thailand soon...fearing for his own life...This is Thailand...

[Nalo56]

I'm glad tat the complaint (not ranting) opened up the ever existing problem of taxis abusing their services in which this problem of not sing the meter was suppose to be stopped by a law that made it illegal just this last year. Well I guess some of the taxi drivers didn't get the memo!

I'm confused why is it that the report only mentioned the Japanese tourist by name and no mentioned of the taxi drivers name? Is this to make the Japanese man exposed while keeping the Thai driver protected? Doesn't this story make it more at fault and brings the Japanese tourist at risk while the taxi driver is being protected? Shame

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[surangw]

Why just ban him from the airport, why can't he have his taxi license revoked?

Exactly. It's always these half-cooked "measures" which take issues that need fixing one step forward and two steps back. The same goes for those insane "inactive postings" of culprits who sometimes have done enormous damage.

he already bought some groucho marx glasses to disguise himself

[SantiSuk]

if you have been living in bangkok for at least a year or less, you should know by then that you can get a metered taxi on the 'Departure Area.'

There are lots of taxis in there who sent their passengers to leave thailand or to pick-up friends/relatives and those drivers are very much happy to get another passenger wherever you go on a meter.

Pattaya is another story I guess.

You still need to stick to your guns on occasions with those Level 4 guys. Maybe one in 10 times they try it on, even though I have said "taxi-meter?" to him rather obviously before getting in.

[monkeycountry]

"The airport said it has also set up a checkpoint to verify that every taxi driver leaving the taxi stand is using the meter."

This could be the best idea ever in Thailand. I do not know how this works, but at the end of the road where the taxi area is, a single airport employee or police man could be stationed to stop all taxis leaving and check if the meter is on. If not, automatically report the taxi to the authorities together with driver name/number, so he can get fined/banned. A very efficient and cheap solution to this problem.

[freedom4life]

Let's hope this taxi driver does not see Mr koki Aki on the street,i fear for his safety,after all banned ,but more important Loss of face.

He already lost face for the initial scam, so that doesn't matter a bit. In addition, all corruption and scams should be exposed...including those who are bankers, politicians, authority-figures and gov't reps....all of them. It's high time people stand-up and take back their ability to self-govern and demand proper justice and common sense.

[Jonmarleesco]

And without the viral nature of the message ... Swampy would have gaily carried on, regardless. Perhaps the relevant manager mentioned in the complaints should be warned - or moved sideways. As for the driver's 'blacklisting' - time will tell. But I'll be sure to keep in mind the checkpoint.

[playbgnow]

Why just ban him from the airport, why can't he have his taxi license revoked?

Revoking someones license for what is known in this sample as only a first offence is a very very harsh measure.

Losing the rights to service the airport is ALSO a harsh measure and will certainly have a large effect on the individual and his income.

What is more useful is looking at the situation as a whole and trying to draw conclusions as how to fix/address it as a whole, not calling for someone to be drawn and quartered.

Edited January 20, 2015 by playbgnow

[playbgnow]

I'm glad tat the complaint (not ranting) opened up the ever existing problem of taxis abusing their services in which this problem of not sing the meter was suppose to be stopped by a law that made it illegal just this last year. Well I guess some of the taxi drivers didn't get the memo!

I'm confused why is it that the report only mentioned the Japanese tourist by name and no mentioned of the taxi drivers name? Is this to make the Japanese man exposed while keeping the Thai driver protected? Doesn't this story make it more at fault and brings the Japanese tourist at risk while the taxi driver is being protected? Shame

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Following the viral message posted by Koki Aki, who detailed his many complaints in Thai and Japanese about the airport’s service – especially the taxi queue – officials investigated and banned Chaiyan Chareonsopa, a driver who allegedly demanded THB700 for a ride to Saphan Kwai, airport Director Prapon Pattamakijsakul said yesterday.

[jacko45k]

Suvarnabhumi Airport officials, damned if they do something about complaints, damned if they don't, it seems.

Yes, but it takes a high profile complaint by one individual to get them damned.

[Tokay]

What happened to the tourist court they created at the airport?

[surangw]

Let's hope this taxi driver does not see Mr koki Aki on the street,i fear for his safety,after all banned ,but more important Loss of face.

He already lost face for the initial scam, so that doesn't matter a bit. In addition, all corruption and scams should be exposed...including those who are bankers, politicians, authority-figures and gov't reps....all of them. It's high time people stand-up and take back their ability to self-govern and demand proper justice and common sense.

go far enough up the corruption ladder seeking justice, you will get shoved off and fall hard

[louse1953]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

At Checkpoints Fine them on the spot for non use of meters...

Good idea, at the random police check points police could check if the meter is running and ask where the vehicle departed from.

If you can't check your own meter i think you shouldn't have left home without your mummy.

[louse1953]

One Taxi driver tried to pull this stunt when we came back from Europe last month. Since I speak Thai both my wife and I said in Thai we want the meter turned on

He relented but did try it .

I don't blame the Airport for clamping down on the drives Cuddos to you and Keep it up

One time a driver realized he had forgotten to put the meter on.He knew i knew where i was going,so he asked how much.I went slightly lower to check his reaction,no probs.,Make up tip at the end.Genuine forgetfulness,understandable being in a taxi 12 hours in Bangers,what a mind numbing job.I have nothing but praise for Bangkok taxi drivers over the decades,mostly Issan lads,driving around a huge city with impossible numbering system.

[louse1953]

if you have been living in bangkok for at least a year or less, you should know by then that you can get a metered taxi on the 'Departure Area.'

There are lots of taxis in there who sent their passengers to leave thailand or to pick-up friends/relatives and those drivers are very much happy to get another passenger wherever you go on a meter.

Pattaya is another story I guess.

Correct, I do that most of the time on my personal trips otherwise I use the AOT limosines as I can expense the fare. When travelling to Pattaya I always negociate the price and can get it for 1200 baht. I did once ask the driver to put the meter on just as a comparison, he did, and the metered fare was just under the 1200 baht I actually paid. One thing to be wary of is that a lot of these taxis don't have enough gas to go to Pattaya and have to fuel up at a nearby gas station before they go. It happened to me once and we queued for 45 - 50 minutes behind all the other taxis, just to get gas ... I could have been half way home in that time!

Or stuck on the side of the road!!!

[louse1953]

iv been using taxi from the airport for about 15 years ,never had problem ,i think there cheap in France its its 20 euros for about 3 minutes in a taxi london airport even worse ,looks though this man never been anywhere

Looks more that you dont know what you are talking about. If the meter price is what you have to pay and you pay more you overpay. It does not matter that you think its cheap or not. I guess in France the minimum wage is just like here 7-8 euros a day ?

True,but most of us are paying with foreign earned money,which makes it damn cheap.My friends used to ask me how much i earned,and i used to cut it quite a bit,i was embarrassed.Also told them about tax and the price of chillis.

[goodstuff]

I have a very simple answer to this!!!!!!!!! Whenever hiring a taxi at Suvarnabhumi airport never go to the taxi rank! Before the taxi driver even discusses a price the rank have taken 500bt!

So the answer is simple, go to departures! Where you will see lots of taxi's dropping off customers and have nowhere to go! So are all in need of your custom.

I personally live in Hua Hin so it takes about 3hrs to get home, the official rank want to charge me 2,500-3,000bt! The taxi's at departures cost me 1,500 if you are really willing to haggle maybe cheaper!

Simples!!!

[Dannyboy666]

I have a very simple answer to this!!!!!!!!! Whenever hiring a taxi at Suvarnabhumi airport never go to the taxi rank! Before the taxi driver even discusses a price the rank have taken 500bt!

So the answer is simple, go to departures! Where you will see lots of taxi's dropping off customers and have nowhere to go! So are all in need of your custom.

I personally live in Hua Hin so it takes about 3hrs to get home, the official rank want to charge me 2,500-3,000bt! The taxi's at departures cost me 1,500 if you are really willing to haggle maybe cheaper!

Simples!!!

. 50 baht