Thai transport fines cabbie trying to overcharge Japanese businessman

[webfact]

Transport fines cabbie trying to overcharge Japanese businessman



BANGKOK: -- The Land Transport Department today fined a taxi driver 3,000 baht after he confessed to trying to overcharge a Japanese passenger he picked up from Suvarnabhumi airport to Ratchadapisek road last week.

The driver, Master Segeant Udorn Sasanasupin, confessed after he was found to be the driver in the video clip posted on the internet trying to deceive a Japanese businessman that the new starting price on the charge metre has been raised by the department from 35 baht to 75 baht.

The Japanese argued calmly that as far as he knew and was told by his friend on the Line it remained unchanged at 35 baht.

The Japanese man also videotaped the conversation with the driver with his mobile phone, and later posted on the internet which later went viral.

In reporting himself to the transport officials today to face the charge, the driver confessed and pledged that he would never do it again.

But he said that he did not overcharge the Japanese passenger after he argued against the starting rate of 75 baht. He said he deducted the taxi fee for his customer by 40 baht.

Apart from being fined, he also was banned from entering the airport compound to pick up passengers.
He told transport officials that if he repeated the same offence, he was willing to have his driving licences revoked for life.

Meanwhile director-general of the Land Transport Department Mr Teerapong Rodprasert today ordered tightened inspection of fare metres fixed in taxis following complaints by many passengers that taxi fares were unusually marked up and suspected the fare metres might be modified.

He also said if any taxi drivers found their fare metres function unusually high, they should immediately bring them for checks with the transport officials, and the manufacturers.

Failure to do so will face a fine of 2,000 baht if they are caught overcharging passengers, he said.

He said fare metres may function unusually due to several reasons, error in the metre circuit, poor connection of joints, and mileage metre.

He also said passengers can call 1584 to report unusually high taxi fares, and transport will handle investigations.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/transport-fines-cabbie-trying-overcharge-japanese-businessman


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-30

[lildragon]

He'll be back ripping off folks there within in a few weeks.

[sjjmmi]

OMG Only a fine Amazing Thailand

[Strangebrew]

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

[zydeco]

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

[Cuchulainn]

Som nam naa you vampire.

[iReason]

"He also said if any taxi drivers found their fare metres function unusually high, they should immediately bring them for checks ..."

"He said fare metres may function unusually due to several reasons, error in the metre circuit, poor connection of joints, and mileage metre."

Yup.

It was/ will be, the meter's fault.

"...complaints by many passengers that taxi fares were unusually marked up and suspected the fare metres might be modified."

Hmm. Sounds like a collaborative effort.

Edited January 30, 2015 by iReason

[JeremyBowskill]

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

Was it at that point you could smell coffee and woke up, or was it after the bit where Jackie Chan and Steven Segal turned up to arrest him?

Edited January 30, 2015 by JeremyBowskill

[Prbkk]

Some will recall the fare adjustment laminated sheets that used to hang over the seat after the last major rise. Some of them hung around for YEARS, long after the meters ( or cabs) had been replaced. But the unsuspecting pax would look at the chart and pay the difference between it and the meter fare. That was an easy scam.

[bkkgooner]

OMG Only a fine Amazing Thailand

Fined and banned from picking up passengers at the airport.

Do you want him hanged or something?

[midimaster]

I went to Thailand last December and I paid 600 baht, which I consider cheap. I want to know how much you pay taxi fare in Japan with the same distance in kilometers.

I'm living in Vietnam and from the place I live to Saigon airport is about 35 kilometers. But the taxi fare is 600,000 VND (30 US).

[Suffinator]

Got to love the social media ... there's no place for these crooks to hide and the public worldwide is beginning to see the true nature of Thainess.

And they wonder why tourism is dropping ... clues everywhere but there are none so blind as those who refuse to see due to their heightened sense of being superior to the rest of the world.

Thainess = Morons

[Johnnie99]

OMG Only a fine Amazing Thailand

Fined and banned from picking up passengers at the airport.

Do you want him hanged or something?

Silly comment. To those who know, a pathetic fine and being banned from the airport simply means he will go elsewhere to scam other tourists and unsuspecting visitors (like yourself, perhaps).

People who have been here a while would like these scammers punished enough to make them change their ways, that's all.

[scorecard]

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

I went to Thailand last December and I paid 600 baht, which I consider cheap. I want to know how much you pay taxi fare in Japan with the same distance in kilometers.

I'm living in Vietnam and from the place I live to Saigon airport is about 35 kilometers. But the taxi fare is 600,000 VND (30 US).

Comparison to other countries is not all that relevant, especially Japan.

Comparison of costs to foreigners is also not valid, 99% of taxi customers in Thailand are Thai people and taxi drivers attempt to rip them off too. In reality for most Thais taxis are simply not an option, the cost way beyond what a very large percentage of the population can afford.

[taony]

"the driver confessed and pledged that he would never do it again."

"But he said that he did not overcharge the Japanese passenger after he argued against the starting rate of 75 baht. He said he deducted the taxi fee for his customer by 40 baht."

"He told transport officials that if he repeated the same offence, he was willing to have his driving licences revoked for life."

Hilarious stuff.

But regarding the unusually high fares, the last couple times I have taken a taxi, the fare seems to be 25-50% higher. But its really hard to tell why. There was the fare rise recently and could it just have been extra traffic?

[scorecard]

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

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

Yeah, Thai taxi drivers are all familiar with a US marshalls badge and they can of course all read the English lettering.

[Artisi]

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

Was it at that point you could smell coffee and woke up, or was it after the bit where Jackie Chan and Steven Segal turned up to arrest him?

Over 60 years ago when I was a little boy, I had a silver sheriffs badge - probably came from a Kellogs breakfast cereal box - but it was real, just ask me☺

[joboss]

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

8 baht increase in five years. I would be ok with that.

[Bignose]

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

OMG alt=blink.png> Only a fine alt=rolleyes.gif> Amazing Thailand alt=whistling.gif>

Fined and banned from picking up passengers at the airport.

Do you want him hanged or something?

Silly comment. To those who know, a pathetic fine and being banned from the airport simply means he will go elsewhere to scam other tourists and unsuspecting visitors (like yourself, perhaps).

People who have been here a while would like these scammers punished enough to make them change their ways, that's all.

A 3,000 THB fine is fairly substantial for a Thai national (even for a thieving, scamming taxi driver) I don't believe it is reasonable to discount it as irrelevant and could have an effect on his attitude.

As was previously posted what else would you have done with him?

[scorecard]

I wonder if Master Seareant Udom should actually be at his real job?

[Sviss Geez]

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

Wow, an 8 baht increase over 5 years, should we organise a whip round for you? Traffic congestion would easily account for that huge increase.

[Bignose]

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

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

8 baht increase in five years. I would be ok with that.

Please don't tell us you actually paid the fare exactly???

I know we are all not millionaires but is an 8 THB increase that noticeable or important?

[Ceruhe]

3000 baht fine? Amazing! We are getting closer to where it starts hurting the wallet for once. Maybe p...p..p..pr...progress will happen soon?

Then again, I need a roadkill to confirm that being more than 1'000 baht to start believing...hoping...something.

[harada]

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

Wow, an 8 baht increase over 5 years, should we organise a whip round for you? Traffic congestion would easily account for that huge increase.

A whip round for the cab driver would be more appropriate, all this for the sake of 35 baht, unbelievable.

[Vogele123]

He must have been pretty daft, only a 40 Baht overcharge! Who would even bother complaining in the scheme of things?

Poor sod got quite a hefty fine.

[Commerce]

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

Was it at that point you could smell coffee and woke up, or was it after the bit where Jackie Chan and Steven Segal turned up to arrest him?

Over 60 years ago when I was a little boy, I had a silver sheriffs badge - probably came from a Kellogs breakfast cereal box - but it was real, just ask me☺

You know how I got caught out at aged 4 Artisi?

My mum lined us all up in the kitchen (4 siblings aged 3, 4, 7 and 8), and she said who ate the yellow jelly?

I said, Mum it wasn't yellow it was green! ........... Duh!

You could pull that reverse psychology on any Thai!!!

[cookee68]

He'll be back ripping off folks there within in a few weeks.

No you are wrong there,( within days ) you should have said

[Phatcharanan]

Funny how those taxi meters only gradually manage to malfunction. My trip between home and work cost 53 baht five years ago for a 5 km trip. Gradually, it has increased to 55, 57, 59, and, now has started to tip over at 61 baht. While the distance has grown (usually) to 5.4 km. Proof of the expanding universe, right here in Thailand.

OMG! 7 baht increase over a 5 year period. The taxi mafia should all be shot.

[gemini81]

Hey that is same guy who tried to rip me off until I pulled out my wallet to pay and he saw my US Marshall badge glaring at him.

Doubt he even knows who US marshals are!

ฺBut what a load of BS on your end! Its 'Marshals' not marshalls. You're making stuff up!

Edited January 30, 2015 by gemini81

[samuibruno]

He also said passengers can call 1584 to report unusually high taxi fares, and transport will handle investigations.

is this the number to call if you live on samui???????

if so will post it everywhere