Foreign Tourists Allegedly Dumped on Tollway by Thai Taxi

[samuibeachcomber]

having to change taxis under the most inconvenient circumstances is something I have tried in basically every country I have travelled... sometimes its in heavy rain, when the taxi stops and asks for more money to continue and sometimes when they just don't like you... driving a taxi is stressful, even in most modern countries, with surveillance, monitoring, panic buttons, procedures for dealing with situations, etc...

everyone here knows the risk of taking a taxi, and it is something we calculate in the balance of convenience versus cost and (in)convenience of arranging private transport.

these are backpackers, they crave and thus deserve to have these experiences, which without, their backpacking story would just be another boring travel epos of a small family traveling to thailand on holiday.

taking a taxi should not be a danger in any country...but yes i agree it has become that way.I really dont understand your "backpacker theory" you pick up a cab,agree on the fare for the destination you want and IMO the driver has an obligation to get you there safely and without any nastiness on his part.

[Jeffreyake]

Has anyone considered that this could be the fault of the tourists? Maybe the tourists refused to pay the highway toll, because they thought that the taxi driver was cheating them. Not everyone knows that they are supposed to pay the toll themselves, and not the driver. The story about the driver missing a turn, and not wanting to turn back seems a little far fetched.

Rasmus, are you Thai??

Blaming the victims and all that........................

are you racist?!

[razer]

Same happened to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I refused to pay 600 Baht to go from Don Muang to Sukhumvit 11.

Driver pulled over, stopped and in clear English told me to get out ... on the expressway.

Edited March 21, 2015 by metisdead
Oversize bold font reset to normal.

[BudRight]

I jumped out of a taxi at sixty miles an hour and ran right into a policeman, who informed me I should pay half the meter for the drivers's trouble. I paid and they both left me there to walk two hours home. I told the story to a gas station attendent who gave me a broken off kitchen knife and told me to be careful. I still have it.

Edit: On the expressway.

Edited March 21, 2015 by BudRight

[Monkeyrobot]

Does not make sense , if he missed the turn off to Rama 1X he could have taken the next exit as there is no uturn not that much extra time , Maybe the Farang passenger talk bad ,but still no excuse for dumping them with a small child. Out of 100 taxis here I have had around 10 bad ones , asking for tips ,not using meter from Airport ,danger driving, ect. The other 90% have been ok. It seems that there is a culture of bad taxis services from the airport in the last few months.

[Ocicat]

Always write down taxi info and driver name when getting into a Thai taxi. Then you have the ammo to file a complaint. Stick the info in hour pocket and hopefully you won't need it but better to be armed.

Some of the cab drivers are real dimwabs but some are just great and try their hardest to talk to you in your language---in my case English.

[CapeThai]

Oh Dear... come to Thailand to discover and experience Thainess ?

If this story has all the facts and this is the case the Taxi Driver should be banned to ever operate any kind of public service and given 1000 hours of scrubbing toilets and bathrooms used by Chinesse Tourist.

[CapeThai]

Perhaps dumping the drivers own family on the express way would be punishment enough, if he has one.

That will only give him more time with his Mia Noi...

[hiller]

And just how true is this story considering the source - can you just imagine a farang guy with wife and child in tow accepting a polite request (probably in Thai) to vacate a taxi on a motorway - yeah right something that happens everyday in Thailand.

Does this picture answer your question??tollway.jpg

No it doesn't - how / why did the guy and family leave the cab --- an armed threat of violence or did they do it from the goodness of their heart.

Would be interesting to hear the story from the passengers of the in's and out's

I would think that the machete laying on the dash could have been a deciding factor.

[madmitch]

Not surprised at all sadly, The lunatics that wish to treat foreigners this way appears to be on the Increase!!

I want to add to it by warning foreigners using the mini vans from Victory Monument to Pattaya regardiung driver attitudes towards us. This past Wednesday March 18th myself and Thai partner used this service (van 19) just after 1pm en route to Koh Larn. The driver never offered assistance as to where to place my suitcase so I just bundled it into the van near to where I was sat at the very rear. Let's say 1 hr into the trip he pulls over the van on the busy highway, starts looking in the mirror and talkinbg in Thai, others around me, all Thai seem bemused and wondering what's going on? He then turns around from his driving position and looking back in my direction continues to say something. Finally I assume he is directing his issues at me and ask 'what' in Thai whilst shrugging my shoulders as if to say what is your problem? Then my Thai partner says he wants us to be quiet and no talking???? What??? Again, the other Thais In the van whisper disbelief, my partner says we just stop, he's crazy we say nothing. We were talking privately, very quietly as to not disturb others or let prying Thai ears in on whatever we wished to speak about and this lunatic wants to show some type of power at the wheel and threaten to throw us out?? She had never witnessed anything like this so just be warned to shut your mouth when using these maniacs! My anger was bubbling when I realised what he was trying to do, attempted to eyeball him via his mirror immediately after and continued to do so but he never once looked back again, nobody in the van dared talk the rest of the trip and we ended up being the last 2 on the van before being dropped off at the pier so you can only guess what a change in attitude pervailed when he had no back up around him? Exactly, looked like a rabbit in the headlights he did, we politely got out and I just said goodbye Mr Happy and Increase your dossage tonight :-)

Last time I used a Victory Monument minibus I would have loved to have been dropped off on the Motorway. Absolute maniac of a driver!

[Fairynuff]

My guess is there was some argument regarding that he turn off the meter so as not to inflate the fare due to his error of missing the freeway exit. Him no like. "You no like, you get out!" And they did.

But I wonder how they moved on from there. And who took that picture.

Well done...if you don't know the facts .... make them up. If you read the story you'd see that the THAI person who posted the picture on his Facebook probably took the picture...or am I making that up?

[CapeThai]

Does not make sense , if he missed the turn off to Rama 1X he could have taken the next exit as there is no uturn not that much extra time , Maybe the Farang passenger talk bad ,but still no excuse for dumping them with a small child. Out of 100 taxis here I have had around 10 bad ones , asking for tips ,not using meter from Airport ,danger driving, ect. The other 90% have been ok. It seems that there is a culture of bad taxis services from the airport in the last few months.

Yeah make sense they will target the tired Farang who just got off a plane and just want to get to a hot shower and his hotel

[sir charles IV]

Who knows. Suffice to say it is unusual and maybe there's more to it. Example, guy pulling out the guitar and the whole family singing along "one night in bkk". He got pissed off

[smotherb]

story does not make much sense with the taxi making no money on the trip. missing the turnoff just increases the fare.

unless they paid anyway or beforehand for some strange reason.

What if the story was reported, "Backpacker farangs try to avoid taxi fare and walk the tollway!"

[Bangkok Barry]

And just how true is this story considering the source - can you just imagine a farang guy with wife and child in tow accepting a polite request (probably in Thai) to vacate a taxi on a motorway - yeah right something that happens everyday in Thailand.

I do wonder why they would meekly get out of a vehicle on an elevated expressway with little or no hope of hailing another taxi as they don't go empty on an expressway looking for fares, simply because the driver told them to. Especially putting not only themselves but their kid in danger/ Doesn't make any sense at all to me.

[EnzoRippo]

I'm NOT a Thailand lover who considers this country as a paradise and its inhabitants as a superior race.

I took taxis millions of times since 25 years in Bangkok.

I had never any argument with any taxi driver. The worst case is when one pretends to do not have change (well, I went to a 7-Eleven).

Once, it happened a driver missed an expressway exit => he took the next U turn => he apologized then asked me the amount corresponding to the distance of the exit he missed.

Stop Taxi Driver Bashing please because this is the direct way to the Farang Bashing.

Well, by the way, about this incident, no report in serious press when it's so easy to find the driver AND the tourists, even if they are back already to Europe.

[Bangkok Barry]

My guess is there was some argument regarding that he turn off the meter so as not to inflate the fare due to his error of missing the freeway exit. Him no like. "You no like, you get out!" And they did.

But I wonder how they moved on from there. And who took that picture.

Who took the picture? Read the story.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

It's an easy story to believe if you have every been in a taxi that got an emergency call or it was shift change you know they will pull over and tell you "No Go" and you have no other choice than to get out. I know there are a lot of loud mouth arrogant Tvf members that will tell you they fought with the taxi and won. But with many many stories of people, foreigners or not getting injured or murdered by I'll tempered Thai taxis there is no way I would attempt to argue with a taxi driver with the safety of my wife and child on the line. Take the taxi number and get out. Better a safe tourist than a dead one.

[Fullstop]

I love how the local lynch squad has crucified the taxi driver based on a single photo.

It could represent any of the following...

1.The male farang noticed they were going the wrong way...got upset and demanded to be let out.

2. The farangs noticed the fare was getting a bit higher than their low class hippie budget allowed for and asked to be let out.,

3. They declared to the driver they had no money ... the driver kicked them out. (Fair enough)

Or ... the current opinion...

4. The driver was an insane nutter...lost face missing the turn off, didn't care about lost money....kicked farangs out.

I'm putting my money on number 2.

[JOC]

Another nail in Thailands tourist-coffin.........................

[KuhnPaen]

Normally I would advocate anything that gives hippies a hard time, but the toddler thrown in is just cruel

[Rod Wallop]

Reading all these stories about incidents with taxi drivers, mini van drivers etc. makes me wonder about the quality of tourists coming to Thailand. I've been here for 20 years and have taken thousands of taxi trips and the worst thing that has happened to me has been the occasional attempt to overcharge.

[gemguy]

The truth of the matter is....on any given day you may come in contact with that 10 % of the cab drivers that simply should not be cab drivers.

It would help if they had to include attitude training before they are issued a Thai taxi cab drivers license or how ever they classify a Thai national that operates a legally registered and licensed Thai Taxi Cab.

9 times out of 10, when I get into the cab, I can immediately judge the guy as being friendly and cheerful and a no problem sort of person verses a miserable shit that comes with attitude.

I use the cabs nearly everyday, several times per day sometimes, while 80 percent of the time there is no problem at all while you immediately sense that the driver is a cheerful operator and he will take you wherever you want to go without hesitation.

10 percent of them will take you where you want to go but you can sense that they are not pleased having to go in the ( direction ) that you have instructed them as another client going in a different direction to a different area would be more appealing to them.

Then there is that 10 percent that refuse to go regardless if you are in the cab already or you are at the door or window explaining where you want to go.

Therein lies the issue:

It is his cab or he is leasing it and he feels he should be the one to decide if he wants to provide the service and decide at his discretion.

If you were a Taxi Cab driver yourself and the client asks you to go where you would rather not go, because of any number of reason ( heavy, time consuming traffic being the main reason ) then why should you be obligated or forced, in that sense, to take on any and all passengers and or go wherever they request you to go.

There are plenty of cabs around so the potential customer can hail another cab if one cab does not want to go.

That would be their thinking and often enough is.....but of course that is not suitable for the potential customers in need of Taxi cab transportation

On the other hand many feel that a Taxi is a public service so the taxi cab drivers should be obligated ( by law possibly ) or certainly by way of an agreed upon and understood service standard that says all Taxi cab drivers are obligated to cater to the desires and demands of the public using their Taxi cab services.

They are aware of that ...but still many of them or often enough ignore the unwritten rule as it is a self employed business venture to them....not a wage paying or salary based job and or a government provided public service...such as a bus service or other forms of public service.

That being the case ......Everyone will just have to live with the fact that some on them, on any given day, are acting like small minded miserable little shits and you may be subjected to one of them if you so happen be the person(s) that hails down a cab and learn the driver is amongst that miserable 10 percent.

Cheers

[Soutpeel]

Reading all these stories about incidents with taxi drivers, mini van drivers etc. makes me wonder about the quality of tourists coming to Thailand. I've been here for 20 years and have taken thousands of taxi trips and the worst thing that has happened to me has been the occasional attempt to overcharge.

Well your a baby in the taking taxi's in BKK stakes then....EnzoRippo has been here 25 years and took millions, so you have some catching up to do

"EnzoRippo

I took taxis millions of times since 25 years in Bangkok"

[samuibeachcomber]

Not surprised at all sadly, The lunatics that wish to treat foreigners this way appears to be on the Increase!!

I want to add to it by warning foreigners using the mini vans from Victory Monument to Pattaya regardiung driver attitudes towards us. This past Wednesday March 18th myself and Thai partner used this service (van 19) just after 1pm en route to Koh Larn. The driver never offered assistance as to where to place my suitcase so I just bundled it into the van near to where I was sat at the very rear. Let's say 1 hr into the trip he pulls over the van on the busy highway, starts looking in the mirror and talkinbg in Thai, others around me, all Thai seem bemused and wondering what's going on? He then turns around from his driving position and looking back in my direction continues to say something. Finally I assume he is directing his issues at me and ask 'what' in Thai whilst shrugging my shoulders as if to say what is your problem? Then my Thai partner says he wants us to be quiet and no talking???? What??? Again, the other Thais In the van whisper disbelief, my partner says we just stop, he's crazy we say nothing. We were talking privately, very quietly as to not disturb others or let prying Thai ears in on whatever we wished to speak about and this lunatic wants to show some type of power at the wheel and threaten to throw us out?? She had never witnessed anything like this so just be warned to shut your mouth when using these maniacs! My anger was bubbling when I realised what he was trying to do, attempted to eyeball him via his mirror immediately after and continued to do so but he never once looked back again, nobody in the van dared talk the rest of the trip and we ended up being the last 2 on the van before being dropped off at the pier so you can only guess what a change in attitude pervailed when he had no back up around him? Exactly, looked like a rabbit in the headlights he did, we politely got out and I just said goodbye Mr Happy and Increase your dossage tonight :-)

Last time I used a Victory Monument minibus I would have loved to have been dropped off on the Motorway. Absolute maniac of a driver!

have to agree minibus drivers are crazy....the worst are the ones who do the visa runs.

[samuibeachcomber]

Normally I would advocate anything that gives hippies a hard time, but the toddler thrown in is just cruel

are you some old codger?...were you not once a hippie,or at least a young backpacker in your youth.If you were n't then i can tell you,you missed out on a good time.

[Bangkok Barry]

Who took the photo?

Actually bother to read the story and all will be answered.

[laocowboy2]

Anyone surprised ?

Thainess at its best. Driver " They said they wanted to meet people and have new experiences - this way they will meet lots of motorists and experience a Thai accident and emergency unit"

[uktony]

Who took the Photo?

I doubt the taxi driver did, so who else was there?

[laocowboy2]

It's an easy story to believe if you have every been in a taxi that got an emergency call or it was shift change you know they will pull over and tell you "No Go" and you have no other choice than to get out. I know there are a lot of loud mouth arrogant Tvf members that will tell you they fought with the taxi and won. But with many many stories of people, foreigners or not getting injured or murdered by I'll tempered Thai taxis there is no way I would attempt to argue with a taxi driver with the safety of my wife and child on the line. Take the taxi number and get out. Better a safe tourist than a dead one.

Agree -friend argued with taxi driver two years ago. Stabbed in leg and a week in hospital.