Foreign Tourists Allegedly Dumped on Tollway by Thai Taxi

[Prbkk]

Coming and going I now use a car service. Yes, it's 3 or 4 times the cost but the cars are clean, insured, no blaring radio with country music or talkback, no garlic breath, no maniacal driving, seatbelts, on time and usually early. To me it's worth the extra money to come and go feeling relaxed and safe.

[Johnniey]

I say the OP is a troll. After over 10 years on this forum and 29 years in the kingdom, I hate to see the hate some people have for Thais or indeed taxi drivers.

This topic is deliberate to get the Thai haters out.

[gandalf12]

Thai taxi drivers are made up of two kinds. The ones who are friendly and helpful which covers most of the ones I have had over the years, and the ones who feel they dont want to provide a service unless it suits them.

The want a rate increase but many do not provide a decent service. The last taxi I took, I usually drive myself, was a very nice guy who trusted me to disappear to get change as he didnt have enough for a Baht 1,000 note. He got a good tip for being the way he obviously is; a good person.

It should be that if a taxi has the for hire sign on he takes you anywhere within the city limits. Outside of that is by mutual agreement.

The taxi's that want to pick and chose should be banned from being a taxi driver for a long time until they realise it is the customer who gives them a living. We can do with these drivers. Yes increase the basic fare by all means but provide the service that people expect in return.

Edited March 21, 2015 by gandalf12

[Bluespunk]

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.

Wow. Way to defend the indefensible.

I agree with EnzoRippo with a similar amount of experience. I've only had 2 incidents with drivers. Once when I was drunk and thought he went the wrong way and pretended to have a gun in the back and threatened to shoot him. When he stopped he punched me in the face which I reciprocated. Then he came out with a crowbar but my Bruce Leee stance scared him off. Another time was when going to Samu Sakhon he asked for 150 baht extra as we were going out of Bangkok. I Said stop, I'm getting out and paid the fare and took a new taxi. He shouted obscenities at me.

These days they are all very friendly as I speak Thai and some Isarn. Last week the driver from the airport had such a laugh he turned a 240 fare into 200 and said it was a pleasure meeting me. The one to the airport talked about how times have changed in the last 25 years and we agreed it was much more fun without the meters. These are hard-working decent men bar a few of course.

Still does not justify what this piece of crap did.

{Assuming the story is true, that is}

[ekkamai]

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.

Ther is no pay toll between Suvarnabhumi and Rama 9, so that could not be the problem.

[kingalfred]

Until Thailand has a proper regulated taxi authority that does its job seriously (when hell freezes over) these acts,along with hundreds of other similar stunts carried out by the mad men in pink,yellow, blue,orange and green vehicles will continue!

Edited March 21, 2015 by kingalfred

[Neeranam]

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.

Wow. Way to defend the indefensible.

I agree with EnzoRippo with a similar amount of experience. I've only had 2 incidents with drivers. Once when I was drunk and thought he went the wrong way and pretended to have a gun in the back and threatened to shoot him. When he stopped he punched me in the face which I reciprocated. Then he came out with a crowbar but my Bruce Leee stance scared him off. Another time was when going to Samu Sakhon he asked for 150 baht extra as we were going out of Bangkok. I Said stop, I'm getting out and paid the fare and took a new taxi. He shouted obscenities at me.

These days they are all very friendly as I speak Thai and some Isarn. Last week the driver from the airport had such a laugh he turned a 240 fare into 200 and said it was a pleasure meeting me. The one to the airport talked about how times have changed in the last 25 years and we agreed it was much more fun without the meters. These are hard-working decent men bar a few of course.

Still does not justify what this piece of crap did.

{Assuming the story is true, that is}

Throwing around insults like that based on assumptions is wrong. Look for the facts. ven then passing judgement is not what the wise ones do.

[Neeranam]

I say the OP is a troll. After over 10 years on this forum and 29 years in the kingdom, I hate to see the hate some people have for Thais or indeed taxi drivers.

This topic is deliberate to get the Thai haters out.

Tat's one of the funniest posts I've seen Johnny. I wish you posted more.

[Boatfreak]

Why are taxis the only cars without GPS ? Not even a smart phone with Google maps.

[invex]

Well..... no one will be punished I guess.

Years ago, I took a cab at Silom Serene hotel to the Don Muang airport.

The hotel security wrote a ticket and noted the license plate of the cab. All agreed on the fare which I paid. After he drove off, he started to ask for more money, I refused. On the highway he asked again a few times and more commanding, I refused.

He stopped the car on the highway, put my luggage on the road and ordered me to get out. I was on the highway for at least half an hour before I could get another cab. I missed my flight.

Back home I complained with the Silom Serene hotel, police and taxi organization. To my many emails, the only thing I got back was, that apparently the license plate was not registered.

For the Thai, case closed. For me, still very angry and upset after all those years.

[alex8912]

I highly recommend to anyone coming to Bangkok more than once to learn Thai taxi. It's fun, it's easy. Learn how to count in Thai. Learn about 6-8 main roads in BKK. LEARN STRAIT AHEAD, left turn, right turn, stop here, 4 way intersection, 3 way intersection , go to the correct side of a street to start your ride, don't use TEN WORD sentences to say where you want to go in English, and only open the back door of a HAILED taxi when telling them in simple Thai where you want to go. Please don't forget to say khrap or ka after your little sentence. I succeed 99.5 % of the time and find taxi's in BKK are great.

[Sawan Chan 7]

I say the OP is a troll. After over 10 years on this forum and 29 years in the kingdom, I hate to see the hate some people have for Thais or indeed taxi drivers.

This topic is deliberate to get the Thai haters out.

Tat's one of the funniest posts I've seen Johnny. I wish you posted more.

I tend to agree that topics like this maybe more appropriate to the Pub or another sub-forum. Hardly serious, factual news, then again Khao Sot is not known for that. I'd rather they used sources like Thai Rat instead..

[samuibeachcomber]

That's disgusting. Obviously they just arrived in Thailand and 30 minutes out of the airport they get treated like that. This rotten mango taxi driver stinks up the whole orchard; great PR for TAT! I hope they got his taxi number and reported him at least. I feel so sorry for those people. Me personally? I wouldn't have got out.

Don't jump to conclusions.

What are the taxi driver like where you are from? How do they deal with tourists who can't speak to them? Oh wait a minute, you'll be saying next that all Thai taxi rier should speak English

It appears from a previous post the driver got another cab to stop and take them,other than the occupants becoming abusive,obnoxious or very argumentative there is no reason to do this.As i said before,once accepting the fare and destination the driver has an obligation to take them to there destination.

[northernphil]

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.

Just what I was going to say. Allegedly Dumped. This could be a picture taken for the family album back home in Ferlung Land of a fourth person taking a photo of the 2 adults about to get in a taxi after getting lost on the highway. Likely not but once again a blown up story with little info. Just saying.

[MadDog2020]

I would have dragged the little c##t out of his taxi,shoved him in the boot and drove to the nearest canal,no way would i accept being left on a busy tollway with a woman and kid!!!!

only in your dreams as keyboard hard man you would

BKK taxi drivers carry guns, meat cleavers and even Samurai swords sometimes

Obviously you dont then have a family to be concerned about,but i know i would do anything to protect mine!!!

Yes and the best way to protect your family would be to get into a physical confrontation with a deranged and potentially armed taxi driver.... rather than try to reason with him or just accept your fate and leave the taxi.

Smutcakes.... "accept your fate". You sound like your typical Thai.

[Friendly Stranger]

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

No we do not know the whole story but just think of it this way. A couple on a trip in a foreign land with their child and for whatever reason the driver tells them to get out. The foreigners are at an obvious disadvantage and don't know what to do, so they comply. I don't want to paint taxi drivers with the same brush, but Ive come across some real nutters that I would not put this scenario past them. Edited March 21, 2015 by Friendly Stranger

[thhMan]

I wonder if Thailand will be a destination for them on their next vacation?

With all the crackdowns, the taxi group whining about money and everything else, you would think they might police their own rogue members to improve the image of the Taxi service

But to do that comes education and some morality, something that isnt taught at school or at temples....

[dutchweller]

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

SO A tourist is picked up from Airport Should have been given the slip from the Airport Taxi Rank.. if not they are using the Illegal pick up point and you get what you get..

If they have the Slip they can complain to the Tourist police and with this "Evidence" (photo) and the interest the article has generated on the web you can be sure it will be investigated and a big show of how it is rectified will be made by the Thai Authority.

I'm not defending what has supposedly happened here but...

• Who took the photo? (The taxi Driver took a photo to show his mates on the web)
• Why was the Taxi Stopped and the people got out? Have heard incidences of people demanding the Taxi stop after the customer being Frightened by the driving skills especially on toll ways and it is a scenario I could believe from a European Couple with a child and probably no seat belts in the cab also.

[jpeg]

All this carping about Bangkok taxis, I'm same as a previous poster if one won't take me the next one will. I'm grateful as h3ll to get a bloody taxi, and at an affordable price, try living on bloody Phuket! Do shut up. Christ

[Johnny S]

If the tourists had not come to Amazing Thailand it would never have happen so its the tourists fault .... .... ....

[Dibbler]

More likely they suddenly realised that the meter was not turned on and refused to pay the flat fare of 500 or 600THB to be delivered to their intended destination and they were turfed out on the spot, which happened to be on the motorway. Yes some taxi drivers are b@#$%^&s especially if the passengers do not speak Thai. I have found Howa taxi (the green ones with white upholstery covers) to be most reliable company. Many are simply rogues looking for easy prey which they find in abundance at Suwannaphum Airport.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Dibbler

[chrisinth]

I have yet to see a picture of the family alone, ie, abandoned on the tollway.

Not saying that it didn't happen, but it would take a special type of maniac to dump a family there. Or an extreme incident from the passengers. I can't help feeling that the taxi has broken down and they were waiting for a new taxi to continue their journey.

I may be a bit bias by not considering facebook as a trusted source of information, no matter what media runs with the story.

It is as good a guesstimation of what happened as any so far considering the facts that have been presented from one side.....................

[OPG]

My question is, why was Surachai following them since the airport and new exactly where they were going? Makes you think huh...?

[Johnny S]

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........................

I guess he is Danish - what a moron to blame the passengers when everybody (almost) know how these BKK-taxis are behaving ...

[alex8912]

All this carping about Bangkok taxis, I'm same as a previous poster if one won't take me the next one will. I'm grateful as h3ll to get a bloody taxi, and at an affordable price, try living on bloody Phuket! Do shut up. Christ

Totally agree! Just got to Phuket yesterday. I remember the last time was 550baht flat fee to Patong I thought it was high. Yesterday I see metered taxis!! Great. The woman who gave me the slip said the fare is the meter plus 100 baht. I said okay. Meter starts at 50 and goes up by 2 baht what seems like every 50 meters! Get to my hotel its 650 plus 100 so 750! My fare from petchburi to Don Muang was 179.

[Baerboxer]

So can't refuse a fare so take them down the road and dump them. I bet he got his money for a service he didn't provide.

If they took the taxi at the airport they would have the slip with all the details on.

They should complain and this clown should be punished severely and stopped from being a taxi driver.

[Trouble]

Just to let everyone know that Taxi drivers are not all bad. I had an experience a couple of years ago going from the Silom area to Central Wattana area. Got in the taxi and the young driver who spoke no English got on the expressway and immediately stops to put water in the radiator, we proceed up the expressway and again have to stop, this time in the fast lane, to put more water in the radiator. Thought this is an accident waiting to happen. The tow service stops but the driver gets the taxi going again only to pull off once again up the road to fill the radiator. Finally he pulls off the express way and before I even know what is happening he has flagged down another taxi to give me a lift to my destination. He did not even want payment but I felt so sorry for him I gave him the fare the meter showed plus a tip and was on my way. Goes to show they are not all as bad as what we often read about.

[JAG]

I cant believe some posters in this thread would actually choose violence towards the driver as an acceptable means. Sad really

For some on the Internet violence is the solution to just about everything.

Behind the keyboard is the ideal place to be a lean mean steely eyed dealer of death!

[elgordo38]

Time to drop the hammer! Suspension of license is not good enough. A taxi driver with such a personality is not fit to provide a public service. Cancel his taxi license.

Transfer him to a smaller city with no expressways less traffic.

[jpeg]

All this carping about Bangkok taxis, I'm same as a previous poster if one won't take me the next one will. I'm grateful as h3ll to get a bloody taxi, and at an affordable price, try living on bloody Phuket! Do shut up. Christ

Totally agree! Just got to Phuket yesterday. I remember the last time was 550baht flat fee to Patong I thought it was high. Yesterday I see metered taxis!! Great. The woman who gave me the slip said the fare is the meter plus 100 baht. I said okay. Meter starts at 50 and goes up by 2 baht what seems like every 50 meters! Get to my hotel its 650 plus 100 so 750! My fare from petchburi to Don Muang was 179.

Trip to BKK last week - airfare 3,500 baht return. Taxis to from Rawai - 1,800 baht. They're ALL a thousand outward trip as they know you must catch your flight, but the 800 baht back because you can take your sweet time. Bloody island. What happened to the promised 'call centre' then? Very possibly they looked at what happened to the last one around ten years ago. 'Meter' taxis would take you the 'pretty route' and charge on top anyway. Who was to stop them? Who is to stop them now?

I make no apologies for going off topic on this 6 page and counting littany of complaint by those who don't know they're born. As you were