Thai transportation officials doubt over farang family dumped by taxi

[louse1953]

Many other news sites have reported what really happened. It will disappoint taxi driver haters!

Well,what do you expect when you get a half arsed story that sounds like a complete fabrication.If it sounds far fetched it usually is,and the truth comes out further down the track.Click and bait eh.

[louse1953]

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Many other news sites have reported what really happened. It will disappoint taxi driver haters!

I don't care much about the different versions to the story unless the family speaks. However, if you are a "taxi driver lover" you must feel veeeery lonely in this country. Any chance that your wife or girlfriend owns or drives a Tuk Tuk -Taxi- Mini Van?

Not a taxi driver lover, but after catching over 3000 on the last five years I think they do a pretty good job compared to lots of other countries.

In a city that would be a postman's nightmare.

[louse1953]

I still guess they argued about the toll.

If taxidrivers could speak any english they (or the 50 baht taxi office at the airports) could inform them that the passengers have to pay for the tollway.

Tourists are so nervous about cheating taxidrivers that they might argue about it at the tollbooth. Or maybe they didn't have any thai baht yet and wanted to change money in the city where you get a much better rate.

Taxidrivers have to learn english though. They are the fist Thai that a tourists will meet.

Thian !

You might be right !

The driver asked them propably for the high way tax,

as they look more than pack packers withscary budget,

which think in Thai and low developed country all is free;

So propably the driver gave them a free ride til the tollway station,

as they didn't pay for the highway, he left them to walk " free of charge " !!

Propably they have requested , or thought, taxi will give them a ride to petchabury on local roads ?

Than they would have propably claimed the he not took the straight way !!

For tourist information - you have a 100 chances do it before on internet,

packpackers usual do this and in the pocket the lonely planet,

and you can get enough information on the airport itself;

No, they went with as someone mentioned with 30kg packbags, gitaare and baby to

central Bangkok to find out travell possabilities !

This is not at all taken care and responsability for a baby child,

what you expect more from packpackers ??

Live on your funds !!

Not being a devotee of breadboxs on wheels,can somebody tell me who pays the toll,when there could be 12 people unknown to each other on board.They all don't rummage around for 5 baht do they.Off the top of my head i would say it would be included in the fare,but i don't know.

[meltingpot2015]

"After landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the family is believed to have approached the Asoke 4 toll booths for help"

Aha...they walked there! Right!

Did the toll booths charge them for walking by?

Fair's fare..... Fare Do's....Fare Enough...somebody please stop me.

Edited March 23, 2015 by meltingpot2015

[LuckyLew]

I will believe them if they can tell me how they got from swampy to asoke toll booth

Until then I will believe they got dumped by another a hole taxi driver

[louse1953]

If Larry King or Jonathan Head were to interview the family in the photo live on tv, and the family said they willingly got out out of a van and not a taxi, you just know there would still be more posts from people who do not want to believe any story other than they were left on a highway by some evil Thai taxi driver...

Jeez mate,you could have picked better interviewers than that,i wouldn't believe a word those two said.

[peptidebomber]

I will believe them if they can tell me how they got from swampy to asoke toll booth

Until then I will believe they got dumped by another a hole taxi driver

Obviously haven't read any of the comment or updates. They weren't even coming from Swampy!

[mick01827]

All you posters love jumping on the Thai taxi bashing bandwagon.

They weren't even in a taxi, they voluntarily got out of a mini van, haha now you all look like fools!!

The majority of taxi drivers in Bangkok are only too willing to rip people off, they think it's their right because we're in their country. I asked my hotel to call a taxi to go to the airport only yesterday, as she didn't have a number she suggested I took one from outside, I was staying in soi nana, to which I told her that the taxis in soi 4 never used a meter so she went outside and flagged a taxi down telling the driver I wanted to go to suvarnabhumi and I wanted to go by meter, she came into the reception and said he would take me and use the meter. After getting in the taxi he started driving down the road so I asked him about the meter, no no he said.....500 baht, excuse me I replied, after a few words I told him to stop the taxi because he'd said he was going by the meter, ok he replied 400 baht, I have no customer I have no customer he said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, so I said DO YOU THINK IT'S MY FAULT THAT YOU HAVE NO CUSTOMER? THE REASON IS iS BECAUSE YOU RIP PEOPLE OFF YOU LIEING BEEP, WHY DONT YOU GET A JOB IN A FACTORY OR WAREHOUSE IF YOUR NOT HAPPY DRIVING TAXIS, he refused to stop the taxi so I reluctantly agreed to 400 baht. This is just another reason why people are not travelling to Thailand!

[smotherb]

I still guess they argued about the toll.

If taxidrivers could speak any english they (or the 50 baht taxi office at the airports) could inform them that the passengers have to pay for the tollway.

Tourists are so nervous about cheating taxidrivers that they might argue about it at the tollbooth. Or maybe they didn't have any thai baht yet and wanted to change money in the city where you get a much better rate.

Taxidrivers have to learn english though. They are the fist Thai that a tourists will meet.

Really? Where is it a meter taxi also pays the tolls--I have yet to be there.

[steffi]

There should be heavy fines for any driver dropping off passengers on any Tollway to discourage this being done.

[JOC]

Please, please read the thread before posting!!

The number of posters here flying blind is unbelievable.................

[SoiBiker]

Hilarious thread. So so many people that haven't bothered to read anything but think they know it all. Blind prejudice indeed.

[outboard]

Please, please read the thread before posting!!

The number of posters here flying blind is unbelievable.................

only unbelievable if this is your first visit to TVF

[RBOP]

Has anyone noticed the girl looks very similar to a photo spread on social media of tourists walking on the expressway during the Shutdown Bangkok campaign?

[mrblue]

come on... everyone of us, once in our life, asked a cab driver to leave us in the middle of the road.

where is the fun on getting safe at the right destination?!?

[JOC]

Has anyone noticed the girl looks very similar to a photo spread on social media of tourists walking on the expressway during the Shutdown Bangkok campaign?

Just what this thread needed!!

A political conspiracy..................

[Jools]

Thai people not do.

[connda]

Investigators dispatched by the Department of Land Transport spoke to toll booth attendants on the Si Rat Highway, who said the family did not seem distressed when they approached on March 16 to ask how to reach the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s head office on Petchburi Road.

And how did they end up there? It's not as if it's walking distance from the airport. Is it?

They had backpacks so obviously they are not 'quality tourists'. Spin it, sweep it under the rug. They weren't distressed, so case closed.

[RigPig]

Not the Óld chestnut a Thai wouldn't do anything like this. Get to the real world. Taxis are a hit and miss. affair. They are untrained, lack many basic skills in customer services and some are dam right crooks and thieves. I really despise those who at all costs defend something when there is obviously some fault here. More responsibility and accountability is required.

Ah responsibility, acountability..... no such (equivalent) words in Thai !!!

[Caesarillion]

Would someone please buy them some elephant turd coffee? Welcome to Thailand.

[Joakimbkk]

Not surprising at all with Thai authorities who can not solve a simple matter like being dropped on a highway - imagine the headache they face with cover ups for MURDERS in their pseudo-paradisiac islands down South - fk them

[jacko45k]

As usual there is an article in the BP that gives an explanation of what happened. No taxi involved. They decided to leave a van en-route to KSR after it made a rest stop on the tollway, then make their own way to Sukhumvit 71. End of story.

They are most certainly on an elevated road and if memory serves me right there are neither motorcycle nor pedestrian lanes up there.

As tourists they may not have been aware of that, and that they were putting themselves in danger.

Whether they asked to be dropped off, or they were booted out onto the tollway, they should not have been there.

[tonydandelot]

of all the beautifull countries in the worls they could pick.... had to pick thailand to go on holiday with a little child! First day they r there already gone wrong, let me guess, next step... pattayaaaa pattaya it's not far from phuket with my money pocket..pattayaa pattaya

[gemguy]

We will never know the truth of the matter until the tourists themselves are interviewed.

Geez...they must know by now they are celebrities....

Cheers

[chasntong]

who would get out of a taxi on the highway, you could hardly mistake it for a hotel

[bander]

Of course the taxi driver who throw them out on the express way didn't do anything wrong, he was possibly only pissed of the baby crying. Remember, Thais never do any wrong against foreign people. NOT