Harsher penalties for belligerent Thai taxi drivers who are not fair with the fare

[webfact]

Harsher penalties for belligerent taxi drivers who are not fair with the fare
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- TAXI DRIVERS who tamper with or refuse to use their meters and those who damage the country's reputation by abandoning their passengers will face heavier penalties, the Department of Land Transport said yesterday.

Theerapong Rodprasert, director-general of the department, said serious meter violations or failure to ensure the safety of passengers would result in suspension or withdrawal of the driver's license, even for the first offence.

As for minor violations, Theerapong said the department would apply penalties in three stages: the first offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine and drivers would be required to attend an attitude adjustment course; the second offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine, plus a one-month suspension of the driver's licence; and the third offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine, plus a one-year suspension.

Drivers who commit three offences within 30 days would have their license revoked immediately, he added.

Under the harsher measures, the agency has so far suspended 120 taxi licences, and two drivers have had their licenses revoked.

On Wednesday, the department punished three taxi drivers. Two were punished for charging Japanese passengers more than their meter-based fares and the other for abandoning his passengers in a highway.

The three drivers, all of whom picked up their passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, were slapped with fines and 30-day suspension of their driver's licences.

Meanwhile, 34 taxi drivers who irrationally turned down passengers were arrested and fined by tourist police on patrol at Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 3 to Sukhumvit Soi 5 on Wednesday night. Taxi drivers who refuse to transport prospective passengers without appropriate reasons are considered to have violated the Land Traffic Act 1979.

Police Colonel Atchayon Kraithong, deputy commander of the Tourist Police, said the operation was in line with the government's tourism promotion policy, which declared 2015 as the year of Discover Thainess and the Asean Economic Community.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Harsher-penalties-for-belligerent-taxi-drivers-who-30258633.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-24

[Dannyboy666]

1,000 baht is not a Deterrent, Suspension, Yes

[Somtamnication]

I agree, but at least SOMETHING is being done.

[zaphod reborn]

Not attitude adjustment!!! Bring out the comfy chair.

[Chao Lao Beach]

There are lots of tampered meteres out there, wouldn't this be a easy thing to check if the Gov could be bothered?

[Jonathyan]

Not sure much has changed.Wanted taxi from Kho San to Thonburi train station.One taxi didn't know where the station was one wanted 200 baht ended up negotiating 100 baht with another driver as we had to catch a train

[samuibruno]

theres a whole island waiting for the rules to be enforced

[RobertHima]

Two were punished for charging Japanese passengers more than their meter-based fares and the other for abandoning his passengers in a highway.

Last time it was the passengers fault, being on the highway, it was unimaginable that a taxi driver could do such thing.

[samjaidee]

The first paragraph says it all. Reputation, reputation, reputation. It's all you ever hear.

Not once have I seen a press report from the UK that worries about the country's reputation in the eyes of foreign tourists.

Reputation in other matters, yes, but tourism, never.

When will Thais (sorry about the generalisation) do things simply because it's the right thing to do rather than to bolster the country's reputation.

[redandyellow]

Google "Troy Pilkington": Never mind, I'll do it for your good self..

A Thai taxi driver has been charged with murder after allegedly hacking an American passenger to death who 'refused to pay a fare worth less than $2'.

CCTV caught part of the fatal row in Bangkok, and shows a man — later identified as 32-year-old cab driver Chidchai Utmacha — brandishing a long blade, authorities said.

Utmacha allegedly confessed to grabbing a 12-inch machete from his trunk and slashing Troy Lee Pilkington with it.

Scroll down for video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358114/Pictured-The-American-tourist-Troy-Lee-Pilkington-hacked-death-Thai-taxi-driver-2-fare.h

The Moral of the Story is: Don't be an aggressive, bring-it-on tough-guy Cheap Charlie farang in the LOS

[gigman]

Waking up times...

At least something happened .It is NOT easyfor people "traditions" to adjust in any country but it is time for changes even small.

[EyesWideOpen]

Google "Troy Pilkington": Never mind, I'll do it for your good self..

A Thai taxi driver has been charged with murder after allegedly hacking an American passenger to death who 'refused to pay a fare worth less than $2'.

CCTV caught part of the fatal row in Bangkok, and shows a man — later identified as 32-year-old cab driver Chidchai Utmacha — brandishing a long blade, authorities said.

Utmacha allegedly confessed to grabbing a 12-inch machete from his trunk and slashing Troy Lee Pilkington with it.

Scroll down for video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358114/Pictured-The-American-tourist-Troy-Lee-Pilkington-hacked-death-Thai-taxi-driver-2-fare.h

The Moral of the Story is: Don't be an aggressive, bring-it-on tough-guy Cheap Charlie farang in the LOS

Hmmm. So whatever the issue was regarding the fare, it was the Thai guy who

chose to take a knife out from the trunk and attack an unarmed passenger over

a $ 1.60 fare. And for any farangs that get caught in a similar situation, if some

one is coming at you with a long sword, your only chance is to come straight at

him, get inside his guard and try to disarm him. If you try to run away, you will

be hacked to death from behind as happened to this guy.

Or take the more passive approach that is often suggested here on TV. Which is

basically fall to your knees, give a big wai, beg forgiveness, and give the taxi

driver whatever amount of money they ask for......

[MadDog2020]

Google "Troy Pilkington": Never mind, I'll do it for your good self..

A Thai taxi driver has been charged with murder after allegedly hacking an American passenger to death who 'refused to pay a fare worth less than $2'.

CCTV caught part of the fatal row in Bangkok, and shows a man — later identified as 32-year-old cab driver Chidchai Utmacha — brandishing a long blade, authorities said.

Utmacha allegedly confessed to grabbing a 12-inch machete from his trunk and slashing Troy Lee Pilkington with it.

Scroll down for video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358114/Pictured-The-American-tourist-Troy-Lee-Pilkington-hacked-death-Thai-taxi-driver-2-fare.h

The Moral of the Story is: Don't be an aggressive, bring-it-on tough-guy Cheap Charlie farang in the LOS

I get the fact that "dead is dead". But why are you blaming the victim?

This is a behavioral problem of the taxi driver(s) not the international clientele. Why must every person that comes to the LOS simply accept that they will be lied to, cheated and possiblty murdered if they dont accept the extortion from these taxi drivers that choose to violate the laws if Thailand.

[IamNoone88]

And what about Phuket Airport day light robbery fares and the tuk tuks in Patong?

They will more than to "attend an attitude adjustment course"

[MrMuddle]

There's always two sides to every story. We were in Bangkok, earlier this week, and while they were several taxi drivers who did not want to use the meter, the ones who did use it, were very friendly and efficient. Perhaps it would help customers to report the bad taxi drivers, if the drivers were made to put their licences on the passenger window, so that their numbers could be easily noted down, for folks who want to do that.

[Gforbes]

When are these punishments going to be imposed in Samui? It is impossible to take a taxi and use their meter. The standard charge for a short journey is Baht400, more for longer trips.

[geriatrickid]

theres a whole island waiting for the rules to be enforced

Phuket is beyond repair.

[godden]

if they played ball they might do very well from garnished tips

[rodknock]

what's a drivers license??

[sapson]

BANGKOK: -- TAXI DRIVERS who tamper with or refuse to use their meters and those who damage the country's reputation by abandoning their passengers will face heavier penalties, the Department of Land Transport said yesterday.

Great they are concerned about damage to the countries reputation.

However the favourite scam.

http://www.tatnews.org/tat-collaborates-with-the-department-of-tourism-to-eradicate-jet-ski-scams/ Aug 2014

Blatant extortion of tourists with threads of violence, allowed to operate with the full knowledge of local and higher authorities.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jet-Ski-Scams-in-Thailand/156358667787526?fref=nf

Continues today!

Why? if their is genuine concern about the image of Thailand....................

Edited April 24, 2015 by sapson

[Benmart]

1,000 baht is not a Deterrent, Suspension, Yes

Since I am not in charge, I leave it to those that are, to decide.

[ToddinChonburi]

Google "Troy Pilkington": Never mind, I'll do it for your good self..

A Thai taxi driver has been charged with murder after allegedly hacking an American passenger to death who 'refused to pay a fare worth less than $2'.

CCTV caught part of the fatal row in Bangkok, and shows a man — later identified as 32-year-old cab driver Chidchai Utmacha — brandishing a long blade, authorities said.

Utmacha allegedly confessed to grabbing a 12-inch machete from his trunk and slashing Troy Lee Pilkington with it.

Scroll down for video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358114/Pictured-The-American-tourist-Troy-Lee-Pilkington-hacked-death-Thai-taxi-driver-2-fare.h

The Moral of the Story is: Don't be an aggressive, bring-it-on tough-guy Cheap Charlie farang in the LOS

I love how they gave him the weapon to rein-act the crime. WHAT THE HELL !!!!

[mike324]

1,000 baht is not a Deterrent, Suspension, Yes

1,000 baht is more than their daily wage for some drivers. So it is a deterrent for the first or second offense. As long as police and people keep on reporting with proof on these taxi drivers, they will start to clean up their act or just change jobs if they can't make a decent living.

[No Apologist]

It's strange to me, because in 5 years of taxis, I've had only 1 or 2 bad experiences. That's BKK though, for me. Maybe it's different in Pattaya or elsewhere?

Edited April 24, 2015 by No Apologist

[steven100]

' Discover Thainess and the Asean Economic Community. '

does this include Phuket jet ski scams, Jomtien jet ski scams, lottery ticket charging scams, monks keeping animals and starving them, tuk tuk mafia, Taxi mafia and many more thainess things ..... ??

[robblok]

It's strange to me, because in 5 years of taxis, I've had only 1 or 2 bad experiences. That's BKK though, for me. Maybe it's different in Pattaya or elsewhere?

I guess your extremely lucky or don't frequent tourist spots in BKK. In my part of BKK not much problems but the moment i get closer to the center trouble starts.

[kkerry]

It's strange to me, because in 5 years of taxis, I've had only 1 or 2 bad experiences. That's BKK though, for me. Maybe it's different in Pattaya or elsewhere?

I've also mostly had good drivers over the years but there can be problems at major shopping complexes such as MBK and Panthip, I've experienced that myself, even Thais have problems there.

Same with taxis waiting outside some downtown hotels who want ridiculous amounts late at night off meter. Hail a moving cab and you are less likely to have a problem is the usual advice.

[torpedo1970]

Two were punished for charging Japanese passengers more than their meter-based fares and the other for abandoning his passengers in a highway.

Last time it was the passengers fault, being on the highway, it was unimaginable that a taxi driver could do such thing.

No Thai would do such a terrible thing.....

Driver must be from Myanmar.....

[sapson]

And what about Phuket Airport day light robbery fares and the tuk tuks in Patong?

They will more than to "attend an attitude adjustment course"

It would be a fantastic step if the Junta really did follow through on their anti corruption policies and went head to head with the Phuket taxi and tuk tuk mafia and forced the correct prices and procedures.

So much ouput now about their fears of the image of Thailand and the treatment of tourists....................yet in Phuket the prices of transportation are fixed at a level way above Bangkok, yet you would think Phuket and its surrounds being their tourist hub and flagship, should be closely monitored for blatant scams.

I wonder how the staff in the upper levels of TAT actually keep their jobs but.......................we all know the deal!

Edited April 24, 2015 by sapson

[landslide]

If they were really serious about effecting change, they should pull the vehicle plates for one month on all taxis convicted of violating the rules. Perhaps then the Coops renting the taxis will crack down on the problem problem drivers.