Pattaya taxi scam

[Rimmer]

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[mgb]

What the etymology of the word songtaeow is, is not important. What's matter is that using the word songtaeow has worked for me many times in real life to distinguish from taxi when speaking with the thai drivers. It happens quite common actually that as I jump in a dark blue songtaeow, the driver asks me "hey where you go". I ask him then if this is a songtaeow, to which he then responds "no, no. Taxi".

Did you get asked where you go.

[TheDani]

What the etymology of the word songtaeow is, is not important. What's matter is that using the word songtaeow has worked for me many times in real life to distinguish from taxi when speaking with the thai drivers. It happens quite common actually that as I jump in a dark blue songtaeow, the driver asks me "hey where you go". I ask him then if this is a songtaeow, to which he then responds "no, no. Taxi".

Did you get asked where you go.

Yes, I replied Pattayaklang. I assume everyone who jumped off the bus at Pattayaklang were going to Pattayaklang.

[Asiantravel]

That bahtbus in the video is a light blue Sukumvit one but it does seem to have a number stencilled on the side, so it should be registered. The number plate isnt visible but those also indicate whether the bahtbus is real or not.

As it has a number you can report the incident and I would do so. I would also report the woman who seems to be acting as a wrangler. Report them to the tourist police also, and the city hall call centre. Only by reporting and publicising these scams will they ever stop.

I think that these scams are totally shameful for Thailand and I'm always amazed that so many Thais are happy to let their countrymen besmirch their country in this way. In a country that worries so much about saving face you would think they would have more pride. Of course it's all 100 times worse in Phuket than here, but even so.

and even on Koh Chang (where they are white coloured) they will still scam you whenever they get the opportunity to do so.

[tropo]

That bahtbus in the video is a light blue Sukumvit one but it does seem to have a number stencilled on the side, so it should be registered. The number plate isnt visible but those also indicate whether the bahtbus is real or not.

As it has a number you can report the incident and I would do so. I would also report the woman who seems to be acting as a wrangler. Report them to the tourist police also, and the city hall call centre. Only by reporting and publicising these scams will they ever stop.

I think that these scams are totally shameful for Thailand and I'm always amazed that so many Thais are happy to let their countrymen besmirch their country in this way. In a country that worries so much about saving face you would think they would have more pride. Of course it's all 100 times worse in Phuket than here, but even so.

and even on Koh Chang (where they are white coloured) they will still scam you whenever they get the opportunity to do so.

and it will happen anywhere in the world in the transportation industry where strictly enforced regulation isn't in place.

The new government has been hammering other scams all over the country - when will they tackle this problem? I suppose right after they finally sort out the jetskis.

[digbeth]

I would have thought that there would be some kind of 'self regulation' in that the Pattaya baht bus mafias probably wouldn't tolerate the white bus from out of town to encroach on their territory like that

[wpcoe]

PPS: Wow! I just noticed this bit: "a songtaeow (also known as baht bus or tuk tuk)"

For whatever reason, the Russians tend to call baht buses "tuk tuks."

[TheDani]

And not only Russians. Tuk tuk simply refers to the tuk tuk bell sound they make when driving towards potential passengers. Some thinks tuk tuk are only the three wheeled small taxis in Bangkok, which is not necessary accurate.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[BB1950]

PPS: Wow! I just noticed this bit: "a songtaeow (also known as baht bus or tuk tuk)"

For whatever reason, the Russians tend to call baht buses "tuk tuks."

I really don't know why either.

songthaew:

The songthaew takes its name from the two bench seats fixed along either side of the back of the truck; in some vehicles a third bench is put down the middle of the seating area. Additionally a roof is fitted over the rear of the vehicle, to which curtains and plastic sheeting to keep out rain may be attached. Some vehicles have roofs high enough to accommodate standing passengers within the vehicle. More typically, standing passengers occupy a platform attached to the rear.

Those in Thailand were known to English-speaking travelers as a baht bus, from the days when the usual fare was one baht.

ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songthaew

Images: https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=songthaew

tuk tuk:

The auto rickshaw is a common form of urban transport, both as a vehicle for hire and for private use, in many countries around the world, especially those with tropical or subtropical climates, including many developing countries.

There are many different auto rickshaw types, designs, and variations. The most common type is characterized by a sheet-metal body or open frame resting on three wheels, a canvas roof with drop-down side curtains, a small cabin at the front for the driver (sometimes known as an auto-wallah) with handlebar controls, and a cargo, passenger, or dual purpose space at the rear.

Thailand

The auto rickshaw, called tuk-tuk (Thai: ตุ๊กตุ๊ก, pronounced "took-took") or sam-lor (Thai: สามล้อ) meaning "three-wheeler" in Thailand, is a widely used form of urban transport in Bangkok and other Thai cities. The name is onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound of a small (often two-cycle) engine.

ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshaw#Thailand

Perhaps it's because of the 'Samlor Skylab' or 'Issan Tuktuk', which is commonly used in Isaan and Laos. I've also seen a few here in the Pattaya area too! Probably the Russians picked it up from their travels to Isaan or Laos. Similar to the way many foreigners ignorantly call songthaews - Taxis.

Edited September 27, 2015 by BB1950

[Seelow]

Were you on your own OP? motorbike would have been B40 and a lot quicker, but this is totally wrong, scam indeed.

Don't use the "metered" taxi's either B250/B300 minimum even for short journeys in Pattaya, City hall need to come down on these people

Thought that type of pricing was exclusive to Phuket?