Bangkok taxi driver rejects, stabs complaining passenger

[webfact]

Taxi driver rejects, stabs complaining passenger
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Bee Anuchit

BANGKOK: -- A Bangkok man is seeking justice after he was allegedly stabbed by a taxi driver for complaining about getting rejected.

Facebook user Bee Anuchit posted photos of his severe wounds after he was allegedly attacked by a cabbie outside Wonder World Fun Park on Kanchanaphisek road on Sunday night.

Anuchit said he had attended a Cat Radio concert with two friends at the park before he tried to hail a taxi for their group. Anuchit got in the car and asked the taxi to drive up the road to pick up his friends waiting for him, but the taxi driver rejected his request.

"I got in the taxi and told him my destination. It all started when I said my friends were waiting about 5-10 meters ahead, but then the driver said he didn't want to go. So I said 'If you're going to turn on the available sign but not accept passengers, you shouldn't be a taxi driver'," Anuchit wrote.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/11/18/taxi-driver-rejects-stabs-complaining-passenger


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-11-19

[Howitzer]

Why do taxi drivers act like this? I mean i am sure there are cab drivers like this in other countries who are just weird.

[Bobobirdiebuddy]

I take 40 or so taxis a month. Almost always they are fine, often interesting or (and even better) simply quiet and competent. However, every so often you get some nut who scares the crap out of you. Lots of fine drivers but lots of idiots.

[selftaopath]

What is LOS turning into? Land of Stabs?

[doremifasol]

Lots of fine drivers but lots of idiots...............

and some beasts as well.....................

[RidgeRunner]

All of them carry a weapon and a percentage are on drugs, drunk, stupid, bitter, racist or are criminals posing as taxi drivers.

[robblok]

Should tell soibiker about this according to him its only foreigners that complain. Seems Thais also think that its a taxi drivers job to bring them to their destination if they have a in service sign on. Its even a law that they have too.

According to him its not so bad with taxi drivers.

While i agree in general there is a large group of taxi drivers that is bad certainly not a majority

[Bluespunk]

Wonder if the guy's friends were in a taxi queue after the concert finished and this guy tried to get a taxi before it got to queue and help himself and them queue jump?

If so, I'm not saying he deserved to be stabbed, but I have less sympathy.

Hate queue jumpers.

Pure speculation of course

Edited November 19, 2015 by Bluespunk

[DrTuner]

Can't wait for self driving cars.

[assayer]

Wonder if the guy's friends were in a taxi queue after the concert finished and this guy tried to get a taxi before it got to queue and help himself and them queue jump?

If so, I'm not saying he deserved to be stabbed, but I have less sympathy.

Hate queue jumpers.

Pure speculation of course

Where are you from?????

[eldragon]

Why do taxi drivers act like this? I mean i am sure there are cab drivers like this in other countries who are just weird.

If I'm not mistaken, the taxi industry used to be very closely tied to local mafias. Probably still a lot of that attitude floating around.

[RidgeRunner]

Can't wait for self driving cars.

Just don't let a Thai program it.

[eldragon]

Should tell soibiker about this according to him its only foreigners that complain. Seems Thais also think that its a taxi drivers job to bring them to their destination if they have a in service sign on. Its even a law that they have too.

According to him its not so bad with taxi drivers.

While i agree in general there is a large group of taxi drivers that is bad certainly not a majority

There's another story making the rounds about a Thai guy catching a driver with a rigged meter. He records the whole incident and actually says "If you do this to foreigners, they won't come to our country."

[mcfish]

All of them carry a weapon and a percentage are on drugs, drunk, stupid, bitter, racist or are criminals posing as taxi drivers.

A tad dramatic? In 8 years Ive never had a loony, a lot try to practice their English, some just want to chat, some don't turn on the meter but they do when I point to it, some just say "how much you pay me up to you" and that annoys the sh#t out of me because I hate being forced into playing games

[RidgeRunner]

Yea. They like to practice english.

One driver told my wife recently that he was learning to speak english so he could lie to the faring.

[alfalfa19]

I guess the driver missed customer relations day in taxi drivers' school.

[dopenhagen]

should be the taxi drivers right to refuse a call which goes into areas where the driver is not comfortable, doesnt know well, which are famous for having massive congestion, or if the passenger has an attitude, smells bad, looks weird or misbehaves... just like in any other service industry, where the provider has a right to refuse service based on a judgment call... why should cabs be different ? I dont get it, forcing taxi drivers to provide service smells like fascism ! Taxi drivers might be at the bottom of the foodchain, but they are human beings too, and passengers are LITERALLY getting in the space all day, and passengers do many many things which are extremely annoying as a driver without knowing, I have that from my resident uber drivers with which I nearly always have a conversation about their experiences as an Uber driver... so, this guy might had a bad attitude which we KNOW young Thai men are a lot of times... especially in this situation where they have been partying, its crowded and perhaps (speculating) one friend walked up the road to catch a taxi to bring it down to where the driver didnt want to go because there were too many drunk vomitting thai's on motorcykels which was why he didnt want to go there in the first place... the guy in the picture features the small beird matching my assumption he could be bangkok-born semi-hi-so douchebag who couldnt handle getting rejected by a (in his eyes) low-life taxi driver from eesan !

Edited November 19, 2015 by dopenhagen

[atyclb]

the passenger had life threatening injuries (chest tube) from either collapsed lung and or same with blood in chest cavity.

[bangkokfrog]

Wonder if the guy's friends were in a taxi queue after the concert finished and this guy tried to get a taxi before it got to queue and help himself and them queue jump?

If so, I'm not saying he deserved to be stabbed, but I have less sympathy.

Hate queue jumpers.

Pure speculation of course

Where are you from?????

He probably lives in Thailand !!! If you haven't been standing in the street for ages trying to hail a taxi and had someone new come along and stand 20 meters up the road to try to get a taxi before you, you can't have been here as long as Bluespunk. I don't condone the stabbing, but also hate people who do this.

[dotpoom]

Why do taxi drivers act like this? I mean i am sure there are cab drivers like this in other countries who are just weird.

In one of my "past lives" I was a Taxi driver. I too would have had concerns if a man jumped into my Taxi and said he wanted to pick up friends a few Mtrs. up the road. It would cross my mind that I was "being set" up to be robbed, why were they not together where I could see who was about to get into my car. A lot depends on how the customer in the car is behaving, if he starts to get a bit astropulus my suspicions would be on the increase.

If it's happened once before, you may be sure your antenna is all revved up. Only a fool ignores past experiences. Then again, if it's never happened to you how would you know about these things.

Edited November 19, 2015 by dotpoom

[DaveinAsia]

Another taxi driver whose daily intake of yaba/synthetic pork/Isaan techno/heavy metals in the water/game shows/carbon dioxide/selfish drivers drove him over the edge.

May the victim recover fast and post many selfies on FB

[kannot]

Should tell soibiker about this according to him its only foreigners that complain. Seems Thais also think that its a taxi drivers job to bring them to their destination if they have a in service sign on. Its even a law that they have too.

According to him its not so bad with taxi drivers.

While i agree in general there is a large group of taxi drivers that is bad certainly not a majority

and herein lies the crux of the discussion whilst the minority are small as a whole the Thai minority seems rather large compared to other countries

[kannot]

Why do taxi drivers act like this? I mean i am sure there are cab drivers like this in other countries who are just weird.

In one of my "past lives" I was a Taxi driver. I too would have had concerns if a man jumped into my Taxi and said he wanted to pick up friends a few Mtrs. up the road. It would cross my mind that I was "being set" up to be robbed, why were they not together where I could see who was about to get into my car. A lot depends on how the customer in the car is behaving, if he starts to get a bit astropulus my suspicions would be on the increase.

So would you stab or shoot him?

[dotpoom]

Why do taxi drivers act like this? I mean i am sure there are cab drivers like this in other countries who are just weird.

In one of my "past lives" I was a Taxi driver. I too would have had concerns if a man jumped into my Taxi and said he wanted to pick up friends a few Mtrs. up the road. It would cross my mind that I was "being set" up to be robbed, why were they not together where I could see who was about to get into my car. A lot depends on how the customer in the car is behaving, if he starts to get a bit astropulus my suspicions would be on the increase.

So would you stab or shoot him?

If he refused to leave my car I would call the police.....sorry, I though you might have taken it for granted that I would not shoot or stab him.

It is wise to learn from past experiences, if it has happened once then one's antenna is always set up for it happening again. On the other hand, if it never happened to a person, how are they to know?

Edited November 19, 2015 by dotpoom

[SOTIRIOS]

.....'sounds about right'.......just look around....that is the prevalent attitude....

...how many foreigners were attacked and even murdered because they objected to some unjust treatment at the hands of taxi drivers...

Edited November 19, 2015 by SOTIRIOS

[robblok]

Should tell soibiker about this according to him its only foreigners that complain. Seems Thais also think that its a taxi drivers job to bring them to their destination if they have a in service sign on. Its even a law that they have too.

According to him its not so bad with taxi drivers.

While i agree in general there is a large group of taxi drivers that is bad certainly not a majority

and herein lies the crux of the discussion whilst the minority are small as a whole the Thai minority seems rather large compared to other countries

Correct i got more good as bad drivers overall. Though at tourist spot that could change easily.

Its just a larger percentage compared to other countries. But it is annoying how price goes up when it rains, then far more wont turn on the meter as they know they have the advantage. This is why i try to avoid them and use my own car or bike or take the bts. Then you don't have to play their games.

[playbgnow]

Just a quick look from the taxi drivers side, assuming everything the rejected customer said is true, he may have been wary about picking up more young men at another location. There is danger in being a taxi driver. Stabbing, of course, from what the passenger says, is terrible.

I am sure the investigation will run it's course and justice will prevail, in some shape or form.

[Strangebrew]

Might be in wrong subject but a Thai taxi driver gave me a free ride to main road. His shift was done and my destanation was wrong direction from his home.

[lovelomsak]

I had to use cabs everyday at work. We had one driver a wannabe tough guy who was always a problem. One day he was driving for me and i ask him for a pickup time to come and get me. I told him donot be late for I am catching a plane to Mexico and time is precious. Well he stopped the taxi in the middle of no where and told me to get out he wasnot going to do what I ask.This guy was big and looked tough.I argued with him for about 2 minutes then just lost it. I grabbed his throat and pushed him down with his head between the seat and the car door. and choked him,until he said he would do as I ask.

He did as ask. But when I returned from Mexico mister big wannabe tough guy had me arrested and charged,came to court with neckbrace the whole nine yards.The judge looked at me 5ft 6inches 125 pounds and him 6ft 4 inches 280 pounds and dismissed the case.

Bad drivers can happen any where.

[pogal]

As with almost every problem in Thailand in comes back to policing.
As some members have said and know that most taxi drivers have weapons in their vehicle. Simple policing pf weapons (for ALL vehicles, including Mercedes) should be carried out but particularly with taxi drivers who deal with the public all day long.
I have been to several incidents were taxi drivers have assaulted passengers and have found out later they are already known to police!? How can this be if they are vetted first, so obviously this is not happening.
So yes there are criminal elements driving taxis at all times and one should be weary when using them. I have also had a knife pulled on me by a taxi driver high on yaba, I complained about his erratic driving and he went ballistic, he was arrested but I never heard the end of the story, whether he actually went to jail or not, or the police took a "fine" from him and let him go, that was in my newbie days.
Drug use is very common with taxi drivers too since many use this as a second job for extra income.
I avoid taxi's at all costs. Ueber and other services seem to be better.