Bangkok taxi driver rejects, stabs complaining passenger

[English 1]

It's pot luck here with Taxi Drivers as some are really nice guys but I would say you have a 1 in 3 chance of getting some sort of smart arsed clown.

Some still try it on and go a very long way around to the destination….then I give them what the fare should be and no tip so they use more time and Gas!

Then we have the dumbos who really don't know the streets of Bangkok anymore than they do London!

Oh and erratic drivers who make you hold the grab handle so I guess they are on some 'Highs' + Red Bull!

Refusal is common place sometimes hailing 4 cabs to succeed!

About this actual post there is possibly another side to it as it's a bit suspect to hail a taxi and say your mates are just up ahead.

Could make a Driver wary.

But to stab the guy!?

[Evolare]

depending on where you are if your close to MBK or central world it can take up to 5-6 taxis before a driver accept to drive you where you going. But at at other places it's more rare to be declined unless you going from one part of bkk to another like going from sathorn to rangsit then it can take a while to find a cabbie.

That's why I prefer UBER over them cleaner cars polite drivers never any problems. and they don't give you the scenic route of bangkok when they take you from point A to B like many taxidrivers try to do.

[Nomyai]

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."

Oh yes they will come. Taxis are a nuisance. GIRLS, girls ,girls...........hahahaha.

[AlQaholic]

There is more to this story, just wait.......

[h90]

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.

In the outside area of Bangkok I get a 99% of good one.

In Tourist area it is just 50%

Don Muang is also getting a problem.

[Fookhaht]

Wait! I thought Uber was the problem!?

[The Deerhunter]

What is LOS turning into? Land of Stabs?

No. Land of Ya Ba!!!!!! Typical irrational behaviour of someone who has been probably been taking "P" or "iCE" to stay awake on long shifts. All over the world, this is the classic sort of incident resulting from this drug. This is why it is so dangerous. It takes down the high & mighty as well as the minimum wage people who use it.

[srchino]

Thailand has the worst taxi drivers in the world. I'm sure there are a few honest ones mixed in there, but yeah the vast majority are crooks at best.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jonathan Swift]

People are people, no matter where or in what profession. There will always be bad apples, Thailand is still a great place, and still no where near as psychotically violent as the US. And yes, I live in the US and yes, If I don't like it I can leave, and thank you very much the door won't slam me on on the way out because I'm already laying the groundwork to move to Thailand. Don't let the door slam back in your faces when you stand to jeer me on my way out. haha

[whatproblem]

Amazing Thailand ,land of stupid

[whatproblem]

Will the government ever sort this problem out?

[Laughing Gravy]

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.

No training in driving and customer relations, no strict controls on licensing, anyone can be one, criminal records and all.

[Laughing Gravy]

Will the government ever sort this problem out?

To answer that I doubt it. With the constant everyone is happy no problem, this and other issues just get swept under the carpet.

[Richard Hall]

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

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

Depends in Bangkok pretty much on WHERE you take a taxi. Sharks have their hunting areas and so have a..holes .

Edited November 19, 2015 by Richard Hall

[BernieOnTour]

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

Someone assuming, Thai don't complain about taxi drivers, may live in LoS, but seemingly without any contacts to Thai outside the beer bars. They complain a lot, in forums, in newspapers, among friends.

(Same same, but different: Bangkok busses.)

[darren84310]

And the police are more interested in arresting journalists for wearing a bullet proof jacket and helmet that can do absolutely no harm to anyone else, rather than stopping taxi drivers and prosecuting them for carrying weapons that can harm people.... TIT

[mike324]

Stick with Uber, if Uber coverage is not good there is always Grab Taxi, they are better than the average taxi as they do get tracked and its easier to report them if there are problems.

Taxi drivers blow up when you insult them or talk to them rudely. Sometimes they are just an ass, I once took a taxi with my very pregnant wife. The driver was going 100km plus and weaving in an out of traffic on sukhumvit, I told him to slow down my wife is pregnant. He told me to shut up, his skills are good, he as 4 wives and x number of children, none are dead under his driving. I did not bother to argue with him further as we were almost at our destination, some drivers are just intent to do what they want, provoking them makes it worse.

With the rise of Uber X and rates being similar to normal taxi, many of these drivers will go out of business in the coming years.

[dluek]

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

Does soibiker know many Thai people? Virtually all of the Thais I know in Bangkok complain like crazy about the taxi drivers. They're at least as annoyed by taxis as the foreigners I know, if not more.

[Muggi1968]

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.

In the outside area of Bangkok I get a 99% of good one.

In Tourist area it is just 50%

Don Muang is also getting a problem.

75% of the times, I take a taxi from "sai dai mai", the taxi drivers drive a huge detour...

Now, I just walk a 100 m away from the station and take a taxi from the main road

If I need to go into BKK, I just cross the road... no problems...

[Dustdevil]

OK--time for Uber!

[RidgeRunner]

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

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

Depends in Bangkok pretty much on WHERE you take a taxi. Sharks have their hunting areas and so have a..holes .

Fact is, there are criminals, professional scammers, posing as taxi drivers that pay the police a monthly rate to own the prime hunting turf in front of every tourist hotel and attraction.

Every taxi driver parked in front of every hotel is a scammer and they are paying off the police.

Honest taxi drivers are faced with intimidation and violence if they attempt to take a passenger in these areas.

They will even stop an honest taxi that picks up a tourists in their turf and force the passenger to taking a scam taxi.

They are out of control and are paying off the police.

[DLang]

They really do harbor an amazing amount of anger and level of emotional instability, don't they.

Almost tethering on the verge of egotistical insanity.

[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

Where are you from?????

Right now, the middle of a taxi queue outside a bts station in the rain watching some <deleted> queue jump.

[zappalot]

You find the cheapest taxi fares here, probably worldwide. Of course stabbing is a no go, but I never understood why getting refused is a problem to some? Maybe they want western fares, or even the ones in China are by far exceeding the fares of Bangkokian taxis, then of course I expect them to follow the law... But here?

[mikiea]

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 !

dude .... wat you smoking ? pass it down ............

[csabo]

I call them Goldilocks. Every time I flag down a cab it's "Where you go?" I reply with my home address. "Too far!". He drives away. Next cab "Where you go?" Me "BTS". Him "To near!" Drives away. They only take you to if your destination is Juuuuust Riiiiiiight.

[gaijinsomchai]

Bluespunk

After 8 years of taking taxis in bkk I can honestly I have never seen people queue to get a taxi. Maybe at the higher class malls and hotels but outside of them it's dog eat dog. I can't count how many times people have walked one or two meters down the road to get in front of me. There is no such thing as a taxi queue in Thailand.

[RidgeRunner]

Taxi drivers have a license and with that comes an agreement.

The deal is, you get in, tell them where to go and they turn on the meter. A simpleton can easily follow the rules.

Drivers that break their contract should be reported every time. Call 1584.

Note the color of the taxi, time and number painted on the door or the number on the metal tag inside the door.

When they renew their contract every year they will get a big surprise. A 1,000Bt fine for every complaint.

Nice.

"Land Transport Department Director General Somchai Siriwatanachoke said the department imposed a Bt1,000 fine on any taxi driver who refused to accept passengers.
To solve the problem, the department has prepared to take legal action against those who repeatedly reject passengers by suspending and revoking his/her public driving licences.

Call centre telephone number 1584."

[Micbozy]

A lot of taxi drivers gambles, often seeing them driving and filling out the under-group gambling tickets on red lights, I was once taken to the opposite direction of my destination just because the driver had to hand it the paper or money to some guy working as a security guard at Krungsri HQ, and after a while he asked me to get off because he had to get gas for his pony.

And often getting on taxi then found out the taxi driver likes talking to himself is really scary, the taxi license photo doesn't match with the driver at all!

[zappalot]

The ones demanding not to be refused any time should keep in mind that the more they follow the rules the more pressure the taxi drivers can put to the government to rise the fares.

They have the cheapest taxi fares probably worldwide but some blokes still want first class service... I rather would keep the cheap fares.

Even in Singapore with hefty fines you get refused...