Chiang Mai railway station songthaew scam

[smtsetup]

I booked a Christmas holiday in Chiang Mai and arrived there with my girlfriend late on Christmas eve. The train was a couple of hours late and after sitting 12 hours on the train, I felt quite ok when the songthaew driver asked 300 THB for taking us to the hotel. He made sure he knew where the hotel is (very close to Maya shopping centre, Nimmanhaemin road) by saying the whole name of the hotel after I had said a part of it. So we got on the songthaew.

At Tha Pae gate he turned left which is the only option on a one way road. Instead of crossing the channel and turning right, towards Maya, he continued driving straight. At that point I thought that he is going to turn to Nimmanhaemin later. Which he did not. He drove all the way to the university campus and finally turned right. I still felt that this might be ok if he had knowledge of traffic jams that particular evening, for example.

It soon turned out that this was not the case. Instead of turning right to Huay Kaew road he turned back on the other side of the channel and then soon turned left, to some narrow sois. Suddenly he stopped and drove backwards to a small forest and stopped again. I told my girlfriend to grab her bags and get off, which we did. The driver also came out and we asked if he is going to take us to our hotel. We agreed to get on the songthaew again. After 200 meters he stopped at some hotel. I offered him 100 THB and said that because he obviously can not take us to our hotel, we will walk the remaining two kilometers. He started threatening me with police because I had not paid him the whole amount we had agreed on. I replied that this is not the hotel he had promised to take us to. Finally he agreed to take us to Maya for 250 THB. I also told him how to get there and made thus clear that I am not the "stupid falang coming to Chiang Mai for the first time, let's rip off his money".

And so, after spending 45 minutes on a songthaew to get to our hotel (seven kilometers from the railway station), we arrived at Maya, paid the driver and started walking the remaining 500 meters to the hotel. Just when we were turning left to the hotel that same songthaew drove by and the driver shouted some foul words in Thai to us. This was the second proof that he was perfectly aware of where our hotel was. He just did not want to take us there.

What might be the reason for his behaviour? Did he expect some friends of his to be waiting in the bushes, ready to rob the tourists' bags? Or had he agreed with the hotel he stopped at to be rewarded for every tourist he takes to that hotel? I do not know. Anyway, despite this incident on the very first evening, we had a perfect Christmas in Chiang Mai.

One of the things that made it perfect are the photos of the songthaew and the driver. I was happy to spend 40 minutes to drive to the railway station and take a photo of his car. And even if we were busy the morning we left, I had enough time to take the attached photos of the driver.

So, if you are going to Chiang Mai, you might want to consider taking some other songthaew than this one.

[WorkingTourist]

For 300 baht the driver should have no problem taking you where ever you wanted.

Since he did take you to Maya for 50 baht less than the agreed price (after what sounds like a detour), I think the driver actually did not know the location of where you wanted to go.

Did you check the name of where he did initially take you? Could have been something named very similar to your actual hotel (especially when spoken by a Thai), that has happened to me at least once.

Though stopping at the “small forest” does sound strange.

[cyberfarang]

Could be a confusion of languages and the driver maybe did not understand properly.

Is your girlfriend Thai? Or was only English spoken to the driver? 300 baht seems a bit steep, I wouldn`t have offered any more then 100 baht, 150 baht the very most.

[jonwilly]

I have used Songtheaws hundreds of times.

Only once have I had a problem over the agreed fare.

Very strangely, after dropping off the other passenger, the driver asked for an extra B50 on top of our agreed B100.

I screamed No, I get out now.

He backed off and took me to my place.

john

Once in Hundreds if not a Thousand trips.

[NancyL]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

[TheAppletons]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

I read the OP differently....he says he "was happy to spend 40 minutes to drive to the railway station and take a photo of his car. And even if we were busy the morning we left, I had enough time to take the attached photos of the driver." That sounds like after the alleged misadventure.

[WorkingTourist]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

I believe they took the photos when they left Chiang Mai, going via the rail station, and spotting the same driver.

If the OP had ulterior motives, I think they could come up with a better story.

[1FinickyOne]

Best thing to do is to notify the hotel you were staying at - - in the long run, they have the largest interest in losing customers…

[LannaGuy]

I would have said 'Maya Shopping' and when arrived at Maya just point to the hotel or get off and walk a few meters. Normally better to ask for landmarks than names of hotels, bars or shops. I think it unwise to post the guys photo as he might not be too pleased if he meets you again Chiang Mai is still, relatively, a small place.

[cyberfarang]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

I read the OP differently....he says he "was happy to spend 40 minutes to drive to the railway station and take a photo of his car. And even if we were busy the morning we left, I had enough time to take the attached photos of the driver." That sounds like after the alleged misadventure.

How did he obtain transport so quickly to drive back to the railway station and what type of transport? And amazing that the driver was conventionality there when he arrived. He doesn`t mention the name of the hotel either.

[arunsakda]

With Songthaew license plates and drivers pictures posted in the back waylaying tourists from the Rail Station does not sound like a good M.O.

Maybe the driver got partially lost or really did not know the hotel.

So from his point of view you first tried to abscond, then chiseled him for a measly 100, then made him loose face because you told him off and made him look like an idiot, having to settle for 250 in the end. So he drove off and shouted abuse.

Edited January 11, 2016 by arunsakda

[Rob13]

It was a songtaew,not a taxi, maybe he took the long hoping to pick-up a few more riders. I agree with LannaGuy,telling him Maya would have been better,everybody knows how to get to there.

[luke000]

No scam happened here and I think that its aginst TV rules to post other peoples photos without their permission

[uptheos]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

.No people coming here for the first time, often take pictures of the first unusual vehicle and people they see.

[NancyL]

Does anyone else find it odd that the OP took photos of the songthaew and the driver at the railway station before the adventure occurred and that he's never posted on Thai Visa before?

I don't know about you, but I don't know too many people who photograph songthaews and drivers in this much detail, even when on holiday.

.No people coming here for the first time, often take pictures of the first unusual vehicle and people they see.

Well, yes, but in his post, the OP claimed he'd been to Chiang Mai before and knew his way around -- although I had trouble following his account of the route the songthaew driver took. People who have been to CM rarely find a songthaew driver and his vehicle so fascinating that they take numerous and detailed photos.

However, I do like the explanation that maybe they saw him at the rail station again, on their way OUT of town and took the photos then. But, it they were worried about him having buddies who meant to do them bodily harm, I guess they were counting on getting on the train soon and not having him react to having his photo taken.

[NancyL]

No scam happened here and I think that its aginst TV rules to post other peoples photos without their permission

That's right. I had to obtain written permission from Hubby and Mr. Bitey to post their photos as part of the Thai Visa Poster of the Year Contest. Mr. Bitey was somewhat resistant to the idea and took some convincing.

[Dante99]

Really nothing unusual with the OP except the "small forest". Where is it?

[northernjohn]

Really nothing unusual with the OP except the "small forest". Where is it?

I think there is one behind McCormack hospital. A friend told me about it and I have been meaning to get up there and look around

Edited January 11, 2016 by northernjohn

[elektrified]

I don't understand the complaint at all. He/she got where they wanted to go for 50 Baht less than the agreed upon price. That is what I read.

[Rob13]

I don't think he liked the route, alot of starts and stops and dark alleys, made him nervous.

[cmsally]

He made sure he knew where the hotel is (very close to Maya shopping centre, Nimmanhaemin road) by saying the whole name of the hotel after I had said a part of it.

I reckon just because he could recite the hotel name is no guarantee that he knew where it was. My bets are on the poor guy being genuinely lost.

[NancyL]

Really nothing unusual with the OP except the "small forest". Where is it?

I think there is one behind McCormack hospital. A friend told me about it and I have been meaning to get up there and look around

As best as I could follow the route, I think they stayed on the west side of town. There are wooded areas near the zoo and at the end of Suthep Rd. Really all sorts of forested areas at the base of Doi Suthep.

[slapout]

Remember the warning we were given when the carnival came into/thru the small towns each spring? They were traveling con men gone the next day or so after fleecing the country bumpkins out of what they could.

In todays age of family travel, holidays universal, thus high season in specific areas, the carnies are content to wait for the suckers to come to them.The methods to extract as much as possible has changed somewhat, but the system, thinking is similar. Its the tourist who moves on and the gypsies /carnies have settled down to wait for the next fish.

The driver may have simply misunderstood, but I doubt it. I seem to detect a lot of the carnie /gypsie attitude during the high season toward the tourists and those Thai seen as non locals.

[NancyL]

The driver may have simply misunderstood, but I doubt it. I seem to detect a lot of the carnie /gypsie attitude during the high season toward the tourists and those Thai seen as non locals.

Yes, let's remember that they do the same with Thai people who aren't locals, too. I've seen song thaew drivers charge non-local Thais more than me and vendors at Wararot do the same. It's somehow comforting to see Thai people being charged more than me in these situations.

[luke000]

The driver may have simply misunderstood, but I doubt it.

So, WHERE was the scam ?

[flyDelight]

Actually there were three signs to avoid this taxi: 1. a rip-off price 2. the car is scrap metal 3. man looks like a moron.

I use red cars frequently but I let this a cancer on wheels always pass.

Edited January 11, 2016 by flyDelight

[anto]

The direct route would have been a right turn after exiting the station ,then left at the Superhighway or similar ,and then a straight run to Maya .Saying Maya would have been best ,as said before .

[CNXSTEVE]

300 Baht from the station to Niman? You cannot be serious. I would have expected to get the songthaew as a free gift for that

Edited January 11, 2016 by CNXSTEVE

[MadMac]

The price has been 300B for the last 10 years or so. Why complain? That's Thailand

[anto]

Taking a taxi at a rail or bus station is always going to cost more .If you left the station and walked 80 meters to the main road ,stopped a passing bus ,the cost would be around B200 or less .