Ah yes this is the taxi service I have learned to hate. Won't take you where you want to go. And get violent when you insist.Or want to charge you double the meter. These are Thailand's embassidors.

Taxi meter in Pattaya? 55555 you joke me

You should not speak until you know the facts ,maybe he not have time to call 4 or 5 other men to help him

please realize most of these dudes are straight off the farm, not professional drivers. another good reason to use uber where drivers are vetted.

would you hitch hike through a third world country?

"uber .... drivers are vetted."

After each trip with UBER you have to give a rating (from 1 to 5 stars).

IF a drivers average falls below 4.6 stars he has to answer for himself.

Additionally - UBER drivers also rate their passengers. So, if you behave poorly in a Thai's your 'start rating' as a passenger will drop and less (or no) UBER drivers will bid for your job.

IMO this mutual accountability is a win-win...

Regular Taxi drivers - well, they just behave how they wish without any accountability. Its fortunate that the majority are good, but the attitudes of many are simply deplorable. Perhaps this is due to repeatedly dealing with a disrespectful public on a daily basis, or perhaps these drivers are just downright 'sh!tty' characters anyway...

may be just a nitwit filming her knees not being able to handle a phone.

More likely.

And for TV : a "must read" article, give us a break please.

Edited March 15, 201610 yr by wabothai

People got smarphones for like 10years now and still can't turn the damn thing 90 degrees for some horizontal sweetness...

Generally I agree, but to be fair she probably didn't want him seeing that she was filming him.

please realize most of these dudes are straight off the farm, not professional drivers. another good reason to use uber where drivers are vetted.

would you hitch hike through a third world country?

"uber .... drivers are vetted."

After each trip with UBER you have to give a rating (from 1 to 5 stars).

IF a drivers average falls below 4.6 stars he has to answer for himself.

Additionally - UBER drivers also rate their passengers. So, if you behave poorly in a Thai's your 'start rating' as a passenger will drop and less (or no) UBER drivers will bid for your job.

IMO this mutual accountability is a win-win...

Regular Taxi drivers - well, they just behave how they wish without any accountability. Its fortunate that the majority are good, but the attitudes of many are simply deplorable. Perhaps this is due to repeatedly dealing with a disrespectful public on a daily basis, or perhaps these drivers are just downright 'sh!tty' characters anyway...

If you can't see how that star system could be manipulated, that's your problem. While I fully agree that the Thai taxi system needs a serious overhaul and a penalty system, UBER is not the answer.

In Brisbane, there a fewer cabs available on any Friday or Saturday night because drivers are switching to driving for UBER. Great for everybody, until UBER decides it is a high demand period and doubles, triples or even ten-folds fares - because they can. Perhaps you can afford a $300 cab fare.

Most regulations involving taxis are there to protect customers, including fixed fare scales. And the fare scales take into account the standards that have to be met for insurance, maintenance, registration and licensing. But who needs those.

...again....'so hard to track him down'.....his plate is clearly visible at the end of the video....

After living here for nine years it seems every year I'm more disappointed with the taxis than the year before. I really have to ask myself, "what are the taxi drivers thinking?" It is amazing when I'm on Sukumvit and need to go to a BTS station on the same street, same direction, a mile away. They stop, I tell them the destination in Thai and they shake their head no and drive in the same direction I'm going! That happened 5 times in a row with taxi drivers standing in the same spot and traffic was not congested. I was so annoyed I walked and have not approached a taxi driver since. The motorcycle taxi drivers now text while driving and many times are talking on cell phones. Most major med and travel insurance policies no longer cover injuries while on a public, motorcycle taxi. They use to, but no longer. I can understand why.

Let's see some serious action over these kinds of incident, Mr. P.M. Forget the 30-day suspension; forget suspending the licence; deal with this kind of thing in the only way this kind of moron understands: a lifetime ban, with serious penalties for violating the ban.

In reality, I presume he'll be in the meter line for the upcoming fare increase.

When read all this drama on TVF it makes me so glad be in Singapore, only thing I miss is bangkok 7/11 lol .

Just about every taxi driver carries a weapon.

Sukhumvit I saw out of the boot a sword being waved at 2 farang girls. Had a brick in my hand ready but did not get any heavier.

The police are very scared of the taxi mafia who control our streets.

The government can make all the laws the want but who is going to enforce it. The whole thing is a joke.

But I also know 5 or 6 great taxi drivers who would help me in any circumstances

please realize most of these dudes are straight off the farm...

A bit like the farang retirees here ?

please realize most of these dudes are straight off the farm, not professional drivers. another good reason to use uber where drivers are vetted.

would you hitch hike through a third world country?

"uber .... drivers are vetted."

After each trip with UBER you have to give a rating (from 1 to 5 stars).

IF a drivers average falls below 4.6 stars he has to answer for himself.

Additionally - UBER drivers also rate their passengers. So, if you behave poorly in a Thai's your 'start rating' as a passenger will drop and less (or no) UBER drivers will bid for your job.

IMO this mutual accountability is a win-win...

Regular Taxi drivers - well, they just behave how they wish without any accountability. Its fortunate that the majority are good, but the attitudes of many are simply deplorable. Perhaps this is due to repeatedly dealing with a disrespectful public on a daily basis, or perhaps these drivers are just downright 'sh!tty' characters anyway...

If you can't see how that star system could be manipulated, that's your problem. While I fully agree that the Thai taxi system needs a serious overhaul and a penalty system, UBER is not the answer.

In Brisbane, there a fewer cabs available on any Friday or Saturday night because drivers are switching to driving for UBER. Great for everybody, until UBER decides it is a high demand period and doubles, triples or even ten-folds fares - because they can. Perhaps you can afford a $300 cab fare.

Most regulations involving taxis are there to protect customers, including fixed fare scales. And the fare scales take into account the standards that have to be met for insurance, maintenance, registration and licensing. But who needs those.

I completely agree....

However, Thailand taxi's in their current guise make it very easy for UBER to prosper.

Unfortunately those regulation involving taxis which are there to protect customers are far from enforced for regulated.... Insurance and maintenance seems extremely rare.

Taxi's are registered, but who's bread winner is that ? DLT. How often do we see someone else other than the Licence holder driving the taxi ?

As it stands and for the foreseeable future UBER offers a safer, cleaner, more reliable service.... But I also agree, once UBER has market control it can up its fares - Thailand has to recognise this and act by improving its Taxi service so that people have no need or desire to switch to the alternatives.

Typical of a big, tough Thai guy. Grab a weapon and intimidate... A woman.