Thai police get tough on taxis refusing fares in Bangkok - thousands fined in ten day crackdown

[Laughing Gravy]

Yes I saw them yesterday. before judgement is out I will wait to see if they continue with this and it is not just a big publicity stunt. I would like too give some advice for the obvious fine BIB. Go to sukhumvit soi 11. was there last night and saw 20-30 people try and get Taxis and all refused. this was to men, women, Thai and Westerners, they do not discriminate. I tried 6 times to get a taxi myself with the wife and all either wanted a fixed price, or just shook their head and no. I don't even talk to the ones who wind their window down, it is pointless unless you seem to be going where they are, usually near their house..

So come RTP man up so to speak and clean that horrible soi of the taxis, that are given Bangkok and Thailand a shocking name. This soi has some great places and the taxis are ruining it.

[Fairynuff]

get a dozen army guys and girls in plain clothes ,

go to a high traffic area and have them hail Taxis , tell the driver an area 5 KM away (not the other side of the river on Soi 2 )

if they are refused , arrest the driver , park the taxi and make the owner come pick it up and pay fine,

if he agrees , turns on the meter , then the decoy gives the driver the approx fare , says thanks and gets out ,

Then the driver does not get on the radio to warn others about the sting !

Do not let the driver have the taxi back , take his licence off the dash and he can have it back in a few days after fine is paid , he watches "re-education" movies and takes a test which he signs so the 2nd time he cannot say he did not know rules ,

What this does is give the driver a break at 5KM , because I would not want to go to the other side of the river in traffic with no return fare,

rewards the honest ones , since you do not want your decoys all around the city

Hey I know there are holes in this , but its an idea , and pretty fair to the drivers that do the right thing.....

Yes, there's a massive hole in your solution. You only want to solve half the problem. If you drive a taxi you're supposed to take the passenger where they want to go. Exempt them from crossing the river because they won't get a return fare? Do you have some knowledge that nobody across the river ever uses a taxi? FYI there are thousands of taxis on the other side AND some of them actually carry passengers across to Bangkok side

[MadMac]

Call 1584, there is also an app from DLT. They will follow up. Remember the color of the car, they ask for it.

I did. They told me to call the Tourist Police. I did. They told me to call 1584.

Perhaps you had a different problem, called 1584 several times and they follow up/call back within a week.

If a taxi gets reported 10x (can't catch the driver as they are changing) the taxi's license get revoked.

[laocowboy2]

And on the same day I was refused three times on lower Sukhumvit and then again on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Pure PR exercise.

[timber]

Is a pain to get a taxi to take you to the airport in Bangkok. Still hustlers working the airport for non-meter rides to Bangkok. Was surprised.

[Thian]

Is a pain to get a taxi to take you to the airport in Bangkok. Still hustlers working the airport for non-meter rides to Bangkok. Was surprised.

It's because they don't want to (or are not allowed to) be in the qeueu at the airport so it means an empty ride back to the place where they can pickup customers.

It seems they all paid for a place at a mall or so, without paying they can go there to pick up customers.

I took one from airport to my home and then he said he would go back to the airport for a new customer. That's an hour from here by tollway.

The only good solution is more ATT and UBER.

[tuanku]

Taxis driver scum. Police need to ramp this up and hit them hard.

Try to get a cab on Sukhumvit anytime after 4.00pm and you will be refused 5 out of ten times.

Can't quite see how this is measured - 5 out of 10 accept your fare, you mean you don't get in the first 4 that accept in order to conduct your experiment on 10 taxis? or are you just making this number up?

[Razzler1973]

This isn't just a tourist thing, they also refuse Thais

About time they do something, report them, fine them

We have similar here in UAE where 'shift change' is also a popular excuse

[Thian]

When you flag a taxi then mostly several of them stop. They all know/hope the first one will refuse the customer.

They don't stop behind the 1st taxi but just on the 2nd lane or even 3rd, who cares?

[masuk]

Did you all notice that there were no complaints about taxis in Chiang Mai? The reason is we DON'T HAVE TAXIS on the streets. We don't have buses either.

It's tuk-tuk starting at 100baht and more if an extra half a kilometre is involved, and Song Taews supposedly at 20baht but farangs are often asked for double that.

Yes, we can phone a taxi company and they will send a taxi out, as long as you don't mind waiting for it to eventually arrive.

[timendres]

To be fair, there is a genuine issue of drivers sending the cars back to a garage at the end of their rental period (usually 12 or 24 hours). If it is close to that time, they don't want to be too far away as they get fined for returning the vehicle late.

Also there is the issue of not understanding tourists. I saw one tourist yelling 'regent hotel' at a driver who was refusing them. When I got the address of the hotel and told the driver, he was willing to take them.

Taxis are pretty good here on the whole. They don't make much money. They're cheaper than Tuk Tuks!

Albeit sometimes I ask 10+ cabs to take me to Thonburi, before one will accept the fare.

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

Further agreement. There are cases where the taxi cannot reasonably take you to a destination in the opposite direction of the garage at shift end, but would happily take you if your destination is in the direction of the garage. The driver should not be punished for this.

Also, if the fare is very rude and scary, I think the driver should have the choice to politely decline. There are other drivers confident enough that will come along.

Finally, the last thing I ever want is a driver forced to take me to an area with which he and I are both completely unfamiliar. This is a recipe for wasted time and money, as well as frustration. If the driver simply says he does not know the way, I am happy to look for the next taxi.

I am all for this crackdown if it is focused on areas well known for bad taxis. The one that comes to my mind is lower Sukhumvit anytime after 9pm. 8 out of 10 taxis refusing to use the meter and asking 200 baht for a known 60 baht destination. I always wait for the guy who will run the meter, then give him 100 baht for being a good guy.

[tropo]

To be fair, there is a genuine issue of drivers sending the cars back to a garage at the end of their rental period (usually 12 or 24 hours). If it is close to that time, they don't want to be too far away as they get fined for returning the vehicle late.

Also there is the issue of not understanding tourists. I saw one tourist yelling 'regent hotel' at a driver who was refusing them. When I got the address of the hotel and told the driver, he was willing to take them.

Taxis are pretty good here on the whole. They don't make much money. They're cheaper than Tuk Tuks!

Albeit sometimes I ask 10+ cabs to take me to Thonburi, before one will accept the fare.

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

There's no excuse that should be of any concern to any passenger. Those are the taxi companies' problems to solve.

[kennw]

For those who have not been here so long, some background. Originally every taxi negotiated the fare, then the authorities decided that traffic congestion would be reduced if meters were introduced thus alleviating the time spent negotiating the fare. This led to taxis displaying "taxi meter" to differentiate from those that did not get have a meter. Of course this being Thailand greed surfaced again and that is where we are now.

[tropo]

For those who have not been here so long, some background. Originally every taxi negotiated the fare, then the authorities decided that traffic congestion would be reduced if meters were introduced thus alleviating the time spent negotiating the fare. This led to taxis displaying "taxi meter" to differentiate from those that did not get have a meter. Of course this being Thailand greed surfaced again and that is where we are now.

Greed is not the problem. Even the greediest of drivers are not making a big income even if they never use their meters.

Everyone in any business will try to make the most profit they can. Taxi drivers need to be regulated by a governmental authority... that's the only way to keep them in check. They'd be doing exactly the same if they weren't regulated in your home country. It's a big job to regulate taxis, but it can be done. 1000 baht fines and occasional blitzes will not work. It amounts to nothing more than a PR stunt to make us think they're trying to do something.

Edited March 28, 2016 by tropo

[hansnl]

I am afraid all taxi-trouble has one reason only: too many taxis.

In Khon Kaen there are now, I guess, a cool 400 taxis

Plus tuktuks.

That must be too many.

[mike324]

To be fair, there is a genuine issue of drivers sending the cars back to a garage at the end of their rental period (usually 12 or 24 hours). If it is close to that time, they don't want to be too far away as they get fined for returning the vehicle late.

Also there is the issue of not understanding tourists. I saw one tourist yelling 'regent hotel' at a driver who was refusing them. When I got the address of the hotel and told the driver, he was willing to take them.

Taxis are pretty good here on the whole. They don't make much money. They're cheaper than Tuk Tuks!

Albeit sometimes I ask 10+ cabs to take me to Thonburi, before one will accept the fare.

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

There's no excuse that should be of any concern to any passenger. Those are the taxi companies' problems to solve.

Agree its not the passengers problem. Just making a point of why drivers refuse pasengers. Of course drivers should be the one who go home without trying to squeeze in extra income. If they do go home during changing shift times, there will be a shortage of taxis on the road. Its not really the problem of taxi companies too.

If you are in Bangkok, Uber is the way to go and its cheaper.

[tropo]

To be fair, there is a genuine issue of drivers sending the cars back to a garage at the end of their rental period (usually 12 or 24 hours). If it is close to that time, they don't want to be too far away as they get fined for returning the vehicle late.

Also there is the issue of not understanding tourists. I saw one tourist yelling 'regent hotel' at a driver who was refusing them. When I got the address of the hotel and told the driver, he was willing to take them.

Taxis are pretty good here on the whole. They don't make much money. They're cheaper than Tuk Tuks!

Albeit sometimes I ask 10+ cabs to take me to Thonburi, before one will accept the fare.

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

There's no excuse that should be of any concern to any passenger. Those are the taxi companies' problems to solve.

Agree its not the passengers problem. Just making a point of why drivers refuse pasengers. Of course drivers should be the one who go home without trying to squeeze in extra income. If they do go home during changing shift times, there will be a shortage of taxis on the road. Its not really the problem of taxi companies too.

If you are in Bangkok, Uber is the way to go and its cheaper.

If I had to choose between less taxis available or having to battle for the driver to switch on his meter every time I get in a taxi, I'd take the former. I'd even be happy to pay more per km.

Back at home we have a separate limousine service. These work on negotiated fares. Something like this could be another option in Bangkok, but taxis running around with "meter" on their roofs which won't use their meters is unacceptable.

Edited March 28, 2016 by tropo

[Razzler1973]

Did you all notice that there were no complaints about taxis in Chiang Mai? The reason is we DON'T HAVE TAXIS on the streets. We don't have buses either.

It's tuk-tuk starting at 100baht and more if an extra half a kilometre is involved, and Song Taews supposedly at 20baht but farangs are often asked for double that.

Yes, we can phone a taxi company and they will send a taxi out, as long as you don't mind waiting for it to eventually arrive.

So, you think the best way to stop these taxi complaints is to get rid of taxis? Erm, no

[Jonmarleesco]

It's taken them long enough to get serious about this problem. Now let's see if they follow through. I'm not sure why Thonglor was part of the crackdown; there are issues, but not that many, and it certainly isn't close to Central World.

'Among excuses given by drivers was ... not being familiar with routes and destinations ...' In which case, they shouldn't be behind the wheel of a taxi.

[Rumblecat]

If I had to choose between less taxis available or having to battle for the driver to switch on his meter every time I get in a taxi, I'd take the former. I'd even be happy to pay more per km.

Back at home we have a separate limousine service. These work on negotiated fares. Something like this could be another option in Bangkok, but taxis running around with "meter" on their roofs which won't use their meters is unacceptable.

But do you hail these limousines in the street like taxis, or are they pre-booked..?

[UTH001]

I am afraid all taxi-trouble has one reason only: too many taxis.

In Khon Kaen there are now, I guess, a cool 400 taxis

Plus tuktuks.

That must be too many.

Well, I believe there might be too many shopping malls, too many sellers of identical OTOP products and too many small coffee shops. But do they constantly try to cheat and charge more than they should???

[tropo]

If I had to choose between less taxis available or having to battle for the driver to switch on his meter every time I get in a taxi, I'd take the former. I'd even be happy to pay more per km.

Back at home we have a separate limousine service. These work on negotiated fares. Something like this could be another option in Bangkok, but taxis running around with "meter" on their roofs which won't use their meters is unacceptable.

But do you hail these limousines in the street like taxis, or are they pre-booked..?

They have stands at various high profile locations. They also can be pre-booked, but I don't think they can be hailed.

[Encid]

Good news.

It's about time.

[MRH1959]

Yeah, they are running scared,NOT!

A lady stopped 2 taxis this morning in front of us and didn't get a ride.

Need to download the cabcam.

TONGSOON ROAD, Town in Town. 10am.

[fusion58]

Um, OK.

Wake me up when the police decide to "get tough" on someone other than the little people.

[1BADDAT]

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

So you are perfectly happy with an 80% of the taxi drivers being decent?

[taony]

To be fair, there is a genuine issue of drivers sending the cars back to a garage at the end of their rental period (usually 12 or 24 hours). If it is close to that time, they don't want to be too far away as they get fined for returning the vehicle late.

Also there is the issue of not understanding tourists. I saw one tourist yelling 'regent hotel' at a driver who was refusing them. When I got the address of the hotel and told the driver, he was willing to take them.

Taxis are pretty good here on the whole. They don't make much money. They're cheaper than Tuk Tuks!

Albeit sometimes I ask 10+ cabs to take me to Thonburi, before one will accept the fare.

I do agree, most poeple don't know that many drivers rent their Taxi, if they return it late they will be fined. Not only that, they need to fill their car up before returning. During changing shift times, gas stations are normally packed with taxis filling their car up to return the car to the owners. Sometimes waiting at gas stations can take as long as 30-40min for some areas of the city.

Perhaps taxis should have a better system, a display board on the top saying the routes they are servicing during their shift ending time. I think fares should be more expensive during rush hour time too, so people will be encourage to use public transport to get to non-traffic areas. Its also fair for taxis since they are stuck on the road. Kind of a win win for both.

Most taxi drivers are decent, its the 1 out of 5 that spoils the whole experience.

Its not an issue at all. Turn off the meter and no one will try to hail your taxi. If you are on the way back to the other side of town to return the taxi and see someone looking forba taxi, you are still free to pull over and say I am going towards xyz, are you going the same way?

Its not rocket science. There are other things to do, people just need to engage their brains a little and have a bit of intergrity.

Besides, this is the reason for denial in only very few cases. By far most are bc the drivers don't like the route or don't want to look for fares at the destination.

[kennw]

So if the taxi is returnibg to base turn off the "vacant" light, or even better have a "out of service" sign then all will be clear. It's not rocket science, already done in other countries.

[tropo]

So if the taxi is returnibg to base turn off the "vacant" light, or even better have a "out of service" sign then all will be clear. It's not rocket science, already done in other countries.

Anything achieved in other countries to keep taxi drivers honest was due to very strict rule enforcement by local government authorities. Taxi drivers will never self-regulate their activities. A 10 day crackdown is a farce and will achieve absolutely nothing. To achieve the desired result it needs to be relentless 24/7, 365 days a year.

[HooHaa]

the multitude of times i was refused service or levied a fee for 200 to 400 baht trying to get to an embassy on rama IV would indicate the crackdown is lacking in efficacy.