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Swiss businessmen fleeced by Suvarnabhumi taxi - but Thailand restores some pride!


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I agree with comment about doing the homework before coming to Thailand. Every country has scams of some sort. I live here now and before I came to Thailand I researched everything I could find about the place. I would do the same for any country I chose to live in or visit. I think he forgot to use his business skills before arriving in Thailand. facepalm.gif

Edited by DUNROAMIN
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I agree with research before coming to any country. However, it sounds as if he was accompanied by a Thai. It was obvious to that person of the overcharge. However, Thais avoid direct confrontation and that is probably why the Swiss paid the taxi ; and went into the hotel and explained the situation. Whoever at the hotel got it settled justly yet it was the responsibility of the police to do this and they refused. This is all a sad commentary on the Airport taxi system which has been in disrepute for ages and the police who are worthless in these type of cases. Frankly, this could have happened decades ago when I first came to Thailand as there were no meters. there was no internet and no way to research. People were cheated all the time because you didn't know how far down to bargain. The taxi queue at the airports need to be 'adjusted' and the police need to start doing their job. This, also has been said for decades but nothing happens and I doubt it ever will.

Edited by Thaidream
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Smart traveller, do not travel if the driver does not turn on the meter,

No home work done by either passengers , as the first trip by one of them to Thailand,

when i travel i read about where i am going , what not to do what is the custom etc

reading about scams here in Thailand are numerous ,

i think the two travellers are lazy and one of them is not a very shrewd business man.

You obviously don't live in the real world. In my line of work I have travelled a lot, it is hectic and can be stressful jumping on multiples of flights to different destinations. The one thing I am sure of is when travelling on business you are focused on your business, the meetings, what you are attempting to achieve on the trip etc, absolutely nothing more. I was a Director, not a Company President as this gentleman is.

He is likely to have serious time pressures so do you seriously expect the President of a company to start googling local taxi scams and "researching" his destinations for things to watch out for? Of course he won't, he has far bigger fish to fry and I can assure you 95% of the time he won't have problems like this whilst travelling, so why would he spend his precious time focusing on it.

Glad that they followed this up at the hotel, can't believe the taxi driver still took out his fare though.

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1. Taxi Driver steals 5.400 THB (Face is not lost)

2. Taxi Driver gets confronted with stealing (Big problem! Face is lost)

3. Taxi Driver pays money back (Face is regained and things are like they never happened. Actually, Taxi Driver is now kind of a hero)

Just another day in Thailand...

Edited by khunpa
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In cities with considerably less taxi problems, i.e. Singapore, you get a slip which you can read stating the taxi details you are boarding. In a rigged place like Thailand, in particular Bangkok and in specifically particular Swampi airport things work ..... differently again. Too many pockets need to be lined to the disadvantage of the (ignorant, sometimes too trusty) customer.

Look at the following backside of this taxi and tell me, which number a non-Thai should remember to identify the car without doubt. The only definitely unique number (unlike faked which has happened in the past as well) would be the car registration plate which remains unreadable as Thai letter remain cryptic to all non-Thais. Latter resulted in the fact, that travelling to Vietnam, Malaysia or further requires that the Thai-registered car gets all-English car plates (which are available). So, if you're serious about improvement then get the numbering right; no taxi anywhere on the planet requires guess work among three numbers; the most important one cant be kept because in contains .... Thai letters giggle.gif

post-65504-0-87790300-1459320180_thumb.j

Edited by Sydebolle
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Smart traveller, do not travel if the driver does not turn on the meter,

No home work done by either passengers , as the first trip by one of them to Thailand,

when i travel i read about where i am going , what not to do what is the custom etc

reading about scams here in Thailand are numerous ,

i think the two travellers are lazy and one of them is not a very shrewd business man.

Then the businessmen better take a holiday for a week to read thaivisa forum first. And they will still be cheated in the land of scams.

But why did the taxi go back to Swampy? This proves that a group of taxi's belongs to the airport and only takes rides from there.

I don't understand why the whole of Thailand is getting blamed (by the wording of this article) for the actions of a taxi driver. If I get ripped off by a taxi driver in England should the whole country feel like they should be ashamed? Should I get a letter from the queen?

SOME taxi drivers are dodgy, it is in there DNA to try it on. The buggers just can't help themselves. They descend from the same ancestors as the jetski operators. It is part of their business plan. But blaming the entire country for it? This bloke went in too hard, if he had just gone in for 2,000 he probably would have got away with it. This will be a lesson he we will be able to pass on to the next generation.

Generally speaking, Thai taxis are great, one tenth of the price than in Australia where the are so expensive they are not really affordable.

It is pretty simple, you just ask them if they use the meter, if they do then great. If not, ask how much, if it ok, good, if not catch another one. It is not as if they are rare.

Don't get angry if they don't want to take you, up to them, just get another one. The money they get is low, I don't blame them for refusing fares sometimes, they obviously have a reason to. Last time in Swampy, the driver told me an inflated price, so I got out and caught another one, even after the original dropped his price. It is a bit annoying, but not hard to do.

IN MY EXPERIENCE most of them are ok, they are dirt cheap and plentiful. Cheap taxis for me, is one of the good things about living in Thailand.

Don't come to Koh Samui then !

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Smart traveller, do not travel if the driver does not turn on the meter,

No home work done by either passengers , as the first trip by one of them to Thailand,

when i travel i read about where i am going , what not to do what is the custom etc

reading about scams here in Thailand are numerous ,

i think the two travellers are lazy and one of them is not a very shrewd business man.

Then the businessmen better take a holiday for a week to read thaivisa forum first. And they will still be cheated in the land of scams.

But why did the taxi go back to Swampy? This proves that a group of taxi's belongs to the airport and only takes rides from there.

I don't understand why the whole of Thailand is getting blamed (by the wording of this article) for the actions of a taxi driver. If I get ripped off by a taxi driver in England should the whole country feel like they should be ashamed? Should I get a letter from the queen?

SOME taxi drivers are dodgy, it is in there DNA to try it on. The buggers just can't help themselves. They descend from the same ancestors as the jetski operators. It is part of their business plan. But blaming the entire country for it? This bloke went in too hard, if he had just gone in for 2,000 he probably would have got away with it. This will be a lesson he we will be able to pass on to the next generation.

Generally speaking, Thai taxis are great, one tenth of the price than in Australia where the are so expensive they are not really affordable.

It is pretty simple, you just ask them if they use the meter, if they do then great. If not, ask how much, if it ok, good, if not catch another one. It is not as if they are rare.

Don't get angry if they don't want to take you, up to them, just get another one. The money they get is low, I don't blame them for refusing fares sometimes, they obviously have a reason to. Last time in Swampy, the driver told me an inflated price, so I got out and caught another one, even after the original dropped his price. It is a bit annoying, but not hard to do.

IN MY EXPERIENCE most of them are ok, they are dirt cheap and plentiful. Cheap taxis for me, is one of the good things about living in Thailand.

Don't come to Koh Samui then !

I agree with you about taxis in the southern islands, they are rip offs. I was referring to Bangkok /Pattaya in my post. You are right about Samui.

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I have a rule, when ever I get in a taxi in Thailand I ask tax meter if he refuses I get out. Plenty more taxies

Exactly just get out, but I do leave the rear door open, so he has to get out of his car to close the door again. Makes their blood boil, me just give him a smile [emoji16] while walking off

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Derogatory posts Removed. Suspension issued.

Forum Rule - 11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

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Smart traveller, do not travel if the driver does not turn on the meter,

No home work done by either passengers , as the first trip by one of them to Thailand,

when i travel i read about where i am going , what not to do what is the custom etc

reading about scams here in Thailand are numerous ,

i think the two travellers are lazy and one of them is not a very shrewd business man.WOW1

Wow, indeed!!

We made it to Post #7, before someone blamed the victim, for not reading up on some exotic customs like "riding a taxi" and had the stupid idea to expect a normal service!

Well done!

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Smart traveller, do not travel if the driver does not turn on the meter,

No home work done by either passengers , as the first trip by one of them to Thailand,

when i travel i read about where i am going , what not to do what is the custom etc

reading about scams here in Thailand are numerous ,

i think the two travellers are lazy and one of them is not a very shrewd business man.WOW1

Wow, indeed!!

We made it to Post #7, before someone blamed the victim, for not reading up on some exotic customs like "riding a taxi" and had the stupid idea to expect a normal service!

Well done!

He only read the chapter about not showing soles of feet, no touching kids heads, no short sleeves at temples, not listening to touts...the rest he was gonna read in his hotel....

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What were these guys thinking, handing over 6000 Baht for a taxi ride from the airport, an amount probably higher than a night's accommodation at the hotel they stayed at.

6000 Baht converted into Swiss Francs would probably be more expensive than what a Swiss taxi would charge for the same distance and the same amount of traffic, this despite Swiss taxis being amongst the most expensive in the world. Now that's saying something.

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