...if no independent entities are doing the inspections....or enforcement of rules......???

Use UBER

Use article 44 to DO something about it then. Everyone knows the hotspots in BKK where the rip off taxi touts hang out. Go and clear them out and make sure they stay cleared out. Then the vast majority of the honest taxi drivers will get more work.

Won't happen of course.

That kind of change doesn't start with a PM or a Tourist police, it should have started from home, when they were

young, they should have taught all that by their mentors and parents, but they weren't, they simply now do what

their parents did, which is to get as much as they can any way any how, and decency and honesty is an

alien concept to them as everyone around is engaging in doing the same.....

I completely agree with you statement. Though I would add that in my experience taxi drivers have been honest for the most part.

Usual whingers and whiners are out I see. Didn't see many of your much-loved politicians looking into the taxi mafia scams. But then again, it's easy to sit at your computer during your dreary school holidays and moan about every little thing.

Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwnnn.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-warns-scammers-as-Thailand-is-named-top-desti-30196864.html

Hope you awake to read.

This guy is a CHAMP at expressing concern

"he believes most taxi drivers are honest and would never conduct such offence."

He is delusional.

"He urged taxi drivers to help authorities by reporting any inappropriate conduct to officials."

He is deluding himself.

"authorized to punish taxi drivers who violate the regulation,"

Its not happening Prayut. All your associates and cohorts in high places are making too much money from this and most other scams.

I've been here for about 15 years and found 99.99% of all taxi drivers ok and friendly so stop lying on this forum. As for the remainder of your comments that is all that our so called PM does, issue instructions, like any military leader, which is where it all starts and ends with no results.

I have also been here for 15 years, so either one you are a taxi driver or two, you do not use taxis often in Bangkok, especially downtown, as you are talking out your rear.

I have some advice for the Big General. You are the captain of the ship. You steer it. If it has a hole in it, get someone to fix it properly and maybe go and take a look yourself. to see it is fixed. Then maybe we won't have articles every week on how poor the taxi services are.

Edited April 4, 201610 yr by Laughing Gravy

'... tourism is a main economic driver for Thailand ...' A pity so many Thais who rely on it, abuse it.

Good thing thar the problem is a knowledge at highest level, it's disapproved and it is discussed.

Can't see how this could be anything bad.

Government has been on the taxis for some years now, and that is actually a change from before.

There's an app for your phone to report taxis in BKK.

You can report them immediately if you run into problems.

I don't think I would be putting up my name and telephone number to complain about anything in Thailand particularly under current circumstances.

Then you have lost it already.

"he believes most taxi drivers are honest and would never conduct such offence."

He is delusional.

"He urged taxi drivers to help authorities by reporting any inappropriate conduct to officials."

He is deluding himself.

"authorized to punish taxi drivers who violate the regulation,"

Its not happening Prayut. All your associates and cohorts in high places are making too much money from this and most other scams.

I've been here for about 15 years and found 99.99% of all taxi drivers ok and friendly so stop lying on this forum. As for the remainder of your comments that is all that our so called PM does, issue instructions, like any military leader, which is where it all starts and ends with no results.

I always thought it was horses that wore blinkers, not asses.

Edited April 4, 201610 yr by Jonmarleesco

Good thing thar the problem is a knowledge at highest level, it's disapproved and it is discussed.

Can't see how this could be anything bad.

Government has been on the taxis for some years now, and that is actually a change from before.

There's an app for your phone to report taxis in BKK.

You can report them immediately if you run into problems.

Problem is, many Thais - and they get scammed, too - don't bother to report them. And the app is recent; there has long been a phone number.

In my opinion he's right. I travel in Taxis in Bangkok all the time and they are 99% good guys. One guy even came and jump started my car for me when I absent mindedly left the lights on. He did that for only 100 baht and wouldn't take a baht more.

The only place that I have found dodgy is in Nana after the BTS closes at night. The guys lined up there waiting wont turn on the meter for you and want to charge double or more. But if you just flag down a passing one he'll take you on the meter.

I've had a Taxi driver from the airport once try to tell me no meter also and just told him to stop while I get out and get another cab. He turned it on and said mai pen rai.

Keep calm and know the law. No meter no fare. Simple as that.

Use article 44 to DO something about it then. Everyone knows the hotspots in BKK where the rip off taxi touts hang out. Go and clear them out and make sure they stay cleared out. Then the vast majority of the honest taxi drivers will get more work.

Won't happen of course.

He tried article 44 allready some months ago, then there were soldiers at the airports to check every leaving taxi for using the metre.

But it lasted for a week or so. The taxi's even got their precharge of 60 baht and higher rates but they still like to scam sometimes. It's time for serious punishment.

Why not tell them to make sure the are MOT'd as well.

Some chance ?

Address the roots of this issue. How are taxi driving licenses first being issued?

In the days when taxi licenses were expensive and I mean expensive and when issued the taxi license they had to buy a 4CV Renault from Siam motors there was not all this taxi scams because the license was expensive and when it was taken away they were up shit creek without a peddle to make the monthly payments for the money to get the license and for the 4CV Renault.

Get it.

Today the license is about the price of a six-pack of Leo Beer. Yes copycat America caochpotato Joe six-pack Leo Beer now you can buy in six-pack. As for the car, any car will do. But not HONDA, Honda will not sale vehicles for taxi use.

So without being tied down financially as in the good old days, and most of them supporters of you know who, don't hold your breath for improvements you will turn blue around the gills.

LOL in LOS with its 13 different laughs.

much bigger fish to fry....like the > delete< mess in the south

how many innocent people died today whilst being protected by the powers that be ?

Good thing thar the problem is a knowledge at highest level, it's disapproved and it is discussed.

Can't see how this could be anything bad.

Government has been on the taxis for some years now, and that is actually a change from before.

There's an app for your phone to report taxis in BKK.

You can report them immediately if you run into problems.

Problem is, many Thais - and they get scammed, too - don't bother to report them. And the app is recent; there has long been a phone number.

Absolutely true.

Many falangs feel unfairly targeted.

But Thai target everybody equally.

Everybody gets to ride.

What a laugh,, Urge the taxi drivers,,Make them adhere to the law otherwise lock them up,,,that works better then just ,,urge,,

In my opinion he's right. I travel in Taxis in Bangkok all the time and they are 99% good guys. One guy even came and jump started my car for me when I absent mindedly left the lights on. He did that for only 100 baht and wouldn't take a baht more.

The only place that I have found dodgy is in Nana after the BTS closes at night. The guys lined up there waiting wont turn on the meter for you and want to charge double or more. But if you just flag down a passing one he'll take you on the meter.

I've had a Taxi driver from the airport once try to tell me no meter also and just told him to stop while I get out and get another cab. He turned it on and said mai pen rai.

Keep calm and know the law. No meter no fare. Simple as that.

All true, but unfortunately most tourists are not so clued up and therefore the odds favor the scam artists.

Not to excuse them, but the logic at work in the minds of the scammers is that ordinary fares are too low to adequately reflect fair market pricing. Dealing with many of the drunk foreign clientele in the Nana/Cowboy areas deserves a premium in any reasonable person's world, especially when these drivers know what punters are dropping for ten minutes of fun with a farmer's daughter.

Even Uber has surge pricing :-)

Usual whingers and whiners are out I see. Didn't see many of your much-loved politicians looking into the taxi mafia scams. But then again, it's easy to sit at your computer during your dreary school holidays and moan about every little thing.

Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwnnn.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-warns-scammers-as-Thailand-is-named-top-desti-30196864.html

Hope you awake to read.

Yes thank you Eric. I awake OK.