Starting today, officials will run a background check on new taxi drivers

[webfact]

Starting today, officials will run a background check on new taxi drivers
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Matthew Klein

BANGKOK: -- Starting today, it won’t be as easy-breezy to become a taxi driver. Officials have increased requirements for those who want to obtain a public transportation license, including running a background check on them.

In an attempt to lift the standards of taxi drivers, Department of Land Transport announced today that all new drivers must not have committed a criminal offense in the past three years and have taken a test drive to evaluate their decision making and driving ability, according to Deputy Director Sanit Promhawong.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/06/01/starting-today-officials-will-run-background-check-new-taxi-drivers

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-06-02

[colinneil]

Also him who gives the biggest envelope gets a taxi license.

[ezzra]

It is a good start, but with fake driver's license, fake ID's and unproven methods of records keeping

coupled with overwhelming numbers of coming and going seasonal drivers, that will be a hard task

to keep up with, it will start with a bang, it will end up with a whimper, as usual, in the 'too hard to do'

basket...... why? because this is Thailand and that's how things are done here....

[thesetat2013]

With the 10s of thousands of drivers already out there on the road and so many of them crooked, why aren't they making this a requirement for all those who renew their licenses as well?

This meager show of concern with this new requirement won't make a difference for the next 20 years. What a joke!

[NongKhaiKid]

Official : Ever been in any trouble ?

Driver : No

Official : You've successfully passed the background check.

[arthurboy]

It is a good start, but with fake driver's license, fake ID's and unproven methods of records keeping

coupled with overwhelming numbers of coming and going seasonal drivers, that will be a hard task

to keep up with, it will start with a bang, it will end up with a whimper, as usual, in the 'too hard to do'

basket...... why? because this is Thailand and that's how things are done here....

Well said. However, don't forget that a 'budget' will have been allocated, which, no doubt, will be used appropriately...

[Laughing Gravy]

I would say for every 3 taxis I get here in Bangkok, 1 has no taxi licence. So how are they going get rid of these ones who are already working?

[rkidlad]

I'd rather they'd pretend to sort out the motorcy guys first.

A lot of the time if you're not a regular or don't have the exact change, they try to sting you. May only be a little bit but you get fed up of having to argue in the morning when you know the price and you want your correct change. Just leaves an unnecessary bad taste in your mouth.

[JAG]

"...decision making abilities" - when to claim the meter is broken, how much to demand?

[Redline]

So, if you raped or robbed someone 37 months ago~good to go?

[Rayk]

Official : Ever been in any trouble ?

Driver : No

Official : You've successfully passed the background check.

I nearly pissed myself laughing when I read your comment.

Partly because it was so funny and partly because it's so true.

[NongKhaiKid]

Official : Ever been in any trouble ?

Driver : No

Official : You've successfully passed the background check.

I nearly pissed myself laughing when I read your comment.

Partly because it was so funny and partly because it's so true.

Glad to be of service, it's a nice change from just pissing people off.

[trogers]

The desktop computer was readily available since the early 90s, and the Internet in the early 2000s. And they are just starting a database?