Public vehicle drivers damaging tourism image to face serious action



BANGKOK, 6 July 2016 (NNT) – The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has insisted that severe punishment will be given to drivers of public vehicles who have inappropriate behavior affecting the image of Thai tourism.

DLT Director-General Sanit Promwong stated that his department has been stringently solving problems in public transport services in an effort to ensure safety of passengers and promote tourism image.

He said Offices of Land Transport in major tourism provinces, such as Surat Thani, Phuket, Krabi, Chon Buri and Chiang Mai, have been assigned to cooperate with local police, military and administrative officials to keep an eye on transport service providers and quickly address any pending issues.

Should any public vehicle driver harass or cause a bad impression on tourists, maximum penalties will be imposed against the individual. Repeated offenses would bring about license suspension or revocation while those in violation of the law would immediately be put in police custody.

The Director-General affirmed the DIT is committed to lifting the standards of transport services in Thailand and to fostering a good image of the country. Passengers can report drivers’ inappropriate behavior to the DIT’s 24-hour hotline 1584.


-- NNT 2016-07-06

I've been waiting for that headline for 25 years.

Let's hope they do what they say.

All about the image. All about face.

making sure they had licences and know the road rules would be a great start, then getting the police on the roads to enforce the laws would ensure that the amount of road accidents/deaths drop too. All drivers in any public transport system should have to pass tests to ensure they know what they are doing as well as knowing all the rules, any caught doing the wrong thing should be fined severely and lose their licence, speed governors would also help.

I wish the authorities here would stop making public statements and just act.

The driving standards in this country bring shame on it.

Tourists ans the native population deserve far better, education and policing are the only answer.

Just enforce the present laws they have strictly. Problem is not with the laws but with enforcement. What's the point of making stricter laws when the police here don't carry them out?

Roads will have no taxis if they wanna make it come true

Another hotline. How many are there now?

This is a good move though, taxis have been a pain here.

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has insisted that severe punishment will be given to drivers of public vehicles who have inappropriate behavior affecting the image of Thai tourism.

They cannot increase the 'punishment' over that prescribed by law. Reading carefully they mean that that they will impose the maximum penalty prescribed. But there are different levels of 'inappropriate behaviour' from giving someone the middle finger to sexually harassing passengers so who gets to decide?

Ya, I tried that hotline once. Kinda useless if you cannot read the Thai letters on the license plate and only the numbers. Taxi drivers are not the least bit worried, especially the scammers running about between Suk soi 1 and Asoke in the evening. Not a bother in the world. Not one of the bastards will turn on the meter and they dont care who you call.

I wish the authorities here would stop making public statements and just act.

The driving standards in this country bring shame on it.

Tourists ans the native population deserve far better, education and policing are the only answer.

Exactly. Thailand, land of talk and no action.

I've been waiting for that headline for 25 years.

Let's hope they do what they say.

I'm pretty sure I've read the same headline every year since I first arrived in 2001.

So thats like.... almost everyone in a car in thailand. Thats a lot of action they are proposing. Methinks there is not enough police custody space available.

"Passengers can report drivers’ inappropriate behavior to the DIT’s 24-hour hotline 1584."

Probably 99% of all tourists will never know about this hotline. And for those that may do, how do they obtain the driver's name and licence plate number(the first two letters are in Thai script)?

Over 1600000 meter cabs in Bkk.Put this down as lack of communication issue from inter tourist and your local cabbie.If you are nice they are nice. Bangkok's a huge go cart track of traffic and cars.Helps to know where you are going and have learn to speak Thai.Always say in Thai. Hello.Can you take me to such location and thank you..Relax and smile.

Yeah. Right. <yawn>

The hotline number is going to be quite busy. I hope they have more than a single line.

Its about a safe public transport and not about tourism image !!!!!

Just more hot air from DG Promwong at the DLT.

People will continue to be ripped off by tuk-tuks, song thews and taxis and continue to die in tour buses and mini-buses in the LoS.

All about the image. All about face.

Who cares what it's 'all about' as long as they actually do what they say.

Come on, nothing will happen...they may make a few examples, but nope...there won't be lasting change

The hotline number is going to be quite busy. I hope they have more than a single line.

They have 200 lines manned by muppets with no English let alone any other language.

I thought Bangkok was the hub of safe, inexpensive public transport, or was about to be, I have read several times over the years.

Again appearance over substance!

Who at the DLT cares about the tourists? All they car is about the image of Thailand.

All they will ever face is 'serious talking'.....the only thing Thai Authorities are good for !

I had 5 seperate taxis refuse to drive me around BKK on Saturday unless it was meter free. They clearly feel the seriousness of these threats. Its all a complete load of bs, as everything here is.

Yes I know ..That's why I avoid the Sukumvit area and that gang .. they are very annoying and MBK ..Khao San rd.I will take BTS/MRT to other area just to avoid the stress of dealing with them.They do the same to Thai's The Good.. Bad and Ugly.I know how you feel been there done that ..I stay in a part of town far away from the bs..Good luck.. Yet with 160000 meter taxi's in Bangkok you got options.Try Uber ..lol

If have a Mercedes, you are given a free pass... to go for it... great for the hiso markers of privilege