DLT and army using entrapment to snare Uber drivers in Pattaya

[wvavin]

Will Uber exist if the Thai taxis are honestly making a living? 

[eeyang wah]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Very similar to Uber.

 

 

Except I've always been sent normal meter taxis. Surely this is a good, legal alternative to both Uber AND the taxi mafia, no?

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

If I am not mistaken a company requires permission from the government before it can begin operations. If Uber started paying taxes and got a license to operate in Thailand then there probably wouldn't be an issue

I agree it is a at least a conspiracy to operate a transport system. But here is what Uber would say. They don't operate taxis in Thailand or any other country, employ Drivers, or anything. Uber is just an information platform and the small print says they don't take any responsibility for the acts of the drivers who use the app.

[eeyang wah]

1 minute ago, eeyang wah said:

Except I've always been sent normal meter taxis. Surely this is a good, legal alternative to both Uber AND the taxi mafia, no?

perhaps I've been using GRAB-TAXI. This is what I mean by a good alternative to all other services. 

[observer90210]

and why does the army instead not set up stings to trap the crooks that drive regular taxis in Bangkok, Phuket and who refuse to turn the meter "ON" mainly with farang expats or tourists?

[Jingthing]

Except I've always been sent normal meter taxis. Surely this is a good, legal alternative to both Uber AND the taxi mafia, no?

For now.

[Jingthing]

Will Uber exist if the Thai taxis are honestly making a living? 

Maybe. Probably. They do in many places as another competitive option. Pattaya without the apps has a total and unfair monopoly situation.

 

Bangkok taxi meters are mostly OK. Also have Uber and Grab there.

 

 

 

[bangkokairportlink]

Similar fight as cannabis ! So stupid ! You all officials have lost the wars ! So why not just trying to understand how stupid you are ?

 

Uber will be legal worldwide, you like it or not !

Weed will be legal worldwide, you like it or not !

 

So go back home and open a book, you will be less stupid then (maybe).

 

 

[Juan B Tong]

Memo to Uber/Grab taxi drivers,

Remember to marry a high ranking Pattaya policeman's daughter. Have phone number of father in law on speed dial

Remember to give monthly charity donation to Thai Policemen Benevolent Association.

Learn to speak Chinese and have phone number of real estate  company manager on speed dial.

Make a list of excuses in advance.

[wump]

31 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If / when they crush Uber Grab will revert to fares that don't compete with the fake taxi meters.

So true. Last night I paid 80 Baht from walking street to R-Con when in the past it would have been at least 200.

[Catkiwi]

9 hours ago, robblok said:

Let them go to BKK and catch taxi drivers that refuse the meter or refuse as the place they want to go to is not convenient. If they want Uber and others not to emerge make sure the current system works better. 

Yep but clean up Patts as well. What a train wreck the taxi (lack of) organisation is in most of the country. Nice to see the Army getting serious with law violations but as mentioned in a few posts here, get serious with the real crims, gold snatchers etc!

[Catkiwi]

27 minutes ago, bangkokairportlink said:

Similar fight as cannabis ! So stupid ! You all officials have lost the wars ! So why not just trying to understand how stupid you are ?

 

Uber will be legal worldwide, you like it or not !

Weed will be legal worldwide, you like it or not !

 

So go back home and open a book, you will be less stupid then (maybe).

 

 

Ever thought about going in to politics? Don't!

[Catkiwi]

52 minutes ago, wvavin said:

Will Uber exist if the Thai taxis are honestly making a living? 

The same could probably be asked in any country.... Unfortunately Thailand taxis do not have a monopoly on the crooked taxi business. Nearly anywhere you go they are trying a scam of one sort or another. Even in so called puritanical Singapore. Uber are supplying a service that for some reason normal taxi drivers seem unable to supply.

[hawker9000]

The same could probably be asked in any country.... Unfortunately Thailand taxis do not have a monopoly on the crooked taxi business. Nearly anywhere you go they are trying a scam of one sort or another. Even in so called puritanical Singapore. Uber are supplying a service that for some reason normal taxi drivers seem unable to supply.

The beauty of Uber here, and I guess many other places, is that it takes the taxi drivers' own propensity for skirting the law and uses it against them. It's so lame to whine about the illegality of Uber: FPS we're talking about taxi drivers here! They're simply getting a taste of their own medecine, and there's something decidedly attractive about that. Here I believe the word is "kharma".

[thairookie]

I am waiting for the day when the DLT and army will hop onto the baht buses from Beach Road with the signboard saying Na Jomtien.  Then when the baht bus stops at Wat Chai Mongkol and the driver signaled for the DLT and army officers to get down.

[tomwct]

No need for Uber if the Taxi Mafia used meters!

[recycler]

Uber works very well in normal countries....

[Dave67]

8 minutes ago, recycler said:

Uber works very well in normal countries....

They have obviously never realised Thailand is the hub of bent taxi drivers

[Internatltraveler]

It continues to amuse me to read responses to these articles from people who have no earthly idea what they are talking about. Here are some facts abouy Uber.

 

1. It is the largest taxi company in the world now and is making lots of organized mafia controlled companies very uncomfortable because of their rapid and cheaper service. What is wrong with this anyway? Any taxi driver can quit his low paying job and become an Uber driver anywhere in the world where it is legal, so rather than complaining and saying they are taking business away, join them...much better deal for all concerned.

2. Uber carries a $3 million liability coverage policy on all of its drivers. So for those of you talking about them being uninsured, well, you really do not know what you are talking about. There is no taxi company, that I am aware of, in the world who carries this high limit of liability coverage for its drivers. I would say that is a fairly responsible business strategy and much more ethical than most taxi companies with their low limits of coverage.

3. Uber requies high limit individual coverage be carried by its drivers. In the USA, that is a limit of $300,000/$100,000 being $300K for total per accident and $100K per individual in that accident. So what say you nay sayers of wrong information again? Guess that does not suit your arguments either, right? It also required all vehicles to be well maintained, clean and well cared for in order to even become a driver.

4. Uber does not employ drivers. It subcontracts with them. That makes them legally self employed. So for the government to say they are a foreign owned business, well that is right and wrong also. It is more accurate for the government to take the position that these drivers may not be properly licensed to conduct a business in Thailand, and that is a legitimate comment. But let's get our facts straight.

 

So many of us talk about all the cheating of taxis, poor service and corruption of taxi drivers in Thailand and when a decent new concept company that offers rapid and courteous service, known fees prior to boarding into the taxi without having to negotiate, being capable of paying with credit card, rather than cash you, and heavily insured in case of an accident,  complain using misinformation and normal groveling that this site is known for.

 

By the way, Uber takes a small amount (I think it is $1 or $2 per ride from its drivers) to pay for their $3 million dollar liability coverage...Great idea I would say..or would you also argue with this business model.

 

So Uber is a well run company, breaking the rules of old taxi businesses all over the world that is literally corrupt, too expensive, slow often in getting to a customer and then can you trust the route they take if you do not know the area because in the 30 or so countries I have lived and/or traveled through they tend to take advantage of riders lack of knowledge to run the meter up, if they even use a meter....

 

So before you start spewing garbage about one more item you know nothing about, why not do a little research and become correctly informed so we would respect your arguments! What an idea that would be...or just continue running off your opinions with toxic comments and total lack of knowledge of what is being said! I challenge you to become informed consumers rather than just detractors and devisive opinionated naysayers.

[just.a.thought]

I wouldn't mind if Uber is not here anymore IF taxi and songtaew drivers would restrict themselves to charge the correct fare and treat passengers with respect and politeness. CLEAN YOUR ACT UP YOU ARE A DISGRACE

[hobobo]

13 hours ago, johng said:

Shame they cant get the Pattaya taxis to actually use their meters !

No way! Then they'd only earn as little/much as Uber. Pointless excercise, no?

[wump]

1 hour ago, Internatltraveler said:

It continues to amuse me to read responses to these articles from people who have no earthly idea what they are talking about. Here are some facts abouy Uber.

 

1. It is the largest taxi company in the world now and is making lots of organized mafia controlled companies very uncomfortable because of their rapid and cheaper service. What is wrong with this anyway? Any taxi driver can quit his low paying job and become an Uber driver anywhere in the world where it is legal, so rather than complaining and saying they are taking business away, join them...much better deal for all concerned.

2. Uber carries a $3 million liability coverage policy on all of its drivers. So for those of you talking about them being uninsured, well, you really do not know what you are talking about. There is no taxi company, that I am aware of, in the world who carries this high limit of liability coverage for its drivers. I would say that is a fairly responsible business strategy and much more ethical than most taxi companies with their low limits of coverage.

3. Uber requies high limit individual coverage be carried by its drivers. In the USA, that is a limit of $300,000/$100,000 being $300K for total per accident and $100K per individual in that accident. So what say you nay sayers of wrong information again? Guess that does not suit your arguments either, right? It also required all vehicles to be well maintained, clean and well cared for in order to even become a driver.

4. Uber does not employ drivers. It subcontracts with them. That makes them legally self employed. So for the government to say they are a foreign owned business, well that is right and wrong also. It is more accurate for the government to take the position that these drivers may not be properly licensed to conduct a business in Thailand, and that is a legitimate comment. But let's get our facts straight.

 

So many of us talk about all the cheating of taxis, poor service and corruption of taxi drivers in Thailand and when a decent new concept company that offers rapid and courteous service, known fees prior to boarding into the taxi without having to negotiate, being capable of paying with credit card, rather than cash you, and heavily insured in case of an accident,  complain using misinformation and normal groveling that this site is known for.

 

By the way, Uber takes a small amount (I think it is $1 or $2 per ride from its drivers) to pay for their $3 million dollar liability coverage...Great idea I would say..or would you also argue with this business model.

 

So Uber is a well run company, breaking the rules of old taxi businesses all over the world that is literally corrupt, too expensive, slow often in getting to a customer and then can you trust the route they take if you do not know the area because in the 30 or so countries I have lived and/or traveled through they tend to take advantage of riders lack of knowledge to run the meter up, if they even use a meter....

 

So before you start spewing garbage about one more item you know nothing about, why not do a little research and become correctly informed so we would respect your arguments! What an idea that would be...or just continue running off your opinions with toxic comments and total lack of knowledge of what is being said! I challenge you to become informed consumers rather than just detractors and devisive opinionated naysayers.

95% agree with you post. Thanks for educating the people in here who don't want to have anything to do with new technology or simply don't care about the mafia structures.

 

Just one point: I think I read the insurance coverage in here is certainly not 3 million dollars, maybe more like 2-5 million Baht.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Internatltraveler said:

It continues to amuse me to read responses to these articles from people who have no earthly idea what they are talking about. Here are some facts abouy Uber.

 

1. It is the largest taxi company in the world now and is making lots of organized mafia controlled companies very uncomfortable because of their rapid and cheaper service. What is wrong with this anyway? Any taxi driver can quit his low paying job and become an Uber driver anywhere in the world where it is legal, so rather than complaining and saying they are taking business away, join them...much better deal for all concerned.

2. Uber carries a $3 million liability coverage policy on all of its drivers. So for those of you talking about them being uninsured, well, you really do not know what you are talking about. There is no taxi company, that I am aware of, in the world who carries this high limit of liability coverage for its drivers. I would say that is a fairly responsible business strategy and much more ethical than most taxi companies with their low limits of coverage.

3. Uber requies high limit individual coverage be carried by its drivers. In the USA, that is a limit of $300,000/$100,000 being $300K for total per accident and $100K per individual in that accident. So what say you nay sayers of wrong information again? Guess that does not suit your arguments either, right? It also required all vehicles to be well maintained, clean and well cared for in order to even become a driver.

4. Uber does not employ drivers. It subcontracts with them. That makes them legally self employed. So for the government to say they are a foreign owned business, well that is right and wrong also. It is more accurate for the government to take the position that these drivers may not be properly licensed to conduct a business in Thailand, and that is a legitimate comment. But let's get our facts straight.

 

So many of us talk about all the cheating of taxis, poor service and corruption of taxi drivers in Thailand and when a decent new concept company that offers rapid and courteous service, known fees prior to boarding into the taxi without having to negotiate, being capable of paying with credit card, rather than cash you, and heavily insured in case of an accident,  complain using misinformation and normal groveling that this site is known for.

 

By the way, Uber takes a small amount (I think it is $1 or $2 per ride from its drivers) to pay for their $3 million dollar liability coverage...Great idea I would say..or would you also argue with this business model.

 

So Uber is a well run company, breaking the rules of old taxi businesses all over the world that is literally corrupt, too expensive, slow often in getting to a customer and then can you trust the route they take if you do not know the area because in the 30 or so countries I have lived and/or traveled through they tend to take advantage of riders lack of knowledge to run the meter up, if they even use a meter....

 

So before you start spewing garbage about one more item you know nothing about, why not do a little research and become correctly informed so we would respect your arguments! What an idea that would be...or just continue running off your opinions with toxic comments and total lack of knowledge of what is being said! I challenge you to become informed consumers rather than just detractors and devisive opinionated naysayers.

 

While I agree with much of your post, I'm wondering if you are projecting UBER Policy across to Thailand based on US operations. 

 

Are we in Thailand really personally insured up to US$100,000 in an accident in an UBER Vehicle?..... Have UBER made this policy public? (personally, it doesn't matter as I have my own health & Accident insurance).

 

Thai Policies cover their Passengers up to 100,000 Baht (usually), so, based on your information UBER supersedes this policy internationally - Is this correct ?... if so, incredible as it pretty much mutes the 'non insurance' argument of the nay-sayers.... 

 

My question is: IS this information factual... Are you 100% sure that anyone who rides in an UBER in Thailand if involved in an accident their medical costs are covered by UBER up to 100,000 US$  ???

 

 

Another question: IF these drivers are not 'employees' of UBER..   why would UBER insurance be expected to cover them ? doesn't that offer some room to avoid costs... they are not employees...  The Insurance covers UBER Drivers right ? but these guys are not UBER employees... there's a little too much room to manoeuvre...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffreyO]

16 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Good to see, maybe the same approach could be used to catch illegal short term renters.

 

I still dont get the whole uber thing, people use the argument that normal taxi's dont use their meters, Uber taxi's dont have meters. At least with a normal Taxi, there is a level of licensing and insurance etc, an uber car there is no idea if the driver is licensed or the car insured.

 

I can see an instance in the future where someones travel insurance claim will be refused because they were traveling in an illegal taxi, not licensed or insured to carry passengers

It's actually pretty simple to understand.  I used Uber in NYC, BKK, Seattle and, more.  

 

You use the app, set your destination, press the button and a car directly comes to pick you up.  So, if you live on a soi or alley where taxi's aren't common, you get your ride without having to walk through the heat.  Also the driver can't say no.  They actually don't know where you're going until you're in the vehicle.  The fee is set before you get in the vehicle.  You also get to rate the driver and if the drivers rating is too low, they're let go from the company thus you don't end up with crazy drivers trying to murder you or driving like maniacs.

 

So, yes, the benefits are pretty huge.

[Grumpy Duck]

15 hours ago, robblok said:

Let them go to BKK and catch taxi drivers that refuse the meter or refuse as the place they want to go to is not convenient. If they want Uber and others not to emerge make sure the current system works better. 

A friend of mine here will use Uber when going someplace where parking is bad. He is quite happy with them. He knows the total price before the vehicle is dispatched, & they charge it directly to his card. No bickering with a driver. What about Grab? If a taxi doesn't have a meter or they say meter broken, I get out of the cab. 

[charmonman]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

While their service is convenient and affordable it is also illegal, said Somchai, noting that Uber is a foreign company.

Convenient and affordable. SO MAKE IT LEGAL THEN.

 

A foreign company? SO WHY DON'T THEY OUTLAW MACDONALDS AND KFC THEN?

 

The sheer stupidity of some of these pronouncements still amazes me.

[jacko45k]

Quote

Somchai Ratkaew, a local DLT inspection division chief said that Uber was causing a lot of problems in Pattaya.

I have another perspective. Uber drivers are solving transport problems for people and helping others make a living, when previously there was only a taxi system that refuses to use the meter, will attempt to price gouge and often provide an impolite service mafia style from a limited  number of locations.

 

[gk10002000]

On my first visit way back in 2004.  I hooked up with a girl. Her uncle or father or whatever had a car.  He drove us outside of town to the usual tourist sites.  We went to Nong Nooch one day, the 1million years park the next day, plus the gold buddha mountain and some other chinese pavilion I think it was.  I of course gave him the drive money for lunch each day as he went away and slept or whatever, then paid him a fair rate for driving us around.  Today, would that be considered an illegal use of his vehicle?  It wasn't arranged by Uber.  Similarly, if somebody local drives me around, are they likely to get stopped and hassled or arrested?  I have seen one or two articles about locals driving foreigners getting into trouble

[marquis22]

22 hours ago, johng said:

Shame they cant get the Pattaya taxis to actually use their meters !

And enforce seat belts in all taxis, and attached properly

[Sydebolle]

If the police and the army would do the job, then Somchai Ratkaew from the local DLT inspection division could be back at his place of work and ensure, that vehicles remain in drivable conditions.

Uber is a consequence of passengers being sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired dealing with the crooks of the Pattaya taxi mafia. The issue is not, that Uber was causing a lot of problems in Pattaya but the problem roots in this godforsaken corrupt environment. 

And, as the enclosed random selection of road side shots confirms, there is much more to be done for the Somchai all over the DLT in the Land - if they really care about drivable condition of vehicles.