News Forum - Traveller calls police over high fare charged by Phuket taxi driver

[Thaiger]

If you’ve been to Phuket, you’ve probably paid way too much for a taxi. Now, one Thai traveller claims a Phuket taxi driver ripped him off by charging a fare of 600 baht and even got the police involved to sort out the situation. He filmed confrontations with the police and taxi driver, posting the videos on Facebook and drawing criticism on the island’s notoriously high taxi fares. The traveller had tried to book a ride through the application Bolt to get back to his hotel, but he says the driver refused service because he was afraid of the taxi […]

The story Traveller calls police over high fare charged by Phuket taxi driver as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Cabra]

Sort of surprised (not surprised) at Thai people treating other Thai people this way. Covid brings out the worse. Goes to show just how hard times have fallen on the folks most reliant on foreign tourist. My girlfriend used to yell at the BKK taxi drivers "I'm Thai people" whenever this would happen, and she usually got her way.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

....and what was the outcome? Did I miss that part?

Was the taxi driver correct in his statement that he was not afraid of the police? 

Is this only a story because it was captured on video?

[Chriscpg]

Welcome to Thailand. Land of smiles my ar..

I've noticed over the past 8 years of living here how violent people have become and how little another person's life is actually worth. A lot of angry people on very short fuses here. 

[Sawarot]

This. 

This is why going to Phuket leaves a bad taste in your mouth. 

Thailand is great. But this is just monumental stupidity. 

[mediagator]

I've been spending more time in Hua Hin since the grab and taxis are fair priced here. I love going to Phuket but I wouldn't leave the resort because of these scam mafia taxis.

[Lowseasonlover]

It's well known the taxi's have a firm grip on the island, you cannot send a taxi from Rawai to a hotel anywhere else on the island to pick up, not allowed, 

[LandOfSmiles]

I wonder if he had to pay the police, too.

[Rob2010]

I don't understand the bit about the taxi not willing to use Grab. By virtue of them accepting your ride they have agreed the fare - it's there for both parties to see on the App. Recently sandboxed on Phuket and found Grab a real game changer in terms of taxi fares in Thailand, certainly Phuket. Would wholeheartedly recommend it.

[Noble_Design]

Sort of explains why one of my colleague is willing to drive all the way from Bkk to Phuket rather than fly there and get potentially scammed by the taxis

[Sawarot]

13 minutes ago, Rob2010 said:

I don't understand the bit about the taxi not willing to use Grab. By virtue of them accepting your ride they have agreed the fare - it's there for both parties to see on the App. Recently sandboxed on Phuket and found Grab a real game changer in terms of taxi fares in Thailand, certainly Phuket. Would wholeheartedly recommend it.

Many Grab drivers don't dare to drive into Patong for fear of being beaten or killed by regular (organised) taxi drivers. In this case the police should have offered to accompany the Grab driver, but I don't think that would have alleviated the driver's fears. 

[Sawarot]

11 minutes ago, Noble_Design said:

Sort of explains why one of my colleague is willing to drive all the way from Bkk to Phuket rather than fly there and get potentially scammed by the taxis

You could theoretically rent a vehicle once you get there. I hear there are a few rental places that are NOT out to scam you. 

[Sawarot]

When I get that old "meter not working" spiel I usually just say, "oh so it's not working as a taxi anymore, you have to get it repaired, sorry" and dismiss it. The driver is usually very confused by this and insists he can drive me. "Sorry but if there's no meter it's not a taxi, it's just a car. "

[HolyCowCm]

As far as I have ever experienced, this crap has been like this for a couple of decades as long as I can remember going to Phuket. Tuk Tuk's are mafia crap-holes and Taxi motorcyles I have been ok for a couple of times to get a better price, but not by much. 

[Alanteff]

The main reason I don't visit Phuket any more. Worse place for blatant scams.

[Malc-Thai]

I never use the tuk tuk's in Patong but One night it started raining.. I needed to go 700 metres. I asked a tuk tuk he walked me to his tuk tuk the oldest heap there and wanted ฿1000 up front! I said I live here not a tourist and price dropped to ฿600! .. the fare is normally minimum ฿200 .. I declined and walked in the warm rain 

[Grumpish]

In spite of the occasional conciliatory noises from the authorities, no-one has ever shown any will to actually deal with the Phuket taxi mafia, and the problem goes back decades, it is nothing new.

[TimAn]

37 minutes ago, Malc-Thai said:

I never use the tuk tuk's in Patong but One night it started raining.. I needed to go 700 metres. I asked a tuk tuk he walked me to his tuk tuk the oldest heap there and wanted ฿1000 up front! I said I live here not a tourist and price dropped to ฿600! .. the fare is normally minimum ฿200 .. I declined and walked in the warm rain 

What would have happened if you can speak Thai? Guess will be 400 Baht? Just Guess

[Jason]

I was warned by a former Thai girlfriend to never take a taxi ride with an old driver. Tuk Tuks are fine for tourists to go for a ride to say "I went in a Tuk Tuk". They aren't a daily form of transport. Rent a motorbike at a reasonable rate and all you have to look out for a young bucks on high powered motorbikes (read temporary Thais)

[nobusinessofurs]

4 hours ago, Sawarot said:

This. 

This is why going to Phuket leaves a bad taste in your mouth. 

Thailand is great. But this is just monumental stupidity. 

I can say I've never been, and never plan to.

[LoongFred]

It's not just taxis  Phuket is full of scams even the street noodle vendors are greedy with both Thais and falangs. Although common in all tourist  areas Phuket is pretty bad. 

They try in Chiang Mai but their are better choices everywhere. I'm a generous person and  can leave heavy tips for good service but would never negotiate the tip, especially up front.

I once years ago (35+) gave a taxi a tip of 100baht for a 10 baht ride because  he was so good. I'll never forget how he navigated his way, was always safe (my smallbchildren were with me) and immediately tried to make change. We were leaving the next day and I told him if we weren't leaving I'd hire him daily if we weren't leaving. We left friends.

[kalyan]

Pathetic, is this situation is going to Improve ?  never, taxi drivers are in loose, this is not only in Thailand it is the same in other countries too.

However if you say Phuket is ready for tourist, a significant percentage needs to cut of the menace.

Land of Smiles to Land of smile and Loot.

[Guevara]

Outside Nigeria, Ghana, Phuket and Pattaya is scam central. Avoid at all costs.

[DiJoDavO]

That's one reason why I've got my driver's license and car in Thailand. Problem solved

[DiJoDavO]

3 hours ago, TimAn said:

What would have happened if you can speak Thai? Guess will be 400 Baht? Just Guess

Whenever you don't want to be scammed, just speak Thai as much as you can, so they see you are not a clueless tourist. Always worked for me.