News Forum - VIDEO: Bangkok taxi driver pulls out knife on Singaporean tourists

[Grumpish]

8 hours ago, ChrisS said:

Of course in most countries just having a knife like that available in your vehicle would be instant jail time. Not in Thailand it seems (unless maybe of course you are not Thai).

In  a lot of countries having more than a knife in your taxi is quite normal - I have seen guns in easy reach of the driver in some places (I think Manila was the first place I actually noticed it)

[astro]

On 7/15/2022 at 10:57 AM, Ramanathan.P said:

It is always good to take public transport as there is a straight line to the airport from the city. Just go to the nearest station and hop on the train....simple as that

You haven't thought this through.

Not everybody stays near a station. Then there is the small matter of maybe several pieces of luggage, for two persons in this case.

Not everybody is fit enough to log luggage around.

 

I'd be in serious trouble if I suggested to my missus we'd carry the suitcases down the Soi to the nearest bus station and then change to MRT and finally the train.

[Venusianhart]

15 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Grab isn't banned from dropping off

I took it in June

700 baht but was super early in the morning and my hotel was way up the soi so no taxis driving by

Yes, correct. They're not allowed to pick up at Airport s. In Chiang Mai, if you're youngish and without a face-saving Thai lady to worry about, you can easily walk a few hundred metres to the airport gates and get picked up from there. 

Chiang Mai was notorious for it's lazy cabbies and rip off baht buses before grab arrived. 

Covid all but ended them both. Good riddance!

Edited July 16, 2022 by Venusianhart

[Marc26]

13 minutes ago, Venusianhart said:

Yes, correct. They're not allowed to pick up at Airport s. In Chiang Mai, if you're youngish and without a face-saving Thai lady to worry about, you can easily walk a few hundred metres to the airport gates and get picked up from there. 

Chiang Mai was notorious for it's lazy cabbies and rip off baht buses before grab arrived. 

Covid all but ended them both. Good riddance!

By why would you bother when a taxi is 150 baht?

[dj230]

This is why I use grab, everything is charged in the phone, if theres any issues you just contact grab and get a refund.

 

 

[Guest1]

18 hours ago, bushav8r said:

You should assume most Thai males are armed with a knife of some sort and act accordingly.

You mean, we need to be prepared to strike first?

[HolyCowCm]

He looks like off duty military or police. Of course he paid to avoid more of the situation spot light. 

[HiuMak]

now he pays the price for showing the knife

[Cleite]

The punishment is not solid. There is a prison sentence for threatening someone with a knife in other countries. 3000 bat is also a funny punishment.

[kalyan]

wrong signals for tourism revivals, police needs to step in and advertise and bring confidence among the tourist.

One tourist wrong message would doom the nations economy by millions of dollers.

[Mazz11]

Unfortunately these reports of taxi driver rip offs and violence towards customers is going to damage the reputation of Thailand tourism.

The whole issue of trying to get a taxi driver to use the meter should be sorted with instant removal of licence if the driver refuses to turn on the meter. 

Another issuer is drivers refusing a fare if the passenger is not going to the drivers desired location or distance. I know this happens all over the world but it is an issue that really annoys me and seems to be very common in Thailand.

Better regulation of the industry is required in Thailand.

Taxi operators all over the world are complaining that companies like Grab and Uber are taking their business away but they created an opening by not providing a sufficient service. 

[HiuMak]

55 minutes ago, Mazz11 said:

Taxi operators all over the world are complaining that companies like Grab and Uber are taking their business away but they created an opening by not providing a sufficient service. 

Serve them right. Taxi companies do not take action against scammers Taxis, this is for the benefit of consumers