News Forum - Pattaya motorcycle taxi rider threatens to kill 2 foreigners over fare dispute

[Thaiger]

Pattaya Police yesterday arrested a Thai motorcycle taxi rider after he turned into a knife-wielding thug after a row with two foreign passengers over fare prices. According to reports, the taxi driver threatened to kill both foreigners during the altercation. The incident kicked off on Pattaya Second Road near Soi 6/1 early yesterday evening. Pattaya …

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[Sawarot]

If the pricing is per person, why would the passengers choose to share a motorbike? I can understand if the drivers want extra money for transporting two people (especially two large farang), but drivers never ever seem to make it clear before the fare is agreed upon. So it feels like an intentional scam. I never share a motorbike taxi anymore. 

80 baht doesn't seem to be worth having a knife fight over though.
 

[Ramanathan.P]

It is ok...eventually all parties will apologize to each other and the issue is considered closed until the taxi rider wave his knife with another passenger. And it goes on like round robin game....Nothing will happen in the end. 

[Aussieroaming]

Nutter

[palooka]

The police have confirmed that legal action will be taken against the suspect, and his license and ability to operate as a motorbike taxi driver will also be affected.

that legal action will be taken, (when you get around to it)

BUT he is on the streets of Pattaya now.

RTP you have to take this sort of crap human out of circulation, NOT ohh we'll charge him next week, but he has the opportunity stab a few people until then.

[Guest1]

In his statement to the police, Worapol claimed that the passengers attempted to lower his fare to 40 baht per person, half of the originally agreed upon fare of 80 baht per person.

First: Probably a misunderstanding? He said 80 baht, meaning each person, they thought 80 baht, for a ride of two on one/his moto?

Second: How about, the police is charging him, but not only for the knife thing, but also to drive with 3 people, adults, on a moto? Plus checking, if he has 3 helmets? 

Last time I checked, THREE on a bike is extra mentioned, in the "not to" section, for driving a bike. 

And helmets are a "100%" thing, too.

So, if police really wanted, not only to show of, they could pull a couple of days of income out of the drivers pocket

[Skip]

Share the blame for the fare misunderstanding... but pulling a knife is beyond approval.

[Henry]

It always saddens me that people go into “Thai mode” when visiting. The argument was over £1. Should the fare be £2 or £1. Does it really matter?

It’s less than a coffee back home on the motorway or the service charge on a restaurant bill. If we rip you off in London we get laughed at if it’s for less than £100, over here its rarely more than a couple of quid. Chalk it down to experience, move on, save face and enjoy the rest of your day.

Try visiting America. Everywhere you turn it’s $5 tips for this, $10 tips for that and yet folks just seem to lap it up.

[Pinga]

80 baht per person is clearly an overpriced fare. They probably thought he meant 80 baht for both of them which is more reasonable. Sadly during Songkran drivers go into stupider-than-usual mode and think they deserve a raise. Rides that normally would be happy with 100 baht demand 200 baht, etc.

But anyway- trying to stab passengers over 80 baht is just nuts. That man needs to be taken off the road. I'm sure the tourists share some of the fault and were probably rude, but that does not justify violence, especially not when he was paid a fair fare anyway and was just being greedy.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Pinga

[Pinga]

1 hour ago, Henry said:

It always saddens me that people go into “Thai mode” when visiting. The argument was over £1. Should the fare be £2 or £1. Does it really matter?

Yes - it matters - for every foreigner that agrees to pay 2-3x times the price or more, there will be more drivers who demand exorbitant fares. I'm not saying go into combat mode over 40 baht - but also don't just accept any crazy amount they try to scam off of you - negotiate a fair fare ahead of the ride and everyone will be happy. (actually they should just use the meter, but that's pretty rare these days)

[Guest1]

6 hours ago, Henry said:

The argument was over £1. Should the fare be £2 or £1. Does it really matter?

 

If you wanna be part of the problem, of course not!

And now we think that through, put that in other countries, would you like to pay 100% more there?

You see, it might be a misunderstanding, but often it is business "as usual", because: some morons thought, "oh, it is just a dollar in my country, that is nothing for me". So it started!

[HolyCowCm]

7 hours ago, Pinga said:

80 baht per person is clearly an overpriced fare. They probably thought he meant 80 baht for both of them which is more reasonable. Sadly during Songkran drivers go into stupider-than-usual mode and think they deserve a raise. Rides that normally would be happy with 100 baht demand 200 baht, etc.

But anyway- trying to stab passengers over 80 baht is just nuts. That man needs to be taken off the road. I'm sure the tourists share some of the fault and were probably rude, but that does not justify violence, especially not when he was paid a fair fare anyway and was just being greedy.

80 baht is a lot to a Thai motorcylce taxi. 

[Alavan]

12 hours ago, Henry said:

It always saddens me that people go into “Thai mode” when visiting. The argument was over £1. Should the fare be £2 or £1. Does it really matter?

I wonder what distance a motorbike has to drive to get a fee of 160 Baht.

 

[Grumpish]

Misunderstanding, or rider trying it on? 80 baht sounds about right for that daytime trip though, and I have not come across riders quoting a per person fare before either. I did come across this with the taxis on Phuket though, years back when the fares were regulated and displayed (yes, that long ago), with the drivers deciding that the fare was actually per person - usually happened late at night.

Another reason for dumping taking taxis (car or bike) off the street and going with ride hailing apps, even if it means wasting a whole ten minutes. 

[HiuMak]

Pulling out a knife for a misunderstanding just show how this low life this thug is.

Why is he carrying a knife in the first place.

[JamesR]

This is the one strange thing in Thailand I never understand.

In many other countries in the world including the UK a person would be locked up just for carrying a knife, and attempting to stab someone with it would end up in jail for a few years.

I hear so many stories here in Thailand via the news (not personally) where a knife is involved.

I have just remembered, I did know a Thai who carried a gun on his ankle under his long trousers, he shot and killed a guy over a car parking incident, he drove off and was never caught, and he now has nightmares about it. 

[JamesR]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:52 PM, HolyCowCm said:

80 baht is a lot to a Thai motorcylce taxi. 

I would have paid the extra money, I would have considered it as the price to learn a simple lesson, and it would have caused me to make double sure of the price every time I took a taxi in the future.

But two farangs on the same motorbike, I would never do that, my life is worth more than a few baht in savings.

[ace035]

As much as possible avoid motorbikes, they all very dangerous, they don't even give you a chance to say something to them or argue the pricing which escalate into a violence of getting yourself hurt or killed. Take that B10 baht bus or walk

[HolyCowCm]

22 hours ago, JamesR said:

I would have paid the extra money, I would have considered it as the price to learn a simple lesson, and it would have caused me to make double sure of the price every time I took a taxi in the future.

But two farangs on the same motorbike, I would never do that, my life is worth more than a few baht in savings.

Rule of thumb is always ask first and understand or walk away. These 2 foreigner men really should have taken 2 motorcyle taxis if there was another one there available. Now I have a guess what nationality they are but won't state who I think as in what countries men would take a single bike and then try to save some baht. They got what they had coming and lucky to not have a trip to the hospital.

[Marc26]

9 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Rule of thumb is always ask first and understand or walk away. These 2 foreigner men really should have taken 2 motorcyle taxis if there was another one there available. Now I have a guess what nationality they are but won't state who I think as in what countries men would take a single bike and then try to save some baht. They got what they had coming and lucky to not have a trip to the hospital.

Made me think of last month

 

I had to take my step-son on my MB, so we could get him his MB

Dude was sitting up way too close to me

 

I said, "bro, your d*ck is up my ass, move back" 5555

[HolyCowCm]

17 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Made me think of last month

I had to take my step-son on my MB, so we could get him his MB

Dude was sitting up way too close to me

I said, "bro, your d*ck is up my ass, move back" 5555

Funny. Sometimes it is either too close to you or too far back on the seat and throws off the balance.

[Guest1]

On 4/17/2023 at 7:10 AM, JamesR said:

[...]

I have just remembered, I did know a Thai who carried a gun on his ankle under his long trousers, he shot and killed a guy over a car parking incident, he drove off and was never caught, and he now has nightmares about it. 

And you did not help him?

That he could face the consequences, by naming him at the next police station? So that he could get rid of the nightmares of the killing?

In prison?

 

[Guest1]

On 4/17/2023 at 7:24 AM, ace035 said:

Take that B10 baht bus or walk

Works well in Pattaya!

[ace035]

On 4/16/2023 at 10:19 PM, JamesR said:

I would have paid the extra money, I would have considered it as the price to learn a simple lesson, and it would have caused me to make double sure of the price every time I took a taxi in the future.

But two farangs on the same motorbike, I would never do that, my life is worth more than a few baht in savings.

I would too as a lesson learned, but if those 2 farangs are "Cheap Charlie", let them be, it is what it is.

[ace035]

On 4/17/2023 at 9:24 PM, HolyCowCm said:

Rule of thumb is always ask first and understand or walk away. These 2 foreigner men really should have taken 2 motorcyle taxis if there was another one there available. Now I have a guess what nationality they are but won't state who I think as in what countries men would take a single bike and then try to save some baht. They got what they had coming and lucky to not have a trip to the hospital.

Absolutely but there's nothing you can do when they are "Cheap Charlie"