Bangkok taxi driver filmed harassing family and demanding ID

A Thai taxi driver reportedly harassed a group of passengers during a ride in Bangkok yesterday, January 27, after forgetting to activate the fare metre and demanding to see their identification.

The incident came to light after the Facebook page “อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้รีเทิร์น รีเทริน์ part 7” shared a video originally recorded by one of the passengers, the daughter of the woman, Tiphawan, who later posted the encounter in a taxi driver Facebook group.

According to Tiphawan, the group had booked the taxi together via a ride-hailing application to travel from the Prawet area to accommodation near Wat Ratchakosa. The driver, identified as Somchai, began displaying aggressive behaviour from the moment he accepted the booking.

Her daughter, who was in the taxi with her younger sister, partner, and their two daughters, said the driver began complaining immediately after they entered the vehicle. He allegedly accused them of bringing a cigarette smell into the car, even though no one in the group smoked and three of the five passengers were children.

Throughout the ride, which lasted about an hour, the driver reportedly scolded the group and blamed them for getting him lost. He used offensive language and became increasingly aggressive as they approached their destination.

Upon arrival, he realised he had forgotten to activate the fare metre and began verbally attacking the group again. At one point, he asked them, “Are you Cambodian?” before demanding to see their ID cards.

Concerned for their safety, the woman’s daughter began recording a video and promptly exited the vehicle with the children after paying the fare.

Tiphawan, who was in a room caring for another sick daughter at that time, said she rushed to the scene after receiving a distressed call. She claimed that the taxi briefly returned and stopped again as if to confront them further, but then drove off.

She later posted the video to a Facebook group for taxi drivers, expressing concern over the incident. Her husband is reportedly also a taxi driver, and she noted that he would never behave in such a way toward passengers, particularly women and children.

She said she initially considered filing a complaint or going to the police but decided not to, citing the driver’s age and stating that all she wanted was an apology and a change in his behaviour.

Amarin TV reported that the same driver was praised in 2018 after returning a passenger’s lost belongings, a case that once cast him in a positive light.

In similar news, just last week, a Japanese tourist said he booked a return flight home immediately after being overcharged nearly 2,000 baht by a Thai taxi driver at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.