Fare game: Thai man fights taxi overcharge at Krabi Airport
A Thai man lodged a complaint at the Ministry of Interior after a taxi driver at Krabi International Airport attempted to overcharge him 2,500 baht for a 12-kilometre trip. The actual taxi fare is 400 baht.
The 30 year old man visited Krabi Provincial Damrongtham Centre, under the Ministry of Interior, yesterday, June 25, to report the cheating taxi driver. The man refused the driver’s service but wanted to report the matter to prevent it from happening again.
The man recounted arriving at Krabi Airport from Bangkok around 10am on June 22. The taxi driver approached and asked about his destination. He told the driver he wanted to go to Krabi Provincial Hall, about 14 kilometres from the airport.
The taxi driver stated the fare was 2,500 baht, claiming it would take over two hours due to traffic. The driver then offered a discount, reducing the fare to 1,800 baht.
The man found this still too expensive and refused, asking his family to pick him up instead. Channel 7 reported that the actual fare for the trip should be only about 400 baht.
Believing it was unfair for taxi drivers to take advantage of visitors, the man filed a complaint with the Damrongtham Centre.
The centre’s director, Umaporn Charnnarong, assured the victim that justice would be served. The centre would investigate the case and find a solution to protect the province’s reputation and Thai tourism. Umaporn urged passengers experiencing similar issues to report them via the 24-hour hotline 1567.
In a related report in May, a Bangkok taxi driver demanded 2,000 baht for a trip from Bang Khae district to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which normally costs only 300 baht. The foreign passenger publicised the issue, demanding authorities find a solution.
In another case, a Japanese man was charged 6,000 baht by a tuk tuk driver for a short trip from Asoke to Thaniya in Bangkok’s Silom district. The driver was later arrested and fined for fraud.
Even a police commander was cheated by a Bangkok taxi driver. Fortunately, the officer caught the driver using a modified turn signal switch to manipulate the meter, rapidly increasing the fare.
