Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi driver overcharged on a Thai holy day

Photo via BBIGPROGAMC

A Reddit user has posted about an experience of using a Taxi service in Bangkok…

“Bangkok Scam on Vesak Day” (the Visakha Bucha Day Buddhist holiday). The user claimed the driver overcharged him and asked for a toll fee for the highway even though the toll was waived on the day.

On Monday the aggrieved passenger posted pictures of the taxi and explained how the driver “cheated” on a group called The Bangkok Community on the Reddit website.

The passenger said he was picked up by a pink taxi car from Chatuchak for a trip to the MBK shopping mall in downtown Bangkok on May 15, or Visaka Bucha Day, a sacred Buddhist holiday for Thais. The passenger said the taxi meter started at 50 baht instead of a standard rate of 35 baht, and the driver tried to hide the meter screen with the car’s gear stick and his hand. Then the driver asked for a toll fee of 100 baht, but the fee had actually been waived over the four day long weekend. In total, this passenger was charged 209 for the transportation and toll fees… a more accurate estimate should have been around 100 baht.

The victim posted… “How can a driver cheat on Vesak day? I always tip honest Thai, and it’s nothing about money!”

The distance from Chatuchak to MBK is about 17 kilometres along 1 main road.

Many other Reddit users shared similar taxi experiences on the post, and many Thai users felt inclined to apologise to the ‘victim’ about what had happened. Some of the Thai commenters noted that they also faced the overcharging even though they were Thai. Many also suggested use ride-hailing apps because they were considered both cheaper and safer.

The poster also replied in the comments section, responding to the Thai commenters that his story should reach the “relevant authorities”. The pictures in the post clearly identified the registration plate, driver registration number, and how the driver hid the meter screen. The driver may face some sort of retribution if Bangkok’s taxi authorities choose to chase it up.

The Thaiger recommends that, if your taxi driver doesn’t want to use the meter, has a ‘set fee’ to your destination, or starts the meter above the set 35 baht fee, politely refuse the ride and wait for another taxi. Or take the poster’s recommendation and use of of the ride-hailing apps now available around parts of Thailand.

SOURCE: Reddit | Khaosod

Bangkok NewsThailand News

Thaiger Talk

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

Related Articles