Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi driver overcharged on a Thai holy day
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.
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