Pattaya mayor orders probe into taxi overcharge during fireworks festival

A crisis involving an alleged overcharge by a motorbike taxi driver during the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival on Friday, November 24 has prompted immediate action from Pattaya Mayor, Poramase Ngamphichet. He has instructed the local police to investigate the incident involving a passenger charged more than 1,600 baht for a short journey, sparking outrage amongst locals.

Previously, a 35 year old musician named Chumpol Meesri complained to Pattaya police. He detailed that he had utilised a motorbike taxi service from an Esso gas station in South Pattaya to Pattaya Beach for the fireworks event. The driver, who Chumpol suspected to be from another town, demanded over 1,600 baht (US$45) for two services.

The total journey was just 8 kilometres, which equates to a staggering 200 baht per kilometre, a price point far beyond the norm. When Chumpol challenged the driver over the exorbitant fee, the driver defended the cost, stating it was a standard charge during festival times. Unconvinced by the driver’s reasoning, Chumpol took the matter to the Pattaya police.

Upon hearing about the incident on November 25, Mayor Poramase immediately coordinated with Pattaya Police Station superintendent, Thanaphong Phothi, urging an immediate investigation into the matter, reported The Pattaya News.

The investigative team managed to identify the driver as Duriya Kamnan by examining Chumpol’s digital bank transfer receipt. When shown a picture of Duriya, Chumpol confirmed that he was indeed the driver who had demanded the inflated fee.

According to Thanaphong, Duriya has committed two offences: using a personal motorcycle for public passenger transport and charging an unfair fee above the rates specified in the Ministry of Transport regulations.

Presently, Pattaya police are working diligently to locate Duriya. To prevent such incidents from recurring, a meeting of the relevant agencies has been scheduled. The objective is to devise strategies that ensure the safety of passengers and enforce fair practices for transportation services in the region.

In light of the recent incident and the ongoing investigation, the Pattaya community is hopeful for swift justice and an efficient resolution to prevent similar incidents in the future.