Pattaya taxi rider criticised after arguing with Russian women over fare
A Pattaya app-based motorcycle taxi rider took to social media to condemn two Russian women for refusing to pay an additional fare for travelling together, but many netizens disagreed with him and instead condemned the rider for breaking traffic laws by carrying two passengers on a single motorcycle.
The rider, whose identity has not been disclosed, shared a video online showing him confronting the two foreign passengers, who were reported to be Russian nationals. In the clip, the rider was heard complaining about the situation and said:
“Look at these two women. They travelled together but paid only for one person.”
In the video, the two women were seen walking away while the rider continued filming them. One of the women later turned back and asked him, “What do you want from me? You want more?”
She then pulled a 20-baht banknote from her bag and handed it to the rider. However, he refused to take the money and instead shouted vulgarities at her.
According to information shared online, the two Russian women booked the journey via a ride-hailing application, which displayed the transport fare as 31 baht for the trip.
Public reaction to the video was divided. Some netizens sided with the Thai rider, arguing that the fare shown on the application was intended for only one passenger.
They said the women should have paid 62 baht if they were travelling together. Several motorcycle taxi riders in Pattaya commented that they frequently encounter similar situations, particularly involving Russian tourists.
However, many online users criticised the rider, stating that he should not have allowed two passengers to ride together in the first place, as doing so violates both traffic regulations and ride-hailing application rules.
Others suggested the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding and language barrier. They pointed out that the Russian woman appeared willing to pay extra when she took money from her bag, but the situation escalated due to poor communication.
In response to the backlash, the rider later released another video addressing the criticism. He admitted that his English communication skills were limited but claimed he used a translation application to explain to the women that travelling together would require paying double.
According to the rider, the correct fare should have been 62 baht, though he said he only requested 60 baht. He claimed the women paid him 40 baht upon arrival and walked away when he asked for an additional 20 baht. He also alleged that the woman only agreed to pay more after he began filming, but by then he was too angry to accept the money.
The rider further claimed that it is widely known among public transport operators in Pattaya that some foreign tourists, particularly Russians, attempt to avoid paying full fares.
He admitted that carrying two passengers violated traffic laws but asked netizens not to criticise him too harshly, stating that he charged extra to cover vehicle depreciation during the service.
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