Citing complaints about taxi drivers received by the Public Service Centre, the prime-minister said the bulk were about drivers who had not turned on meters. He noted that they then demanded a fare which was far more than it should have been for the distance travelled.
Other common gripes are that drivers are rude and unpleasant and that they drive dangerously or too fast. Social media sites in recent years have been loaded down with similar complaints from disgruntled passengers.
Chairing a meeting to deal with the problem of the bad publicity created by the recalcitrant drivers, general Chan-ocha said the posts on social media sites indicated that the problem was not just confined to Bangkok. He continued by saying the complaints showed there were similar issues in Chiang Mai, Phuket and other locations in Thailand.
The sheer number of complaints posted also show that more Thais considered they were being ripped off than foreigners. The 12GO ASIA travel team advises people taking metre taxis to and from bus and train stations to insist the driver uses the metre or to find one that will.
Thai prime minister demands action on scamming cab drivers
News in Asia
The prime-minister of Thailand has asked relevant officials to crack down on any taxi drivers caught cheating passengers. Prayuth Chan-ocha says the Ministry of Transport needs to take action against rogue cabbies who refuse to turn on their meters or work any other scams.