Video: "Welcome to Chiang Mai" - tourists forced to leave GrabCar as tempers flare

[lvr181]

"Mafia" same same all over the country! 

[wimpy]

1 hour ago, harrycallahan said:

It is known as a disruptive technology. 

In an industry that was long overdue for some much needed disruption.

[Burma Bill]

10 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

Yet again - Thai (mafia) protectionism.

[suzannegoh]

5 hours ago, jesimps said:

Yes but we have baht buses. We also have plenty of entertainment, no smog and a good immigration office.

Pattaya is better in those ways but Chiang Mai has better beaches.

[oldlakey]

Time to start cloning Big Joke

[sawadee1947]

11 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

Don't be sorry and negative. Since we got a capable PM everything is getting better... Huh, was it a dream only? ????

[HHTel]

4 hours ago, Derek B said:

Is GRAB illegal in Thailand?

I thought UBER had to leave which left Grab approved.

Grab and Uber merged to form one hailing service (Grab) and was approved by the DLT in 2017 provided their cars were properly registered.

[ajarnmarc]

It would seem the simplest of ways to do away with undesirable forms of transportation, 

is to not use them.

It is impossible for SongTails/ TukTuks to see what they have done, 

when people still continue to use their services.

If we continue to support that madness, 

the madness will remain.

There is very little if any value in the service which they provide.

It's the most basic from of service which one can receive, 

and yet they feel as though they are doing us a favor of accepting our money.

I've always been amazed at the BKK taxis on how they think this is their place to decorate, 

freshener their vehicles, or at times, even worship the ride from within.

Riders should be appalled by it all, it's so overwhelming, 

and at times disgusting to put it mildly.

So when they refuse to even start the meter, 

it's like the last straw.

I'm compelled to exit anyway I can, 

as quick as I can.

This is before Grabcab came along, 

now at least there is some form of an alternative, 

but the competition still feel they must get their share or at least their word in.

Harmony is not a way of thinking within this country, 

sadly... It's either their way or get out!

With the exception of the mighty Chinese it would seem.

They appears, especially as of lately to be given a pass, 

bow to get away with whatever they wish, 

and forgiven for all their shortcomings, 

even though none of it would be excepted within their home country.

 

 

 

[ChakaKhan]

The Internet will be the demise of thais, the gift and the curse of facebook addicts.....

[bander]

16 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Some welcome !, why does Thailand keep shooting itself in the foot,

surely there's enough tourists around for everyone to make a living,

There will never be a real public transport system in Chiang Mai,as

the Tuk-Tuk ,and Red truck drivers will not allow it,and this has been

going on for years.

regards worgeordie

Taxi and bathbus drivers are jealous at Grab taxi but don't make any effort to upgrade their own service. Instead they keep on ripoff customers and start a fight if you tell them to stop cheating. A bunch of a-holes who destroy the tourist reputation of Thailand.

[Mangkhut]

One of the reasons I avoid taxis, tuktuks and similar transportation as the plague while in Thailand. I rather walk hours in scorching heat than use those bloody cockroaches....

There are however good, honest, reliable drivers of course - but they are far between unfortunately.

[unamazedloso]

If someone picks up a pole to start causing damage thats where i drop clutches and atart running people down. Theres no real police in Thailand and this is the result.

Grab is better. We will never use normal smelly, drug addict driving, non meter using, perverted commoner taxis.

[The Teacher]

21 hours ago, rossd said:

What a bloody moron!!!

All in a days work for these taxie morons

[RichardColeman]

In all fairness, he is probably on replicating ona smaller scale what his government is teaching him to do.

[dorchester]

Wait until you get to vietnam.Need to go to airport? Better leave 6hrs early.The grab taxi's are complety lost when it comes to navigation,even when using google maps/Gps with the ear piece. 

[brianthainess]

No police in sight at an airport,???? oh yer air con is inside.

[oldlakey]

5 minutes ago, dorchester said:

Wait until you get to vietnam.Need to go to airport? Better leave 6hrs early.The grab taxi's are complety lost when it comes to navigation,even when using google maps/Gps with the ear piece. 

Try one of the alternatives

[car720]

15 hours ago, chang1 said:

So who ends up paying for that? Just because you had to pay it, does not mean it is a good system needing to be kept going. GPS means anyone can find their way around. Police checks are good and cheap. More regular car safety checks fairly cheap. Grab and Uber could easily implement these. As for half a million dollars - pointless and just used to justify high fares.

I have never used grab but next time in LOS I will. Grab seams to get far less complaints than taxis and tuk tuks but there are not as many of them.

I have traveled to many countries and taxis are by far the most annoying things I have to deal with. I will say that in developed countries taxi drivers are great and rarely give any problems but they do cost a fortune.

The taxi driver ends up paying for that.  It is charged directly by the government.  The taxi driver only makes what is on the meter which is also set by the government.

[harada]

This moron picked a bad time to spit his dummy at the airport right on top of the Chinese <deleted> slapping incident, bring on the light rail in Chiang Mai.

[toenail]

Sad the local “taxi” or tuk-tuk drivers cannot understand why many people prefer to use their smartphones and book a “Grab” or “Uber” ( not found in SE Asia)  1) Reliable drivers that are rated by the customer 2) clean cars 3) well groomed drivers 4) no nonsense in price 5) a feeling of confidence since the driver is held accountable whereas a driver with the taxi mafia is not

[klauskunkel]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the owner of the tuk-tuk that was rented to Rungroj would also face a fine of Bt2,000 for allowing a person without such a licence to drive his public-transport vehicle.

I bet he is quaking in his bootsies right about now...

[zzidenn]

13 hours ago, Grusa said:

Correct me if I am wrong - I am sure somebody will - but I believe there is a difference between Grab Taxi and Grab Car. The former is a regular taxi, with or without meter, but at least you know the cost up front, and it's Legal.  Grab Car is an unlicensed private car, like Uber, cheaper, and possibly/probably illegal, but again you know the cost upfront but with a better chance to be shot in the head. Then there's Grab Tuk Tuk, Motocy, Delivery, Prostitute, etc., wouldn't know about them!

 

I am just back from atriparound Australia. My impression of taxis there, in even the skankiest towns, one number nationwide to call a taxi, courteous service, vehicles vary from very good to atrociously old and filthy, drivers in the boonies very good and knowledgeable, in fhe cities clueless immigrants, the GPS and Communications systems are awesome including payment by EPOS, expensive and all suffer from the supplementary charges for airport pick-up/delivery. 

I tried Uber, no response, useless - in Sydney, at least.

Grab car is more expensive than grab taxi as it provides better cars and nicer drivers.  I‘m a platinum member after a year of usage and i get rides almost immediately in downtown Bkk.  Grab is amazing and i feel safe and calm when taking a ride, regular taxis tend to smell, the drivers are picky and capricious half of the time and need constant input if the destination is too difficult for them.

[BEngBKK]

Taxi and tuk tuk drivers are not most educated people..
The art is to spot the okay once and stay away from the bad....

The only confort is that the taxi and tuk tuk drivers con everybody....
Not only tourist and farrangs....

[Galactus]

grab is a half foreign owned company providing illegal services and their service is never great as they say as well.

and it steals the jobs of locals and money goes to Singapore possibly tax free?

I never understand the logic of calling a grab taxi in a bus station where there are lots of other taxis.

for what, for paying 30 baht less?

Grab Taxi should be closed bc it is illegal. Legal taxi guys pay tax and pay to mafia and pay for queue and all. grab taxi guys pay nothing.

If you were in the same situation, you do the same to protect your turf and to feed your family. easy to speak from here.

[murraynz]

some of these thai men are sooo disgusting..they ARE scary because they have minimal intelligence..

life is cheap in thailand...its not worth confronting them because of this...

there are no'laws' to 'sort them out'

[phkauf]

So I take it that only foreigners are the ones which "Harm the reputation of Thailand".

These taxi drivers just add to the Charm of Thailand. Should put them in the TAT brochures - Come to Thailand and get watch someone get assaulted!!

[ronaldo0]

Just now, phkauf said:

So I take it that only foreigners are the ones which "Harm the reputation of Thailand".

These taxi drivers just add to the Charm of Thailand. Should put them in the TAT brochures - Come to Thailand and get watch someone get assaulted!!

Yeah you cant say anything , share anything on facebook or say anything bad about anything be it true or not . Otherwise you will be hunted down and prosecuted and jailed .

But its fine to scare the life out of tourists in the back of a taxi by threatening their driver and dragging him out of his car !!

[hobz]

31 minutes ago, Galactus said:

grab is a half foreign owned company providing illegal services and their service is never great as they say as well.

and it steals the jobs of locals and money goes to Singapore possibly tax free?

I never understand the logic of calling a grab taxi in a bus station where there are lots of other taxis.

for what, for paying 30 baht less?

Grab Taxi should be closed bc it is illegal. Legal taxi guys pay tax and pay to mafia and pay for queue and all. grab taxi guys pay nothing.

If you were in the same situation, you do the same to protect your turf and to feed your family. easy to speak from here.

For paying hundreds less. 

For ease of communication.

 

Protect their turf?? How about start using the meter .. if they use the meter I would go with them.. just like I do in BKK... At least in BKK more than 50% use meter... In Chiang Mai it's 0%.

 

[Wallander4]

Chiang Mai 0.4

[nahkit]

10 hours ago, The manic said:

I remember those days well. Taxis did not pick up black people. They did nott pick up long hairs. They did not go 'Souf of de Watah'. There was never enough cabs to meet the needs of customers coming out of clubs in Manchester and London.  The original 'Taxi Mafia'. THANK GOD FOR UBER!

I well remember the "South of the water" crap they used to spout. I was with the wife, our two-year old daughter and a bunch of suitcases when they pulled that one and told me I would have to pay extra (it was evening time).

 

When we got to our destination I unloaded the suitcases and handed the driver the exact money he'd asked for at which he exclaimed "what, no tip?".

 

My reply was, "here's a tip for you, next time get up off your a**e and help the customer with their cases".