Passengers victimised by taxi with fake meter in Thailand

The passenger in a taxi in Bangkok, Thailand, filmed the meter rising at a suspicious speed and posted it on Twitter, asking people, "Is this normal?"

The passenger said they got into the taxi at Don Mueang airport and the meter had already reached 347 baht (9.44 euros) when they approached the Din Daeng Expressway.

When the taxi driver saw that the passenger was filming the meter, she suddenly turned it off, while there was still some time to go before they reached their destination, the passenger said.

The passenger paid the expensive bill and said he regretted not asking for a receipt.

However, they noticed that the taxi's number plate started with '1มก' and advised others not to take the expensive taxi if they saw it.

The clip has been sent to the Ministry of Transport and Airports of Thailand (AOT) but has not yet received a response.

Taxi drivers in Thailand are required by law to set the fare using the taxi meter.

However, taxi drivers in Bangkok often ask the passenger to agree a higher price before the start of the journey, often citing traffic, to avoid using the meter and earn more money, hoping that the passenger, especially if he or she is a tourist, is not aware of the law.

This case comes on the heels of the story of a Thai motorbike taxi driver in Pattaya who handed over to the police a foreigner's wallet that he had found with about 488 euros inside.

The AOT recently indicated that it had entered into negotiations with Grab to address the shortage of taxis at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.

Tourists are returning in force, but only 500 of the 2,500 registered taxis at Don Mueang airport are actually in service, according to AOT chairman Nitinai Sirisatthakarn.

Source: The Thaiger