The Department of Land Transport released data on Sunday about the fines they issued in May. According to this data, they fined 1,283 professional drivers (that includes cabbies, moto dudes, van and bus drivers) for infractions ranging from speeding to failing to display their licenses, according to Bangkok Post.
However, what netizens are really getting a laugh over is that the lowest number of fines, only 38 of them, were issued for cabbies refusing to pick up passengers after hearing their destinations.
Every Bangkokian knows that, no matter where you’re headed, you’re likely to get turned down at least once before a taxi driver agrees to do his job and take you where you want to go.
One Bangkok Post commenter, flpatbkk, said, “Only 38 drivers were fined for not picking up passengers in May. That’s about one per day. I can stand in front of Indra Square, Central World, MBK or anywhere in the Siam area and see 38 people turned down in an hour. Not to mention the cabbies who hang around Sukhumvit and will take a “tourist” anywhere they need to go for about THB500. Why even publish these ridiculous figures? All they tell us is that the police are not doing their job. And yet they publish these figures as if they are the best of the best. 38 in one month, pitiful!”
While a user called “Gerald,” commented “Uber where are you? Put them all out of business.”
Last year, a drunk Thai man just wasn’t hearing “no” from a cabbie one more time. He climbed into a taxi and refused to get out after being rejected by 20 different drivers outside of MBK Center. He shoved his camera into the driver’s face and demanded to be driven home. The video went viral.
All we know is, we get turned down way more than 38 times a month.
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