BANGKOK, THAILAND – A family taxi ride in Bangkok ended in a nightmare after a driver harassed his passengers, hurled racist remarks and realized too late he had not switched on the meter.
Family’s app-booked ride turns hostile
The family had booked the taxi via a ride-hailing app to travel from Prawet to their accommodation near Wat Ratchakosa. The driver, identified only as Somchai, reportedly showed aggressive behavior from the outset. As they got in, he complained about an alleged smell of cigarettes, even though no one in the group smoked and three of the five passengers were children.
Escalating anger during the journey
During the roughly hour-long trip, the driver kept shouting, accusing the family of causing him to lose his way and growing increasingly angry. On arrival, he suddenly realized he had forgotten to switch on the taxi meter, which meant no official fare had been recorded. Instead of apologizing, he further escalated the situation and began verbally attacking the passengers again.
Racist remark and demands for ID
According to the family, the confrontation took a racist turn when the driver asked whether they were from Cambodia and then demanded to see their identity cards.
“Are you Cambodians?”
said Somchai, the taxi driver, before reportedly asking to inspect their IDs. Fearing for their safety, the daughter secretly started recording the scene on video and left the vehicle with the children immediately after paying the fare.
Mother posts video in drivers’ Facebook group
The mother, Tiphawan, who was looking after a sick child, received a desperate phone call and rushed to the location. She claimed the taxi briefly returned and stopped again, appearing as if the driver wanted to confront her further before driving away. Shocked by the incident, Tiphawan later posted the video in a taxi drivers’ Facebook group.
Call for apology instead of police case
She stressed that her own husband was also a taxi driver and would never behave like that toward passengers, especially women and children. Despite the ordeal, the family decided not to file a police complaint, citing the driver’s advanced age as the reason.
“All I wanted was an apology and a change in behavior,”
said Tiphawan, the mother, adding that the family hoped the incident would serve as a lesson for him.
Driver previously praised on TV
In a twist, the same driver had been commended by Amarin TV in 2018 after returning forgotten valuables to a passenger. The contrast between that earlier recognition and the current allegations raised questions in the online discussion sparked by the shared video. Users in the Facebook group debated how a previously praised driver could be involved in such an incident.
Recent taxi disputes damage tourism image
The case was not isolated. Only a week earlier, a Japanese tourist reportedly booked an immediate return flight to his home country after a taxi driver at Suvarnabhumi Airport allegedly tried to overcharge him by nearly 2,000 baht (about 50 euros). Incidents like these were seen as seriously harming Thailand’s tourism image and leaving travelers feeling exploited and unsafe.
Authorities urged to act against rogue drivers
Thai authorities were called on to take tougher action against such rogue drivers in the industry to restore visitor confidence. Observers argued that stricter controls and clearer channels for passengers to report abuse were needed. The family’s video added to growing public debate over how well taxi passengers, particularly families and foreign tourists, were being protected in Bangkok.