Baht Bus Driver

Once upon a time Thailand used to be a very friendly and welcoming place. Perhaps, now everyone have the same stories to tell about Pattaya how they were tricked by a con-woman they picked up at a bar or how some people maliciously nicked every bit out of them.

Pattaya is a place where you have to be very careful and smart. Admittedly, Thailand is a land of smiles but sometimes these smiles can be very deceiving.

2 years ago I went to Thailand with a friend. Frequently, we were made to pay double the price of what Thai people were paying whether it is food, clothing or transportation. In Pattaya , even the baht bus drivers are big dodgers.

My friend and me we took a baht bus from south Pattaya road to Jomtien road. When we reached the place we were to get down I handed over 20 baht to the driver the fare for the 2 of us.

He told us that it would be 20 baht each I was perplexed because the Thai guy who got on the baht bus with us and got down at the same place paid 10 baht and why were we paying 20 baht each.

When I asked the driver he gave a nasty look and scornfully said “farang pay more”. I did not want to stoop down that low and start arguing with the driver in the middle of the road. I reluctantly gave him the fare and strode off. I fumed for a while about the incidence. It’s not about money but about principles.

Apparently, these incidences have been happening with a lot of tourists. Therefore, the Thai tourism government has come out with a fare list and driver’s license on the back of every baht buses for the welfare of the tourist. If the baht bus driver misbehaves or over charges you. You can report him to the nearest tourist police.

Submitted by : Farang
14-Oct-05

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Reader's comments:

I live in Pattaya, and have done so for 8 years Dual pricing is Government policy here. If you visit a national park with or with out an accompanying Thai you (the foriegner will pay 200 Baht they (the Thai s will pay 20 baht.
So the Baht bus drivers although Thieves are only following the official policy. Overcharging has long been the policy when most visitors were only interested in backpacking or cheap sex this was not a matter of great concern but now families and so called quality tourists are being encouraged to visit it is becoming a talking piont that will cost the tourism industry a lot of repeat buisness as the Thais say first time last time

Added by: Doug Pattaya Report abuse

Though I liked Thailand enough to come back another time, I found the general sense of ripping off foreigners there to be really demeaning and ultimatly degrading. As for the Thais are so poor why not just pay more mob on here, the same sorts of people drive up inflation and ruin places everywhere. Imagine the cries of discrimination, racism and whatever if in UK Thais were charged extra just for being who they are. It happens, but I hate it and prefer to walk than be ripped off at airport taxis or eat in cheap places than be taken for a fool. It s not a nice feeling that you can t trust anyone not to rip you off, but that is Thailand, I hate to say.

Added by: Peter G Report abuse

i posted on this site a while back about the cheating in thailand, lets face facts. every one i've come across while in thailand had their hand out for money. any misunderstandings etc, you are automaticly wrong because you are not thai, and yes everything is dual priced, lower for thai's and more costly for the rest of us. this practice is known by all of the officials and condoned/privately. i now vacation in other areas around thailand

Added by: sai sai Report abuse

Have you "never" been nicked in your home country? I know I have in the United States, not only by taxi drivers, and the occasional server at a restaurant or pub, but how about the screwing you take from your local, state, and federal gov't everyday?

Thinking back, I think I may have involuntarily "overpaid" for goods and services in each of the 39 countries AND all 50 United States I've travelled in.

Added by: kenandlat Report abuse

ok,i just read all the comments and yes i think that taxi drivers are tieves,but the point is not here the thing is when you see them how they live you give them more than what there asking.let me tell you a story it was my first day in thailand and i wanted to call to my famely i buyed a card but i didnt have 1 baht coins i had with me 20 baht the smallest money so i saw someone in the street and i asked him that if i give him 20baht paper money and he give me coins for 20 baht,do you know what he did he gave me 20 baht for free he refused to take the money from me,so all im saying is that they are poor people but can help you,i was surprised of that mans act no one in my country give me money.all im saying that we are all in vacation lets enjoy it thais are good people and very kind

Added by: thai lover Report abuse

10 pence or not the price is what it says at back of bus,if thats not enough they put prices up for everyone
not rip us guys off,nobody minds paying
just pisses you off when you know theyre asking for more just cause your a westerner after all they really need our money more than we need them as we can go anywhere we choose with our western money

Added by: Anonymous Report abuse

monkey, just to put you on the right path with moto taxis, the usual price [for short journeys] is 20 baht longer trips extra. just so you dont get into trouble with the moto mafia

Added by: mike uk Report abuse

ithink you are missing the point. 1 million visitors visit pattaya in any 1 year if 20 per cent are getting ripped off thats a lot of yours and my cash, so dont be so smug and say that tourists are complaining over 10 pence or 17 cents these bhat bus drivers make good cash if they are so badly done to, why are they parked in a line outside of the back of royal garden plaza and the rear of mike stores when the could be cruising for legitimate fares. get real and look greed in the eye and not at your feet.

Added by: mike uk Report abuse

Just one thing to say to Martha - Not all foreigners in Thailand are on holiday. Many are English teachers who work for less than a third of what they earn in the West and are doing a lot of good for Thai people, they don't have lots of "cash to flash" and can only afford to go out once in a blue moon, so no It isn't really fair is it.

Added by: Paul Report abuse

Just one question, I have been to Pattaya and I know that the taxi/bus drivers do try and rip you off but hey your taking about 10 baht. Translate that in to Sterling, how much is that? Your taking about 10 pence.
If you compare their exchange rate to UK or US then its easy to see that there currency is worth so little over here.
If you get a taxi from Bangkok to Pattaya you pass many sites and places where poverty is clearly evident with people living in slums and begging on the street.
Thailand is third work country.
While Pattaya is rapidly being built up as a major tourist area it is still poor.

Its pretty arrogant of Westerners to come over stay in plush hotels, flash their cash at any means then complain when they are ripped off a whole 10 pence.

I for one even though I may be a student on a small income do not degrudge paying an extra amount for goods and services whilst on holiday while the locals who survive on little pay less.

Added by: Martha Report abuse

so true, i have visited thailand and pattaya for 5 years. because of all of the cheating to farangs which the police know about and do nothing to stop this abuse, i will now go to different countrys for my vacations

Added by: sai sai Report abuse

on one of my trips to back to the airport from pattaya, I started talking to the meter taxi driver i had hired from rank in south pattaya for the price of 850 baht he explained that all of these ranks that show 800 or 850 to airport are run by mafia and demand 500 fee from driver for finding passenger for his return to bangkok.
So on my last trip i decided I will try save the taxi driver paying the mafia on find one who had just dropped someone off. just as I got into his cab we were surrounded by angry baht bus drivers. I tryed to explain that I wanted to go to airport and that they could not take me in their baht bus. but no they would not let him take me. they nearly attacked the meter taxi driver I had to hold them off until he was clear to drive away without me. it seems to me as the mafa and the baht bus driver are one and the same. never again will i travel in a baht bus i would sooner take a motorcycle taxi than give 10 baht to them.

Added by: Monkey Report abuse