A Thai taxi driver has burst into tears saying that what an English teacher said about him and his service is mostly untrue.
Danny Mac – who runs a YouTube channel teaching English – had made a video about his experience travelling from the airport to his condo after a trip to Chiang Mai on Tuesday.
Speaking in excellent Thai, Danny recounted how the driver had at first refused to turn on the meter, had asked for several hundred baht for tolls that would amount to less than 100 baht, then finally refused to give back 75 baht change telling the foreigner that he was mean and stingy.
The clip only shows the end of the journey – most of the story is recounted later by the passenger talking to the camera in Thai.
Tourist police have now arrested the driver Thongkham, 50 who was interviewed and said that his side of the story was different to what had actually been said.
He admitted that he was impolite but what the farang said in his later recorded clip was not all true.
He started by saying that he has had an unblemished career as a taxi driver and was even featured on Channel 7 as a fine driver.
He claimed that he asked the passenger if he wanted to go for 500 or turn on the meter and when he said the latter that is what he did.
He said at the entrance to the expressway he asked for 100 baht and was given that.
He did not ask for 300 as was claimed, he said, and was not eventually given 200 for the three tolls that would have to be paid.
“I thought it was all over,” said Thongkham. “I didn’t expect this to go online. I have a wife and kids. I have put the kids through university while being a taxi driver for the last 20 years. I have had only praise and been helpful and good at all times.
“What a headache – I love being a taxi driver…now this. What a headache – my life is being ruined by all this!”
Comment about the clip and the issue online has been huge, especially as the foreigner in this case spoke in excellent and reasoned Thai making for little chance of misunderstanding.
The poster of the clip is said to have been in Thailand just 2 years and it has been reported earlier that his English service on YouTube is free.
Times comment:- It would appear that the taxi driver has a problem because the “farang” has come across as being very credible. However, you can’t take one person’s word over another without concrete proof. But of course, this is Thailand !
(Source:-Sanook)