TCL fines Ubon-Bangkok VIP bus operator for overselling seats
The Transport Company Ltd (TCL) has fined an operator of the Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok VIP tour bus 50,000 baht and mandated ticket refunds for passengers.
This penalty arose from overselling tickets, causing discomfort for passengers who were forced to endure overcrowded conditions, prompting some to disembark mid-journey.
TCL responded to a Facebook post detailing a passenger's harrowing experience: "Upon purchasing tickets for a VIP tour bus, priced at a thousand baht, the seat was shockingly unbearable. We requested to disembark mid-journey. What was meant to be a VIP experience turned into a disaster."
Upon receiving the complaint, TCL conducted an investigation revealing that the bus in question was operated by a member of the Entrepreneur Group, Route 25, servicing the Bangkok-to-Ubon Ratchathani route.
The complainants, travelling from Yasothon province to Bangkok on April 24, purchased tickets at the standard rate, only to find that the bus operator had sold more tickets than seating capacity could comfortably accommodate.
As a result, TCL imposed a 50,000 baht fine for non-compliance with company regulations and instructed the bus operator to compensate for all damages, alongside issuing ticket refunds to affected passengers.
In response to the directive, passengers who encountered disparities between the advertised VIP service and the actual conditions on board, including being relegated to back seats, took to Facebook to share that the bus driver had reached out to them, offering apologies and refunding 1,000 baht for the tickets.
