Someday all our taxis will be Lamborghinis

Everyone on the social media was puzzling all weekend over a photo from an accident scene on Rama IX Road that apparently showed the aftermath of a motorcycle colliding with a Lamborghini that was decked out like a meter taxi. You could tell it was the supercar from the broken right side mirror.

Well, Thai Rath Online has solved the mystery by tracking down the car’s owner – Maesai “Joe” Prapasawat – who explains that he has several supercars and decided to give his seven-year-old, Bt15-million Lamborghini the yellow-and-green livery of a taxi to, you know, make it stand out more. 

You would probably do the same thing if you owned several billion baht worth of cars.

In case you’re worried you might someday embarrass yourself by flagging down Joe’s “taxi”, rest assured. Apart from the unmistakable shape, the car has “Taxi Hiso-Life” on the side so people will know the difference. “The original colour is yellow, so I use green stickers to decorate it,” Joe says. Yes, we see that now.

Joe produces the TV show “Hiso Life” and was giving one its guests a fancy ride to the station. The show, airing Wednesdays at 10.30pm on Modernine, features well-to-do people sampling the lives of poor folks, like slaving at a construction site or selling junk in the streets. 

The accident was not part of the script, Joe swears. Chakrit Suppharat shared the snapshot from the scene online, adding, “No further details available”, but there was Joe slapping the motorcyclist, who apparently was unable to flee the scene fast enough. Amid many comments about the likely price of a new mirror for a Lamborghini, Joe’s aggression drew the most attention. 

“I admit I did that in anger and I accept the responsibility,” Joe says, “but I would also have accepted it if he hit me back. I knew I’d be paying for the damage. That side mirror alone costs around Bt50,000!” Asked if the whole affair was staged to promote his show, Joe insisted it was all very real.

Okay, but is it legal to make a private car look like a taxi when it isn’t one? Joe wasn’t asked that question, but the folks on the social networks would like to hear his answer. For now he’s got plenty of other things on his mind. 

Joe made his fortune installing LPG fuel tanks on taxis, though that was only lucrative when they were first introduced. Now, apart from the TV show, he sells and rents those massive LCD screens used at concerts and other events and also has a Japanese-food restaurant. “I start everything small take cautious steps at first. But in the end I want to feel proud about seeing my own businesses in operation when I’m walking around town.”

Now that he actually walks anywhere, of course.