How to get the police to do their job

Sometimes the simple act of posting a message on the social media can have remarkable results. Upset that a taxi driver had cheated a visiting Swiss businessman on a ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport to his Sathorn-area hotel, his Thai “host” took to Facebook to vent anger and complain about the lack of an official response.

 The Swiss had been invited to Thailand as the guest of a local firm, which was understandably anxious to see that his trip went smoothly. But the traveller was charged a whopping Bt6,000 for a cab ride that should have cost no more than Bt300 plus toll fees.

  Not wishing to cause a scene on the spot, the passenger paid up and, once inside the hotel, complained to the staff. The staff called the Tourist Police, who passed the buck, saying the businessman should file a complaint at Thong Lor Police Station.

Feeling he wasn’t getting anywhere, the traveller’s Thai host opted for the blame-and-shame approach, which in our face-saving culture tends to make people sit up and take notice, and made a public complaint via radio station JS 100. He also called Suvarnabhumi Airport.

And that was all it took for the ball to start rolling – blaming and shaming on the social media and calling a popular radio station that deals with road traffic. The government’s Land Transport Department on Tuesday revoked the offending taxi driver’s driving licence after he was questioned by the both its officials and the Tourist Police.

Why the Tourist Police belatedly decided to step into the picture is uncertain. We suspect a strong motive was fear of being accused of neglecting their duty. Instead of reacting to public anger after the event, the authorities need to review standard operating procedures for handling airport taxi scams. And, if it’s not already in their manuals, then it should be.

Other than losing his licence for tarnishing the country’s image, the taxi driver was also fined Bt3,000 by the Land Transport Department for demanding a fare exceeding the legal limit. His offence will be recorded at the information centre for public-transport drivers.

Senior officials at the department should levy the heaviest 

 possible punishment against cab drivers who extort passengers, refuse service, refuse to use the meter or leave passengers stranded short of their destination.

But a nagging question remains. Was the cab driver who ripped off the Swiss passenger punished because he broke the law or because he made Thailand – and the relevant officers and agencies – look bad? Justice must always be blind, it’s said, and authorities can’t rely on their emotions when they decide on the level of punishment. With so many people are being conned and cheated in commercial transactions every day, is it always a given that the law will treat the culprit the same?

Victims of corrupt practices shouldn’t have to take their cases to the social media to get the authorities to act. The authorities should always investigate complaints promptly, treating each one in turn equitably. 

Thailand is the Land of Smiles to foreign tourists and, to the unfortunate visitors among them, the Land of Rip-offs. One would think the authorities have ample experience in dealing with all such situations. Tourism is our golden nest egg. We can’t let dishonest service-providers cause cracks.