Chiang Mai: Transport officials will summon a rot daeng passenger pickup truck driver for questioning after he allegedly charged a TV actor and singer 600 baht for a one-kilometre journey.
However they will have to find the driver at the centre of the controversy first.
"We're looking for the vehicle registration plate and the identity of the driver," Phanni Phumphan, a Chiang Mai transport official said yesterday after learning about the celebrity's complaint, which went viral on the internet.
Ratchanon "Guy" Suprakop posted a clip online, airing his gripes about the fare which a driver charged him during a recent TV shoot in this northern province.
Rot daeng, which literally means red vehicle, is the main traditional form of public transport in Chiang Mai where passengers hail down and travel in pickup trucks modified as two-row passenger vehicles.
Usually, each fare ranges from under 30 baht to a maximum of 200 baht, depending on the number of passengers, Ms Phanni said.
If there are many people travelling together, the rate will not exceed 30 baht each, but a single passenger may need to pay up to 200 baht for a trip in the downtown area.
If the driver broke the rules as claimed by the 29-year-old actor, he will be handed a stern warning and face being suspended from work, Ms Phanni said.
But if an investigation finds he has committed such violations before, his driving licence will be suspended or even revoked, she said, saying overcharging mars the image of the tourist city.
Singkham Nanti, chairman of the Lanna cooperative of rot daeng passenger pickups, yesterday invited Ratchanon to give evidence to support his allegation.
The drivers of more than 2,000 rot daeng would be smeared by the actor's words if they have no grounds, Mr Singkham said.