Rude tuk-tuk driver fined after tourists' 'horrible experience'

A tuk-tuk driver, later identified as Thongkham Cherdchai, 57, points aggressively as he abuses a Singapore couple visiting Thailand. (Screen captured from singapore_incidents Instagram account)
A tuk-tuk driver, later identified as Thongkham Cherdchai, 57, points aggressively as he abuses a Singapore couple visiting Thailand. (Screen captured from singapore_incidents Instagram account)

A tuk-tuk driver was fined on Monday for being rude and aggressive to a Singapore couple in demanding more money than they had earlier agreed on for a ride.

Police fined Thongkham Cherdchai, aged 57, 1,000 baht for having the wrong licence to drive public transport.

He was also found to have used improper language to his passengers, and ordered to attend a three-hour course to improve his driving behaviour.

Tourist Police asked police to find the rude driver after a Singapore couple posted a video on a Instagram account, singapore_incidents, on Sunday, complaining of their "horrible" experience in Bangkok.

"Another horrible experience for Singaporean couple at Thailand, this time with a tuk-tuk driver," said the headline above the post.

Another message on the social media platform said: "BKK tuktuk driver attacks tourists after he fails to cheat them."

The clip showed a tuk-tuk driver using abusive language to the couple, including several F*** words, on a  footpath, apparently on Sathorn road.

The man pointed his finger at them and used his hand to try and prevent them from recording a video, and challenged them to complain to police by showing the licence plate of his vehicle.

They said the driver demanded more money from them, even though they had agreed on 160 baht for the ride when he picked them up at Siam Paragon shopping centre for a trip to Surasak BTS station.

The tourists refused to give him more money and that angered the driver.

The incident went viral on social media.

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Vocabulary

  • abusive: using offensive or insulting language - ซึ่งหมิ่นประมาท, ซึ่งดูถูก
  • behaviour: the way that someone acts or behaves - พฤติกรรม, การกระทำตัว
  • cheat (verb): to trick somebody or make them believe something which is not true - โกง
  • complain: to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/something - บ่น, ร้องทุกข์
  • demand: to ask for something very firmly - เรียกร้อง, ต้องการ
  • horrible: very unpleasant - สะเทือนขวัญ
  • improper: not suited or appropriate to the situation - ไม่เหมาะสม ไม่สมควร
  • licence: an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something - ใบอนุญาต
  • rude: not polite - หยาบคาย
  • viral: (of a video, photo, story, etc.) spread across the internet very quickly (like a virus spreading a disease) as people share it with their friends or the news media reports on it - แพร่กระจายผ่านทางอินเทอร์เน็ตอย่างรวดเร็ว
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