Taxi scam damages expo

An inspector from the Department of Land Transport patrols taxi services at Impact Muang Thong Thani on Friday.
An inspector from the Department of Land Transport patrols taxi services at Impact Muang Thong Thani on Friday.

Complaints about taxi scams at the THAIFEX exhibition flooded social media on Friday as passengers reportedly were charged 4,000-5,000 baht for trips from Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi to Bangkok's city centre.

THAIFEX–ANUGA ASIA 2023, one of the biggest trade events in Thailand, was held at Impact Muang Thong Thani from May 23-27.

With an average of 22,000 participants per day, there were complaints on social media Thursday about traffic conditions around the exhibition centre and inadequate public transport.

A Facebook user said taxi drivers turned away Thais wanting a ride, preferring to take foreign passengers and shutting off their meters, charging 4,000-5,000 baht to Silom and Sukhumvit roads.

The Department of Land Transport posted on its Facebook account on Friday, saying it allocated inspectors to the exhibition centre and fined one taxi driver 1,000 baht because the driver refused to use the meter.

An advisor to the Thai Exhibition Association said taxi scams are a concern for many large international events this year, not only THAIFEX.

He said such incidents destroy the reputation of a country that wants to promote itself as a hub for the Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segment.

Vocabulary

  • concern: a worry - ความกังวล
  • damage (verb): to harm or spoil something/somebody - ทำความเสียหาย
  • expo (exposition): an event at which people, businesses, etc. show and sell their goods; a trade fair - การแสดงสินค้า, นิทรรศการ
  • inadequate: not enough, or not good enough for a particular purpose - อย่างไม่เพียงพอ
  • inspector : an official whose job is to check that things are in the correct condition or that people are doing what they should - ผู้ตรวจสอบ
  • participants (noun): people who take part in something - ผู้เข้าร่วม
  • preferred: liking or wanting more than anyone or anything else - ซึ่งชอบมากกว่า
  • refuse (verb): to say or show that you will not do something; to say or show that you will not do something that someone has asked you to do - ปฏิเสธ
  • reputation: the opinion that people have about how good or bad someone or something is - ความนับหน้าถือตา
  • scam: a dishonest plan, especially for getting money - กลโกง, แผนร้าย
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