Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a story pops up and makes you realize you haven’t. In Thailand, where this took place, there’s a lot of controversy about it and I actually see both sides, which I will explain at the end.
The Facebook page (whose title translates to “Phuket Province is so brutal” according to Google) shared a video of an overloaded grey hatchback with the caption: “I appreciated the tolerance of the foreign passengers. We are willing to serve you if you dare to travel with us!”
The video shows a woman (believed to be the driver’s wife) moving from the front passenger seat to the trunk to make room for three foreign passengers. The tourists looked confused at first but they eventually entered the vehicle, probably because they were hot and desperate to get from Point A to Point B.
If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you know that traffic can be insane. I once traveled about 100 yards in 30 minutes in Bangkok (see photo above) and ended up taking a motorcycle taxi, which was an adventure in itself as we weaved through traffic (photo below).
I hear the popular tourist spot of Phuket is even worse (it’s been a while since I’ve been there and I just passed through) and it’s difficult to find taxis or ride shares, which is why it makes sense that the most popular comment on the post reads (translated to English): “The Phuket taxi industry is completely ruined. Customers are now taking advantage. Five to six people are calling small cars like sardines. Every day, there are more and more illegal cars because there is no transportation in Phuket. Phuket transportation only focuses on catching legal cars.”
According to The Thaiger, local taxi drivers and Thai citizens took to social media to voice their frustration that the driver probably accepted the booking through a ride-hailing app but still failed to meet the professional standards expected of taxi drivers in the region. Other commenters noted that the driver’s wife should not have been in the vehicle while he was on duty.
I can understand where both parties are coming from. Obviously, the optics of a woman getting into a trunk are insane and it’s crazy dangerous but on the other hand, if the driver got a job nearby for a place where they were going, why not make some extra cash? He probably didn’t know how many people he was picking up and was banking on one or two and maybe his wife was the one who insisted he take it. Because the car is a hatchback, it’s not as bad.
One thing is for sure, when traveling in foreign countries, don’t expect the same type of experience as you get in the United States.
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