PATTAYA, Thailand – In the early hours of July 15th, 2025, at 1:36 AM, Mr. Prajub Yoomaka, a 54-year-old taxi driver from Bangkok, filed a complaint with Pattaya City Police after a foreign passenger allegedly swindled him out of a fare and offered a large package of cannabis as payment instead.
Mr. Prajub, operating a personal taxi with the license plate มฎ 7498 Bangkok, told The Pattaya News that he picked up a foreign passenger of unknown nationality at an airport and agreed to drive them to a hotel in central Pattaya for a fare of 2,000 baht. The passenger requested to pay upon arrival, claiming their wife would cover the cost. However, upon reaching the destination, the passenger produced only 900 baht, and the wife added just 50 baht. When Mr. Prajub pressed for the remaining amount, the passenger claimed they had no more money.
In a bizarre twist, the passenger allegedly offered a large package of cannabis as a substitute for the unpaid fare. Mr. Prajub refused the offer and threatened to involve the police, prompting an angry reaction from the passenger, who then stormed off into the hotel, ignoring the outstanding payment.
Frustrated, Mr. Prajub reported the incident to Police Lieutenant Colonel Chanant Kesornbua, Deputy Investigation Officer at Pattaya City Police Station. He expressed his disappointment, noting that he had previously helped passengers who couldn’t pay, only to be taken advantage of in this case. “There’s always news about taxi drivers harming foreigners, but what about foreigners who mistreat honest workers like us?” he lamented, questioning whether justice would be served.
Police are investigating the incident, seeking to identify the passenger and address the complaint.
