Over 100 registered motorcycle taxi drivers marched on the Royal Plaza and Metropolitan Police Bureau to file a request with Bangkok police for protection from mafia extortion and unlicensed competition yesterday Feb. 6.
The group was led by Chalerm Changthongmadan, president of the Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Association, who said that influential people including those in uniform – most likely police and army – forced legal drivers to pay protection money and ran unlicensed drivers on their routes.
He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had failed to protect them and asked for the Transport Ministry to take over supervision of the industry in their place, The Bangkok Post reported.
The request was filed with Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Winai Thongsong and acting Bangkok police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai
Pol Lt Gen Winai reportedly promised to work out solutions within a month and said that the days of exploitation are numbered.
Bangkok motorcycle taxi drivers have complained lately of having to pay bribes of THB40,000-60,000 per month per stand to local mafia.
Deputy Prime Minster Chalerm Yubamrung’s son Wan, who was recently tasked with looking into the problem, estimated that throughout Thailand motorcycle taxi drivers pay THB684 million per month in bribes.
Does this figure sound a bit high to anyone?
