What exactly is the Taxi Mafia?

[David99UK]

Why the need to throw money around as if you were sowing rice on a field?

 

I don't think rounding up or adding 20 Baht(or 50 !) as a tip is "throwing money around"......Taxi Drivers are about the only folk I tip in Thailand.

 

Why? cos' I still remember the aggro before Taxi Meters were widely used without question.......I figure it is in my own longer term self interest to play my own small part in keeping this situation going by reinforcing the drivers view that Farang will give a tip with no question as long as the Taxi Driver plays his part by turning the meter on without question. and not being a complete twat........so it is less hassle for him to play silly b#ggers.

 

And also driving in BKK is a c#nt of a job and 99% of these guys are working hard to put food on the table etc.....so why not?..........I will piss far more away on nothing in a bar without evening thinking about it.........

 

 

[MooNoi]

Why? cos' I still remember the aggro before Taxi Meters were widely used without question.......I figure it is in my own longer term self interest to play my own small part in keeping this situation going by reinforcing the drivers view that Farang will give a tip with no question as long as the Taxi Driver plays his part by turning the meter on without question. and not being a complete twat........so it is less hassle for him to play silly b#ggers.

 

And also driving in BKK is a c#nt of a job and 99% of these guys are working hard to put food on the table etc.....so why not?..........I will piss far more away on nothing in a bar without evening thinking about it.........

 

Absolutely.

[Long Gun]

<< Which groups of workers are you referring to there? Even the minimum wage is reviewed and increased regularly (annually?) >>

 

Tell that to the Ministry of Universities. Foreign lecturers' pay has not changed since 1992. That works out to be 15 years. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the govmt universities are having problems getting enough qualified lecturers now.

 

Wow, I'm amazed by that! Did they make any sort of adjustment to salary levels in 1997 following the crash? If not, assuming you're paid in baht and could convert then at 25 to the $, and haven't had any kind of inflation-related increases, what percentage of your 1992 salary would the 2007 salary be worth?!?

 

[Flashermac]

At the time the salary was set, it would have worked out to be around US$1,000 a month (US$1 = 25.5). When the baht was 40 to the US$, there was a big loss. Even at the current 35 to the US$, it still hurts -- even without figuring in inflation. Some unies do add something from their own funds (e.g. Mahidol 8,000, Chula $6,000, Srinakarin $3,000), but most do not.

 

One can often pick up extra money for teaching outside classes at from 900 to 1500 baht a hour, but one shouldn't have to do extra work just to get by. What is happening is that the unies are dropping their standards for hiring just to get a white face in the classroom. Ten years ago my uni wouldn't touch anyone without at least an MA and teacher certification. Now a BA seems to be enough. There are the older Farang acharns who have roots in LOS and want to stay here, but they are gradually maxing out at age 60. In their place are now a few qualified teachers who wish to spend a year or two in Thailand, plus plenty of fly-by-nighters out for a good time in the bars or with the gay boys.

 

The argument is that the govmt can't raise the foreign lecturers' salary without increasing the Thais' too, and there isn't enough money for that. Uh ... remember how Thaksin claimed he was so pro-education?

 

p.s. I know a Brit who quit his name uni after 5 years to teach at a private secondary school for more money!

 

 

 

 

[Gadfly]

I have always heard that the MiB provide a bit of muscle to support the taxi mafias.

 

This makes sense. A taxi mafia is essentially a cartel - a price-fixing arrangement - and cartels are notoriously hard to maintain without some level of force.