Bangkok taxi drivers, once derided for scamming and overcharging unwitting tourists, will now become part of a new charm offensive to make the city more welcoming.
Bangkok governor Sukhumbhad Paripatra has awarded certificates to the first 500 taxi drivers who passed the ‘Taxi Driver’s Service Training Programme’ at Rajabhat Dusit University, which teaches cabbies better road safety and customer service along with basic English language skills.
The governor hopes the cabbies will present a positive image of the city as they are often the first people newly arrived tourists interact with.
In effect they will become tourism ambassadors, the governor said, with the knowledge to recommend interesting places to visit in the city, rather than simply taking tourists to outlets or attractions that pay taxi drivers a commission.
