Police say an Issan man impersonating as a booking agent is ripping off taxi drivers in Pattaya.
Phipop Thongnoi, 35, became the latest in a string of about 30 incidents reported to police when he filed a complaint that a man identifying himself only as “Peek” had claimed to have a customer for him, then ran off with his commission.
Phipop Thongnoi explains to the media what had happened when he became the latest victim of a stubby-fingered conman victimizing cabbies in Pattaya.
The Bangkok cab driver explained that he had dropped off a customer at Walking Street when Peek flagged him down, claiming he worked for the Bella Express Hotel and that he had a foreign customer who wanted to hire a cab to go to Roi-Et for 12,500 baht.
Phipop said Peek said he wanted a 3,500 baht commission for the sale and the driver agreed. The two rode together to the hotel and as Peek prepared to fetch the fare, he asked Phipop for his commission, as he claimed some of the money had to go to the hotel. The driver handed over the cash, Peek went inside and never returned.
The driver described Peek to police as a northeastern man who claimed to be a relative of popular Issan music star Mike Phiromporn and had two truncated fingers.
Pattaya police said about 30 cases of a suspect matching the description have been filed and a large number of cab drivers have been victimized.
