Travelers were forced to drag their heavy suitcases and walk to and from the airport terminals Thursday, as some 300 taxi drivers blocked the entrances to both the arrivals and departure lounges at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The taxi drivers demanded they be exempt from having to use their meters when hired to take trips outside of Bangkok from the airport. A number of taxi drivers had earlier been arrested by police for refusing to turn on the meters and negotiating an inflated fixed rate with passengers, especially international tourists. The Land Transport Department chief turned down the taxi drivers' demands and insisted that they use the meters. Airport authorities had to call in outside taxi drivers to work in place of those who went on strike.
The Nation
The Nation