Thailand: Abandoned taxis in Bangkok used to grow food for jobless drivers

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A taxi company in Bangkok has found a new creative way of feeding its jobless drivers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as seen on Monday.
Boworn Ratchaphruek, a company based in the Thai capital has turned abandoned taxis into vegetable gardens and frog ponds to provide its employees with home-grown food as they cope with the economic impact of the pandemic.
The company is now asking for government funds to help the firm stay afloat amid a drop in clientele.
“If the government does not help out, we will go bankrupt,” stated Thapakorn Asawalertkul, a consultant at neighbouring Bowon Taxi Cooperative.
“I have never seen such bad times as these,” Chawolit Srijem, an 84-year-old taxi driver, commented.
Due to a lack of tourists and strict lockdown measures, taxi drivers affiliated with the company have had to return their vehicles since the beginning of this year, leaving more than 300 taxis in many car parks in and around Bangkok.

SOT, Thapakorn Asawalertkul, Consultant of Bowon Taxi Cooperative (Thai): “Boworn taxi cooperative has been in business since 1975 and Ratchaphruek taxi cooperative has been in business since 2006 and if the government does not help out, we will go bankrupt.”

SOT, Thapakorn Asawalertkul, Consultant of Bowon Taxi Cooperative (Thai): “If the price of NGV gas doesn’t come down in price, taxis can’t survive. I have been in the taxi business for 20 years and have never seen such a terrible situation due to COVID.”

SOT, Thapakorn Asawalertkul, Consultant of Bowon Taxi Cooperative (Thai): “Even during the red and yellow shirts, gas-fuel shortages and floods I was never scared, but with this Covid pandemic, I have to admit defeat.”

SOT, Thapakorn Asawalertkul, Consultant of Bowon Taxi Cooperative (Thai): “I cannot estimate the cost, but the average will be around 100,000 Baht per car, to repair things like seized brakes, replace deteriorated tires and batteries, plus renew insurance which will be expensive at about 20,000 baht per car, unless the government intervenes. The cooperative was registered in 1975, but it’s likely to go bankrupt.”

SOT, Chawolit Srijem, 84 year old taxi driver (Thai): “Everything is so different now. It is very hard right now, I can hardly make enough money to pay the cooperative, as I only have about 50 baht left over, which is not enough to live on.”

SOT, Chawolit Srijem, 84 year old taxi driver (Thai): “I have never seen such bad times like these. I am over 80 and since I was born I have never experienced such a bad situation like this. It is all very bad.”

SOT, Thapakorn Asawalertkul, Consultant of Bowon Taxi Cooperative (Thai): “There are currently about 300-400 taxis out owned by Boworn cooperative and another 200-300 belonging to Ratchaphruek Taxi Cooperative which is not many, so a total of about 5-10 percent out.”
#Thailand #Bangkok
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