The Philippines has no shortage of world-class destinations, but getting tourists to visit and convincing them to come back is another story. While there are many reasons the country trails many of its ASEAN neighbors in tourist arrivals, reports of taxi overcharging continue to leave a bad first, and sometimes last, impression on visitors.

Unfortunately, that was allegedly the case for one Thai tourist just before his flight home.

According to a Facebook post by Anupong Channarong, which has since gone viral, he first took a taxi from his hotel to NAIA Terminal 3 and paid less than PHP 200. Upon arriving, he realized his flight was actually departing from Terminal 1. He then hailed another taxi, whose driver allegedly demanded a flat fare of PHP 5,500 for the short trip between the two terminals.

Channarong also shared a photo of what the driver claimed was a “standard fare” rate card. It listed trips between NAIA terminals at PHP 5,500 per passenger (about USD 100/passenger), while oddly showing a fare of PHP 4,500 to “any hotel in Metro Manila.”

The incident quickly reached the attention of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Chairman Vigor Mendoza II ordered the issuance of a Show Cause Order (SCO) against the taxi operator for alleged overcharging and failure to use the taxi meter.

Both the operator and the driver were ordered to appear before the LTFRB NCR Office on August 13, 2026. If the allegations are proven, the operator could face suspension or revocation of its franchise, along with other possible penalties.

The experience also left a lasting impression on the tourist.

“Next time I visit the Philippines, I will ONLY use Grab. I will never take a random taxi again.

P.S. My wife and family will definitely never let me go to the Philippines again!”

If the allegations turn out to be true, it’s another black eye for Philippine tourism. We can spend millions of taxpayer money promoting our beaches and islands, but all it takes is one abusive taxi driver to undo all that goodwill. For many visitors, the trip doesn’t begin at the hotel or the beach. It begins the moment they leave (or in this case, go back to) the airport.