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hobz
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Posts posted by hobz
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Just now, mamborobert said:
Also worthwhile seeing how active the anti red cab facebook page is that is also referenced in thsi article......some 8000 Thai followers/members and almost daily updates. Very pro Grab and Uber. Clearly Thais have a problem with the Red Cab service as well. Issue I have is that it is alright having a supplement with Uber and Grab but there still needs to be a better scheduled and/or regular public transport system for the Thais going about town like kids going to and from School, or folk carrying wares to sell, or coming from Arcade bus station with luggae etc.
Yeah I can't speak for anyone but myself, But I'm pleased to see that Thais use social media to try to fight these powerful conservative lobbies...
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Interesting read on Red Car Lobby in Chiang Mai
In the article it claims that previously the red cab "lobby" has prevented development of public transportation (new bus system) in Chiang Mai.
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"destroying the public transport system in the area" ... No, it's not being destroyed, it's being replaced. And it's a good thing.
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4 hours ago, bubba said:
So it does appear that Uber is such a menace to the public that the government is planning to use Article 44 to shut it down.
According to Land Transport Department Deputy director-general Nanthapong Cherdchu: “We may need a stronger medicine; we might propose the use of Article 44 to close this [Uber] app, as it is destroying the public transport system in the area,”
Also, in Chiang Mai, there has been a conflict between Uber and Grab car drivers and the “Red Car” Songthaew drivers, with the latter recently joining provincial land transport officials to launch a sting operation to catch and fine the app-affiliated drivers.
Full text here with an informative graphic comparing taxis to Uber:
Whoever wrote that nation article did such a shitty job.
There's more advantages with uber:
1. With uber you use a map and gps to plan the trip. With a taxi you must hope the driver knows what you are trying to say. Some drivers don't even know how to use a map.
2. In uber the price estimate can be seen in advance with a fair system. (there can be surge pricing). With a normal taxi they can refuse to use the meter and you get inconsistent and exploitative price offers many times.
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9 hours ago, balo said:
As long as UBEER actually pays the fines , as have been stated before , I don't see how they can stop it . UBER will always be there , 2000 baht fines is not enough .
If they can use section 44 to make all the internet providers in Thailand block the uber servers... AIS, True, DTAC, 3bb, TOT, etc.. Then it's over unless Uber keeps switching their server IP's etc.
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20 minutes ago, ricklev said:
You are leaving out the performance bonuses that Uber pays drivers in addition to the fares and the increased fares during peak periods. I only know about Bangkok but I've met many drivers who understand their maintenance and depreciation costs quite well and are satisfied with the fare system.
That said, I tip them as a thank you for good service as well. Why not?
Ok, didn't know there was performance bonuses too! ... anyway, I've had around 15 uber rides in Chiang Mai and only one driver did not look miserable... but they all did the job perfectly and i tipped them all.. Maybe I smell bad or something lol
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3 hours ago, bubba said:
But the problem is that most Uber fares around town only fetch around 30 - 40 baht. Only the flat rate airport fare would earn a driver 150, or else longer trips into the countryside. The problem with the latter is that they would likely have to deadhead back to the city without a fare.
Also keep in mind that out of each fare, Uber's take is 25%, so for a 150 baht fare, the driver gets to keep 112.50 for the 150 baht airport trip. So let's say she had 20 customers, and five of them (optimistically) were airport fares. That is a grand total of perhaps 1500 baht after Uber's cut. She probably would have used a whole tank of petrol driving all day, and that would cost around 900 baht. That takes her cut down to 600 baht. Now factor in depreciation, car payments, insurance, maintenance.
Having done the math, I am not seeing that Uber drivers are making much more than minimum wage, if at all.
I hope you guys are leaving nice tips.
I leave nice tips (30-40-50 thb) and I hope others do as well..
I have not had a trip under 50 THB yet... 30-40 must be for REALLY short distances... most trips I've taken have been from between 60-80 THB.
As for uber drivers making a living,, this is my worry,,, the drivers might cash in some money in the short term, but when you take into account maintenance costs for the vehicles I bet it's tough... But someone in an earlier post said that some Thai couple had leased a yaris and paid of the monthly installment in the 1st week (i assume around 10k) and that the remaining 3 weeks was profit. But in my experience most uber drivers looked miserable....But they really light up when i tipped them :D
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24 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:
A damn sight more enthusiastic in dealing with Uber drivers than they are with the sometimes moronic behaviour of the drivers of the standard taxis.
Yeah, or reckless driving in general...lots of fatalities...
I predict this crackdown will end soon and uber will win..
Then there will be some incident where a uber driver crashes and a new crackdown will happens. Rinse and repeat. Jah bless.
All they really need to do is make the taximeters use the meter and i would be ok.
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18 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:
It's not what they do; it's what they DON'T do.
Exactly, like enforce taximeter to use meter in chiang mai (and phuket, and samui etc etc)
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2 hours ago, malibukid said:
3 out of 4 songthews will not stop here in CM, just fly by empty. also the fares are unregulated. some also are in pretty bad shape and should not be on the road. drivers are doped up or drunk driving erratically. deplorable characters over charging.
Even when the driver stops and only charges 20thb per person you are still forced to sit sideways and inhale exhaust fumes. Awesome combination for someone that easily gets motion sick.... Its just not worth it.. Then again neither is tuk tuk or taximeter in cm.. So i bought my own scooter... Then uber came.. And wow, its so nice,, u can have a couple of beers and take the uber instead of the scooter...
There's a REALLY simple solution to the uber problem... That is for the taxiMETER to turn on the METER and i would take it every time, jist like i always do when in bkk.. I dont get why anyone even uses uber in bangkok,, or have the meters gone up in price last 10 years or what?
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1 hour ago, Bassosa said:
So long Uber. So long progress.
Just wait until the crackdown stops.. We know thai police are... Until fhe try grab... Same price and services as uber but lower profile lol
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6 hours ago, lkn said:
150 baht? That evil mafia really fleeced you and should all be jailed for running this criminal enterprise!
So just out of curiosity, how much was the Starbucks coffee at Central Festival?
Funny guy... He didnt say how far that tuk tuk took him.. But if you've used a taximeter in bangkok then you know what the price should be (lets be honest, uber is probably too cheap). And you can never get prices near what they should be with tuk tuk or taximeter in cm. Song taews have raised their prices to 30thb, but they still accept 20thb most of the time. And thats a good deal if you're 1 or 2 people and enjoy breathing in exhaust fumes and sitting sideways (really awesome combo for someone that easily gets motion sick).
Anyway, transportation is horrible in cm until uber came.
Taximeter = too expensive.. End up paying 300-400 for a roundtrip to the mall (with uber more like 100-150). Tuk tuk 200-300 plus bonus exhaust fumes in your face.
Red car as i mentioned...
Having your own motorbike or car is the best option.. Most people i know opt for having a motorbike... But its super dangerous... And it gets hot sometimes .. Yeah,
I really hope uber beats these (deletedz) .. Until then i will just use grab (same price as uber but no crackdown i think)
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18 minutes ago, Saladin said:
I live in Chiang Mai. What public transport is he referring to?
Maybe red cars?
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1 minute ago, Nowisee said:
IMO the existing taxi systems in most countries has become totally dysfunctional and overpriced in relation to "public" transportation.
In CM it needs a complete overhaul and the same legal enforcement they are doing to Uber.
Otherwise, let ride share type programs exist without the threat of a "stronger medicine".
Just another self-inflicted gun shot wound to the foot.I suspect that this uber crackdown will not last OR that "influental figures" are pushing the envelope. It's gonna be another "tell" on how thai society is really working behind the scenes.
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6 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:
I think their time would be better spent focussing on the driving morons, prats, inbreds, dickkheads snd scum in ordinary taxis.
They have yearly crackdowns on those as well. I think taximeter works pretty well in bangkok... Phuket, samui, chiang mai.. Not so much... :)
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Ahhh, i feel so much safer now that I am forced to go back to taxi meter that refuse to use meter (chiang mai) or tuk tuk or song taew where there's no seatbelts and you get to breathe in exhaust fumes all day... Yes, thank you, fine achievements by the government..
When will they crack down on taximeter who refuse meter in chiang mai? 4 years i lived here and never ever did they use a meter.
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7 hours ago, LannaGuy said:
this is wrong i see it everyday on the roads and many other places but you have to observe it and let go of your rose-colored specs to see it
anyway back on-topic and this murderous, selfish pig who kills because he loses 'face' scum plain and simple scum
I actually see it on the roads as well. But again, its rare that they even use the horn compared to my home country sweden.
I see angry and upset thais occasionally, but i have never seen violent behavior except on the news.
Are there violent thais? Ofcourse.
Are there more violent thais than other nationalities? I doubt it.
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1 minute ago, smew said:
Uncontrollable anger so often encountered in thailand , so very sad young lives lost
Ive been here 4 years and never encountered it.. However I saw fights every other weekend back in stockholm/sweden (the combination of alcohol and sexual frustration is dangerous in sweden)
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4 hours ago, wreckingcountry said:
Just another example of inability to lose face,intolerance and irrational ohhh and of course totally selfish. This is Thailand
Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa ConnectThis is not normal, not even for thais. I believe a vast majority of thais would never do something so horrible.
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On 2/14/2017 at 8:37 AM, scorecard said:
Couldn't agree more. When there's video you often see the army guys checking all the right things, the police don't seem to know where to start.
Same with footpath vendors on Ram. Road, police come but no idea what to do, eventually army intervened, well organized, focused on the right things, focused discussion.Police just stand there looking foolish.
Vendors warned of more serious action and after maybe second warning vendors just returned again, so army turns up with big truck unannounced, no discussions, officers quickly tell the army troops 'just pick it up and throw it on the truck and fast'. Army officers also loudly and continuously tell the vendors to not offer bribes, also the tell the young soldiers 'don't tell the vendors where their wares are going'.
Then the vendors took heed, but now, after maybe 12 months some of the more belligerent vendors slowly started to encroach back on large % the footpath. Didn't take long before army turns up again and proceeds, no discussion to just throw it all on the back of the big truck.
Couple of the staff from my hotel just inside the soi watching the proceedings, most beligerent vendor talks very nasty to 2 young soldiers, their officer intervenes and demands the vendor apologize to his men.
The police specialize in only one activity, and it cannot be conducted when someone is filming........
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2 hours ago, CMBob said:
While I've used Uber and appreciate the service (and prices) I've received, I can see both sides of this issue.
When one is driving for hire back in my state (US), that driver has to have special licensing (a chauffeur's license), specified insurance, background checks of the drivers, and the vehicles have to undergo special inspection. And all of this is done for the safety of the public hiring those drivers. Regular (and cheaper) auto insurance there will not cover personal injuries involving driving for hire and, yes, the insurance for a drive-for-hire business costs much more.
So how should the government deal with an outfit (Uber, Lyft, Grab, or whatever) that's handling a drive-for-hire business? No regulation seems a bit foolish to me and that seems to be part of what several governments are trying to deal with. And, yea, there's the ingrained system (the songteaw group, taxi companies, and tuk tuks) that are going to try to react to protect their own turf/monopoly (plus they're wondering why do they have to pay licensing fees or whatever when the Uber drivers don't). Interesting dilemma.
I hear ya.
You missed that uber has insurance for the passenger in case of an accident.
Also, uber has been around for years now and it's pretty clear that it's pretty much as safe the normal taxi business.
When you're on a trip, your liability to third parties is covered by Uber's $1 million insurance policy. It covers each and every incident that .
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On 3/1/2017 at 5:04 PM, PremiumLane said:
Tell us again how all Uber drivers are happy. The reason most will not complain about it to passengers is because a, they will get a bad review and b, they are being professional
I suggest you Google about Uber's CEO having a run in with an Uber Black driver, and how the company puts too many cars on the road, lies to new drivers, encourages drivers to buy expensive cars and get in debt, cut prices and other shady practices.
Typical zero hour contract rubbish that benefits the ultra-rich only
Yes, I believe that uber exploits the drivers. But they do not force the drivers...
You say uber benefits ultra-rich only? I say it also benefits thw customers, specially in chiang mai where the taxi situation sucks for various reasons.
I think uber will stay in chiang mai no matter what, because they have faced law enforcement and mafia in other cities around the world and prevailed. They even combat law enforcement like this https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/technology/uber-greyball-program-evade-authorities.html?_r=0&referer=
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Is there some way to contact the authorities and have them look into taxis not using meter?
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Wow, summoned 100 drivers and fined 5.. I wonder when they will crack down on taxis not using the meter. Must be tomorrow i guess.
CNX Airport Expansion Plans - Serious Stuff: Ignore At Your Peril!
in Chiang Mai
Posted
Last year someone from AOT mentioned that there was a possibility to start operating 24 hours. Is that now scrapped or?
Also, is there any specifics on where new runways would be located? Can they go further south or is Hang Dong Road in the way? I live in Hang dong and I just want to know if it's time to sell the house :D With current levels there's no problem at all, but if they add a runway south of the existing one it would probably be horrible.