Thai taxi drivers are the worst! No hating. Real life experience

[Just Weird]

26 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

It's only mandatory if the taxi actually turns it on. Bit like it's mandatory to not run red lights or Mototaxis cruising foot paths

TIT

No, it's not, use of the meter is mandated.

[Just Weird]

13 minutes ago, Hiro357 said:

No. I'm not going to touristy places at all. Just one neighborhood to another. Which to be fair could make it difficult for the drivers to navigate.

Back-pedaling a bit now?

[Hiro357]

Love the irony that some posters instantly assume the worst of me and my Japanese gal pal just because we had terrible experiences with the cabs in Thailand(empty baseless assumptions), yet refuse to face the harsh reality that many Thai cab drivers run their business unprofessionally and without the basic courtesy required in this profession(backed up by real experience). 

I won't waste time with people spamming this thread, literally harassing people into believing the Thai cab drivers are flawless. 

Edited October 22, 2017 by Hiro357

[alien365]

16 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

I'm not the only one disputing what is being claimed and I strongly dispute that 40% of taxis, as you claim, will be a problem.

 

Have you actually thought that what I, and others, are saying may be the truth and that many Thaivisa poster's sole purpose in life is to denigrate anything Thai, particularly taxis, and wildly exaggerate their problems to the point that they lose credibility?

I didn't claim 40%, that was somebody else. For me, if including refusing to accept the journey or using the meter, I can believe that statistic. My personal experience would be about 20%, but as I say I've now chosen to use my own transport rather than complain.

 

I know some posters do seem to be overly critical on all things Thai, but I just read past them, not take over a whole thread defending my stance. 

 

You're happy with the service, great. If they took me places and used the meter I used to be happy too, it was just finding that driver.

[Thian]

34 minutes ago, Hiro357 said:

Thanks. I know these kind. 

My Eurasian gal pal constantly got asked if she was mixed here. Thais seem to be very obsessed over mixed people. 

 

But I noticed the hypocrisy in the Thais hatred in the Chinese tourists. They complain that the Chinese are loud and rude. But several times at the shopping mall a group of older Thai women would talk with an outdoor voice laughing out loud etc. They say Chinese throw trashes everywhere. But the Thais do the same. As a matter of fact most places have trash along the streets. I suppose the Chinese must have been busying spread their trash everywhere.....Basically the Thais accuse the Chinese of things they themselves do as well, maybe not as often. But still. I just wish people could stop discriminate one another. If they really hate the Chinese, stop taking them in as tourists.

 

The Thai adore mixed races, almost ALL their actors are mixed with westerners.

 

Yes the Thai also have loads of bad manners, but again: you ain't seen nothing yet in BKK, go outside of it and watch them there.

They love to hold up qeueu's, are very slow, always react at the very last moment, bring you in danger but also themselves..it's all lack of education since the word NO is very harsh for them.

 

It's not even discrimination, it's just ignorance and the mentality of living upcountry. Also many Thai feel they are much better humans than others because they are or look rich. Give them carkeys or a microphone and you'll see it.

 

But for you it's easy here, they lookup to Japanese and Westerners because we're so educated and rich of course. They think we're all millionaires.

 

The taxi's are only very bad downtown in tourist area's, in the subs they are normal and it also helps if you look rich important strong and well dressed.

Yes they drive crappy cars but you have to pick the new ones only, old ones come out at night so you can't see how poor they are. Just refuse crappy ones, they all do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shady86]

Being someone who have lived in Japan for 8 years and used the culture there I guess it's culture shock for someone from Japan travelling overseas, especially to developing country like Thailand. In Japan you start a ride with Starting fare equivalent to 250baht but here starts from 35 baht so you cant expect same kind of service as in Japan. There is no such thing as cheap and good.

[XJPSX]

6 hours ago, Hiro357 said:

 

To be totally fair, I'm ALWAYS POLITE to strangers including the cab drivers. I see no reason why some of them would act so rude while trying to scam my money. I think partially it's because I don't speak the language that they think I'm an easy prey. Mind you during my short stay here I have taken several rides. This happens so much that it starts to wear me out. I also talked to a Japanese girl in BKK. She had the same horrible experience. She said the drivers sometimes downright scare her, because she sometimes couldn't tell if the driver was driving her somewhere else. 

 

I can't believe people here are fine with cab drivers not reading the map or knowing the city(the place I was at was 2 mins on a motorbike ride, and on the cab it took me over 40 mins!) It's like saying a heart surgeon doesn't know how to use the knife.

The taxis here are horrible. I thought I could get by using taxis only but I was wrong so I bought a car. 

They select if they will take you or not and if the journey doesn’t suit they will drive off. I hate how they just cruise along with their window 1/4 way down and quote you 200thb for a 60thb fare.

those that claim to have no problem mustn’t get out much. My Thai partner can’t stand them either.

They cannot use GPS or Google maps and I usually end up telling them where to go particularly anywhere outside of city centre.

i used to stand with 6 bags of shopping in the sweltering heat which made me look like a desperate target only to be haggled before even getting in.

Pattaya even has the Taxi maffia bullies that bash Uber drivers. Vermon of society most of them.

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by XJPSX

[Thian]

36 minutes ago, XJPSX said:

The taxis here are horrible. I thought I could get by using taxis only but I was wrong so I bought a car. 

They select if they will take you or not and if the journey doesn’t suit they will drive off. I hate how they just cruise along with their window 1/4 way down and quote you 200thb for a 60thb fare.

those that claim to have no problem mustn’t get out much. My Thai partner can’t stand them either.

They cannot use GPS or Google maps and I usually end up telling them where to go particularly anywhere outside of city centre.

i used to stand with 6 bags of shopping in the sweltering heat which made me look like a desperate target only to be haggled before even getting in.

Pattaya even has the Taxi maffia bullies that bash Uber drivers. Vermon of society most of them.

 

It's not like when you hail a taxi it will stop and bring you to any destination you wish. They will do it if you pay extra though. Well i can't blame them since at the malls they're not allowed to join the qeueu if they are in another neighbourhood.

 

I don't use them much though, prefer the motobike which is much faster. But they annoy me when they drive very slow on mainroads searching for customers.

 

 

[InMyShadow]

No, it's not, use of the meter is mandated.

Nonsense. It may have been written 50 years ago but certainly is no longer valid.

Just ask the respected taxi folks in Pattaya. They will clue you up real quick [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, Hiro357 said:

Sorry I noticed a typo in my last reply. During the ride I was extremely polite. It's AFTER the ill treatments that I've become frustrated. Cause, effect? I didn't care much about the surplus charge, but overall how everytime I try to go somewhere the cab would expect me to know how to get there. And even when I try to be helpful, they still seem very clueless. 

like I keep saying, you will do well to pay more for a more sophisticated class of service... 

 

Or, anticipate better... have the address written in Thai... You are trying to be helpful in what language? 

 

Should a Thai person expect to go to your home country and be able to speak Thai to a taxi driver? 

 

I am sure you are a great guy, but get some help, this is a ridiculously easy problem to solve... just have someone who can explain the circumstance, destination, in Thai... if you are a businessman, hire an assistant... use some minimal problem solving skills... 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

So, I was a bit curious and went to a few forums and there are quite a few foreigners complaining about Japanese taxi drivers....mostly about having no clue how to get to a certain destination.

 

Btw, is stuff like this still allowed in Japan?

 

[Cerasoli]

Take a Gps and Rent a car !

[Sig]

3 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

So, I was a bit curious and went to a few forums and there are quite a few foreigners complaining about Japanese taxi drivers....mostly about having no clue how to get to a certain destination.

 

Btw, is stuff like this still allowed in Japan?

 

I lived there for about 10 years and visit often since leaving. I saw very isolated instances of this kind of thing about 30 years ago in Japan, and only in areas with high concentrations of foreigners. I don't recall seeing it at all in the last 25 years. Although, I'm not omnipresent, so who knows....
At least the refusal is done very politely? hahaha
I've been refused entry more than once in Thailand within the past 10 years. But when Thai friends spoke up for me, I was allowed entry with them.
In both countries, I've only ever seen this kind of thing at night venues.

[Sig]

The bickering on here is really sad. The guy asked some pretty simple stuff with no attitude that I could tell whatsoever.
But as anyone who has used this forum for more than 2 days will know, ThaiVisa is full of these just weirdos! They need to get a life instead of trying to make others miserable.
The comparing of prices with different countries is pretty ridiculous. Don't people know that the economies are just a tad different? Quoting a Japanese taxi price in comparison to at Thai taxi price compared to the Thai economy is not sensible. The taxis are indefensible. Even the Thai government is nostop battling them to improve their professionalism! They have been denied the right to raise fares for years! And the stated reason has been precisely because of their discourteous behavior, poorly maintained taxis, failure to take passengers when hailed, and general misc. cheating. It's beyond me how people defend them! I have definitely never heard a Thai person defend the taxi (and tuktuk) drivers. Then again, I don't hang out with the likes of them who might be related to them....
Not that my years in BKK are particularly long, but are plenty long enough to know what's happening and it is disgusting. I am so glad to live up north now! And whenever I go to BKK, I stick with Uber as much as humanly possible! I have found the prices very competitive and the drivers and cars are not comparable at all. With Uber available, I don't know why anyone would use a taxi, unless something not well planned or in a hurry of course. Even if the prices weren't competitive, I'd gladly pay an extra 20-30% more for an Uber!
To be fair, yes, of course there are some decent guys driving taxis. I met some really good local guys and some who spoke excellent English! They themselves were disgusted with the average taxi in BKK. I felt sorry for them... But, I think they probably do well because they are quite professional and I'm sure they get their fair share of tips with happily surprised customers. But all in all, getting a decent car and driver is really a toss up, but I'd say that there are more guys that are more or less ok or even good than there are bad. I just got so sick and tired of the bad that I avoid taxis like the plague. Why take a 30% or so risk of being screwed with and having your day have a downer like that when you can take Uber and be 99% likely to have a normal to enjoyable time?

[AloisAmrein]

I had several disappointing taxi drivers. One did not want to put on the meter from Suvanni airport. So I insisted and told him to stop immediately. That helped. Another should bring to Bangkok Noi, train station for Kanchanaburi. He did not go there and tried to get rid off me, I had to insist, that this is not the right destination. And the end he asked other taxis and brought me there. He wanted the full fare, I paid only 2/3, because he was first driving to a completely wrong place.

[ryanhull]

I was very sceptical of the uber app, been using it a good few months now, trips can cost as little as 60bhat, on the smaller trips plus you literally see your taxi arriving on screen, I usually tip a good 20 or 40 bhat if driver is polite, but I would only use a taxi now if it was a trip i wasn’t expecting.

 

I used uber earlier to go do the weekly shopping.

 

I had one incident with uber where by the taxi rank noticed I was getting an uber and wanted my drivers head on a stick, so we had to move pretty sharpish, if you are using uber try to be a bit discreet as the local taxi mafia don’t like it I hear, I had my son with me and it was a bit of a concerning experience but aside from that never let me down, wouldn’t advise any lady uses a taxi alone if she doesn’t know bangkok, my mrs used to virtually tell the driver where to go and didn’t take any stick, but then some taxis are drunk or even worse so you need to be careful they do lead a very stressful life,

 

I lived in Bangkok for some years, and not only is it a really hard place to navigate but traffic is hard to judge, they can be taken into areas they don’t want to be in because it might then mean 1/4 a shift sat in traffic. Plus they take a whole load of sh*t from passengers.

 

I always used to try and choose a new modern taxi to flag, plus I’d always try and say hello and strike up some convo even if it’s just how are you, taxi drivers are usually ok in Bangkok albeit not as nice as uber drivers, note a Bangkok taxi can get annoyed if you start telling them how to get to the destination the best way too just like a London taxi so do that also with a bit of politeness unlike my mrs lol

 

cheers

 

[jacko45k]

Yes, but had you left a wallet containing 100,000 baht, 10 million Yen and an Iphone 8 in his cab it would have been returned to you with a press briefing.

Edited October 22, 2017 by jacko45k

[datcook]

My wife  (Thai) and I have been going to Thailand from Aus on and off for the past 10 years. On one of our early visits we befriended a taxi driver and I can only heap praise on him for his excellent service. Before we leave Aus we call him and tell him what flight we are on and he has never failed to be at the airport to pick us up. He now knows the hotel in BKK where we stay and we don't even have to remind him where to go. We stay at the hotel overnight before returning to the airport for our onward flight to Khon Kaen, we arrange a pickup time from our hotel and he is always there at least 15 minutes before time. Of course I tip him well and this may be the reason for the excellent service, the tip I give may be a fortune to him but for me it is a just reward for his service

[AboutThaim]

17 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Only 30 years.....I've been here over 150 years.

Or does it just seem like it??

[futurespeter]

Grab Car or Grab Taxi works fine for me. Drivers are able to work with google maps, price is fixed.

[lockman07]

I use Uber, I won't give these mafia men any of my money.  They are rude, dishonest, pushy, play dumb when you ask them to do anything out of their way # they are lazy.  Some are violent because they know that they won't be prosecuted in Thailand.  There are exceptions but the majority are not someone that I choose to do business with.  I don't need them to survive, they need us.  Motorcycle taxis are better if I were to use a taxi and those boys can drive!

[strewth mick]

22 hours ago, observer90210 said:

This is why UBER became a billion dollar golden goose....thanks to all the cheats and crooks who drive taxis worldwide, including Thailand ...

 

One could pray however that the ruling powers will put a stop to the taxi scammers in lovely Thailand. Thank you Sirs....

I'm not sure what you mean by "billion dollar golden goose".....uber are losing in the region of $3 billion every year and people are reporting the same sort of problems as with 'normal' taxis. That's not to mention the rapes and crashes that are seen with uber too.

 

The only reason uber have survived this far is because their venture capitalist friends have deep pockets.

 

In the long run uber will only bring standards down further. Its up to the local authorities to raise standards and enforce any laws.....unfortunately these local governments are fooled by the uber story too.

Edited October 23, 2017 by strewth mick

[ZeVonderBearz]

Taxi drivers tend to be the same the world over, always looking to squeeze that little bit extra from each fair. I try to avoid them like the plague and I'm happy to take public transport, walk, cycle and if I'm desperate, use Uber as at least if the driver does miss a U-turn then it's their time and money being wasted, not the customers. 

[luk AJ]

I use Uber, I won't give these mafia men any of my money.  They are rude, dishonest, pushy, play dumb when you ask them to do anything out of their way # they are lazy.  Some are violent because they know that they won't be prosecuted in Thailand.  There are exceptions but the majority are not someone that I choose to do business with.  I don't need them to survive, they need us.  Motorcycle taxis are better if I were to use a taxi and those boys can drive!

Is Uber legal in Thailand?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jimbo in Thailand]

20 hours ago, Hiro357 said:

No thank you for making baseless assumptions about me in your original post. Then calling me an ass by acting like one yourself. Nothing you have said has any logic to it. Just assume if I/the girl was treated badly, it has to be something wrong with us.

Nothing baseless about it Hiro357 as your negative taxi experiences are severely atypical.  I wasn't calling you an "ass" per se, just saying you seemed to be acting like one since you seem to be frequently finding yourself at the wrong end of negative treatment from these normally-friendly Thai cabbies.  I'll say it again:  You're DOING SOMETHING WRONG interacting with these drivers.  I mean that as constructive criticism, not to insult you.  Here are some helpful tips:

 

1.  Smile and be courteous.  A very pleasant attitude typically will go along way.  I can't emphasize this enough.  The more pleasant you are the more pleasant your experience will be.  Remember that each driver has a supremely tough job and that he/she deals with that insanity the best way he/she possibly can just to get through the long day.  Keep in mind the nearly infinite amount of patience required for the driver to deal with all the other idiotic drivers on the road here.  The last thing a driver needs is for his passenger to have an attitude.  I personally always try to strike up a pleasant conversation with the driver.  Most drivers really appreciate the effort even if there is a language barrier because it gives them a needed diversion, and they typically love hearing a little about you.  I also give a small tip, larger if the cabbie gets me to my destination quickly. 

 

2.  FORGET the greedy tuk tuks—if at all possible!  Most are are going to screw you since they don't have meters and are typically waaaay overpriced.  Occasionally we all have to use them, usually during rush hour periods for short distances when many metered taxis simply won't take you to certain high-traffic areas.  Best to avoid them altogether if possible.

 

3.  This tip is fairly obvious.  Only go with the metered taxis and NEVER go with a metered taxi if the driver quotes you an upfront price and refuses to use the meter.  It's illegal for him to do that and you can report him.  There's usually a placard in the car that has the agency phone number to report him.

 

4.  I think you've already learned to load/unload your own luggage.  Sadly, most Thai taxi drivers don't want to be bothered, unless you're a female.

 

5.  Unless you're absolutely sure the driver is taking you on a 'scenic tour' to run up the meter, just let the driver do his/her job because they typically know the best routes to avoid traffic snarls through their own painful experience.  And if the driver is indeed a bad apple, simply politely ask him/her to pull over, pay the meter, and flag down another cab.  Yeah, there are some bad ones out there.

 

Finally, just remember that the driver doesn't know you and his/her first impression of you can and does make a difference.

 

Cheers and Good Luck!

Edited October 23, 2017 by Jimbo in Thailand

[watcharacters]

On 10/22/2017 at 7:52 AM, inThailand said:

I have yet to meet a Thai who can read a map or use GPS. 

 

But that doesn't seem to stop the BKK cabbies from getting you there.

 

 

Every Grab Car driver I've used and that's around 16 has done fine using a GPS.

 

Guess it's just a matter of "the luck of the draw"

[observer90210]

6 hours ago, strewth mick said:

I'm not sure what you mean by "billion dollar golden goose".....uber are losing in the region of $3 billion every year and people are reporting the same sort of problems as with 'normal' taxis. That's not to mention the rapes and crashes that are seen with uber too.

 

The only reason uber have survived this far is because their venture capitalist friends have deep pockets.

 

In the long run uber will only bring standards down further. Its up to the local authorities to raise standards and enforce any laws.....unfortunately these local governments are fooled by the uber story too.

I'm not sure what you may mean by "bring standards down further...".???.....

 

In Europe, the Uber cars are much newer then the taxis, the cars are clean inside, all UBER drivers are far more polite, their rates are much cheaper then the regular taxism, they don't give the usual social and trafic ranting while driving, they don't argue on which route to take, are always on time, the UBER app gives a clear record of costs, routes and the drivers used....etc.......so if this means "making standards go down further? ?????.......... I humbly may consider that society is more then willing to accept it !!!.....

 

As for a few scattered incidents here and there with UBER drivers, considering the huge number of jobs it provides worldwide, it would not deserve further paranoia........

 

The success of UBER /GRAB is not due to their "capitalist friends" as you suggest, but solely out fo the greeed and crookedness of a large majority of taxi drivers all over the world, including Bangkok - that made UBER so popular, practically overnight....

 

Edited October 23, 2017 by observer90210

[strewth mick]

41 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

I'm not sure what you may mean by "bring standards down further...".???.....

 

In Europe, the Uber cars are much newer then the taxis, the cars are clean inside, all UBER drivers are far more polite, their rates are much cheaper then the regular taxism, they don't give the usual social and trafic ranting while driving, they don't argue on which route to take, are always on time, the UBER app gives a clear record of costs, routes and the drivers used....etc.......so if this means "making standards go down further? ?????.......... I humbly may consider that society is more then willing to accept it !!!.....

 

As for a few scattered incidents here and there with UBER drivers, considering the huge number of jobs it provides worldwide, it would not deserve further paranoia........

 

The success of UBER /GRAB is not due to their "capitalist friends" as you suggest, but solely out fo the greeed and crookedness of a large majority of taxi drivers all over the world, including Bangkok - that made UBER so popular, practically overnight....

 

Observer....you seem to have ignored the point I made.....uber are losing bucket loads of money. Why do you view them as so successful?

 

As for your point about Europe....in actual fact London is their main European market and TFL (the regulator) has refused to renew their license due to concerns over public safety amongst other things. You can read about the sexual assaults and car crashes in London if you are interested.

 

I don't think making generalisations about taxi drivers around the world is particularly useful either. Its not the highest paying job and if you've ever had to deal with the public to make a living you would appreciate that its not the nicest job either.

[observer90210]

21 minutes ago, strewth mick said:

Observer....you seem to have ignored the point I made.....uber are losing bucket loads of money. Why do you view them as so successful?

 

As for your point about Europe....in actual fact London is their main European market and TFL (the regulator) has refused to renew their license due to concerns over public safety amongst other things. You can read about the sexual assaults and car crashes in London if you are interested.

 

I don't think making generalisations about taxi drivers around the world is particularly useful either. Its not the highest paying job and if you've ever had to deal with the public to make a living you would appreciate that its not the nicest job either.

My dear friend, if I fully enjoy trips to London, allow me to assure you that Europe (which may seem a no man's land to UK .-) ...Europe has many other metros where UBER is highly popular and sucessful.....

 

I did catch your point on their financial issues....but consumers don't give a hoot on the account logs of a company if they can get the extra miles for their hard earned bucks,  I understand that you are in sympathy with the taxi unions, but I regret to say that the days of taxi monopoly are outnumbered worldwide and if London did give in by the mayor who has obvious cultural ties with the people who drive taxis in the UK, the rest of the world is far ahead.  But your engagement towards the taxi is honorable but sorry to say, consumers don't give a hoot...

 

 As an exemple to what's to come, consider the lower price for a TV made by underpaid people in China or double the price tag if not triple of the same TV made by adults, well paid, in the USA or in UK....which TV will most purchase ?..honestly?....welcome to the 21st century consumerism where the consumer decides what to pay and not to get ripped off and have a nice day.

Edited October 23, 2017 by observer90210

[strewth mick]

26 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

My dear friend, if I fully enjoy trips to London, allow me to assure you that Europe (which may seem a no man's land to UK .-) ...Europe has many other metros where UBER is highly popular and sucessful.....

 

I did catch your point on their financial issues....but consumers don't give a hoot on the account logs of a company if they can get the extra miles for their hard earned bucks,  I understand that you are in sympathy with the taxi unions, but I regret to say that the days of taxi monopoly are outnumbered worldwide and if London did give in by the mayor who has obvious cultural ties with the people who drive taxis in the UK, the rest of the world is far ahead.  But your engagement towards the taxi is honorable but sorry to say, consumers don't give a hoot...

 

 As an exemple to what's to come, consider the lower price for a TV made by underpaid people in China or double the price tag if not triple of the same TV made by adults, well paid, in the USA or in UK....which TV will most purchase ?..honestly?....welcome to the 21st century consumerism where the consumer decides what to pay and not to get ripped off and have a nice day.

Thanks Observer.

 

Your point is that you like uber and as a consumer you don't care about the details. Also you don't like existing taxi drivers.

 

Why didn't you just say that in the 1st place.