No meter or taxi driver refuses fare? Call "Big Joke" on 1155 and he'll get it sorted

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

I guess he didn't check out the airport taxis themselves about using the meter...

 

Yep, a pizza shop is about the right place to call for action.

 

[dassyurus]

On 1/3/2018 at 8:49 PM, geriatrickid said:

PHUKET is the worst. In fairness to Pattaya, I found the  taxis to  have common sense. I was able to get a  pickup truck to bring us from  South Pattaya to the ferry for 100 baht.  Impossible on Phuket. Last time I went from HKT airport to Patong was 1000 baht.  Slimy corrupt scum.

Would you get from LA international to Long Beach for $31 US?? Or San Pablo.. or Anaheim???? is just 1000THB trip..

Same distance as HKT to Patong..

 

[crobe]

I was trying to get a taxi in Bangkok yesterday afternoon at 4pm when the traffic was heavy

All of the taxi drivers were refusing to use the meters and wanted at least 500baht per trip

 - where was this - at the Government complex in Nonthaburi

If they cannot regulate the taxis at their own premises how can the government expect the rules to be followed by others? - is heavy traffic a justifiable excuse for not using the meter?

I hope this resolves when the red line with a station at Laksi goes into operation.

 

And since the introduction of green and yellow taxis in Pattaya - all of whom have the Taxi-Meter sign on the top, I have yet to find one that uses it. - abysmal failure of the local authority to enforce this.

 

Personally I think the Bangkok rates are too low - they are lower than the equivalent rates for a motorcycle or a Tuk-Tuk, but the fact that taxi drivers in Pattaya just set their own fares leads to tourists and others being ripped off.

 

A fair compromise has to be achievable.

[Bartman1369]

On 03/01/2018 at 3:06 PM, Shaunduhpostman said:

Call Big Joke? Obviously they aren't serious. 

 

"I'd like to report a taxi driver! He wouldn't turn on his meter!"

 

"What did he look like?"

 

"Well, he was about 50 years old, short hair... wearing a blue t-shirt. I think he had a big gold wedding ring on his ring finger..."

 

"Ok, sir we'll notify our department at next month's meeting. We'll ask the officers to look for a taxi driver with a blue t-shirt and a gold ring while on duty. And when we catch him will slap him with a big 10,000 baht fine! How's all that sound!"

 

"Thank you! Thank you, so much! Now I can sleep at night knowing my case will eventually be settled!"

 

Really tho, is it so hard to just hail another taxi if the one just waved down doesn't want to go where you want to go, or doesn't want to use the meter? 

 

This is just needless harassment and intimidation of the drivers. 

Not in Pattaya, where it is impossible to get a meter taxi. I I don't know anyone in visited or stayed here being being able to do the same.

[Henrik Andersen]

Big joke 555

Yeah right 

So you need come to Pattaya here we can't get any taxi meter to turn there meter on just last night I  ask 3 taxi from Pattaya to drive me home  to jomtien same answer  it cost 300 baht 

[Donutz]

On 3-1-2018 at 9:06 AM, forrwhat said:

How exactly are you supposed to give details?  I have seen taxi's licenses with photos that don't even come close to the drivers face.  If you open the rear door to tell the driver where to go I'm not looking at the license.  So I should have my camera on at all times when looking for a taxi and send video or photo to where.  It's all a farce.

The rear door? That doesn't exactly make communication either. Open the front passenger door, ask them and in my experience 9 out of 10 times they take you to your destination on the meter. Only time I'd sit in the back is If travelling with 2+ people. If traffic is bad they do seem more likely to decline but a sane person would take other transport during rush hour or avoid travelling durimg rush hour altogether. 

[jamesmacleod]

On 03/01/2018 at 5:36 AM, The manic said:

No Taxis in Pattaya have metres and minimum fee is 200 baht. And Phuket is no better. Bangkok is OK and there are no taxi problems at Survanapoom airport.

i queued up, got my ticket at surphanbhoom airport in the taxi rank, and the taxi driver refused to put the meter on, he said 2000 baht to the city centre, on a meter it is only about 300 baht! I was already in journey by the time he said this, as i asked why the meter was not on, i paid 1000 baht n the end and i was a bit peed off

[jamesmacleod]

I'm okay if a taxi driver refuses my fare and drives on, but I find it very annoying that taxi drivers so often in Thailand don't want to put the meter on, as a tourist in Thailand about 10% of fares I try to take are quoted to me rather than metered 

[siam2007]

On 1/4/2018 at 2:23 AM, Just Weird said:

Uber is banned everywhere in Thailand.

 

 

Not true

 

Refusing to switch on the Meter is banned

[siam2007]

8 hours ago, jamesmacleod said:

i queued up, got my ticket at surphanbhoom airport in the taxi rank, and the taxi driver refused to put the meter on, he said 2000 baht to the city centre, on a meter it is only about 300 baht! I was already in journey by the time he said this, as i asked why the meter was not on, i paid 1000 baht n the end and i was a bit peed off

 

 

take pictures of his licence and his car plate sign inside at the back door and then ask him how much he really wants to charge at the end of your journey

 

.

Edited January 14, 2018 by siam2007

[01322521959]

Reading all your experiences, I'm damn happy I have my 3 motorbikes and a bicycle to chose from. Said goodbye to all forms of public transport back in 07' and get quite nervous if I have to take a taxi.

[blubb]

The mobile app. 1step reporting, is since weeks not usable, cannot connect to database. Switching now to Uber.  

[Just Weird]

21 hours ago, jamesmacleod said:

i queued up, got my ticket at surphanbhoom airport in the taxi rank, and the taxi driver refused to put the meter on, he said 2000 baht to the city centre, on a meter it is only about 300 baht! I was already in journey by the time he said this, as i asked why the meter was not on, i paid 1000 baht n the end and i was a bit peed off

Why did you not mention it until your were "already in journey"?  The first couple of minutes in a taxi out of the rank at Suvarnabhumi is just getting slowly out of the car park area, plenty of time for you to stop him, get out and walk back a few meters to report him as you have his name on your ticket.

[Just Weird]

13 hours ago, siam2007 said:

 

Not true

It is true, Uber is illegal in Thailand, therefore, by definition, it is banned.

[blubb]

15 hours ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

Not true

 

Refusing to switch on the Meter is banned

 

Grab and Uber are illegal, but who cares  :) 

 

http://www.thailawforum.com/uber-and-grabcar-running-illegally-in-thailand/

 

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/958585

 

 

 

 

[Nong Khai Man]

23 hours ago, jamesmacleod said:

i queued up, got my ticket at surphanbhoom airport in the taxi rank, and the taxi driver refused to put the meter on, he said 2000 baht to the city centre, on a meter it is only about 300 baht! I was already in journey by the time he said this, as i asked why the meter was not on, i paid 1000 baht n the end and i was a bit peed off

Silly YOU For paying EVEN 1,000 Baht....You Obviously know the fare is around 300,So Why didn't you just give him that & Walk Away ???

[blubb]

1 hour ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Silly YOU For paying EVEN 1,000 Baht....You Obviously know the fare is around 300,So Why didn't you just give him that & Walk Away ???

As Taxi Driver I would call the police. The importance is here the negotiated price before the trip starts.

 

I come from a trip, took the number, but the driver seems busy doing something in the car, he just ignored me. I went back took another number, looking for someone more interested in earning money. As he saw me, taking another number, he run after me and ask whats going on, I've ignored him in the same way as he did before.    

   

[jamesmacleod]

On 15/01/2018 at 5:18 AM, Nong Khai Man said:

Silly YOU For paying EVEN 1,000 Baht....You Obviously know the fare is around 300,So Why didn't you just give him that & Walk Away ???

I was more worried about managing to get my pass port and wallet out of my bag which was in his trunk..... as he was ripping me off i felt i could end up loosing my stuff

 

I asked for meter, he said it was too busy with traffic and no speak English, but then he dropped his price to 1500, and then 1000

 

he thought i had never visited Thailand before

 

Now I video call my girlfriend and get her to explain in Thai that i need a meter to hers to the cab driver, or at least I have done so for the last 4 visits in Thailand 

 

Taxi drivers make more by quoting fares, rather than using the meter so I can understand why they do it, the fact remains that even if you report it, they walk away without fines etc, so they can get away with it!

Edited January 17, 2018 by jamesmacleod

[srchino]

Big Joke should try to go hail a cab on soi 11 on a weekend night [emoji23]

[siam2007]

On 1/14/2018 at 11:25 PM, 01322521959 said:

Reading all your experiences, I'm damn happy I have my 3 motorbikes and a bicycle to chose from. Said goodbye to all forms of public transport back in 07' and get quite nervous if I have to take a taxi.

 

 

You should rather get nervous each time u use your motorbike, as statistics clearly suggest that riding a motorbike is at least a hundred times more dangerous than riding a taxi as a passenger

[siam2007]

On 1/17/2018 at 12:49 PM, jamesmacleod said:

 the fact remains that even if you report it, they walk away without fines etc, so they can get away with it!

 

 

that is definitely NOT true as you can read every other day in the local newspapers

[blubb]

23 hours ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

You should rather get nervous each time u use your motorbike, as statistics clearly suggest that riding a motorbike is at least a hundred times more dangerous than riding a taxi as a passenger

he was referring to use his personal heli service since the bitcoin business grows ....

[blubb]

.

Edited January 23, 2018 by blubb
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