VIDEO: The reality of hailing a taxi in Bangkok on a rainy night

[MUSICMAN16]

taxi drivers are the scum of the earth

but dont worry... songkran is nearly upon us all

at the end of songkran there will be less taxi drivers coz of accidents

 

so dont worry about it

[marko kok prong]

I have a driver that i always use to bring me from Bangkok to Petchabun,i have found the taxis have improved greatly over the last few years,you still get the odd refusal but nothing like it used to be.

[freebyrd]

1 hour ago, wvavin said:

This never happened 30 years ago in Bangkok. The taxis were in Q waiting for you. 

That's right, but to be scrupulously fair, with no meter, in those days you negotiated the fare before you got in the taxi. I'm no fan of taxi drivers and the way they often behave badly, but it wouldn't be a job I would choose. I thik the old method of negotiating was actually better, I don't remember arguments the way I do these days.

[Cranky]

Taxis that follow the letter of the law have no chance at making any money at all as the fare structure is too cheap as the cost of the cab is about 1,000 Baht a day plus fuel.  Easy for a 100 baht cab ride to take an hour so do the math.

 

Negotiating before getting in works fine - don't like the price, try the next one.  I'm no fan of cab drivers but they have the right to make a living the same as anyone else.

[overherebc]

15 hours ago, petedk said:

I doubt very much if it is staged. I have experienced exactly the same several times around Asoke.

 

Some months ago there was a problem with BTS and Asoke station was full. I decided to pop down on to Sukhumvit and take a taxi to Thong Lor. I had about 10 taxis refuse or ask for 300 Baht. Some foreigners next to me wanted to go to the Emporium. They were quoted 150 to 200 Baht. The amazing thing was to see the taxis keep stopping and then refusing customers. Many of them must have driven most of the way along Sukhumvit without passengers.

Yes, but if you don't have a passenger you get more kilo per litre. ?

[richard_smith237]

It seems there are a number of posters expressing sympathy towards the plight of a taxi driver, while others are expressing their contempt. 

 

There are scores of honest and reliable Taxi drivers out there driving safe and clean taxi's.... However, when flagging down a taxi we also expose ourselves to the potential for a distasteful encounter with a Taxi driver who represents the 'scummier' facet of the industry.

 

It's a rubbish job and I am sympathetic towards those who work hard, but in taking the job and obtaining a taxi licence (mostly) a Taxi Driver agrees to the terms, conditions and regulations of driving a taxi... 

 

Dress and language have very little to do with the way we are treated, Thai's face and complain of the same issues us Westerners face when dealing with some of the taxi drivers.

 

I think the flag-fall fare should be increased, if only to be fair to the hard working honest taxi drivers, however, I also believe this will do very little to reduce the number negative encounters for a sense of entitlement has now become ingrained in many of the characters attempting to 'squeeze' potential passengers. 

 

I for one have a preference not to take a taxi simply to avoid the (estimated) 25% possibility of a negative experience.... Calling a Grab Taxi is simply easier and more reliable. 

 

That said when left with little choice I follow the basic rules already mentioned by many in this thread: 

- Only flag down moving taxis, never those waiting on the street.

- If the taxi pulls up and opens his window, forget it. 

- Get in, speak clearly, the Taxi driver simply has to nod and put on his meter, if he doesn't get out.

- A Taxi driver who hesitates too long either doesn't understand you, doesn't know your destination, is working out if he can get away with not using the meter, is thinking of over-charging you, is considering if he has enough fuel and needs to stop off at a gas station - none of these are good things, its easier just to get out !

- Oh, and never get upset or aggressive with a taxi driver (or anyone else), there is no point, just move on.

 

 

 

[Cranky]

If a decent wage was likely, decent people might strive to do the job and the standards would increase.

 

Try Japan, seats you could eat your sushi off, white-gloved drivers, automatically opened doors, never a fare refused and ultra-polite.  Price - the tube is really busy.  Following a boozy night out I had to tell the driver to stop once as my 120 USD worth of yen was not enough after 20 minutes, he drove me the rest of the way anyway.  4,000 Baht here, no meter but negotiated, would get you from Bangkok to Pattaya and back with change in a decent car.

[jacko45k]

5 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

It seems like the logical thing to do - perhaps the driver keeps the doors locked until he 'accepts' the passenger!

Be interested to know from a Bangkok regular. Climbing in and pressing 'fait accompli' sounds like a plan.

[Cranky]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Be interested to know from a Bangkok regular. Climbing in and pressing 'fait accompli' sounds like a plan.

I can't see the point in starting the journey with a driver that now hates you if he has said no and told you to get out of the cab.  Good luck getting to your destination in one piece.

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Cranky said:

I can't see the point in starting the journey with a driver that now hates you if he has said no and told you to get out of the cab.  Good luck getting to your destination in one piece.

So he will likely attack his passengers?

Isn't there a number one can call if there are such issues?

Edited April 4, 2018 by jacko45k

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Too many tourists willing to shrug their shoulders and agree to outrageous demands. Once the dog has tasted blood...

[InMyShadow]

"I think 1/2 the whiners here can’t be understood by their English let alone Thai so maybe that’s the issue"

Let's face it, Bangkok rent is expensive so many made the mistake of renting a fan room in the burbs only to find they are stranded as soon as it sprinkles. Most expats can figure out the importance of pronouncing 3 words in thai so there isn't any confusion or appearing to be a tourist. It's nearly always the scum taxi driver at fault

[Henrik Andersen]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Indeed - it cost my friend a punch in the nose after him being told to get out and my friend refused claiming that the taxi driver had to take him... 

 

They even introduced 'new taxis' with a green light... these have 'panic buttons' and Internal Camera's which supposedly means they have to follow the regulations... but, they just don't bother stopping for you instead...

 

Grab remains the viable option (now UBER is selling to Grab). There is still, of course, a number of reasonable taxi drivers, but, by simply flagging down a taxi you increase your odds of an annoying if not distasteful encounter. 

 

So meny talk about grab or uber but they are illegal in Thailand and sorry I can't see the difference no meter too just fixed price too meaby a little bit cheaper but Thailand and the people what taxis with meter on

[Bangkok Barry]

14 minutes ago, Cranky said:

I can't see the point in starting the journey with a driver that now hates you if he has said no and told you to get out of the cab.  Good luck getting to your destination in one piece.

 

I got a taxi at Swampy airport from the departures level. First he quoted a figure and I walked away. Then he pretended to relent and said he would use the meter. I say pretended because although he did he also drove a very long way around so the fare was what he originally quoted without the meter.

[fullcave]

Absolutely true! No way you are getting a taxi to use the meter when it's raining. Another one of the reasons I don't to live in BKK. Add that to noise, pollution, traffic, lack of parking, filth, etc. etc. etc..  

[Bangkok Barry]

15 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

So he will likely attack his passengers?

Isn't there a number one can call if there are such issues?

 

I called it once because of problems with the driver. They told me to call the tourist police. I did, and they told me to call the Taxi line.

[Thian]

8 hours ago, LatPrao said:

It doesn't take a rainy night in Bangkok to get this kind of treatment at the hands of most, but thankfully not all, taxis around Sukhumvit. This kind of stuff used to be just around Hualumphong train station and late night Patpong after the BTS stopped running.  Now they roll down their window and want 3 or 400 baht for a short hop. No meter.  I just wave them off if they roll up and the window comes down.  Better than <deleted>! and risk a fight, although leaving the rear door slightly ajar and walking away gives some satisfaction.  The topper in this, and after all the articles on the police or government doing something about it was mid-day on Sukhumvit, after several no meter experiences - I complained in Thai to one of the police about it, so he waves a taxi down and asks to go for me and the taxi driver blew him off and refused to take me on the meter!  Just in case you wondered why something wasn't being done about it.  They're free to rob you or refuse you.

Once we left from that 86 floor hotel and tried to get a taxi at their ground floor. They all refused to open the doors so we told the hotel's bellboy about it...he talked to the taxi, told us to get in and that he would use the metre...around the corner still no metre so my wife told him to turn on the metre..then he started racing like a total idiot and after 5 minutes he told us to <deleted> so we got out without paying him...my wife told to report him and he made a slit throat sign to her....

 

They are just bastards and give the whole country a bad reputation.

[Baerboxer]

Interesting that since the current government took over there's been several attempts to enforce the regulations on taxi drivers and crackdowns on those that don't. And it's made very little if any impact seemingly.

 

If a military backed Junta can't enforce such simply rules what chance a civilian government!

 

As with all traffic rules here, seems adherence is optional or the punishment very light.

[gerritkaew]

Just go sit in the taxi and go to your adres, afterwards i give him 100b, not the 4 or 500 he ask. i do this all the time when the don't use meter...

[dunroaming]

21 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Can they not get into the cab, and then tell the driver where they want to go and for him to put the meter on?

When I lived in Hong Kong I learned that lesson very quickly.  I lived in Stanley on the far side of the island and getting a taxi from Central every day was a real pain.  However in Thailand demanding a taxi takes you anywhere is likely to have you at the wrong end of a machete! 

[Austrian26]

Taxi drivers in Bangkok are mostly full on retards, they will rather go empty for hours instead of doing some 50-100 baht drives and then wonder why the end up having no money. 

[Cranky]

Forget cabs in Patpong unless they are moving.  The ones that are stationary, waiting for a fare, pay the cops to sit there and want a fortune so don't expect any assistance from the B'sterds in Brown

[chang1]

3 hours ago, tezzainoz said:

My Thai wife says she never has a problem getting a cab, as she just tells the driver where she wants him to take us , and their is a 300 baht tip on top of the fare, 300 baht is cheap when I can get soaking wet standing in the rain

 

 

I presume you are trolling - no-one gives 2 or 3 times the fare as a tip. But if you are for real, can you not see that people like you are the cause of this problem. Sure you will get treated well but due to your selfishness the rest of us plebs get treated like shit. Yanks are the worst for this they will give big tips even when treated badly. This then makes people greedy and it is worse for everyone else.

I am an engineer and never expect or receive tips, so I see no reason to give tips to anyone just for doing their normal job.

For all those calling for higher meter fares, 

1 - If there is so little money to be made why are there so many taxis?

2 - Just because you can afford it doesn't mean everyone else can.

 

My way of dealing with taxis is always insist on the meter, if the taxi driver doesn't want to take me, try others until one will. Once in I get the gps app on my phone and make sure the driver knows about it.

 

Even I will give a modest tip if all goes well and the driver is safe and friendly, has a clean cab and useable seat belts. 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

Interesting that since the current government took over there's been several attempts to enforce the regulations on taxi drivers and crackdowns on those that don't. And it's made very little if any impact seemingly.

 

If a military backed Junta can't enforce such simply rules what chance a civilian government!

 

As with all traffic rules here, seems adherence is optional or the punishment very light.

 

That's because they do it in one place for a few hours every few months. What it needs is for the military to get out of their barracks where they do who knows what all day and into plain clothes and try to take taxis. Every driver who won't do his job, who breaks the law, should lose his license immediately. They know the rules, and they know the level of income when they take the job (or should do), so it's no good them complaining that they can't make a living doing the job they do. If they can't then get another job, as anyone else would in any other profession.

But nothing will happen because those who make that sort of decision don't take taxis so they simply don't care.

 

As for your last sentence, yes. But it doesn't only apply to traffic rules. It applies to everything.

 

[cyborgx]

On ‎03‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 4:48 PM, wgdanson said:

Can they not get into the cab, and then tell the driver where they want to go and for him to put the meter on?

No because they lock the doors!

 

I rarely use meter taxis unless I have to these days, prefer to order Grab or Uber using their frequent promotions.

 

When I have to hail a cab, and they drive up winding the passenger window down, I shoo them away for the scumbags they most likely are (from 25 years experience).

 

Yes, there are the occasional decent cab that also has a habit of winding down the windows, but I would put it a 7 out of every 8 that wind down the passenger window are scumbags either looking for non-metered customers, or are highly likely to refuse most destinations.

 

I'd rather miss the odd taxi that would take me, than waste my time "begging through a window" 8 time to find the one that will go where I want with the meter turned on!

[Jonmarleesco]

On 4/3/2018 at 3:24 PM, Emmess said:

Definitely staged. Just a cheap gimmick to make Thai taxi drivers look bad. 

Not something that needs to be staged.

[Jonmarleesco]

And doubtless, no Thai called the DLT number? But then, is that really worth doing?

[cyborgx]

10 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

Uber/Grab are going to distroy the taxi business. And frankly, I hope they do. BK taxis are the worst and deserve the fate for which they are destine.

There are good as well as bad Bangkok Taxis, we only need to solve the problem of the bad ones.

 

Grab & Uber are reasonably priced with promotions, but without them the prices can also get ridiculously high, so I DEFINITELY DO NOT want to lose the competitively priced DECENT Metered Taxis that are not driven by scumbags.

 

Grab was a fantastic service to start with, but the quality of service has definitely gone downhill since they increased the number of drivers and seemingly lost their quality control....

 

The good thing about Grab is the FIXED FEE, as opposed to Uber and their ridiculous UNDER-ESTIMATES and requests for higher payment when you actually arrive.

 

One big problem with Grab is their drivers cancelling far too frequently after you've already been waiting 5-10 minutes for them to arrive! It happens to me on average almost every other trip now! Meaning I have to order at least 2 or 3 cars before one actually arrives!

 

Both Uber and Grab seem to have some complete morons that cannot even use a street map, even when it's got GPS assistance, and both of their routing algorithms frequently suggest the most ridiculous routes to the destination!

 

Still, at least things have improved from the old days of only motorbikes, tutuks, and the rare non-metered taxis.......

[HamonRye]

Judging by the news every week one could come to the conclusion that BKK taxi drivers are abit erm...rapey and/or fighty. 

And at best a fair percentage of them are abit erm...not meter friendly. 

[cyborgx]

9 hours ago, gr8fldanielle said:

I never ask the driver IF he  would take to me to a certain location, I just get in and tell the driver where to go.

Supposedly refusing a fare is illegal, but Thai people still set themselves up for rejection and then complain about it.

Stop asking the drivers and start telling the drivers where you want to go, end of story.

 

Yes, works sometimes, but even when it works, often you have to watch a shaking head and listen to a load of mumbled curses. Yes you can start an argument, or try to educate him on his bad manners, as the driver "bon"s his heart out, but that has it's headaches and downsides.....