BKK Airport Taxis Want 50% Fee Hike

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

Matichon file photo

 

SAMUT PRAKAN — Taxis at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday renewed their calls for higher fares and service fees, citing the rising cost of living.

 

An airport taxi association director argued the increase is justified because service complaints, long a sticking point to their demands, have improved. In a petition to transportation officials, Sadit Jaitiang said the long-standing problem of picky drivers refusing passengers is now near zero.

 

Full story:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2018/06/12/bkk-airport-taxis-want-50-fee-hike/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-06-12

My ass now near 0.   It may have increased not decreased.

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

BKK Airport Taxis Want 50% Fee Hike

sure why stop at 50% why not make it 500% - isn't that what you charge anyway

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

Sadit Jaitiang said the long-standing problem of picky drivers refusing passengers is now near zero.

Oh yeah? try to pick a taxi in Silom, lower Sukhumvit areas, rainy time and entertainments place and see the dirty look you get when you ask them to put on the meter.. right now, they get the fare that they deserve...

15 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

My ass now near 0.   It may have increased not decreased.

  

In around 50 arrivals at Swampy, I have never been refused, nor have I ever been asked to pay more than the meter.  Though, I often volunteer to pay more because I like a driver who isn't working on that last frayed nerve in his body.  Having a happy driver makes a palpable difference in the ride, and well worth the $5 (+/-) extra I offer right out of the lot.  It's still the cheapest taxi ride I get around the world.

 

I'd gladly accept a separate and higher price for a ride from Swampy.  Hopefully, it would come with stricter standards for the age and condition of the vehicle.  But even at +50%, Swampy to town would still be a cheap ride compared to the majority of airport taxis around the world.

 

9 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Oh yeah? try to pick a taxi in Silom, lower Sukhumvit areas, rainy time and entertainments place and see the dirty look you get when you ask them to put on the meter.. right now, they get the fare that they deserve...

 

You did see that the group is an airport taxi association, right?  It's a little harsh to hold them accountable for what happens on Silom or Lower Suk.

 

 

Use the BTS. The total fair from airport to the furthest station is under 100 baht 

 

 

Just now, InMyShadow said:

Use the BTS. The total fair from airport to the furthest station is under 100 baht 

 

Unless you have luggage.  Or there's more than one of you.  Or you live more than 100 meters from the line, because you're in for a taxi ride anyway.

 

My customer from overseas just paid 600 for taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi to Sukhumvit. He told me all the drivers refused to use meter.

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

BKK Airport Taxis Want 50% Fee Hike

Settle down everyone, particularly those carrying on about fare prices. 

This is for Suvarnabhumi taxis only and it only applies to the surcharge fee; nothing to do with fares. 

They want it raised from the existing 50 baht fee to 75 baht for normal cars and 95 baht for van taxis.

Doesn't sound unreasonable.

It seems like they could up the departure fee from 50 baht to 75 baht, without too much hassle.

 

Can't see taxis using a different flag-fall/per Km rate from the airport vs. all other trips?

 

Most taxi trips, save to/from the airport, are made by Thais, so any rate increase would hit them in the pocketbook. Now if they could only figure out how to implement two-tiered pricing.

 

Interesting that there are so many taxis/drivers given that the "job" seems to be so financially challenging?

46 minutes ago, impulse said:

  

In around 50 arrivals at Swampy, I have never been refused, nor have I ever been asked to pay more than the meter.  Though, I often volunteer to pay more because I like a driver who isn't working on that last frayed nerve in his body.  Having a happy driver makes a palpable difference in the ride, and well worth the $5 (+/-) extra I offer right out of the lot.  It's still the cheapest taxi ride I get around the world.

 

I'd gladly accept a separate and higher price for a ride from Swampy.  Hopefully, it would come with stricter standards for the age and condition of the vehicle.  But even at +50%, Swampy to town would still be a cheap ride compared to the majority of airport taxis around the world.

 

You will be better of by the limousine service, for your own peace of mind. All others have slightly different experiences.......

Just now, titanio82 said:

You will be better of by the limousine service, for your own peace of mind. All others have slightly different experiences.......

Which limousine service would that be?

15 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Settle down everyone, particularly those carrying on about fare prices. 

This is for Suvarnabhumi taxis only and it only applies to the surcharge fee; nothing to do with fares. 

They want it raised from the existing 50 baht fee to 75 baht for normal cars and 95 baht for van taxis.

Doesn't sound unreasonable.

But why the surcharge?

1 minute ago, titanio82 said:

You will be better of by the limousine service, for your own peace of mind. All others have slightly different experiences.......

 

Every time I've tried, they ask me to wait 30-45 minutes for a car.  I can be snoozing in 45 minutes if I take a taxi home.  In fairness, I've never tried lining one up online in advance.  That may work, but I've always been a walk-up.

 

And the one time I did take an AOT Limo from BKK to DMK, the driver must have been moonlighting from his kamikaze mini-van job.

 

1 minute ago, hansnl said:

But why the surcharge?

 

I once had a driver take me past the parking lot where the taxi drivers queue up to go into Swampy.  Literally, there were hundreds, if not thousands of taxis in the queue waiting their turn.  It looked like an hour or more (but I didn't sit there and time it).  After that, I was perfectly content to pay the surcharge.

 

2 minutes ago, hansnl said:

But why the surcharge?

Why ask me? I don't run the Taxi Association.

Go up to departures on Level 4 and get a happy taxi driver !  Never had a problem and met some great people,

 

I take the train.  Taxis at both airports are not really a service to travelers anyway.  Only use them when there is a need.  Now there will be less incentive to take a taxi from the airport. 

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Unless you have luggage.  Or there's more than one of you.  Or you live more than 100 meters from the line, because you're in for a taxi ride anyway.

 

Most are single men with one bag and I live 200 meters from Nana bts. Why would anyone not live near a bts in bangkok ? For the minority that don't then they are stuck in traffic. I wouldn't live in BKK without proximity to the BTS 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Sadit Jaitiang said the long-standing problem of picky drivers refusing passengers is now near zero

Maybe he should check if the complaint lines are still working, because this sounds suspicious.

"Sadit wants a 5 percent hike in the metered fare and an increase in the 50 baht surcharge imposed on passengers who hail cabs at the international airport. They want it raised to 75 baht for normal cars and 95 baht for van taxis."

 

Actually, that seems fair enough.

57 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Which limousine service would that be?

Comes free if you fly business class with emirates...

2 hours ago, webfact said:

An airport taxi association director argued the increase is justified because service complaints, long a sticking point to their demands, have improved.

In other words: We think we do a correct job now that will justify a 50 % increase of the money.

In a country with strict rules, regulations, and inspections in combination with drastic consequences for the black sheep, 50 % of these guys would have to sell shoe strings to make a living.

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

But why the surcharge?

 

I am under the impression that the surcharge is used as an incentive to insure there is a steady supply of taxis.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Mango Bob said:

My ass now near 0.   It may have increased not decreased.

At Suvarnabhumi airport?  I don't think so.

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Oh yeah? try to pick a taxi in Silom, lower Sukhumvit areas, rainy time and entertainments place and see the dirty look you get when you ask them to put on the meter.. right now, they get the fare that they deserve...

He's talking about airport taxis!

3 hours ago, impulse said:

  

In around 50 arrivals at Swampy, I have never been refused, nor have I ever been asked to pay more than the meter.  Though, I often volunteer to pay more because I like a driver who isn't working on that last frayed nerve in his body.  Having a happy driver makes a palpable difference in the ride, and well worth the $5 (+/-) extra I offer right out of the lot.  It's still the cheapest taxi ride I get around the world.

 

I'd gladly accept a separate and higher price for a ride from Swampy.  Hopefully, it would come with stricter standards for the age and condition of the vehicle.  But even at +50%, Swampy to town would still be a cheap ride compared to the majority of airport taxis around the world.

 

Careful, you're talking sense, that won't go down well with the bashers here, Impulse.

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Settle down everyone, particularly those carrying on about fare prices. 

This is for Suvarnabhumi taxis only and it only applies to the surcharge fee; nothing to do with fares. 

They want it raised from the existing 50 baht fee to 75 baht for normal cars and 95 baht for van taxis.

Doesn't sound unreasonable.

They want a fare increase also, 5%.

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

I take the train.  Taxis at both airports are not really a service to travelers anyway.  Only use them when there is a need.  Now there will be less incentive to take a taxi from the airport. 

Why will there be less incentive to use the taxis, the fares haven't increased.