Posting about the situation in Bangkok is irrelevant here in Chiang Mai; we don't  have an established taxi network. You could stand on just about any road here for an hour and never see a taxi go by. 

 

The songtao drivers aren't really in the same game as Grab, and that's something I think they know. Generally, if you hail a songtao, they will drive you on their route with other passengers, mush the same as a bus. Grab will take you anywhere you want to go, privately. 

 

It would be like bus drivers surrounding a taxi and complaining that the taxi was robbing the bus of passengers. That's irrational and absurd. 

 

For example, if I wanted to go to the 700 year Stadium from my house using songtaos or taxis, it would be nearly impossible. And I live almost next to a major artery here in the city. 

 

As a previous post pointed out, this is 2018 and having a public transport vehicle that loads people in the back of a truck with no seatbelts is archaic and in the modern world, illegal. 

On 7/3/2018 at 9:02 AM, Loaded said:

They have families, bills, responsibilities and their ability to cope is now threatened. What they are doing is a normal human reaction.

Won't answer that the way I want to. I don't want a posting holiday. ?

More public buses in the future , less songtaews.   

If they can't follow the modern world , they can just sit there and wait to scam more tourists. 

 

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

On 7/3/2018 at 9:02 AM, Loaded said:

They have families, bills, responsibilities and their ability to cope is now threatened. What they are doing is a normal human reaction.

Won't answer that the way I want to. I don't want a posting holiday.

 

I think that the unspoken point he's alluding to is that the songtaews, tuk-tuks, motosais, taxis and their ilk are part of an incredibly corrupt system that charges them a big portion of their revenue for the privilege of participating in that system. 

 

It's only natural to react when they see someone poaching on their bought-and-paid-for livelihood.  Especially when the new arrivals aren't paying the same corrupt fees- so of course they can offer a more cost effective service..

 

I don't blame the songtaew drivers for that as much as those who perpetuate and leach off the corrupt system, with little or no concern about the little guys who have to eke a living out of it.

 

Just hope the blue  buses can get better patronage .Went past 2 today, 3 people on one bus the other empty,whose picking up the loss ? I have no idea.

 

Would rather have seen smaller buses and more of them. Hard to break, for Thais, a long life habit of using Songteaws.

 

Of course motor cycle taxis would be ideal with the small sois and one person trips,you will only find them well out of the city

 

No matter where you go in this country there are co operatives that run the transport system and milk it relentlessly

 

I thought things might change 17 years ago when I first arrived obviously I was totally deluded

1 hour ago, Sparkles said:

Just hope the blue  buses can get better patronage .Went past 2 today, 3 people on one bus the other empty,whose picking up the loss ? I have no idea.

 

Would rather have seen smaller buses and more of them. Hard to break, for Thais, a long life habit of using Songteaws.

 

Of course motor cycle taxis would be ideal with the small sois and one person trips,you will only find them well out of the city

 

No matter where you go in this country there are co operatives that run the transport system and milk it relentlessly

 

I thought things might change 17 years ago when I first arrived obviously I was totally deluded

??

Since 1991 the only two things that I have noticed changing

1. The price of beer.

2. My reflection in the mirror. 

( Still hansum man though ) ?

mafia songtaew  why i should go inside

 

 uber ask me 100b   them ask me 200 150  reallyyyy

6 hours ago, thai006 said:

mafia songtaew  why i should go inside

 

 uber ask me 100b   them ask me 200 150  reallyyyy

Been here 20 years and I've never been asked for 150 baht for a shared ride. I think if you are chartering one you would pay that depending on the job. That's $5 for a chartered commercial vehicle plus driver.

17 hours ago, overherebc said:

Won't answer that the way I want to. I don't want a posting holiday. ?

That doesn't say much about your intellect if you can't respond to a forum post without being banned.

Hardly ever use grab now in Bangkok ,Fact is Grab cars are often Taxi meters cabs and more expensive, so no point! Uber Leaving has killed the app hailing business in the city !


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30 minutes ago, Loaded said:

Been here 20 years and I've never been asked for 150 baht for a shared ride. I think if you are chartering one you would pay that depending on the job. That's $5 for a chartered commercial vehicle plus driver.

 

So that would be $5 after haggling to sit in the back of a pickup on a bench, or $3 to sit in the back of an air conditioned car with seat belts.

 
So that would be $5 after haggling to sit in the back of a pickup on a bench, or $3 to sit in the back of an air conditioned car with seat belts.

If I were hauling something around the city, it's a fair price. If just me, I'd probably phone Grab or pay 30 baht for a shared songtaew ride. I have a car though so rarely need to use any other service.

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Grab/Uber and other private ventures have a bright future globally, thanks to the official transport chaps, who never cease to cheat customers, are often unruly on the road, rude and sometimes worse.