Pattaya cabbies demand higher minimum charge

By Theerawat Thongma, 
Dethawee Theewarangkool 
The Nation

 

 

Major General Popanan Luengpanuwat, head of the National Council for Peace and Order in Chon Buri, called a meeting on Thursday in a bid to tackle the issue of Pattaya taxi drivers allegedly taking advantage of tourists.

 

There had been complaints, including from foreigners, about drivers refusing to use the taxi meter and charging large amounts for short distances, he told the meeting at Pattaya City Hall.

 

Representatives of three Pattaya taxi companies, with a total of 500 cabs, explained that the starting price - Bt40 for the first 2km - was not enough for cabbies to cope with high living costs. 

 

Saying that such action was not right nor legal, Popanan said he would call another meeting on July 26 at the Bang Lamung district office for all taxi operators for their cooperation to adhere to the law. 

 

Popanan also assigned the Chon Buri Land Transport Office to ask for permission to hike the minimum fare to Bt100 for the first 2km, like on Koh Samui.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30350414

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-7-19

But would the charlatans adhere to the new pricing, even if it were agreed?

The rate should be the same all over the country and therefore they should follow the same rates as Bangkok taxis. The cost of living in Pattaya is not four times higher than Bangkok.

 

Having said that, I believe the rate in Bangkok should be set up.

What sort of Cloud Cuckoo Fantasy land are they living in?

The drivers here do not use the meters!!!!!

Well this dude obviously needs the extra dosh to stick a few more Toyota badges on the back of the motah .. 

And this guy has agreed to upgrade the air-con in his cab to justify some more dosh .. 

Edited July 19, 20187 yr by Justgrazing
Sp

1 hour ago, petedk said:

The rate should be the same all over the country and therefore they should follow the same rates as Bangkok taxis. The cost of living in Pattaya is not four times higher than Bangkok.

 

Having said that, I believe the rate in Bangkok should be set up.

What the rates should be in Pattaya is irrelevant because no taxis use their meters here.

 

If taxis did use their meters, then I believe the price should be higher than Bangkok taxis due to the sparser population of Pattaya's outlying areas compared to Bangkok. Once a taxi has traveled a few kilometers away from the central area, the likelihood of return fares is low, meaning they would be empty for longer and further than Bangkok taxis.

13 minutes ago, tropo said:

What the rates should be in Pattaya is irrelevant because no taxis use their meters here.

 

If taxis did use their meters, then I believe the price should be higher than Bangkok taxis due to the sparser population of Pattaya's outlying areas compared to Bangkok. Once a taxi has traveled a few kilometers away from the central area, the likelihood of return fares is low, meaning they would be empty for longer and further than Bangkok taxis.

It's a vicious circle.

 

There are much less taxis in Pattaya than in Bangkok, so they will have a higher chance to find a return fare, if they are reasonable priced.

 

The problem is that they don't use the meter, someone on say Nerm Plubwan will not flag them down, because he know they probably ask 200 Baht or more to Pattaya centre.

 

If they used the meter that would more something like 60 Baht, and there would be more people interested to flag a passing taxi.

19 minutes ago, tomas557 said:

It's a vicious circle.

 

There are much less taxis in Pattaya than in Bangkok, so they will have a higher chance to find a return fare, if they are reasonable priced.

 

The problem is that they don't use the meter, someone on say Nerm Plubwan will not flag them down, because he know they probably ask 200 Baht or more to Pattaya centre.

 

If they used the meter that would more something like 60 Baht, and there would be more people interested to flag a passing taxi.

I disagree. An inner BKK taxi can travel in any direction for many kilometers and still be in densely populated areas... but as we already agreed, no one flags them down as we all believe they are rip off merchants... I'm yet to hear one report from someone that got in a taxi here and the meter was used... so it's a mystery why anyone has been discussing rates that are never applied. How come we all know this, but the regulatory authorities seem unaware?

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

hike the minimum fare to Bt100 for the first 2km, like on Koh Samui

First, how can people breaking the law by refusing to use the meter have any demands to consider? First they have to abide the law, after we can discuss a hike.

 

How in the whole wide world can there be one rule on Koh Samui, and not in the rest of the country? Have i missed that the island won their call for independence?

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

What sort of Cloud Cuckoo Fantasy land are they living in?

The drivers here do not use the meters!!!!!

Never have done so...

 

I am sure living costs are a lot higher in BKK, 

8 hours ago, tropo said:

I disagree. An inner BKK taxi can travel in any direction for many kilometers and still be in densely populated areas... but as we already agreed, no one flags them down as we all believe they are rip off merchants... I'm yet to hear one report from someone that got in a taxi here and the meter was used... so it's a mystery why anyone has been discussing rates that are never applied. How come we all know this, but the regulatory authorities seem unaware?

Not unaware. Avoiding talking about it will avoid loss of face by not admitting it.

 

the point is moot, for they never use the meters.  <deleted> are they talking about? 

 

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

not enough for cabbies to cope with high living costs. 

My heart bleeds

 

Like all the other mafia adventures in and around Pattaya, they just do what they like and stiff arm the locals.....lol...??

So who cares about these jerks, blocking parking space in front of malls, lying around smoking  cigarettes all day. This place got along fine for a long time without them. You can charter a baht bus anywhere for  100, 200 B. Just let them charge these hapless Asian tourists whatever they can get. I could care less. 

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Not unaware. Avoiding talking about it will avoid loss of face by not admitting it.

 

Of course they are aware ,but to admit it would loss of face. But to be responsible and ignore it means by default they are not doing thier job =loss of  face . The circle goes on until you form a committee . TI T?????

12 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

But would the charlatans adhere to the new pricing, even if it were agreed?

In a past life I drove a Taxi for 28 years on and off. Many of us drivers complained about price hikes whenever they were imposed.  Reason is simple, the higher the prices went, the less people used Taxis. In fact a lot of us wished to be allowed to charge the same as the public services (busses) and be allowed to "pick up" at bus stops, but because that was not in the government's best interest (competition wise) it was never allowed. We would have made more money being constantly busy because of small fares than waiting for an hour or more at Taxi ranks after evey run.

Raise it to whatever but stop the racist pricing schemes and actually USE the Meter.

After the meating, lunch and beverages (where an attendance stipend was provided) was sponsored by the taxi companies.

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

like on Koh Samui

On my last visit to Koh Samui - I tried 4 different taxis to take me from the pier to Central Mall.
NONE of them was willing to use their meter and the rates for this 20 min fare varied from THB 700 to THB 1,000. 
Koh Samui? NEVER AGAIN!

Hey stop bashing on Thailand Taxis!

 

Taxis are some of the best negotiators around.

 

 

So, what's next? Complain that Grab drivers are taking their business away?

13 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

But would the charlatans adhere to the new pricing, even if it were agreed?

KneeDeep you nailed it. Taxi community is a fraternity without shame or morals

 

you can do whatever you want the taxis drivers will still abuse their position.

 

from  my experience flag a taxi down say where u go.give u a price or you say meter they drive off.how many times has that happened to people or farangs in bkk and pattaya.i don,t know about thais and they experience in a cab.i think they get more in fares than they are letting them know.

 

13 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Well this dude obviously needs the extra dosh to stick a few more Toyota badges on the back of the motah .. 

Now I know where my stolen badge ended up!

Is Grab in use down there?  I pay a bit of a premium for the service but quite satisfied with it in Bangkok and Chiang Mai

i have heard about the islands and the prices they charge tourist.they meet before the high season and make a pact.no movement and you are stuck at a airport and forced to pay the price,they laugh behind your back and you can little about it

Pattaya, Samui and Phuket are the land of the lawless, when it comes to taxis. The taxi mafias appear to be far, far more powerful than the police, and the army. Nobody seems to be able to stop them. Come to think of it, Bangkok is the only place within Thailand where you can get a taxi to use their meters. Am I wrong about this? Do not think so. The taxis nationwide are out of control. The army came to Samui, and demanded the taxis use their meters. They increased the fares and agreed. One week later it was impossible to find a taxi willing to use the meter. It costs 400 baht to go 3 kilometers on Samui. Land of the lawless. 

 

No point in raising the fares. They will not use their meters anyway.