Pattaya taxi drivers set to recommend 100 baht flag fall - three times more than Bangkok

[webfact]

Pattaya taxi drivers set to recommend 100 baht flag fall - three times more than Bangkok

 

Picture: Pattaya News

 

Pattaya taxi drivers are set to start using their meters.

 

But only if they are allowed to increase the flag fall for rides to 100 baht.

 

All the operators met on Monday to decide that 100 baht is appropriate for the first two kilometers. Thereafter they will charge 20 baht per kilometer.

 

They say this is fair and a way through the impasse that has seen them constantly criticized for not turning on the meter and ripping off tourists on fares.

 

The matter came to a head at a meeting last Thursday, reported Pattaya News.

 

Now the operators will present their "100 baht and we will turn on the meter plan" at a Thursday meeting this week.

 

The flag fall in Bangkok is still 35 baht and has been for many years. The fare per kilometer is also a fraction of what is being demanded in Pattaya. 

 

Source: Pattaya News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-24

[mok199]

Again these thug drivers calling the shots...bring in competition and let the chips fall where they will...

[darksidedog]

Yeah! Let's all cave in to the extortionate demands of a bunch of mafia thugs.

[worgeordie]

What about" you don't turn your meters on,lose your Taxi license plan"

no matter the fare, they will still rip off tourists,it's in their DNA.

 

regards worgeordie

[lanista]

THAI LOGIC....why rip off tourists illegally when we can rip them off even more legally !

This scam wont get passed unless the PCC wants farangs to go elsewhere.  Would Chinese or Russians pay that rort?

 

[Jingthing]

I would be OK with a compromise between the Bangkok rates and here.

If that outrageous demand is an opening gambit, OK. But if it's that OK or forget about it, forget about it. What's the per km. rate in Bangkok now? Also if a compromise rate is agreed too, they also need to agree to aggressive enforcement with SEVERE consequences for not using meters going forward.

Not saying I'm optimistic that a reasonable plan will be agreed to and enforced. That would be extremely naive! It's theoretically possible of course. It was done in Bangkok. But this ain't Bangkok. 

[Chivas]

Seems very reasonable to me. 100 Baht for up to 2 kilometres for air con taxi loaded with bags say from central festival to your hotel which would cost 200 from open back chartered baht bus

 

140 for 4 kilometres. Whats not to like. This is not Bangkok.

[Horace]

Why do Pattaya taxi drivers think they re entitled to three times the amount charged by Bangkok taxi drivers?  

 

The costs of car maintenance, fuel, etc., are essentially the same in Pattaya as Bangkok.  So why this major difference in the regulated price?

 

One difference immediately comes to mind.  In Bangkok, Thais use taxis all of the time.  Most taxi rides in Bangkok are transporting Thais from one locale to another.  No so in Pattaya.  The primary users of taxis in Pattaya will be foreigners.  That is the only difference I can see.

 

And, as we all know, foreigners, are expected to pay substantially more than Thais for anything in Thailand.  Double standards.  I can't think of anything else that explains this major difference on the regulated price.

[NE1]

If there wasn't so many bloody taxis and songthaews in Pattaya they would make a living. You cannot expect people to give you more money just because you are struggling to catch customers.

The place has more taxis than foreigners.

[PatOngo]

I guess this is to increase safety for all the families lining up to visit the world class resort!

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pattaya taxi drivers are set to start using their meters.

 

But only if they are allowed to increase the flag fall for rides to 100 baht.

 

Ain´t life sad when there is a need to bribe people working with public transport to abide the law?

[Horace]

39 minutes ago, NE1 said:

The place has more taxis than foreigners.

If the supply of taxi exceeds demand, you would expect the charges to be lower.  They aren't lower in Pattaya because the Thai criminals (presumably with implicit support of officials) tells drivers to charge more and punishes those who don't in various ways, such as damaging their cars, beating the drivers, etc.  Basically the lack of sensible regulation is funding Pattaya gangsters.

 

Bangkok was like this before meters were required.  I personally think 35 Baht is too low.  I think the flag in BOTH Pattaya and Bangkok should be 50 Baht.   That would undercut the gangsters in Pattaya and reduce the problem of taxis rejecting customers in Bangkok.  It is also fair since there is no reason - based on costs - why taxi fares should be different between Pattaya and Bangkok. 

 

The only reason they are higher in Pattaya is because of gangsters, and Pattaya needs to address it various mafias straight on.

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, mok199 said:

Again these thug drivers calling the shots...bring in competition and let the chips fall where they will...

Chips? I take you mean body bits?

[Justgrazing]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya taxi drivers set to recommend 100 baht flag fall - three times more than Bangkok

How very jolly decent of them ..

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

[Justgrazing]

100 barts min to get yo' ass hauled in a poxy Toyota .! Get some of these in Patt' and I might be a bit more amenable ..

[klauskunkel]

how about this:

Pattaya taxi drivers can go ... hug themselves.

[Andrew65]

1 hour ago, Horace said:

If the supply of taxi exceeds demand, you would expect the charges to be lower.  They aren't lower in Pattaya because the Thai criminals (presumably with implicit support of officials) tells drivers to charge more and punishes those who don't in various ways, such as damaging their cars, beating the drivers, etc.  Basically the lack of sensible regulation is funding Pattaya gangsters.

 

Bangkok was like this before meters were required.  I personally think 35 Baht is too low.  I think the flag in BOTH Pattaya and Bangkok should be 50 Baht.   That would undercut the gangsters in Pattaya and reduce the problem of taxis rejecting customers in Bangkok.  It is also fair since there is no reason - based on costs - why taxi fares should be different between Pattaya and Bangkok. 

 

The only reason they are higher in Pattaya is because of gangsters, and Pattaya needs to address it various mafias straight on.

Look at it this way. In 1998 the taxi flag-fall was 35 Baht, a packet of Marlboro cigarettes was 33 Baht. Today the taxi is still 35 Baht, a packet of Marlboro is around 180 Baht. I think the flagfall should be raised to 50-60 Baht. I always used to give 60 Baht for my regular 47 Baht, 2 km taxi ride in recognition of this. I used to use a taxi just about every day, I don't want to get into arguments with drivers every time I try to do so.

[canopus1969]

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

Again these thug drivers calling the shots...bring in competition and let the chips fall where they will...

There is good competition already - I always use Grab Taxi, a great service 

[smccolley]

The way I look at it - if they would use the meter I would be happy to pay the 100 baht. My trip would still cost less than the inflated rates they want to charge.

[Darkside Gray]

Sack them all do we really need these cheating low lives?

[natway09]

Whilst I would agree that a lot of taxi drivers are "mafia style" a lot of the blame has to go to the police &

the Transport Ministry that have failed in their non efforts to tame these rip off merchants.

In saying that I also believe that the flag fall in Bangkok is too cheap in particular as there are no taxi ranks & they waste a lot of fuel "prowling

[Jingthing]

Another point. Yes the fake Pattaya taxi meters are mostly seen as money extractors of foreign tourists, if the fare structure was closer to Bangkoks then many more Thai locals would use them as well and less need for many local people to own private vehicles. But the powers that be here lack that vision which is putting it too politely.

 

Of course the drivers would actually have to drive a lot more. Can't have that!

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[Nice Boyd]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Yeah! Let's all cave in to the extortionate demands of a bunch of mafia thugs.

Yeah let’s turn this into Phuket 2, Thugs

[Colabamumbai]

500 Taxis controlled by 3 operators.

[Media1]

6 hours ago, mok199 said:

Again these thug drivers calling the shots...bring in competition and let the chips fall where they will...

Just cancel there license. AND employ new staff

[Nice Boyd]

5 hours ago, Chivas said:

Seems very reasonable to me. 100 Baht for up to 2 kilometres for air con taxi loaded with bags say from central festival to your hotel which would cost 200 from open back chartered baht bus

 

140 for 4 kilometres. Whats not to like. This is not Bangkok.

Don’t feed the Mafia

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

All the operators met on Monday to decide that 100 baht is appropriate for the first two kilometers. Thereafter they will charge 20 baht per kilometer.

So right now, if I want a taxi ride to the dark side, no meter, it's a straight 300 baht.

 

Now, with their new meter policy, it will be... 300 baht.

 

What's the problem?

[observer90210]

Grab/UBER.......here I come !

[Cake Monster]

3 times bigger flag fall than in Bangkok Eh !

Could be something to do with the fact that they are 3 times bigger rogues,

 

[Media1]

32 minutes ago, Nice Boyd said:

Don’t feed the Mafia

They are the lowest form of humans