"Rip off" tuk-tuk price sign in Chiang Mai being shared - but it is old news

[webfact]

"Rip off" tuk-tuk price sign in Chiang Mai being shared - but it is old news

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook reported that a sign suggesting that 80 baht was charged for short journeys in tuk-tuks was being widely shared on Thai social media.

 

Neizens were criticizing tuk-tuk drivers for ripping off the public in the wake of the altercation between a tuk-tuk driver and a GrabCar driver on Sunday.

 

Two foreign tourists were believed to have walked away from the airport to get fee of the ensuing argument. 

 

The sign in question lists 80 baht for nearby trips and goes up to 450 for the furthest to "Pheut Suan Loke". Trips to the Railway Station and the Airport are priced at 150 baht.

 

Sanook went to a department store downtown where the sign was meant to be but found only motorbikes parked there.

 

A "Red Song Thaew" driver said there had been no tuk-tuk rank at the department store location for a year or more. 

 

He added that in his opinion 80 baht was not excessive for a short journey. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-04

 

 

[robblok]

A "Red Song Thaew" driver said there had been no tuk-tuk rank at the department store location for a year or more. 

 

He added that in his opinion 80 baht was not excessive for a short journey. 

 

 

Have you ever heard anyone saying that they charged too much.. why would a tuk tuk driver say so. 

[SammyT]

Did anyone actually think that as a Farang tuktuks were the cheapest way to get around over here? The only time I ever use them is if I've got friends or family here and sort out a ride for them just to tick the box.

 

I enjoy riding in them as they're quite novel, but they're certainly not the most economical option as a white person. Especially in the tourist areas where drivers sit for hours waiting for a ride - they're hardly going to accept 50b to leave the front of the queue. 

[canuckamuck]

Tuk tuks are uncomfortable, poorly designed, and expensive to use. My last choice for public transportation. 

[lubfishin]

i took a tuk tuk once and was quoted a high price, I negotiated that i will pay it, if he allowed me to drive. He said OK on village soi......  I hopped in the back..... as soon as we got to the village he hopped out of the drivers seat, showed me all the stuff, I hopped in the front...... It was very confusing and difficult to drive.... Had a blast trying to drive it..  However, i didint get very far because i kept messing up the clutch thingie , after about 4 minutes, I think he thought I was damaging the transmission so he said "OVER , Over, Over"  

anyways,,,, it was the coolest time I ever rode a tuk tuk and I will always remember him and my trip..    

[hotchilli]

2 months ago in Hua Hin I wanted to go to the local minivan pick-up point to get to my home destination.

At the end of the guest house Soi is a Tuk tuk station on the roadside, the driver said where you want to go, I said where it was & that it was only a short trip up the road, he wanted 200 baht!!

A song taew came past which I hopped onto.. it cost me 25 baht !!

 

[1FinickyOne]

7 hours ago, robblok said:

A "Red Song Thaew" driver said there had been no tuk-tuk rank at the department store location for a year or more. 

 

He added that in his opinion 80 baht was not excessive for a short journey. 

 

 

Have you ever heard anyone saying that they charged too much.. why would a tuk tuk driver say so. 

Sometimes Thai people feel that saying "No" is not polite and so might say "yes" to anything... if asked by a Westerner, they should know how to phrase a question so as not to provoke a "yes." 

[radiochaser]

I don't know about the tuk-tuks in Chiang Mai, but those red trucks were expensive.  My wife and I were in Chiang Mai a couple of years ago.   We were charged, what we thought was a high price to travel in one of those.  Later my wife asked about costs at the hotel.  The amount we were told was about half what we were charged.  My wife is Thai and the driver did not see me when she asked the price.  The people at the hotel told her to tell the driver what amount she would pay.  That worked.  

I returned to Chiang Mai with friends of the family, to stay about 3 or 4 weeks early last year.   They told me about Grab Taxi, which I used exclusively when I traveled further than I wanted to ride the rental bicycle I had.  I found Grab taxi to be more pleasant than the taxi's I usually used in Thailand.  

When I was ready to leave Chiang Mai, I asked the driver of the red truck outside my hotel, how much to the airport.  200B was the firm price.  The next day when I left, I used the Grab taxi app and was charged 80B to the airport.  

The last time I used a tuk-tuk was in Udorn Thanii in the 1990's.  The driver was friend of an expat's family, which is the only reason I used his services.  His being able to speak reasonably good American English was the other reason! 

 

[Johnnyngai]

Tuk-tuks my ass, I have visited Thailand  too many times for that.

[YogaVeg]

On 10/5/2018 at 2:35 AM, radiochaser said:

I don't know about the tuk-tuks in Chiang Mai, but those red trucks were expensive.  My wife and I were in Chiang Mai a couple of years ago.   We were charged, what we thought was a high price to travel in one of those. 

I've used the red trucks a lot in CM. They say 30 baht on their signage. (Falang price, Thais pay 20). I've found that usually they stick to 30 baht if they already have folks inside, if they aren't going your way they just say "no". Sometimes they say 40 baht and I rarely debate as 10 baht is peanuts.

If they are empty then they want more, but not much and are usually negotiable. They might start at 80 or 100 or ask "how much you wanna pay?" I always start at 30 baht. Then they come down and I go up. The most I've paid was 60 baht but usually 40 will do it. Often, I've been driven straight to my destination without them stopping for others, when paying a higher fare. 

I've found the red truck drivers to be kind, friendly, and honest. Often no English spoken, so phone at the ready with destination pointed on maps makes the process simple.

 

Tuk tuk drivers, in contrast, start negotiations higher and have been more aggressive and surly, in my very limited experience with them. I'm sure it's a tough business and times are hard, but that ain't my fault. The vehicles are less comfortable, often look poorly maintained, feel less safe so I avoid them.

 

The new video of the berserk unlicensed violent tuk tuk driver with a weapon freaking out on that Grab driver doesn't encourage me to use either of those services. ????

 

The new big blue buses going to and from the airport for 20 baht are worth consideration if nearby and time isn't crucial.

The benefits of the bus include no fare negotiations, air con, and last but not least: no exhaust/road fumes.