Had this conversation with my Swedish friend that lived on Samui since 1978 for some years now, today we spotted taxi #1001. 

Yes, the numberplate is the taxi licence number also. 

I have also seen #1 this year, that's a soeng thaew. 

 

So we got over 1000 taxis on an island with 50.000 inhabitants.  ????

 

If a vehicle is scrapped, is the plate re-issued or withdrawn?

7 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

So we got over 1000 taxis on an island with 50.000 inhabitants.

The number of inhabitants is quite irrelevant as those taxis are not for us.

 

9 hours ago, blackcab said:

If a vehicle is scrapped, is the plate re-issued or withdrawn?

The plate is re-issued to the license owner. 

 Just thinking, what is the use of knowing the answer?

With that much competition they should be cheap.

23 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

With that much competition they should be cheap.

Exactly, but they aren't!

14 minutes ago, pennine said:

Exactly, but they aren't!

I know as I lived there for 3 years. If their prices were reasonable I would have used them more often as you know how dangerous it is to ride a bike there.

I have lived here 15 years and only used a Samui Taxi twice because the cost is about 10 times that of a Bangkok taxi.

Some price boards I have seen quote Maenam to another part of Maenam as 350 baht !

I do love the taxi topics that come up from time to time. Aside from the 50 Baht excess does anyone even know the meter charge from the airport to my home in Lamai? 174 Baht.

1 hour ago, notmyself said:

I do love the taxi topics that come up from time to time. Aside from the 50 Baht excess does anyone even know the meter charge from the airport to my home in Lamai? 174 Baht.

Take the new bus from the airport. 

 

21 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Take the new bus from the airport. 

 

 

Awesome but not an answer to the question. I'm a T12 paraplegic so have no other option.

Looking at the bright side of life: I've just been "home", tried to convert the overpriced Samui taxi fares to my home country currency...????

 

In my home country, depending of taxi company, it's up to 250 baht in start fee, and 65 baht to 100 baht per kilometer, and 16 baht to 41 baht per minute. The maximum prices are set by the government. So an approximately 10 kilometer trip a weekend evening between for example Chaweng and Maenam could be up to 1,400 baht with most expensive company, and around 1,250 baht with the cheapest, both rides in identical Mercedes cars. A Samui "Taxi Meter" cab would typically ask about 600 baht for the same trip, and a night song thaew would also do the drive for a similar price.

 

I'm not arguing about if 600 baht is a fair price, or not, on an island for an about 10 kilometer ride.

 

However, it don't answer the OP-question about the number of taxis on the island, but it's a point in the argument about prices. Western tourists in general convert prices to their home country currency – it's only us expats and long-stayers that are thinking in baht – so they don't object that much over a taxi price. But they feel ripped off when driving without the meter turned on.

 

Would mandatory meter, but free price competition be a solution..?

I.e. the cabs need to advertise the price with big letters on the side of the cars, like for example:

"Start fee 150 baht, 35 baht per kilometer" (or whatever is reasonable maximum)

 

If the number of Samui-taxis is that high, as it seem to be, free competition – however with a government maximum allowed price – could lower the prices, as the most expensive cabs might not have enough customers, if any. That's what happened in my home country, the cabs with the highest fees lowered them, as they didn't have enough customers...

Would have guested 250 yellow taxis and 250 Songthaews.

1.000 yellow taxis? never

Khun Per.  You must remenber that in Thailand a minimum or normal income is 300 bath  a day, So 1400 bath  for 10 kilometer you talk about is nearly 5 days workpay for a Thai person.  In your country this will  probebly be less than 2 hours workpay. Think of that,

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 7:06 AM, Birdman said:

Would have guested 250 yellow taxis and 250 Songthaews.

1.000 yellow taxis? never

 

It's over 500 and has been for quite some time.

 

To answer the OP in another way. Far far more than the market can suffer which is why there is no other choice than to not use the meter. Basic economics.  

Halve the number of taxis and there would be no noticeable degradation in availability but there would be more places to park for others without getting threatened. Send Big Joke down to find out who is issuing all the operating licences. Good luck.

6 hours ago, BlackWolf said:

Khun Per.  You must remenber that in Thailand a minimum or normal income is 300 bath  a day, So 1400 bath  for 10 kilometer you talk about is nearly 5 days workpay for a Thai person.  In your country this will  probebly be less than 2 hours workpay. Think of that,

1400 baht is the price in my home country, got nothing to do with a Thai's minimum pay.

 

The home country taxi price is equivalent to approximately four hours work at minimum salary after tax.

On 1/22/2019 at 3:41 PM, dotpoom said:

 Just thinking, what is the use of knowing the answer?

You will know how many taxi drivers are looking to rip you off ????

22 hours ago, notmyself said:

 

It's over 500 and has been for quite some time.

 

...

how you know? 

1 hour ago, Birdman said:

how you know? 

Counted them.

 

Last I heard it was 761 but it's hard to discern as it's Surat province Don't forget some do day shifts while others nights.  

On 1/28/2019 at 8:05 PM, notmyself said:

Counted them.

 

Last I heard it was 761 but it's hard to discern as it's Surat province Don't forget some do day shifts while others nights.  

That's the 'official' ones, what about the unlicensed private ones?

On 1/28/2019 at 8:05 PM, notmyself said:

 

Last I heard it was 761 but it's hard to discern as it's Surat province 

It is even harder to discern without knowing when "last" was..

4 hours ago, lom said:

It is even harder to discern without knowing when "last" was..

 

Around Spring 2017. 

12 hours ago, SamuiGeezer said:

That's the 'official' ones, what about the unlicensed private ones?

 

No idea but it will be quite a few I imagine. 

too many? 

12 hours ago, Pilotman said:

too many? 

Will be now that there is a bus service, which will either be torched or thrive.

14 hours ago, SamuiGeezer said:

Will be now that there is a bus service, which will either be torched or thrive.

Seen the new buses, never a falang on board, only Thais. 

A member spoke about relative cost so I'll add an example. Lamai origin... I want to go to Big C to get some things because I'm making a meal in town. That return trip is going to cost me around 1000 Baht but I can rent a jeep at 600 Baht for the entire day. That, that alone, is enough information. 

There is a Tesco/market at Lamai, Songthaews cost 60 THB per way daytime, the new bus 100 per way, every 2 hrs