Ride apps in Chiang Mai

[elgenon]

I was recently in CM and saw many Chinese use ride apps. What is good in CM?

[israthai]

Grab. You can download the application.

[dcnx]

There is Grab but I think in addition to that the Chinese have their own ride company operating here, probably illegally. I’ve seen a few use an app I haven’t seen before to call a ride. Definitely wasn’t Grab. Could be an offshoot of DiDi taxi in China, but I’m not sure. Haven’t had the time to look more into it.

[lipflipper]

Those Chinese are a sneaky lot and it would not surprise me in the least if they had their own Grab like service here in Chiang Mai. I do see quite a lot of them getting in and out of private cars both at Maya and Central Festival.

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[NancyL]

16 hours ago, dcnx said:

There is Grab but I think in addition to that the Chinese have their own ride company operating here, probably illegally. I’ve seen a few use an app I haven’t seen before to call a ride. Definitely wasn’t Grab. Could be an offshoot of DiDi taxi in China, but I’m not sure. Haven’t had the time to look more into it.

Grab isn't exactly legal, either, is it?

[elgenon]

Oh! I thought I heard grab had become legal.

How can the taxis in Bangkok display a Grab sticker and not get in trouble with the police? 555

[AAArdvark]

I use Grab all the time.  My condo is mostly Chinese and I see them get into Grab cars that I recognize.  I guess it would be possible for the drivers to be working for more than one company.

BTW. The other night, I took Grab into the old city.  Later I discovered that I had forgotten my phone in the car.  The Grab driver returned my phone to the nearest business to where I was drooped off along with my description.  When I walked by they flagged me down and I retrieved my phone.

Edited July 16, 2019 by AAArdvark

[NancyL]

I suspect the Chinese tourists are simply using a Chinese language version of Grab.

[elgenon]

14 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

I use Grab all the time.  My condo is mostly Chinese and I see them get into Grab cars that I recognize.  I guess it would be possible for the drivers to be working for more than one company.

BTW. The other night, I took Grab into the old city.  Later I discovered that I had forgotten my phone in the car.  The Grab driver returned my phone to the nearest business to where I was drooped off along with my description.  When I walked by they flagged me down and I retrieved my phone.

Which Grab do you use?

[elgenon]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

I suspect the Chinese tourists are simply using a Chinese language version of Grab.

Wouldn't that mean the drivers would have to speak and read Chinese? 

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

Wouldn't that mean the drivers would have to speak and read Chinese? 

No, just like the many of the drivers don't speak or read English.  The Grab app automatically translates between English and Thai depending on what language you downloaded when you downloaded the app.

[NancyL]

Chinese is one of the languages listed for the Grab app:  

 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grab-app/id647268330

 

Remember:  Google is your friend!

[cerox]

Last time going to CNX airport with a Grab car, there was such a cute "Grab is illegal" sign ????????

[elgenon]

On 7/17/2019 at 4:26 PM, NancyL said:

Chinese is one of the languages listed for the Grab app:  

 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grab-app/id647268330

 

Remember:  Google is your friend!

I looked at it. Are you saying that the Thai driver gets a translated version of the Chinese that is inputed? And if I inputed English they would see Thai? That would be wonderful.

 

I saw a story in the Bangkok Post hat said the Grab app in CM is JustGrab. Is that correct?

[NancyL]

36 minutes ago, elgenon said:

I looked at it. Are you saying that the Thai driver gets a translated version of the Chinese that is inputed? And if I inputed English they would see Thai? That would be wonderful.

 

I saw a story in the Bangkok Post hat said the Grab app in CM is JustGrab. Is that correct?

Yes, if you input English into Grab, the drivers see your comments in Thai.  I think Chiang Mai used to have JustGrab as an option, but now has more.  I don't really know.  Why don't you download Grab and try it out yourself?

[elgenon]

19 hours ago, NancyL said:

Yes, if you input English into Grab, the drivers see your comments in Thai.  I think Chiang Mai used to have JustGrab as an option, but now has more.  I don't really know.  Why don't you download Grab and try it out yourself?

I am not in CM but I will. I tried it a long time ago and it didn't work out. Will try again now that I hear positive results.

Thanks for your patience and help. I have always seen you as a very helpful person.

Wondering if you have found Grab to be better in certain areas of Thailand.

[NancyL]

6 hours ago, elgenon said:

I am not in CM but I will. I tried it a long time ago and it didn't work out. Will try again now that I hear positive results.

Thanks for your patience and help. I have always seen you as a very helpful person.

Wondering if you have found Grab to be better in certain areas of Thailand.

Where did I write that I've actually used Grab?  After all, it's not legal.  

[usviphotography]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:07 AM, elgenon said:

Which Grab do you use

When you type "Grab" in to the play store, it is the first app that comes up and is just called "Grab". For a trip from right in front of Jammer's Bar to near Tbar/Oxide in Santiham tonight it cost me 55 TBH for a motorbike or 80 TBH if I had wanted a car.

 

As far as legalities go, I really have no idea, but I think so long as you go the motorbike option it is legal because Grab has a partnership with Win in Thailand and Win drivers are registered and legal. When you book it will say GrabBike(Win) denoting the fact you will be getting a Win Driver. Who knows what the Chinese are up to, but since Grab is the dominant ride sharing service in Thailand and accepts AliPay, works in Mandarin, and is by far the best app to use for hailing a ride in Thailand, I'd imagine they are just using the Chinese language version of Grab as others have suggested.    

Edited July 19, 2019 by usviphotography

[cnx355]

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 7:29 PM, cerox said:

Last time going to CNX airport with a Grab car, there was such a cute "Grab is illegal" sign ????????

Airport and bus station. You do not call them. 

 

At bus station you have a <safe> zone at the MacDonald nearby.

 

At airport on arrival Taxi meter and airport taxi take you in town for a flat rate 150-160 THB so not a big problem to use them.

 

Otherwise I use them all the time.

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2019 by cnx355
typing error

[connda]

On 7/16/2019 at 10:55 PM, AAArdvark said:

I use Grab all the time.  My condo is mostly Chinese and I see them get into Grab cars that I recognize.  I guess it would be possible for the drivers to be working for more than one company.

BTW. The other night, I took Grab into the old city.  Later I discovered that I had forgotten my phone in the car.  The Grab driver returned my phone to the nearest business to where I was drooped off along with my description.  When I walked by they flagged me down and I retrieved my phone.

Never used the app before.  How do you pay for the rides?  Credit card.  Bank transfers.  ???  I admit total ignorance, but on occasion Grab would be a better option than hassling a negotiation with an (uncomfortable) tuk tuk or songtaew. 

[elgenon]

21 hours ago, NancyL said:

Where did I write that I've actually used Grab?  After all, it's not legal.  

I was alluding to your excellent research concerning others. : )

I know you would never do such a thing.

[elgenon]

15 hours ago, usviphotography said:

When you type "Grab" in to the play store, it is the first app that comes up and is just called "Grab". For a trip from right in front of Jammer's Bar to near Tbar/Oxide in Santiham tonight it cost me 55 TBH for a motorbike or 80 TBH if I had wanted a car.

 

As far as legalities go, I really have no idea, but I think so long as you go the motorbike option it is legal because Grab has a partnership with Win in Thailand and Win drivers are registered and legal. When you book it will say GrabBike(Win) denoting the fact you will be getting a Win Driver. Who knows what the Chinese are up to, but since Grab is the dominant ride sharing service in Thailand and accepts AliPay, works in Mandarin, and is by far the best app to use for hailing a ride in Thailand, I'd imagine they are just using the Chinese language version of Grab as others have suggested.    

Oh! I have never heard of Win. Yikes! So far behind.

[owenm]

On 7/16/2019 at 10:55 PM, AAArdvark said:

I use Grab all the time.  My condo is mostly Chinese and I see them get into Grab cars that I recognize.  I guess it would be possible for the drivers to be working for more than one company.

BTW. The other night, I took Grab into the old city.  Later I discovered that I had forgotten my phone in the car.  The Grab driver returned my phone to the nearest business to where I was drooped off along with my description.  When I walked by they flagged me down and I retrieved my phone.

If you use Grab you have already generated an account with them. Your account also has a phone no and a Grab Line no for communications.. Why the driver not contact you?? I'm surprised as Grab service us usually great!!! 

[Bill97]

If you use Grab you have already generated an account with them. Your account also has a phone no and a Grab Line no for communications.. Why the driver not contact you?? I'm surprised as Grab service us usually great!!! 

So the driver calls you. How do you answer when he has your phone?


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[dcnx]

On 7/17/2019 at 9:16 AM, NancyL said:

I suspect the Chinese tourists are simply using a Chinese language version of Grab.

Very possible. But it’s a completely different user interface and color scheme. It’s tan and yellow.

[dcnx]

On 7/19/2019 at 8:26 PM, NancyL said:

Where did I write that I've actually used Grab?  After all, it's not legal.  

Most things are not legal here.

[Captain 776]

Grab is great

[NancyL]

22 hours ago, connda said:

Never used the app before.  How do you pay for the rides?  Credit card.  Bank transfers.  ???  I admit total ignorance, but on occasion Grab would be a better option than hassling a negotiation with an (uncomfortable) tuk tuk or songtaew. 

A few minutes on the Grab website will answer your questions.

[radiochaser]

On 7/20/2019 at 4:13 AM, connda said:

Never used the app before.  How do you pay for the rides?  Credit card.  Bank transfers.  ???  I admit total ignorance, but on occasion Grab would be a better option than hassling a negotiation with an (uncomfortable) tuk tuk or songtaew. 

When I was in Chiang Mai, 2 or 3 years ago, I would enter the destination into the app, where I wanted to be picked up, and it would tell me how much I owed for the ride from my location.  I paid cash.  

Sometimes the ride from one location to another has a different cost depending on the time of day and the demand for a Grab ride.  But the cost was always cheaper and easier to set up than it was to try and negotiate a ride with either one of the red trucks or with a taxi.  For example, from my hotel to the airport, Grab quoted 80 baht but a red truck driver outside the hotel wanted 200 baht.  

 

I do not know for sure, but I think that if you have the English language Grab app, then most of your drivers will have some English language skills.  Almost all the Grab rides I had, the driver's English language skills were either on par with my Thai language or much better.  One of them had difficulty finding me at a shopping mall and when we talked by cell phone, he seemed fluent in English.  

I never had any problem with using Grab service in Chiang Mai.  But, that was 2 - 3 years ago and do not know what changes, if any, has occurred.  

I will definitely use Grab again when I am back in Thailand sometime in the next year, which depends on my wife selling her Thai restaurant here in the U.S..