If A Taxi Driver Won't Go Where You Tell Them...

[leicester]

This is nothing new but as far as I know, this is the only country in the world where the taxi driver just won't go where you want them to.

I've heard that a number of people already do this and yes, it is dangerous as they can get very angry, but if we all bit back in similar fashion then possibly things could change (there's always hope!)

Enter taxi via back left door, sit down, tell the taxi driver where you want to go. If he says no then exit taxi and leave door open. Poor man will struggle to close but might think twice next time he refuses.

Be warned, not best to do this on silom late at night unless you're brave enough because it does send them mad! Excellent fun as far as I am concerned. Up to you!

[jumnien]

"but as far as I know"

apparently not too far!

[Mighty Mouse]

The taxi driver probably has a good reason for refusing the fare and it's irresponsible for you to force him out of his cab in order to close the rear door.

Such confrontational farang action deserves decisive Thai response. Don't expect me to intervene on your behalf during such response.

[p_brownstone]

If you can only get your jollies by picking on some poor bu99er who is trying to make an honest living then I feel sorry for you.

It is quite reasonable for a Taxi driver not to want to go to certain areas, maybe he doubts he will get a return fare or, more likely, it’s too far to go because he has to hand back the Taxi to the hire firm late in the afternoon.

There is usually little shortage of Taxis in Bangkok anyway – just close the door and find another one, why deliberately make life difficult for someone?

Grow up.

Patrick

Edited March 22, 2007 by p_brownstone

[leicester]

If you can only get your jollies by picking on some poor bu99er who is trying to make an honest living then I feel sorry for you.

It is quite reasonable for a Taxi driver not to want to go to certain areas, maybe he doubts he will get a return fare or, more likely, it's too far to go because he has to hand back the Taxi to the hire firm late in the afternoon.

There is usually little shortage of Taxis in Bangkok anyway – just close the door and find another one, why deliberately make life difficult for someone?

Grow up.

Patrick

You must've been here an extremely long time to believe that they are trying to make an honest living. Geeza, they are the thickest people I have ever come across. They don't even know that buildings with odd numbers are on the other side of the road from those with even numbers in most cases.

Do you run your own taxi company or do you forget that it is their job?? Do they not want to earn money??? If he is a little bit late handing back the taxi then it means he has been working not sleeping or drinking ale like most other thai men!

I have no intention of growing up, think before you speak Patrick! Just because you disagree, doesn't mean you have to talk down to the next person.

[meemiathai]

This is nothing new but as far as I know, this is the only country in the world where the taxi driver just won't go where you want them to.

I've heard that a number of people already do this and yes, it is dangerous as they can get very angry, but if we all bit back in similar fashion then possibly things could change (there's always hope!)

Enter taxi via back left door, sit down, tell the taxi driver where you want to go. If he says no then exit taxi and leave door open. Poor man will struggle to close but might think twice next time he refuses.

Be warned, not best to do this on silom late at night unless you're brave enough because it does send them mad! Excellent fun as far as I am concerned. Up to you!

And farangs still don't understand why they are sometimes badly treated by the thais?

What an idiot!

Edited March 22, 2007 by meemiathai

[Neeranam]

"but as far as I know"

apparently not too far!

lol

You must've been here an extremely long time to believe that they are trying to make an honest living.

I think he's been here over 30 years, and you?

Generally, these guys are from poor parts of the country and ARE trying to make an honest living.

I must admit I used to leave the door open, but I also used to do much worse. One driver attacked me with a crowbar once!

We live and learn and grow up.

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

The OP sounds like the sort of person Thailand doesn't want in the country.

A snotty Englishman with a sense of grandiose personal entitlement.

I'm surprised a taxi driver hasn't got out and hit him with his tyre jack.

There are plenty of good reasons why taxi drivers cannot accept a fare. My Father in Law is a cabbie. Would you like him to write a list out for you. He a darn sight less thick than a lot of expat members here.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Barney_the_Dinosaur

[meadish_sweetball]

Bangkok taxi rides for dummies

Do not use parked taxis. Flag a running one down. Personally I pick those who are in a decent condition. You can choose and why not ride in relative comfort since the price is the same?

Open front door, ask 'ไป x ไหมครับ' /pbai X mai khrap/ (replace X with your destination)

He will either answer 'bpai' (Yes, I will go) or answer 'mai bpai' (No, I won't go). If he says no, you take the next one.

If he says yes, have him confirm he will use the meter. If he says no, take the next one.

If you have any major problems with your ride, complain to the taxi company. There is usually a phone number available in plain sight in the car.

[Isaanresting]

I did this out side the American Embassy, seemd to take him age's, mumbling were getting loader and loader.

[COBBER]

Sure, there are some bad apples, but these guys are just trying to make a living and generally offer a very good service at a very modest price.

There might be a perfectly good reason why they cant take you to where you might want to go, and leaving the back door open is just plain childish and will not weed out any bad drivers.

[mr_hippo]

leicester, you must be one of these 'tourists' that the Thai are trying to discourage from staying here. The taxi driver is within his rights to refuse a fare, learn to live with it. Please go back to your Leicester council house where you can wear your Burberry cap and your hoody and drive round in your Vauxhall Nova.

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

One moronic Farang taxi stunt that my Father in Law told me about is their phobia of using the expressway in order to save 20 baht.

"Mai ow expressway"

If traffic is stuck, sometimes he'll not try to argue the toss, and pay the 20 baht out of his own pocket if he knows full well that the roads are chockablock.

Well done guys, you just screwed a Thai person out of 20 baht. You are truly supermen.

[Bananaman]

This is nothing new but as far as I know, this is the only country in the world where the taxi driver just won't go where you want them to.

I've heard that a number of people already do this and yes, it is dangerous as they can get very angry, but if we all bit back in similar fashion then possibly things could change (there's always hope!)

Enter taxi via back left door, sit down, tell the taxi driver where you want to go. If he says no then exit taxi and leave door open. Poor man will struggle to close but might think twice next time he refuses.

Be warned, not best to do this on silom late at night unless you're brave enough because it does send them mad! Excellent fun as far as I am concerned. Up to you!

One word, two syllables.

"Loooooo-ser"

[Heng]

Ipai Bayoq Platrhough Nam. Hello? I pai baryork platrhough narm.

"pai nai wah?"

[samran]

to make it practical and follow on from what Meadish Sweetball said.

DONT USE PARKED TAXI'S IN SILOM, SUKHUMVIT, OUT THE FRONT OF ANY HOTEL OR ONES PARKED IN ANY TOURIST AREA. YOU ARE ASKING FOR IT THEN.

They are inevtiably a taxi mafia of some sort, hanging around to change some poor sod 500 baht for a 50 baht taxi ride if the meter was turned on.

- The legit ones (ie 99.95% of them) who cruise the streets, won't want to go somewhere incovenient when it is time to return the cab (ie 4pm) or when they know that traffic is a nightmare. Always kindly ask them. If one says no, the next one will probably say yes.

I must admit, I did have one taxi driver who must have been on drugs once. He drove like a mad man with me and my preganant wife in the car. I asked him about 5 times to pull over, until he eventually did. Got out, and didn't pay him. Rather than leave the door open (which the momentum of the car will close once it takes off), you leave the back window down if you want to be a real child.

[Heng]

There might be a perfectly good reason why they cant take you to where you might want to go, and leaving the back door open is just plain childish and will not weed out any bad drivers.

I usually don't take taxi's, but the most common reason why taxis refuse fares according to my friends who own small to moderate sized taxi fleets is that they need to return their rented taxi to their garage/base at various shift cut off times or else they are penalized with overdue fees. Most bosses aren't strict about being exactly on time, but some are sticklers, and in general, if you are really late (which can happen if a fare happens to want to go across town or to Pattaya when you have to turn your car in within an hour).

[tingtong]

for expressway a short story. 2 years ago on the way to DM airport, there was an eccident on the expressway somewhere front of us. took an hour or so they cleaned up a bit, so slowly cars could pass. in the meantime we were stuck there, down cars went on happily. I was closer then ever to late my flight and as it was important to catch it, it was terrifying.

[h90]

Bangkok taxi rides for dummies

Do not use parked taxis. Flag a running one down. Personally I pick those who are in a decent condition. You can choose and why not ride in relative comfort since the price is the same?

Open front door, ask 'ไป x ไหมครับ' /pbai X mai khrap/ (replace X with your destination)

He will either answer 'bpai' (Yes, I will go) or answer 'mai bpai' (No, I won't go). If he says no, you take the next one.

If he says yes, have him confirm he will use the meter. If he says no, take the next one.

If you have any major problems with your ride, complain to the taxi company. There is usually a phone number available in plain sight in the car.

Well I remember at the Menam Hotel where I asked the hotel to get a taxi to somewhere very close and the dialogs were a bit different.

Got also explained that the Taxis there waiting are just a simple rip off. I guess Taxi driver explained something to the hotel on how to get some more money, resulting the staff there shouting very loud "pai pai pai" to the Taxi. After 3-4 Taxis with different ripp off ideas the staff there had complete red face from anger about the taxis....

[leicester]

"but as far as I know"

apparently not too far!

lol

You must've been here an extremely long time to believe that they are trying to make an honest living.

I think he's been here over 30 years, and you?

Generally, these guys are from poor parts of the country and ARE trying to make an honest living.

I must admit I used to leave the door open, but I also used to do much worse. One driver attacked me with a crowbar once!

We live and learn and grow up.

Good advice - respect....

[bendix]

I dont think we understand how lucky we are with taxis in Bangkok. They are cheap, reliable and the quality of the cars are usually excellent, particularly in the last couple of years.

The vast majority are honest and polite too. I think it is completely reasonable for them to refuse to go to a certain location - they may have a myriad of reasons for that. They are under no obligation to take you to somewhere just because you want to go there - it's a taxi, not a bus running on a certain route.

If you ask them to go to a location and they refuse, no problem. Within 2 minutes, a dozen more will have come past. To leave the door open like that is very unreasonable.

If, on the other hand, you have got in and the taxi driver is insisting on not turning the meter on - ie, he's trying to con you - then it's fair to pull a stunt like that. I've done it, but ONLY on the 2-3 occassions (out of several hundred taxi journeys) when the driver refuses to use the meter.

Anyway, speaking a few words of Thai to them will invariably tell them you live here, are not a mug, and will result in good and courteous treatment.

[StateSix]

This is nothing new but as far as I know, this is the only country in the world where the taxi driver just won't go where you want them to.

I've heard that a number of people already do this and yes, it is dangerous as they can get very angry, but if we all bit back in similar fashion then possibly things could change (there's always hope!)

Enter taxi via back left door, sit down, tell the taxi driver where you want to go. If he says no then exit taxi and leave door open. Poor man will struggle to close but might think twice next time he refuses.

Be warned, not best to do this on silom late at night unless you're brave enough because it does send them mad! Excellent fun as far as I am concerned. Up to you!

And farangs still don't understand why they are sometimes badly treated by the thais?

What an idiot!

Some farangs still don't understand why they are sometimes badly treated by the Thais? We are not all idiots, despite what some people may think.

[leisurely]

OP, how old are you? That is the sort of thing I would have done when I was 11.

I once got in a taxi in Silom and asked to come to Bangna, all going well till we got to the expressway at Rama 4, I gave the driver 40 baht for the tolls and he started to have an argument with the toll collector, I went back to reading my book. The argument escalated and he pulled a GUN out from under his thigh. I nearly pood myself. I couldn't get out because by the time I had registered what had happened it was moving too quickly. I was sweating. For the whole of the 20 minute journey he was having a little dialougue with himself. I had left my phone indoors charging and was never as happy to reach our soi as I was that night. I got out two subsois early, I didn't want Mr Nutty to know where I lived. That was probably a bit daft mind.

[terry57]

im sorry i cant agree with you mate,

in all the years i been coming to los, ive only ever had one incident where a taxi driver tried to pull one on.

as far as not wanting to take you to certain areas this is normal because of varying cercumstances.

if you are local you will know to grab a cab on the street.

99.9 % reliable.

[taxexile]

the taxi drivers are certainly not all angels , there are stories reported of cabbies robbing and attacking lone passengers at night. but ive never had a problem with cabs here (at least not in bangkok) and they are a cheap and readily available form of transport. most drivers are friendly.

but lester the cabbie molester comes across as a total ar5e with his recommendations of bad behaviour .

leicester

Good advice - respect....

berk.

[bkkmei]

OP, how old are you? That is the sort of thing I would have done when I was 11.

I once got in a taxi in Silom and asked to come to Bangna, all going well till we got to the expressway at Rama 4, I gave the driver 40 baht for the tolls and he started to have an argument with the toll collector, I went back to reading my book. The argument escalated and he pulled a GUN out from under his thigh. I nearly pood myself. I couldn't get out because by the time I had registered what had happened it was moving too quickly. I was sweating. For the whole of the 20 minute journey he was having a little dialougue with himself. I had left my phone indoors charging and was never as happy to reach our soi as I was that night. I got out two subsois early, I didn't want Mr Nutty to know where I lived. That was probably a bit daft mind.

Gulp!!

I used to leave the back door open, back in the early days when I didn't realise why taxi drivers were being so fussy. But as soon as I realised why they acted like they did, I stopped acting so childish.

OP - it's good to see things from the other's point of view. Nowadays, I have to agree with those who say we're extremely lucky in Bangkok to have such nice clean taxis, so cheap and who are 98% of the time providing a decent service. Chat to a few of them and you may get a fun conversation too!

[Hampstead]

Majority of taxis away from the tourist places are usually ok

Some are just egotistical rip off merchants like in any country

If they refuse to go somewhere, maybe its cause they have little time b4 they have to hand over the cab to someone else, 3 -4pm is pretty bad for this.

out of the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of taxis i have been in bkk, i would say 15% are bad

But to use this action reflects badly on all farangs living in bkk

Other countries are far worse, eg phillipines is horendous for this and indonesia is just so unsafe.

if one refuses just pick another one, its easy

Your suggestion will just cause more friction and many more fights between farangs and thais

[meemiathai]

Majority of taxis away from the tourist places are usually ok

Some are just egotistical rip off merchants like in any country

If they refuse to go somewhere, maybe its cause they have little time b4 they have to hand over the cab to someone else, 3 -4pm is pretty bad for this.

out of the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of taxis i have been in bkk, i would say 15% are bad

But to use this action reflects badly on all farangs living in bkk

Other countries are far worse, eg phillipines is horendous for this and indonesia is just so unsafe.

if one refuses just pick another one, its easy

Your suggestion will just cause more friction and many more fights between farangs and thais

[chrisspursbkk1]

What can i say a least the argument is about dissusing the fare as we all now what happens if you don't!! arrive at your destantion with a horrfic bill. Two friends came to vist me from England and were charged 900 baht from the airport to sulumvit 97 (what a joke).

[steveromagnino]

Ipai Bayoq Platrhough Nam. Hello? I pai baryork platrhough narm.

"pai nai wah?"

Ai heng oi! Poot bpairb nee mai dai luey. Puak taxi na, kao gor dtong chai passar ungrit mahk gua na.

yung chen...

Hey you. Bpai water gate dai mai?

Mai dai. khun yahk long glai glai pollen plaza ru R.I.C.E brand gor dai, pom mai yahk bpai water gate. Rot mun dtit.

Toh woy! Rao yoo tee Love District dton nee. Ja chai walah kang kang narn tee ja tueng ai water gate na, dtong parn see yairk The Royalty Objectives gorn, lae karm the very hurting klong. Rot na ja mai kuey dtit tao rai gor dai.

OK, pom ja pah khun bpai gor dai. Dtae lung jahk nun, sonjai bpai GOlden Elephant mai? Rue Bangkok River 2 mai? Sanuk dee pee, pom yom ror you na.

Dai krub pom.

And there you have it. I don't mind teaching you, Samran and Bendix everything you know.