Taxi Touts

[Huw]

thing is, as you so rightly state everyone isnt as clued up as your wonderfull self.  Best just pull the ladder up

- survival of the most selfish, eh!

No, not survival of the most selfish.

Survival of the most able.

or the most conceited.

or the most obnoxious.

or the most <fill in the uncomplimentary blank>

perhaps you never quite got the hang of the 'being pleasant' thing...

H

[zink]

This sort of brings us full circle back to Don Muang. How we all used to race upstairs to departures and grab one without the queues and hassles. Someone mentioned earlier that they had been doing this at the new airport.

Anybody else doing this? I might return to this practice if things get squirrely.

Try going down to the lower level.

Recently when i came through the area was loaded with available taxis. ( early morning )

No apparent hastle then.

Perhaps others who use later incoming flights may have different observations on this.

marshbags

I believe that you have to pay airport surcharge at the lower level. That's why the departure level is better

[Spee]

Japan's are way too expensive and not so prevalent as either BKK or HK.

OT perhaps but related to the comment above.

In Japan, Tokyo in particular, almost no one takes taxis to/from the airport. The costs are huge. For all of the major airports (Narita, Haneda, Osaka, Fukuoka, etc.) almost everyone gets there by bus or train. Taxis in areas I've been around (Kanto plain, Tokyo, Yokohama, etc.) it costs 660 Yen just to get in and cover up to the first 2km, then I think it's another 80 Yen every 0.5km. One could run through 20-30 dollars pretty quickly. When's the last time anyone had a 1,000 baht taxi fare for anything in and around Bangkok or other big city? Or even 500 baht? {Even the train or bus from Narita to Yokohama is about 25-35 dollars, although they both run frequently and on time.}

Oh, and yes it's true (in my experience) that many Japanese cab drivers can't speak a lick of English. You almost have to have someone write down your destination in Kanji and use that to give to the driver. Also, in some areas, Japanese taxi drivers won't stop for gaijin or will pick up Japanese before gaijin. When's the last time anyone had a taxi pass them by in Bangkok?

Maybe it's just me but I've never had a bad taxi experience in Bangkok. Paid way too much for a tuk-tuk once my first time in country. But by and large, in my experience taxi drivers have been very friendly and outgoing. It is even more the case as my Thai language skills get better and I am able to engage in modest bits of conversation. They seem to get a kick out it and seem to appreciate that someone is learning their language. Often, they will respond in their limited or occasionally quite good English. I guess I've found that acting friendly and treating them with respect works well.

[chinthee]

Japan's are way too expensive and not so prevalent as either BKK or HK.

OT perhaps but related to the comment above.

In Japan, Tokyo in particular, almost no one takes taxis to/from the airport. The costs are huge. For all of the major airports (Narita, Haneda, Osaka, Fukuoka, etc.) almost everyone gets there by bus or train. Taxis in areas I've been around (Kanto plain, Tokyo, Yokohama, etc.) it costs 660 Yen just to get in and cover up to the first 2km, then I think it's another 80 Yen every 0.5km. One could run through 20-30 dollars pretty quickly. When's the last time anyone had a 1,000 baht taxi fare for anything in and around Bangkok or other big city? Or even 500 baht? {Even the train or bus from Narita to Yokohama is about 25-35 dollars, although they both run frequently and on time.}

Oh, and yes it's true (in my experience) that many Japanese cab drivers can't speak a lick of English. You almost have to have someone write down your destination in Kanji and use that to give to the driver. Also, in some areas, Japanese taxi drivers won't stop for gaijin or will pick up Japanese before gaijin. When's the last time anyone had a taxi pass them by in Bangkok?

Maybe it's just me but I've never had a bad taxi experience in Bangkok. Paid way too much for a tuk-tuk once my first time in country. But by and large, in my experience taxi drivers have been very friendly and outgoing. It is even more the case as my Thai language skills get better and I am able to engage in modest bits of conversation. They seem to get a kick out it and seem to appreciate that someone is learning their language. Often, they will respond in their limited or occasionally quite good English. I guess I've found that acting friendly and treating them with respect works well.

Yes, I agree. BTW, for those who don't speak Japanese, gaijin = farang = Gweilo in Hong Kong. One last point on Bangkok taxis. For many of them, who are uneducated, their first language is not Thai!

[chinthee]

Ran across this global airport/airline forum and there are lots of recents posts in the BKK forum, including complaints on the unacceptable taxi placement. On a 1-5 star rating system, our brand spankin' new shiny facility BKK rates only 3 stars. KL gets a better rating.

As expected, Singapore & Hong Kong get 5 stars.

World Airport rankings

[bendix]

Ran across this global airport/airline forum and there are lots of recents posts in the BKK forum, including complaints on the unacceptable taxi placement. On a 1-5 star rating system, our brand spankin' new shiny facility BKK rates only 3 stars. KL gets a better rating.

As expected, Singapore & Hong Kong get 5 stars.

World Airport rankings

In fairness chinthee, this survey was alluded to quite a while ago on this forum. It was undertaken around a month after the new airport opened. It's also kinda meaningless in that it covers so few airports - what's with all the gaps?

[chinthee]

Ran across this global airport/airline forum and there are lots of recents posts in the BKK forum, including complaints on the unacceptable taxi placement. On a 1-5 star rating system, our brand spankin' new shiny facility BKK rates only 3 stars. KL gets a better rating.

As expected, Singapore & Hong Kong get 5 stars.

World Airport rankings

In fairness chinthee, this survey was alluded to quite a while ago on this forum. It was undertaken around a month after the new airport opened. It's also kinda meaningless in that it covers so few airports - what's with all the gaps?

You honor, I plead guilty as charged of "bumping." Trying to flush out some entertainment.

[billp]

For all those doubting the thing about the dispatchers pushing a flat rate, there have been numerous reports of this, here and in other forums. I started a thread on it here about a month ago: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=125758

[chinthee]

Here's the latest report. I arrrived at BKK from an international flight at around 5:30AM this morning.

1. At the baggage claim carrousel, there was an AOT vampire bat, a very nice young lady in yellow jacket who asked me, and everyone else if we needed a ride. Took no for an answer, smiled politely and went to ask the next person.

2. Outside customs at the greeting area, there were MANY taxi touts, and I was hit up about 3-4 times while waiting for the lift to go up to the car park. But interestingly, they all seem dressed better, the men had jackets and ties, the ladies similarly seemed dressed nice, and nobody was very pushy, though in fairness, I answered them in Thai that I had my car at the airport. 'nuff said.

3. I didn't see any of those blue-coated fake customs officers as reported on another thread, but I wasn't carrying any duty free bag, so I can't accurately report on this.

Also, almost forgot, immigration was smooth and fast, no problems at all. As usual the 5 kilometre hike to immigration was not my favorite thing to do after fitful if any sleep on an overnight flight.

Edited July 14, 2007 by chinthee

[coldcrush]

Getting off a plane from Chiang Mai after a long wait for bags, one precedes to que and eventually gets a taxi. After asking the driver to take my Wife and I to Silom the driver drives at the slowest speed possible there going the longway round...eventaully getting to the destination he ask for 500thb stating it was standard, plus a 300thb charge for an airport taxi fee!!! I was &lt;deleted&gt; fuming...my Wife asks me to clam down as the driver throughs my bags on to the street telling us he had never had anyone complain before, then he eyes me up and down and sits outside the hotel for 10 minutes staring in as if he wants trouble. The owner of the hotel a friend chased him away and said to me from now on ring him to pick me up from the airport as maybe they think they are mafia and will do some harm to us! Welcome to LOS!