Yellow & Blue Taxi Meter

[Gonzo the Face]

Taxi Bandits strike again..

It would seem to me that the Taxi bandits are somewhat unionizing.......

I have had two [seperate] guests arrive today with the story that the Taxi Meters, are refusing to use the meters and saying to the customer that the fee [normal 70B meter] is a flat 300B.... They are telling the customer that it is because of the holiday.

Why, Why, Why do the absolute pea brained crooks not see that just because they can make a few more baht today, the maybe tomorrow they may not have any tourist to rip off ...!!!

Why ? I'll tell you why ,,,,, because one in the hand is worth two in the bush and to most people here, there is no tomorrow.....

Now I'll email all my incoming guest not to take the meter taxi bandits.....

I thought there was some official control at the airport.???? Like in Bangkok where they give you a card with the Cab # on it.......

[Ta22]

- THis is not a one level problem .

Do you know that Taxi at airport or busstation in bangkok got to pay a TOLL FEE just to Join the Q and a MOnth Fee

Work out to be like 300 baht per month - and 10 - each time to Join the Q for taxi at Mochit .

Some underground or known factor is making it so .

ok .. well is songkran .. taxi here is consider really Cheap compare to many of the country we come from ..

during holiday . it had been known to charge double or more in many country .

but the airport taxis system is just a classic thai style control of the market ..

------------------------------

this is such a large topic that grow root in many area .

The airport . can control this but someone had and control it and steer the problem into profit into his pocket ,]

the union of taxi . turn a blind eyes or in fact avoid anything cos there are still limited driver and since is a profit line above the red why stop it .

the tourist board .

this is not a news anymore . it had happen for many years .

while a red pick up can only cost you 20-30 baht - and renting a car can be as cheap as 700 baht .

taxis at the airport are known to taken ride that cost as much as 1000 baht . to send people to hotel .

Most bussiness thai who focus on touristic gain

assume that all farang is rich . so making them pay for such a cheap ride compare to their country is a fair practice

One bird at hand is better then two at bush is a good saying .

as really the sheep and goat of this trap is not going to end .

i had refuse ride myself . cos i feel that the price is unreasonanble .

sometime trying to be smart make you pay more .

The airport had make it into a small entrapment where touristic is leaded to this taxis without much choice .

and the best part . all this is done with profit share amoung the different level at the same time providing jobs. that leech on the kindness and weaknes of all .

good luck . what i can say is when i have enough of this . i have little heart to stay .

for now - all i can do is make best at what is it now . and alway plan my own out before i go in .

[weary]

Thank you for the report. Sad to hear that things have not been getting any better.

Their loss in the end, I won't use or recommend them to anyone.

[lazeeboy]

Thank you for the report. Sad to hear that things have not been getting any better.

Their loss in the end, I won't use or recommend them to anyone.

over charging like this goes on everywhere.you would of thought being new to this area someone in the know would nip this in the bud and set an example to the rest of the country,maybe do something like revoking licenses if proven to be guilty or something similar i will not get in a taxi meter unless the meters on ,maybe if we all did it they would put them on

[swain]

Supply and demand on this holiday for sure... if the price is too high we just don't get in.. We have a car so we don't use the Taxi service much, but when we do almost always 200-300 flat. I live out in Hang Dong... so I could take a tuk tuk and get the fumes in my face, or travel in comfort in taxi that is over priced. I have taken the number and use a certain taxi driver and when he is available and he charges meter--at least when he is driving me-- but he is not always available. I take it in stride... I sort of let this place flow over me.. like water.. the water is going to go where it wants to... I can go for the ride or try to swim up stream.. too tired to buck the current... so make like a leaf... ... hmmm too much beer and girls in sexy dresses

I had a blast today...

I love Chiang Mai... even with all its problems.

[Ajarn]

I am sure they get some no and some yes... You guys represent the no... But the 'yes' has been the easiest way for them, so why should they care what is being said here? I can't see this as making one bit of difference.

[Gonzo the Face]

I am sure they get some no and some yes... You guys represent the no... But the 'yes' has been the easiest way for them, so why should they care what is being said here? I can't see this as making one bit of difference.

Well Ajarn, sorry to disagree , but with all due respect , if posting here keeps one person from getting ripped off, then I think it does make a difference. and if we all stick our head in the sand, then guess what ,,,,, we become the same as the Thai's and the mai pen rai...

Edited April 15, 2007 by Gonzo the Face

[Ajarn]

I am sure they get some no and some yes... You guys represent the no... But the 'yes' has been the easiest way for them, so why should they care what is being said here? I can't see this as making one bit of difference.

Well Ajarn, sorry to disagree , but with all due respect , if posting here keeps one person from getting ripped off, then I think it does make a difference. and if we all stick our head in the sand, then guess what ,,,,, we become the same as the Thai's and the mai pen rai...

No, I don't think that way about thais, or farang, nor do I feel that disagreeing with you makes me anything like them...

Edited April 15, 2007 by Ajarn

[likite]

I'm not surprised that taxi's are charging a flat fee during the holidays. It's not right but this kind of thing happens just about everywhere at holidays times.

Last time I used a blue and yellow was from the airport to get us home. When we got to our house the driver bashfully said he'd "forgotten" to switch the meter on! Well we said not a problem and told him the fare was 100 baht as that was the fare last time we used the taxi from the airport................ and thats what we paid him. His little face was a real picture (He didn't get a tip either, although I could have given him a verbal one).

Some posts here mention you have the choice of saying yes or no, but its not that simple for a lot of people who live outside of the city. I cant remember when I last saw a tuk tuk out my way and songtaels are few and far between. Lets also not forget people who cannot drive............or maybe they have a disability or a chronic health condition etc, these people do not have a choice.

So Gonzo it is good you bring this issue up here and perhaps there is a way over charging by way of flat fees in a metered taxi can be stopped.

[Gonzo the Face]

I'm not surprised that taxi's are charging a flat fee during the holidays. It's not right but this kind of thing happens just about everywhere at holidays times.

Last time I used a blue and yellow was from the airport to get us home. When we got to our house the driver bashfully said he'd "forgotten" to switch the meter on! Well we said not a problem and told him the fare was 100 baht as that was the fare last time we used the taxi from the airport................ and thats what we paid him. His little face was a real picture (He didn't get a tip either, although I could have given him a verbal one).

Some posts here mention you have the choice of saying yes or no, but its not that simple for a lot of people who live outside of the city. I cant remember when I last saw a tuk tuk out my way and songtaels are few and far between. Lets also not forget people who cannot drive............or maybe they have a disability or a chronic health condition etc, these people do not have a choice.

So Gonzo it is good you bring this issue up here and perhaps there is a way over charging by way of flat fees in a metered taxi can be stopped.

While it is not a big thing to those of us who have the ability to brush it off, you have to admit that it is another piece in the puzzle of keeping tourists away from CM. I try and advise all who are coming to CM of what they should expect to pay for transport from the Airport , Bus and train stations. .... and I am not shorting the drivers with the quoted rates, but not gouging the incoming guests either......

Edited April 16, 2007 by Gonzo the Face

[Donnyboy]

Taxi Bandits strike again..

It would seem to me that the Taxi bandits are somewhat unionizing.......

I have had two [seperate] guests arrive today with the story that the Taxi Meters, are refusing to use the meters and saying to the customer that the fee [normal 70B meter] is a flat 300B.... They are telling the customer that it is because of the holiday.

Why, Why, Why do the absolute pea brained crooks not see that just because they can make a few more baht today, the maybe tomorrow they may not have any tourist to rip off ...!!!

Why ? I'll tell you why ,,,,, because one in the hand is worth two in the bush and to most people here, there is no tomorrow.....

Now I'll email all my incoming guest not to take the meter taxi bandits.....

I thought there was some official control at the airport.???? Like in Bangkok where they give you a card with the Cab # on it.......

maybe from a different perspective.............

like other seasonal tariffs eg hotels and tourism related activity, these taxis have a high season or holiday tarfiff which helps them offset or get thru the low/rainy season to come. It would also come down to supply and demand again, once the tourists have just come down to a trickle, the taxis will lower their price/go back on metered fares.

what used to make me annoyed when I was a tourist here was a compulsory new years eve dinner at 1200 baht per head plus drinks whether you attended or not on top of the high hotel rate.

I know during the flower festival when rooms were scarce, a hotel that had a rack rate of 1000 baht during off season had the same rooms rented out at 3500 baht.

but thats the same the world over.

[sabaijai]

Best to avoid these taxis altogether, IMO.

[Donnyboy]

is the taxi industry regulated or can anyone set up a taxi company?

what they possibly need is some competition that charges a fair price

so nobody gets taken for a ride