Grab Taxis

[jayboy]

How is Grab taxi service working in Bangkok these days? Are there fewer cars available and is getting a car more difficult than at the beginning of the year.I note the app specifies non cash payment now but in practice is cash still acceptable?

Edited September 14, 2020 by jayboy

[tonray]

I use Grab several times a week in Nonthaburi...works great. You can pay in cash although using your bank acct makes like a lot easier.

[Ombra]

My wife uses it in Rangsit and is very happy with the service. She never seems to have to wait more than a few minutes for a cab and she pays in cash.

[rbmcn]

Grab works very well in Bkk.   Use it daily. Cars clean, drivers above average, some excellent.  Have been stood up only 3 times.  I always use cash.  Huge improvement to the extraordinarily poor public taxi service.

[tonray]

1 minute ago, rbmcn said:

Grab works very well in Bkk.   Use it daily. Cars clean, drivers above average, some excellent.  Have been stood up only 3 times.  I always use cash.  Huge improvement to the extraordinarily poor public taxi service.

Here in Nonthaburi the taxi guys are great too. It's just living on a semi-rural road...no taxi queues available so I call Grab from home and take taxi later to get home.

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, rbmcn said:

Grab works very well in Bkk.   Use it daily. Cars clean, drivers above average, some excellent.  Have been stood up only 3 times.  I always use cash.  Huge improvement to the extraordinarily poor public taxi service.

"...Huge improvement to the extraordinarily poor public taxi service...."

 

Best and most accurate comment this month. 

 

The several times I've used Grab every driver has alighted the vehicle quickly to help with my wheel chair.

 

Public taxis, never once, over many many years has a public taxi driver got out of his/her vehicle to help get my chair into the vehicle or out of the vehicle, had to do it all by myself or with help from passers by.

 

 

[AsiaCheese]

Only positive experiences. We're not in BKK very often, but use Grab each time when we are, and completely satisfied. If only Pattaya weren't on another pricing planet; I'd use it here too!

[Caldera]

Works fine for me whenever I use it in Bangkok. They still accept cash, but promote cashless payments.

[SmileyCat]

I usually use Grab in Nonthaburi (where I live). So far all went smoothly 

[richard_smith237]

Always ok, especially when its GrabCar instead of GrabTaxi arriving to pick me up. 

 

Prices are more expensive than flag fall, but the reliability of service, accountability and the fact that you never get a tool who tries to rip you off or watch a movie on his phone while driving makes it all worth it. 

 

But, prices have increased since UBER left the picture. As soon as UBER was forced out of Thailand Grabs prices pretty much doubled over night ! - They’re still fair though. 

 

Cashless payment and ordering a Grab on the app is extremely convenient although occasionally a little ’Thai fv<kwittery’ sneaks in.

 

 

 

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

normal fare with regular cab:  65-80 baht

grab : 120++

 

so, no thank you

[tonray]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

But, prices have increased since UBER left the picture. As soon as UBER was forced out of Thailand Grabs prices pretty much doubled over night ! - They’re still fair though. 

Just Grab pricing went down about 15% starting a few months ago. 

[tonray]

11 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

normal fare with regular cab:  65-80 baht

grab : 120++

 

so, no thank you

Nonthaburi: GRAB from home to MRT station: 80 baht / Taxi from MRT to home: 65 baht....not much difference here..I usually give the driver 80 anyway because the drivers out here are pretty good and never refuse to take me even with rush hour traffic knowing they'll lose another 25 minutes just getting back to main road after the trip

[jayboy]

Thanks for all the replies.Looks as though the consensus is Grab is operating well in Thailand.

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

normal fare with regular cab:  65-80 baht

grab : 120++

 

so, no thank you

 

Normal service with Taxi....  (25% in day time, 50% of the night time).

- Walk to road, ask to go somewhere in English = Double charged / fixed fare 

- Walk to road, ask to go somewhere in Thai = outright rejected by 3-6 taxis before one agrees

- Get in the taxi - driver is erratic. Drunk?

- Get in the taxi - no seatbelts

- Get in the taxi - driver drives like a tool

- Get in the tax - driver doesn’t know which way to go, or doesn’t want go ’your way'

- Get in the taxi - its beaten, strange noises, brakes dodgy !

- Get in the taxi - so mach in the windscreen you wonder how the driver can see.

- Pay taxi - driver doesn’t have change (for 100B !)

- Have a problem - no recourse (there is an App for complaints, it doesn’t work)

 

Normal service for Grab.... (95% of the time anyway)

- Use the App - GrabTaxi or GrabCar comes - no issues.

- Have a problem - immediate recourse

 

 

Simply by using Grab so many of the ‘potential problems’ that are just irritating are eradicated.

The issues are never major issues (a few show stoppers were I simply got out of the cab and walked off), but they occur often enough such that I just think - why didn’t I just order a Grab instead !

 

In some cases after a handful of repeated refusals I just called Grab. 

 

The 2 issues with Grab

1) You have to wait longer if you are trying for a flag-fall ride on the side of sukhumvit road.

2) Grab is more expensive than flag fall. 

 

 

I commonly find myself calling Grab to my home to go out, but using a flag-fall taxi to return home but only if I’m in an area where the taxi’s are not a pain in the backside (i.e. I never get a flag-fall from anywhere near lower sukhhumvit at night (i.e. Asoke to Ploernchit) and never near Siam Sq in the day time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

Love Grab(Car), use it exclusively in Bangkok, ~ 6 times per week. Best option if you live in a gated community with no passing taxis, or away from a main road, and it is raining.

 

I actually removed my credit card as I as getting billed for trips which were inadvertently billed (bit of a hassle to get reversed but their call center is pretty good IME); now just have 'Cash' option. 

 

I still haven't figured out the 'pin drop' though, keeps shifting to the closest catalogued location. And you can't msg a screenshot. I need to watch a few tutorials.

 

Occasionally use a metered taxi if avalable passing.

 

 

[Fairynuff]

I find grab better than it used to be but prices sometimes too high. Having said that regular user gets lots of promotions which bring prices down to meter taxi levels. Waiting times usually short these days and it’s been ages since I had a driver cancel when they see a foreign name.

[nickcar]

Can anybody tell me the name of the Grab app so I can read it?

 

Thanks

 

Nick

[RichCor]

36 minutes ago, nickcar said:

Can anybody tell me the name of the Grab app so I can read it?

Um, "Grab"?      or more specifically: Grab - Transport, Food Delivery, Payments

 

Visit the Grab website and scroll to the bottom of the page for App Store or Play Store links

 

[nickcar]

On 9/23/2020 at 2:11 PM, RichCor said:

Um, "Grab"?      or more specifically: Grab - Transport, Food Delivery, Payments

 

Visit the Grab website and scroll to the bottom of the page for App Store or Play Store links

 

Thanks very much for your help. I installed the Grab application. Last night I used it for the first time, ordered a taxi for 7:15 pm on the app. Was shown as scheduled until 7:15 pm then it disappeared. No taxi arrived, couldn’t find a number to ask where my taxi is. What did I do wrong?

[RichCor]

14 minutes ago, nickcar said:

I used it for the first time, ordered a taxi for 7:15 pm on the app. Was shown as scheduled until 7:15 pm then it disappeared. No taxi arrived, couldn’t find a number to ask where my taxi is. What did I do wrong?

Drivers are not supposed to reject rides but some will by saying the passenger was a no show. The 'ride-share' system is automated and drivers compete with each other to accept passenger requests. Drivers accept the request to keep it from going to others, but after reviewing the actual call request may change their mind.

 

The APP should have a method for rating a request/ride or submitting abuse reports.

Suggest you google the app name and see if other users have similar issues and how they deal with it.

[nickcar]

2 hours ago, RichCor said:

Drivers are not supposed to reject rides but some will by saying the passenger was a no show. The 'ride-share' system is automated and drivers compete with each other to accept passenger requests. Drivers accept the request to keep it from going to others, but after reviewing the actual call request may change their mind.

 

The APP should have a method for rating a request/ride or submitting abuse reports.

Suggest you google the app name and see if other users have similar issues and how they deal with it.

Curiously the driver I eventually got from the roadside said he sometimes uses Grab but not usually because if you get a message you have to accept it. He prefers line man where as the messages come up you can grab one you want to do.

 

A major problem with Grab is you cannot contact them. From my point of view they are quite useless.

[nickcar]

In case I decide to try them again can you give me the number of the CallCenter? I completely failed trying to get them on the phone.

 

Thanks

[RichCor]

2 minutes ago, nickcar said:

In case I decide to try them again

I'd first suggest you search for and read other people's first-hand experience using this or other ride services. Being informed on how something is supposed to work, or what to do when the experience doesn't go as expected will help you have a successful experience.

 

As for the CallCenter? Almost all actions are conducted through the app, but a google search did find:

 

If any problems occur, call us at 02 021 2500 or https://help.grab.com/hc/th/ and we will investigate this for you.

 

[ ...help.grab.com redirects to https://help.grab.com/passenger/en-th/ ]

* No guarantee that listed phone number works. Best to use the in-app contact option:

 

 Get personalized help, call us from your Grab app

Tap on Account & go to Help Centre from your Grab app

Select Help Centre, scroll down & tap Call Us

 

[mtls2005]

On 9/30/2020 at 2:04 PM, nickcar said:

What did I do wrong?

 

Not sure I'm following your narrative, but it sounds like you ordered a taxi for a future time (19:15).

 

I think you'd be better off ordering a taxi, or car, when you want it, as in "now".

 

Yes, you can 'reserve' a taxi/car for a future day/time, but this requires a commitment from a driver who may not know where they'll be at that time in the future.

 

Also agree that you should familiarize yourself with the app via reviews, turorials and videos. Maybe a friend, who uses the app, can help you.

 

I've used 02 021 2530 - at least that's the number I see in my call records.

[seeriipaap]

On 9/15/2020 at 12:43 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Normal service with Taxi....  

- Walk to road, ask to go somewhere in Thai = outright rejected by 3-6 taxis before one agrees

Why might they reject when asked in Thai? I get there they would prefer to double charge a tourist, but a fare is still better than nothing?

[RichCor]

13 hours ago, seeriipaap said:

On 9/15/2020 at 2:43 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Normal service with Taxi....  

- Walk to road, ask to go somewhere in Thai = outright rejected by 3-6 taxis before one agrees

Why might they reject when asked in Thai? I get there they would prefer to double charge a tourist, but a fare is still better than nothing?

I think some cabbies don't like accepting fares that will take them outside their normal pickup area, especially if it will turn out to be a one-way only fare run with heavy traffic congestion on the way back. 

[richard_smith237]

13 hours ago, seeriipaap said:

Why might they reject when asked in Thai? I get there they would prefer to double charge a tourist, but a fare is still better than nothing?

 

It used to happen a lot on Sukhumvit Soi 11 (in Bkk). I’d ask the Taxi’s in Thai and they’d just say no, or even just plain ignore me and drive off. 

 

I figured it was because they were looking for easy targets to charge 300 baht for an 80 baht journey and by speaking Thai it was apparent that I was not a newbie to Thailand and the stunts taxi drivers pull. 

 

------

 

That said, in the past 2-3 months I’ve found that Taxi drivers are far more accommodating, far more polite and far more thankful of a 20 baht tip on an 80 baht journey etc.

[pseudorabies]

It must be me.... My experience with Grab over the last two months has been mediocre to bad.  On my last ride the driver was apparently trying to get out of the ride by stalling - parking about 0.5km up the road from where I was.  After 7-8 minutes of waiting I finally texted him to say "Where are you?".  After that he quickly moved to pick me up.  Beyond that Grab has given me the opportunity to interact with what must be some of the dumbest people on the planet.  Most of the drivers that I've had did not know their way around BK or how to use Grab's built-in mapping function.  I got used to having them call me right after I book a ride to find out how to get to my location.

 

On the other hand my experience with regular cabs has been pretty positive, using them at least 10x/week.  However it is a pretty direct route to/from my place to the BTS and the taxi's aren't too picky about their destinations these days.  The latter was my biggest complaint about taxis in BK back in the pre-COVID days.

[HashBrownHarry]

Another new mob is 'Bolt' - very cheap.