Luggage handling fees only apply to cabs heading to and from Bangkok airports: Land Transport Dept

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Yes, get a taxi that is parked outside a hotel and you are asking for trouble.  Flag one down off the street and they are usually fine.  Take one from the airport - as we were talking about - never had an issue.

One night I flagged a tuk tuk to go from pratunam to walking street he said 200 baht. I replied aircon taxi only 100 baht, he said OK 100

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

One night I flagged a tuk tuk to go from pratunam to walking street he said 200 baht. I replied aircon taxi only 100 baht, he said OK 100

Why on earth would you want to go all the way to Pattaya in a tuk tuk?  And how come it was so cheap?

Edited November 23, 2020 by josephbloggs

[peleid]

They will try to charge extra whatever, even when they leave it to you and just sit in the taxi????????????

[bubba]

One more way the taxi business is handing their business over to Grab.

 

 

[Tick Nurner]

On 11/21/2020 at 10:55 PM, chang1 said:

And you don't think that it will ever increase or be abused? Once that "extras" door is opened it is hard to close it when you find what's behind it. What about the 50 Baht Airport charge? Why doesn't that cover it?

You mean that extra B50 airport fee that's never been increased or abused?  I don't know why the B50 doesn't cover it, I didn't make the rules but it's still only B20!  Let us know when you experience it being increased or abused.

[Redvic]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:35 AM, snoop1130 said:

Luggage handling fees only apply to cabs heading to and from Bangkok airports: Land Transport Dept

By The Nation

 

 

After the latest cab fare hike in the form of “special handling fees” won a mixture of amusement and dismay from the public, the Land Transport Department’s deputy director Tanee Suebrerk announced that this special fee only applies to metred taxis plying to and from Bangkok’s two airports.

 

He said taxis that do not pick up or deliver passengers to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports will only charge ordinary metre fare.

 

Under new regulations, taxis to and from the airports will be allowed to charge the following:

 

• Bt20 for every bag that exceeds 26 inches in width, height or length.

 

• Bt20 for every additional item of luggage after the first two.

 

• No more than Bt100 per piece for sports equipment like golf bags, bicycles, surfboards or musical instruments that are 50 inches or more in size.

 

• No more than Bt100 for equipment, tools or appliances that are 50 inches or more in size.

 

The cabbie is required to inform the passenger in advance about the extra handling fees. No charges will be allowed for carry-on baggage such as handbag, computer bag, backpack or personal belongings carried by the passenger.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398295

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-20

 

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It must be compulsory to be an idiot to get a job in the thai goverment. 

[chang1]

13 hours ago, Tick Nurner said:

You mean that extra B50 airport fee that's never been increased or abused?  I don't know why the B50 doesn't cover it, I didn't make the rules but it's still only B20!  Let us know when you experience it being increased or abused.

The airport charge is arranged by the airport, this baggage charge is added by the driver who has full control over it and therefor how much he thinks he can screw out of the customer. A meter is black and white - you pay what it reads. A baggage charge is open to interpretation and much harder to argue with so will get abused by many drivers. As I said why doesn't the 50 Baht charge cover it even if that has to be increased? Keep transactions simple with taxis as too many are out to rip people off and unlike western countries there is very little chance of any help from police and of course it will be the farang tourists that will get targeted the most as they will be less likely to put up a fight. 

As it is "only B20" why bother at all then? It will only cause problems.

[rupert the bear]

On 11/22/2020 at 1:18 PM, josephbloggs said:

Seeya, don't forget to close the door on your way out!  Leaving a country over 20 baht on the odd occasion you have luggage and take a taxi from the airport.  Hope you don't need a taxi for your journey out!

Thai taxis are the third cheapest of any major city in the world.  And this is 20 baht.  And you think this says how important they are?  Weird.

Also ironic that you rant about their IQ and how stupid they are yet you don't even know what punctuation or capital letters are.  But yes, I do agree that every time we open this site we see IQs of stunned mullets (whatever they are) - your post is a perfect example.

so everyones wrong and your right,why is this only directed at people who come to spend money? its another own goal.it needs to be applied across the board or not at all,poster after poster writes about poor service ripoffs etc etc then theres the grab situation where their drivers have been threatened.i do this off a small keyboard on a phone so youll have to do better than that .petty if thats the best you can do ......so have your tantrum and go back to your bar and your squalid mentality.if you are such an intellectual....your here???!!well the  ignorant you can educate,the ill you can medicate but stupid you cant do anything with that................sayonora sweetheart and take a break from cowboy a few days and rest your heavy intellect....ive got t shirts with higher IQs....than some burnt out cowboy bar boy

[chang1]

On 11/22/2020 at 1:44 AM, 4MyEgo said:

We obviously see things totally different and that's fine.

 

As for your comments suggesting is we stop tipping, service industry companies will increase wages is immature and totally absurd.

 

I tip because it makes me feel good, same when I see someone down and out, some call it begging, I prefer to use the the words down and out, I will give them some money, I see nothing wrong with giving someone some money for a meal or to advance them for that day, or for providing me a good service, really what is 100 baht, you sound like a real hard nut.

 

It has nothing to do with my wealth, status or about face, to me it's about humility. 

 

In an earlier post on page 1 you said;  "All I ever expect is to be treated courteously and with respect which is how I treat others no matter what their job is".

 

You see the difference between you and me is that I don't expect, if for example I offer a smile and a wai, I don't expect it in return, it's my way of saying, hello, I'm feeling good, how are you, and if that person reciprocates, all and good, we have the same understanding and mutual feeling, if they don't, I won't get my knickers in a twist and will move forward, you on the other hand would probably get p-ssed off.

 

If I stay at a hotel or I am eating at a restaurant and the service is lousy, naturally I will not tip them, tipping for me is two fold, for the service I am provided, e.g. if one stays at the Hilton, one would assume a 10 out of 10 level of service and it is always provided, if one is staying at a 3 star hotel like iBis, then one should expect a 6 or 7 out of 10 level of service, it all boils down to the money and what you want to invest in with you being provided with that level of comfort/level of service, that is not to say that I have never stayed at iBis or tipped iBis staff, as I mentioned before, I don't expect, but when I receive and enjoy a service I will show my gratitude by tipping as opposed to putting my nose in the air because I expect, that sounds like a cheap Charlie to me.

 

If you don't want to tip, that is your prerogative, but don't go telling others not to tip, life's too short and you can't take it with you, perhaps you should start giving to a charity monthly, it might make you feel better.

 

Have a nice day.

 

It's good to have different opinions and we can all learn from each-other. 

Why do you think wages would not increase if tipping stopped? It would not make much difference in somewhere like the UK where we have a minimum wage and tips are not required to be given to staff but places like the US where tips can be the only source of income it would make a massive difference. If my boss stopped paying wages and expected our customers to tip enough to make up our wages he would soon lose all his engineers and then all his customers. If our customers won't tip engineers why do they not have a problem tipping taxis etc.? 

 

Begging is a hard one as professional beggars can con more money a day than I could earn even in Thailand. In Samui an old couple would go around the bars once or twice a night. He would hold, presumably, his wifes shoulder and "sing" into a mini karaoke mic. Maybe he was blind but they raked in a fortune. I think the bar girls looked on it as good luck to give them money. London has Romanians forcing their toddlers to beg around ATMs. On the other hand there are many down and outs that do need a hand but handing them money can be destructive if they have problems like addiction or are being exploited. Giving to a homeless charity is far more efficient and doesn't encourage begging.

 

When I was talking about respect I was meaning in the workplace. I don't care if I am dealing with a Tesco checkout girl or my bank manager they both get treated with respect the same. Likewise when I go to a site to repair something I do expect the same respect. Being talked down to by a young lad such as a security guard in a gatehouse pees me off straight away. It is plain rude. Other people I treat with respect and if they are not friendly they will be avoided if possible - no problem. 

 

The question is would you tip a Hilton waitress the same amount as the Ibis waitress or the server in McDonalds? Would you feel as good tipping each of them the same amount? I have never tipped in a Maccas but I would say they deserve a tip far more than a Hilton waitress. I am not saying I never tip especially when in a group and don't want to be bothered with small change but when paying by card I never tip. I am a cheap Charlie and don't have a problem with that. I pay my way and don't sponge off others. I don't get paid much so I have to look after the pennies. I do a fair days work and don't rip off customers or my company. When I buy a service I like to know how much it will cost and that I will be treated the same as anyone else and not have to worry about little extras like 20 Baht baggage charges on bags that should not be charged for or having the hassle of working out if I should leave a £1 tip or a £10 tip for an average meal costing £80. My tip is continuing to go to a restaurant or use taxis. A returning customer is worth much more than an average tip. Grab, buses and the sky train are in competition with taxis so they need to think how many 20 Bahts they have to take to make up what they may lose as customers are driven away. I very rarely use tuk tuks because of their tactics. As they are mostly all out for themselves, they don't think about the next day yet alone 5 years from now.

 

Carry on tipping as you wont be the only one but next time you are in Tesco, are you going to tip the checkout girl or would you not feel good doing that? 

 

Charts like this one for New York are always good for a giggle.

From here https://www.simplemost.com/this-tipping-chart-shows-you-who-to-tip-and-how-much-to-give/

 

I particularly like the if you don't tip you're... column, looks like takeouts and no going to the pub for me.

I don't think I would be popular in New York. I don't see bus driver on that list - why don't they deserve tips?

A $ extra per beer - I think I need to become a barman. 1 to 3 $ to open a bottle of beer sure beats what I have to do.

The problem is tipping does nothing for all the low paid workers who are not in contact with the public. Tipping those you have to deal with helps them but you forget the factory workers who are just as badly paid if there is a minimum wage. If (relatively wealthy) people stopped tipping then they would get exposed to workers who are in poverty. Knowing your food is being served by someone who can't afford food for their family might taint your food but knowing you are going to give them a tip so that they can feed the family tomorrow would stop any worries - sod the farmers workers who picked your veg and are just as badly paid. You don't have to see them. 

You talk about giving to charity so I doubt you think like this but I suspect the majority do. I don't give much to charity apart from a lottery ticket now and then or some change in the blind box at a till. If I had more I would give more but more tips - I doubt it. I won't be taking anything with me as there is no-where to go but the boy will end up with what's left which will be some properties all paid off instead of a big mortgage and a few happy waste of space bell boys.

 

To me tipping is like smoking once you are addicted you will always say it makes you feel good but in reality you do it to stop you feeling bad.

[chang1]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:35 AM, snoop1130 said:

Under new regulations, taxis to and from the airports will be allowed to charge the following:

 

• Bt20 for every bag that exceeds 26 inches in width, height or length.

 

• Bt20 for every additional item of luggage after the first two.

 

• No more than Bt100 per piece for sports equipment like golf bags, bicycles, surfboards or musical instruments that are 50 inches or more in size.

 

• No more than Bt100 for equipment, tools or appliances that are 50 inches or more in size.

 

The cabbie is required to inform the passenger in advance about the extra handling fees. No charges will be allowed for carry-on baggage such as handbag, computer bag, backpack or personal belongings carried by the passenger.

Well that is as clear as mud.

• Bt20 for every bag that exceeds 26 inches in width, height or length. - OK that's simple - stop there.

• Bt20 for every additional item of luggage after the first two. - So if I have 6 bags - 2 over 26 inches 3 under 26 inches and a small backpack inside with me, how much do I pay above the Bt40 for the first 2 big bags?

Bt0 as the rest are under 26 inches?

Bt40 as I already have the 2 big bags and the backpack is free as it is inside with me?

Bt60 as I have the 2 big bags and the backpack is now classed as luggage?

Bt20 as it covers all additional items?

• No more than Bt100 per piece for sports equipment like golf bags, bicycles, surfboards or musical instruments that are 50 inches or more in size. - When is it less than Bt100? If I have 2 bags already can my surf board be an "additional item" for Bt20?

• No more than Bt100 for equipment, tools or appliances that are 50 inches or more in size. - If the last one was per item is this charge per tool or can I bring five 2 metre spirit levels and a fridge along for Bt100?

The cabbie is required to inform the passenger in advance about the extra handling fees. - Advance of what? Loading up or turning on the meter? Won't be long before we hear about the knives coming out as people start emptying fully loaded cabs with the boot tied down.

No charges will be allowed for carry-on baggage such as handbag, computer bag, backpack or personal belongings carried by the passenger. - so is this a get out for the above charges? I just need to load up my own bags, as they can be at least one of those things, and everyone is happy.

 

And some people think this will not get abused. Just add Bt20 to the airport charge. Don't make a taxi driver have to think as he will get it wrong in his favour at every opportunity. Anyone who thinks drivers will not try it on with farangs by charging when not going to an airport is in cloud cuckoo land. Not because they are prejudice, they would try it on with Thais if they could but farang are much softer and more vulnerable targets. For those that are saying it works fine in other countries, just remember that this is a third world country.

[chang1]

18 hours ago, Tick Nurner said:

Let us know when you experience it being increased or abused.

If this gets the go ahead and Thailand opens up again, I don't think you will have to wait long before the problems start to show up. The increases and other additional charges will come later depending on the kind of government, i'd say somewhere between 3 and 10 years starting with the restriction on only airport runs being removed. Hopefully it will be stopped before then though but it is very hard to take away something once it starts and they get used to the extra money, no matter how little it is.

[Tick Nurner]

13 hours ago, chang1 said:

A baggage charge is open to interpretation

No, it isn't, there are specified sizes and charges, no interpretation need come into it.

[chang1]

4 hours ago, Tick Nurner said:

No, it isn't, there are specified sizes and charges, no interpretation need come into it.

 

OK, which of the options I listed above best describes this part of the rules

"• Bt20 for every additional item of luggage after the first two." 

or is there another INTERPRETATION of this rule? 

Is every cab going to be forced to carry a tape measure and if so how long before rubber measures are used?

Some charges are maximums so where are the guidelines for how those are decided?

Maybe the original rules in Thai are explained better and in more detail but how is a tourist fresh off of a long haul flight to know what they are? The majority of Bangkok taxis are fine but that still leaves plenty who will take advantage and leave tourists with a bad experience. 

Most people will not care or even realise they have been conned but it doesn't take many to spread the word. I won't go back to Egypt because the security guard on the Xray machine brazenly stole a £2 coin and just walked off with it despite me shouting at him as the rest of the security staff just watched. I was not prepared to risk missing my flight home over £2 so had to back down. As this is how the people who should be protecting us behave, what hope is there if you have a real problem? The Xray machines were also not working and they let me into departures with a bottle of water from the hotel, unchecked. I have travelled to many countries and never had that sort of thing happen in an airport. As there are many more countries to visit or revisit, I will not miss Egypt but I will repeat this story whenever someone is considering it for a holiday. Same as I tell people about my wife being charged Bt200 to do a U turn in a taxi in Hua Hin - another place I avoid now. The amount of money may be small but the impression it can make can be large. Thailands tourist industry was on the slide long before covid but it was hidden by the Chinese influx. Maybe the Chinese will save them after covid but, just incase, they should be working hard to make things tourist friendly. Handing the bad taxi drivers poorly thought out opportunities like this is plain dumb. The rules say they can't refuse a fare and they say they must use the meter (for normal short trips). I have often had to try 2 or 3 different taxis before one would follow those 2 simple unambiguous rules. Now they have another set of rules to interpret as they think they can get away with. 

 

[josephbloggs]

19 minutes ago, chang1 said:

 

OK, which of the options I listed above best describes this part of the rules

"• Bt20 for every additional item of luggage after the first two." 

or is there another INTERPRETATION of this rule? 

Is every cab going to be forced to carry a tape measure and if so how long before rubber measures are used?

Some charges are maximums so where are the guidelines for how those are decided?

Maybe the original rules in Thai are explained better and in more detail but how is a tourist fresh off of a long haul flight to know what they are? The majority of Bangkok taxis are fine but that still leaves plenty who will take advantage and leave tourists with a bad experience. 

Most people will not care or even realise they have been conned but it doesn't take many to spread the word. I won't go back to Egypt because the security guard on the Xray machine brazenly stole a £2 coin and just walked off with it despite me shouting at him as the rest of the security staff just watched. I was not prepared to risk missing my flight home over £2 so had to back down. As this is how the people who should be protecting us behave, what hope is there if you have a real problem? The Xray machines were also not working and they let me into departures with a bottle of water from the hotel, unchecked. I have travelled to many countries and never had that sort of thing happen in an airport. As there are many more countries to visit or revisit, I will not miss Egypt but I will repeat this story whenever someone is considering it for a holiday. Same as I tell people about my wife being charged Bt200 to do a U turn in a taxi in Hua Hin - another place I avoid now. The amount of money may be small but the impression it can make can be large. Thailands tourist industry was on the slide long before covid but it was hidden by the Chinese influx. Maybe the Chinese will save them after covid but, just incase, they should be working hard to make things tourist friendly. Handing the bad taxi drivers poorly thought out opportunities like this is plain dumb. The rules say they can't refuse a fare and they say they must use the meter (for normal short trips). I have often had to try 2 or 3 different taxis before one would follow those 2 simple unambiguous rules. Now they have another set of rules to interpret as they think they can get away with. 

 

I really should introduce you to a friend of mine called The Paragraph.  He will make you more popular.

[chang1]

17 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

I really should introduce you to a friend of mine called The Paragraph.  He will make you more popular.

Sorry I do ramble on sometimes. There are paragraphs but not indented. The last one was a bit long though. 

As for popularity, I would not do these kind of unpopular posts if I wanted that. All I want is to express another viewpoint to the general flow even if it is not my view. For instance, it is normal on TV for people to rubbish backpackers then boasting how they would only stay in 5 star hotels. I was a backpacker and spent a year doing a round the world trip on a shoestring. It was a fantastic experience that should be encouraged much more not put down by snobs. So even though dorms are well behind me I would defend and never belittle those who have left their PlayStation and got out into the real world. 

As for punctuation and spelling etc., as long as the information is clear it doesn't matter. People say I am uneducated because I have never read any Shakespeare but I am an engineer and find it unbelievable how dense people are with anything technical. To me they are uneducated - what use is Shakespeare? Whereas being able to build and repair things is extremely useful. 

[Know not me]

And who is going to regulate and determine the charges???? The taxi drivers

[SunsetT]

On 11/21/2020 at 12:22 AM, jaiyen said:

It says that taxi drivers "will be allowed"  It is not compulsory.  If they want to charge for bags then they won't get a tip !

 

Indeed. My policy was always if they help with the bags they get a tip. Many BKK taxi drivers would pull up and just click the boot open and sit there while u loaded your own bags into the boot and do the same on arrival.

[Chandler]

This would require the driver to load and unload and be responsible for the luggage and would likely lead to smaller tips.   Its more likely gonna just be added into the bargain of flat rates including tolls and luggage now, which there is no record of your luggage so its cash directly into their pocket. Hence the tip substitution imo.

 

[jomtienisgood]

On 11/21/2020 at 9:46 AM, Sydebolle said:

Here we go again - this is asking for trouble.

Either charge EVERYONE with the same fees or not at all. So, apart from the rip-off surcharge of 50 Baht at the airport for no bloody reason now they add a luggage charge. I assume that the same swines creaming off part of the airport surcharge are putting their nice little fatty fingers into the luggage till as well. 

If you are serious (and I am not at all sure about that) then go and look how all this is managed beautifully without discussion and for everybody in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong. 

Taxi fares in the cities you quote are hardly comparable....... 

[jomtienisgood]

On 11/26/2020 at 3:11 AM, Know not me said:

And who is going to regulate and determine the charges???? The taxi drivers

Fares are all indicated on the rear of the passenger seat.... Thb/Km - In case of stand still in traffic - prices /km within or outside BKK........

[jomtienisgood]

On 11/21/2020 at 8:17 PM, Tick Nurner said:

That is ridiculous.  Being provided with cutlery is normal and not subject to an extra charge in restaurants just as being provided with a seat and mobility from pickup to destination isn't charged extra in taxis.

 

Perhaps there would be a corollary if you went into that restaurant with luggage and asked the waiter to carry it all, store it safely and return it to you outside the restaurant after you'd finished your meal.

Yes it is normal, that being said some cities ( Countries ) do charge for cutlery.... e.g. Italy; Other e.g. in major cities in Switzerland you have to pay additionally for milk and sugar with your coffee........ So what's all this ......... about 20Thb???????  

[Sydebolle]

22 hours ago, jomtienisgood said:

Taxi fares in the cities you quote are hardly comparable....... 

 

I'm talking about surcharges - the rest is not comparable. 

More often than necessary cabbies refused to run the fare meters until I told them (I'm fluent in Thai) to switch it on or I'm off. Latter would have meant going back to queue again for hours ..... go figure!