Bangkok taxis moan: New bag fees have only increased income by 15%

[webfact]

Bangkok taxis moan: New bag fees have only increased income by 15%

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The chief of the Thai taxi drivers' association has told the media that his members are only earning about 10-15% more since the transport ministry changed the rules on baggage charges they could demand on trips at Bangkok's two airports.

 

Cabbies can charge 20 baht for certain large bags and 100 baht for a golf bag since the rules changed on November 17th.

 

But Sadis Jaithiang said it has done very little to improve the drivers' plight.

 

He said they are still earning only about 500-600 baht a day plying the Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi routes. 

 

That compared to 1,600 - 2,000 baht in the halcyon days before the pandemic struck - when there were lots of foreign tourists.

 

Now there are just a few Thais going from shopping centers with heavy bags. 

 

The changes in the regulations haven't made much difference to the height of the pandemic when the drivers were getting about 200 baht a day.

 

He said that most of the people with heavy bags were Germans and Indians and there were none of these at the airports.

 

Daily News said that cabbies must inform passengers of extra charges. They can charge 20 baht extra for bags that have any edge longer than 26 inches and in the case of many bags can charge 20 baht for people who have more than three. 

 

Large bags like golf bags and music items can be charged at 100 baht and stuff in boxes of a size of 50 inches can also be charged at this rate. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

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[worgeordie]

They are never happy ,no matter how much more they get,my daughter

is just receiving basic wages,after the hotel stopped paying service

charge,so she is now getting about 50 % less in wages,but just lucky

that she has a job,and living in hope things will return to normal one day.

regards worgeordie

[soi3eddie]

Taxi Cab drivers won't find much sympathy from either Thais or foreigners due to past refusal of rides or insisting on "fixed" fares. Domestic travellers tend not to carry or pay to check-in bags with the "low cost" carriers such as VietJet, Air Asia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air etc. There is no international travel except for quarantined arrivals (transport supplied) and for the few outbound international departures the taxi bag fee does not apply for city pick-ups anyhow.

[kingdong]

No work,so they want to stripe the existing users.

[poohy]

Have you ever met a contented happy taxi driver ...ANYWHERE in the world

This  certainly includes the "cor blimey love a duck" miserable gits of black cab drivers in London

Edited December 11, 2020 by poohy

[bristolgeoff]

If more tourist come in the new year then they will be charging and ripping off the people who don,t know the ropes on arrival.complain now with no tourist,do they think the thais will want to know and want to be ripped off now

[J Town]

Between Bolt and Grab, I don't see how they stay alive. A friend ordered a Bolt ride, the driver showed up in a taxi vehicle and charged the Bolt price.

[ExpatOilWorker]

41 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

for the few outbound international departures the taxi bag fee does not apply for city pick-ups anyhow.

Are you sure about that?

 

"Taxi passengers travelling to and from Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports are now subject to a luggage charge."

 

It appears, they also charge for baggage when you are traveling to the airport.

[soi3eddie]

6 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Are you sure about that?

 

"Taxi passengers travelling to and from Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports are now subject to a luggage charge."

 

It appears, they also charge for baggage when you are traveling to the airport.

 

It appears you are right in what was reported. Though, a few weeks ago I had two ladies stay with me in Bangkok who were going onwards to live overseas. They had shed loads of baggage including two huge and heavy cases. On getting a Meter Taxi the driver helped load the baggage and made no mention of any additional fare. I guess it depends on the driver. Apologies if my comment was misleading.

[petermik]

ONLY 10/15% increase in income....others can only dream about such an increase....

[Enzian]

Members here are critical of the drivers, and I admit I've had some really bad ones, but for some reason that's mostly in the past. Haven't had a driver try for a fixed fee for quite a while, and refusal of service hardly exists now, for the obvious reason. Of course it helps when a farang like me is with a Thai female, which is usually the case for me. The ladies like to gab with the drivers, and usually (but not always) the drivers are ok guys. Sometimes they comment to the ladies, or ask questions, about me, but always in a positive vein. Most of the time I round up when I pay, especially if there is a good reason, but don't worry myself if I don't. To me the rides are so cheap they may as well be free. They deserve more, imho.

[khunPer]

10-15 percent pay-raise when the consumer price index-inflation is around zero, likely it ends up little negative for 2020 compared to 2019, it's in my opinion not too bad.

 

Comparing to before Covid-19, everybody in tourism related business suffers, did the taxi drivers really expect a luggage surcharge would make it up for millions of missing international tourists...????

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Bangkok taxis moan

Find another occupation. Loan sharking is good...

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The chief of the Thai taxi drivers' association has told the media that his members are only earning about 10-15% more since the transport ministry changed the rules on baggage charges they could demand on trips at Bangkok's two airports.

And that's not enough!

 

Greedy B******s

[hellohello123]

6 hours ago, Enzian said:

Members here are critical of the drivers, and I admit I've had some really bad ones, but for some reason that's mostly in the past. Haven't had a driver try for a fixed fee for quite a while, and refusal of service hardly exists now, for the obvious reason. Of course it helps when a farang like me is with a Thai female, which is usually the case for me. The ladies like to gab with the drivers, and usually (but not always) the drivers are ok guys. Sometimes they comment to the ladies, or ask questions, about me, but always in a positive vein. Most of the time I round up when I pay, especially if there is a good reason, but don't worry myself if I don't. To me the rides are so cheap they may as well be free. They deserve more, imho.

So much pointless waffle in such a long paragraph, that doesn't address the core issue

[quadrant]

luckily for all of us Your waffle was short and to the point! well done. thank you sir.

[Justgrazing]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The chief of the Thai taxi drivers' association has told the media that his members are only earning about 10-15% more since the transport ministry changed the rules on baggage charges they could demand on trips at Bangkok's two airports

 

So how do they expect him to buy anymore Toyota badges for the back of the motor .. 

 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[wotsdermatter]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Now there are just a few Thais going from shopping centers with heavy bags. 

The article is supposed to be about passengers travelling to and from airports, as mentioned in another post, not picking up passengers from places where people go shopping and buy lots of things, such as supermarkets.  When this was first published it was made clear that the charges were for journeys going to and from the airports only.

'nuf sed.

[DaveCW]

I'd usually tip a driver up to 100 baht (possibly more), if he troubled himself to help with bags and depending upon the length of the journey. That's my choice, but, I confess, I don't like the idea of such things being imposed.

 

I can imagine it may lead to passengers not tipping the driver. The effect may be that they could loose out in the long run.

[jaiyen]

Driving a taxi is a <deleted> job anywhere in the world. That's why nearly all the taxis including Uber here in Australia are Indian or many other immigrant races. Many of them are qualified in a trade but can't get approval to work in Australia so getting a job driving a taxi is easy.  In Thailand we all know that there are good drivers and we treat them fairly and I always give a big tip to a driver taking us to the airport at 4am. They are so happy especially if they get a return fare, that will pay the rent for the day. To all the moaners.....would you work for 300 baht a day driving around Bangkok ?  No way ! You all get the sh!ts being a passenger !

[berrec]

So most Thia's are suffering financially over the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic and have little or no alternatives to offset their personal and business losses.

 

But these greedy sometimes cheating Bangkok taxi drivers want the public to fill the gap for their COVID-19 financial shortfalls. 

 

Get in line with everyone else you whinging BKK taxi drivers and put up with like the rest of the Thia's impacted have to. 

[toast1]

I have been taking taxis in BKK for 30 years, never been ripped off.

 

Always polite, friendly.

 

Don't get in cabs with rude drivers who won't use the meter.

 

Have found BKK taxi drivers very friendly and helpful, always leave a tip. They thank me and I thank them.

Never had a bad experience. 

There a lot of miserable, tight fisted, fallang here who should go home.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by toast1

[a977]

F### me what do these guys want everything handed ton them on a silver platter, if you had not ripped off every tourist that visited Thailand in the past you would by now be making a decent living, but no not you lot you wanted it all at once and then you forgot to save for a rainy day ( in this case rainy year). 

If I have friends come from overseas I go hire a car and pick them up at the airport rather than have them subjected to you lot, and don't get me started on Pattaya taxi Mafia

[ChakaKhan]

Another source of proof karma exists.....oh the huge manatee!  ????