Taxi Meters

[fondue zoo]

Can anyone explain why a return taxi trip along the same route with approximately the same stop start action would be more than double the fare to get to the destination?

Is there a big change in rates between 10.30am to 2pm ?   He did have a taxi meter brand called Proffito installed  ????

[robblok]

That would mean a rigged meter. I have had it once that a trip was a lot more like double for the same route. The meter just went too fast. We noted number and reported the taxi. Not sure what came from it. Probably nothing. But did not think making a scene and not paying. Was not worth my effort or risk. This was on a 23km trip. 

[timendres]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

That would mean a rigged meter. I have had it once that a trip was a lot more like double for the same route. The meter just went too fast. We noted number and reported the taxi. Not sure what came from it. Probably nothing. But did not think making a scene and not paying. Was not worth my effort or risk. This was on a 23km trip. 

 

In ten years of using taxis, I ran into a rigged meter only once. As soon as I was sure the meter was rigged, I immediately asked the driver to pull over, paid the meter, got out, and got another taxi. The 60 baht I lost was not worth making a scene. But, I wish I had reported him like you did.

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, timendres said:

 

In ten years of using taxis, I ran into a rigged meter only once. As soon as I was sure the meter was rigged, I immediately asked the driver to pull over, paid the meter, got out, and got another taxi. The 60 baht I lost was not worth making a scene. But, I wish I had reported him like you did.

I been here 15 years now and i have only encountered it once. But currently I have my own car and bike and don't use taxis a lot. I even use grab now as its just much easier. No need to explain where to go. Often you pay a little bit more but you get picked up at home and dropped exactly where you want without talking too much. You know the price before. So i really don't use taxis that much anymore

[Oldie]

29 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

Can anyone explain why a return taxi trip along the same route with approximately the same stop start action would be more than double the fare to get to the destination?

Is there a big change in rates between 10.30am to 2pm ?   He did have a taxi meter brand called Proffito installed  ????

I had this especially in Vietnam and on the Philippines. Often they have a hidden button that let's the meter jump further. I always watch the meter and if the counting looks suspicious I immediately stop the taxi and get out. 

 

And never pay before you got your luggage from the trunk space. 

 

And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers. 

 

And... 

[fondue zoo]

It was a 21km trip but I didn't notice until about halfway. We didn't say anything except to "innocently" ask if there were different rates am to pm.

He then explained how taxis work for 10 minutes, no fear of being caught out.

 

Taxis are cheap here compared to home even with an extra shenanigans charge, but the three Buddha figurines mounted next to his dodgy meter was a bit much.

At least it was equal opportunity shenanigans, farang and his fellow Thais treated equally. 

 

 

[globalspark]

 I stopped using taxis in Thailand  years ago unless I had no choice.  If I arrive late in bangkok I book a hotel room near the airport with transfers then next morning catch the sky train or Bell bus to Pattaya.

 They are a bunch a gooses and not worth the arguments  over the stupid games og not wanting to use the  meters or like you said meter tampering.

 Change your ways how you get around and it will make you a happier person.Remember   Thai men a lazy bunch of sods   and  if they come from Issan  well  they are worse.

 The land of smiles are long as they are ripping you off.

[ChakaKhan]

I refuse to use a taxi or tuk tuk in LOS after giving them both a chance to be honest..nope.....Id rather walk...

 

I do kinda enjoy the challenge of mixing with helpful thais on how to get around my bus, as they do....

[aussiee]

@globalspark

Can order a private taxi to Pattaya,   PT Taxi  is one I have used a couple of times - excellent service.

https://pttaxiservice.com/services-rates/

[elgenon]

57 minutes ago, aussiee said:

@globalspark

Can order a private taxi to Pattaya,   PT Taxi  is one I have used a couple of times - excellent service.

https://pttaxiservice.com/services-rates/

Are the private taxi services still in business?

[fabruer]

One of the reasons why I use grab. Happy to pay the premium in order to not deal with such, most of the time.

When something goes wrong with a grab, I have the chance to rate the driver accordingly and additionally send a written complaint to grab.

 

Which I have done on a handfull of occasions, mainly for unsafe driving (no safety distance, weaving), driver on the phone or this one case where a driver accepted a 40km fair only to stop 10 minutes into the ride for fueling up which resulted in a 30 minutes delayed arrival (queue at fuel station and took last exit of that highway without a chance to getting on it again and had to reroute through city; which <deleted> me of especially since I made it very clear to take that highway and avoid city as I had checked traffic before the ride.)

 

Additionally, there were safety issues with this driver hence, I wrote a lengthy report to grab. In their reply they assured me this driver has been temporarily banned until taking a certain course to requalify. I would like to think as this hits the driver where it hurts (money) it will help educate them about level of service expected when paying a premium.

[TigerandDog]

had a similar situation once whilst living in BKK. Reported the driver to both the taxi company & Land Transport. The taxi company made the driver come to my residence and personally refund the overcharge, and Land Transport cancelled his taxi license.

[DefaultName]

In the UK, the rates go up late at night, doesn't that happen here?

[Bender Rodriguez]

20 hours ago, robblok said:

I been here 15 years now and i have only encountered it once. But currently I have my own car and bike and don't use taxis a lot. I even use grab now as its just much easier. No need to explain where to go. Often you pay a little bit more but you get picked up at home and dropped exactly where you want without talking too much. You know the price before. So i really don't use taxis that much anymore

 

grab in thailand is 50 more expensive than a regular taxi, from experience, for same route

 

I speak little Thai, but I explain, MIE GPS ... Pom pook, lie-o saai, lie-o kwa, throng paai

 

and get where I need to be, much cheaper than grab, that cannot trace my address exactly

 

[VocalNeal]

For anyone in BKK. 9 km is exactly or very, very close to 81 Baht. (no traffic lights)

Easy to remember. 

[robblok]

42 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

 

grab in thailand is 50 more expensive than a regular taxi, from experience, for same route

 

I speak little Thai, but I explain, MIE GPS ... Pom pook, lie-o saai, lie-o kwa, throng paai

 

and get where I need to be, much cheaper than grab, that cannot trace my address exactly

 

I speak more then enough Thai but quite often I don't know the directions of my travel. I know what my destination is called. That is it. Taking a taxi home is easy as i know the routes. But for 50 bt extra i prefer grab, picks me up at home and when going back it brings me back to my home.

 

But generally i use my motorbike (we got 2 cars and a motorbike). Only use grab for places that i expect parking problems or stuff like that. 

[Fairynuff]

Before Grab I always used meter taxis and rarely ever had any issues. Never yet had a rigged meter. Mostly I know my way around and would know if I was being taken the long way around. Now I use Grab when I get a decent Promo code which usually means it’s around the same as a meter would be, sometimes cheaper. If you use Grab premium you then get Premium promo codes which can be even cheaper. The more you use Grab the more codes you get. I never use meter taxis in rush hour because Grab is almost always cheaper 

[natway09]

This would not happen in Singapore but they are 3 times the price to start with

[red roger]

On 12/28/2020 at 3:58 PM, Oldie said:

I had this especially in Vietnam and on the Philippines. Often they have a hidden button that let's the meter jump further. I always watch the meter and if the counting looks suspicious I immediately stop the taxi and get out. 

 

And never pay before you got your luggage from the trunk space. 

 

And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers. 

 

And... 

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

[Oldie]

19 minutes ago, red roger said:

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

If you have been here long enough you might understand what I mean. Often you will get a "special" ride. 

[red roger]

 

 

13 hours ago, Oldie said:

If you have been here long enough you might understand what I mean. Often you will get a "special" ride. 

If you call 17yrs here "long enough" then I feel qualified to understand this topic.

I've never had a problem with metered taxis in BKK, Chiang Mai, Ubon or Hua Hin. However, I would never ever hire a taxi or tuk tuk in Pukhet. They are all rip off merchants.

Just use Grab or Uber.

On 12/28/2020 at 3:58 PM, Oldie said:

I had this especially in Vietnam and on the Philippines. Often they have a hidden button that let's the meter jump further. I always watch the meter and if the counting looks suspicious I immediately stop the taxi and get out. 

 

And never pay before you got your luggage from the trunk space. 

 

And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers. 

 

And... 

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

[Olmate]

13 minutes ago, red roger said:

 

 

If you call 17yrs here "long enough" then I feel qualified to understand this topic.

I've never had a problem with metered taxis in BKK, Chiang Mai, Ubon or Hua Hin. However, I would never ever hire a taxi or tuk tuk in Pukhet. They are all rip off merchants.

Just use Grab or Uber.

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

Do tell in your 17 yrs how many cabs have u used on Phuket?Just running out the same drivel.If you can,t set a price for a ride...too hard!

[richard_smith237]

14 hours ago, red roger said:

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

Only if the shops are at market catering solely to tourists, i.e. Patpong market where the price for a 200 baht item starts at 6000 baht in the hope of ripping off an unsuspecting tourist. 

 

Avoid taxi’s that are waiting for customers is very sound advice - everyone knows this for the very obvious reasons that taxis waiting for customers are usual doing so because they are in an area where they think the ‘customer’ is on who can more likely be ripped off. 

 

I’m sure anyone who knows what I’m discussing has personally experienced the process of oh well, lets just ask this guy (loitering taxi) anyway only be quoted 300b for a 80 baht trip, or if you have spoken Thai, the answer is ‘mai-dai’ and blanket refusal while they wait for the next unsuspecting target.

 

Its just easier to walk on by and flag down a taxi driving down the street. 

The waiting taxi drivers don’t mind, they know you know. 

 

Grab - best way to go IMO, the extra fees are worth the extra service and levels of accountability. 

 

 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, red roger said:

 

 

"And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers"?

It's what they do 

Following this logic, it's best to not enter shops that are open for business.

 

Really sound advice, usually in the tourist area's of BKK waiting taxis never turn on the meter. Waiting taxis often cherry pick rides more (higher chance of refusal). Outside of BKK tourist area's spots where taxis wait are ok. Before i lived on the outskirts of BKK and my village had a taxi stand. Never a problem. However in BKK tourist area's always a problem with waiting taxis.

[wavodavo]

On 12/28/2020 at 6:58 PM, Oldie said:

I had this especially in Vietnam and on the Philippines. Often they have a hidden button that let's the meter jump further. I always watch the meter and if the counting looks suspicious I immediately stop the taxi and get out. 

 

And never pay before you got your luggage from the trunk space. 

 

And avoid taxis that are waiting for customers. 

 

And... 

I got a taxi once from Manilla airport and after going only 50 metres the meter was 60 Pesos.The flagfall was 30. When I got my wife to challenge him he first denied that there was something wrong with his meter but after she called b.s he reached under the meter and hit a button that put it  back to 30 Pesos.So when we got to our hotel I deducted another 30 Pesos off the bill NO tip and told him what I thought of him .He wasnt happy and spun his wheels as he drove out with several people waiting out the front of the hotel laughing at him.30 Pesos was only 50 cents but it was the principle.

[Oldie]

32 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

I got a taxi once from Manilla airport and after going only 50 metres the meter was 60 Pesos.The flagfall was 30. When I got my wife to challenge him he first denied that there was something wrong with his meter but after she called b.s he reached under the meter and hit a button that put it  back to 30 Pesos.So when we got to our hotel I deducted another 30 Pesos off the bill NO tip and told him what I thought of him .He wasnt happy and spun his wheels as he drove out with several people waiting out the front of the hotel laughing at him.30 Pesos was only 50 cents but it was the principle.

There was a more severe problem with the taxis in Manila. This happened often about 20 years ago. They blew a gas to the back of the inside of the car to make the customer unconscious. Then they removed the unconscious customer from the car and disappeared with his money and luggage. They didn't get unconscious themselves since they blew fresh air into their own face. This even happened to a friend of mine who wanted to get from the airport in Manila to the city. The last thing that he can remember was that when the car had to stop he opened the door and fell onto the road. The taxi driver and his luggage was never found. At this time there were not many cameras installed. 

[berrec]

On 12/29/2020 at 11:45 AM, TigerandDog said:

had a similar situation once whilst living in BKK. Reported the driver to both the taxi company & Land Transport. The taxi company made the driver come to my residence and personally refund the overcharge, and Land Transport cancelled his taxi license.

Wow, there is a God (Buddha) it's a dam miracle 555555