Taxis on Koh Samui

[Tropicalevo]

With the taxi services on Koh Samui being so 'cavalier', I have always said that I would rather crawl over broken glass than call for a Samui Taxi.

Today that all changed.

Took the 'pocket rocket' for a service at Mitsubishi in Lipa Noi. They want it for another day - problem with the car's computer???

To cut a long story short, after living here for more than 20 years, I caught my first Samui taxi from Nathon Hospital to the pointy end here in Plai Laem.

Got in the taxi. "Shall I use the meter?" asked the nice lady driver.

Gobsmacked, I answered yes please.

Door to door - 605 baht on the meter. '600 baht' says the driver.
Taxi number 534 if you need one. ????

[phetphet]

You should have taken her number for future reference. That's what I did with a couple of taxis. If I ever need one I call them. Even from Bangkok to pick me up at the airport if needed.

[Tropicalevo]

7 minutes ago, phetphet said:

You should have taken her number for future reference. That's what I did with a couple of taxis. If I ever need one I call them. Even from Bangkok to pick me up at the airport if needed.

You are correct, but I was too surprised.

Anyway, a taxi ride every 20 years is not going to make her rich.

And as I said, it is a long story. My business partner booked a 'friendly' taxi that she knows. We got in the wrong taxi! It was not the one that we booked. THAT was an interesting conversation.

Edited September 9, 2021 by Tropicalevo

[northsouthdevide]

Nice heartwarming story. 

I lived on samui for four years from 2010 and would never take a taxi. 

The drivers would sit in a gang all day, drinking lao kao , and if a tourist asked for a taxi, they would quote an astronomical price. 

Hopefully the pandemic has seen them find other, for want of a better word, work. 

Edited September 9, 2021 by northsouthdevide

[Mbolo]

Don't you have Grab taxis in Koh Samui ? They're great and extremely cheap here in Hua Hin.

[mrmicbkktxl]

that's about 25km,hmm 600bt is cheap?Are they using different meters in Samui?

[Neilly]

33 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Are they using different meters in Samui?

No, the meters are the same...but the taxis run on perfumed unicorn farts ????

[khunPer]

49 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

that's about 25km,hmm 600bt is cheap?Are they using different meters in Samui?

Same meter as everywhere, but slightly different adjusted, mainly to the benefit of the taxi...????

[hotchilli]

54 minutes ago, Mbolo said:

Don't you have Grab taxis in Koh Samui ? They're great and extremely cheap here in Hua Hin.

About 5 years ago in Hua Hin I was staying at  a guest house in Soi67 out on the main road from the Soi entrance were 4-5 Tuk-tuks lined up, drivers all swinging in hammocks.

The price from there to the bus terminal they wanted 200 baht, I declined.

Crossed directly over the road and jumped onto a baht bus, 25 baht.

[khunPer]

54 minutes ago, Mbolo said:

Don't you have Grab taxis in Koh Samui ? They're great and extremely cheap here in Hua Hin.

Several posters have mentioned Grap - I've never used the personally, so can only refer to posters - little cheaper than quoted fixed price runs, probably very close to a meter price. 600 baht is a fair price for that distance on Samui, it's about $20 for comparison.

[islandguy]

Quote:  600 baht is a fair price for that distance on Samui, it's about $20 for comparison.

 

Could we maybe substitute ‘normally exorbitant’ for fair? Or are you just comparing that price to what it would be in Phuket? 

[p414]

On 9/9/2021 at 9:29 AM, phetphet said:

You should have taken her number for future reference. That's what I did with a couple of taxis. If I ever need one I call them. Even from Bangkok to pick me up at the airport if needed.

I first went to Samui 1995...all pick up taxis were 10 baht fixed fare. .No matter the distance. .I paid 90 baht nightly  for a bungalow 50 meters from the beach.

room fan and shower. All I needed...Hired a  honda for 1500 [I think ] for a month.[ December]Stayed for 8 weeks.

[Tropicalevo]

39 minutes ago, p414 said:

I first went to Samui 1995...all pick up taxis were 10 baht fixed fare. .No matter the distance. .I paid 90 baht nightly  for a bungalow 50 meters from the beach.

room fan and shower. All I needed...Hired a  honda for 1500 [I think ] for a month.[ December]Stayed for 8 weeks.

'And you try and tell the young people of today that ... they won't believe you'

 

 

[Twod0gs]

5 hours ago, islandguy said:

Quote:  600 baht is a fair price for that distance on Samui, it's about $20 for comparison.

 

Could we maybe substitute ‘normally exorbitant’ for fair? Or are you just comparing that price to what it would be in Phuket? 

It is still more than double what you would pay in Bangkok and other large cities in Thailand. Amazing that they are still trying to rip off tourists even though there are no tourists TIT.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

The Taxi Driver doesn't even exist, in any Land, even NYC...

 

 

"On the edge of madness"

Edited September 10, 2021 by GammaGlobulin

[Tropicalevo]

6 hours ago, Twod0gs said:

It is still more than double what you would pay in Bangkok and other large cities in Thailand. Amazing that they are still trying to rip off tourists even though there are no tourists TIT.

 

Bangkok,and other large cities, have a slightly larger population than Koh Samui.

The 'powers that be' have always said that the taxi drivers on the island can charge a higher rate as well as a 'one off' charge. (It used to be 90 baht).

The demographic in Bangkok is very different.

Office workers, middle class etc have more money.

Here, the people are in agriculture or tourism. Not many farm workers catch taxis and there is no International tourism. Domestic tourists rent vehicles. Locals use motorbikes as there is no public transport.

The population of Bangkok is about 10 million. Samui - 50,000. Not quite the same.

Grab is here, but I have seen 300 baht quoted, at a busy time, to go from Plai Laem to the airport. A 10 - 15 minute journey - 6 kilometers.

 Grab is very variable.

At that price, my trip was a bargain.

Yes, I could perhaps of caught a 'Bangkok' taxi but 20 years age, Bangkok to Samui was 3,000 baht in a taxi. (And 10 hours.) ????

 

The point of the story was that the taxi used the meter! Never seen that before.

[huyuli]

It was her first day?

Ex-cabbie

[SamuiAddict]

Just use Grab, a lot cheaper. About 200 baht Lamai to Chaweng - a taxi would charge 500-600

But yeah, it is amazing that she asked if you wanted the meter.  Maybe the Taxi Mafia are changing for the better ????

Edited September 11, 2021 by SamuiAddict

[Red Forever]

On 9/9/2021 at 6:05 PM, northsouthdevide said:

Nice heartwarming story. 

I lived on samui for four years from 2010 and would never take a taxi. 

The drivers would sit in a gang all day, drinking lao kao , and if a tourist asked for a taxi, they would quote an astronomical price. 

Hopefully the pandemic has seen them find other, for want of a better word, work. 

So, in your opinion, taxi driving isn't "work" eh?

[phetphet]

On 9/11/2021 at 6:43 AM, Tropicalevo said:

Bangkok,and other large cities, have a slightly larger population than Koh Samui.

The 'powers that be' have always said that the taxi drivers on the island can charge a higher rate as well as a 'one off' charge. (It used to be 90 baht).

The demographic in Bangkok is very different.

Office workers, middle class etc have more money.

Here, the people are in agriculture or tourism. Not many farm workers catch taxis and there is no International tourism. Domestic tourists rent vehicles. Locals use motorbikes as there is no public transport.

The population of Bangkok is about 10 million. Samui - 50,000. Not quite the same.

Grab is here, but I have seen 300 baht quoted, at a busy time, to go from Plai Laem to the airport. A 10 - 15 minute journey - 6 kilometers.

 Grab is very variable.

At that price, my trip was a bargain.

Yes, I could perhaps of caught a 'Bangkok' taxi but 20 years age, Bangkok to Samui was 3,000 baht in a taxi. (And 10 hours.) ????

 

The point of the story was that the taxi used the meter! Never seen that before.

But being a taxi driver here must have been a good earner judging by how the taxi numbers bloomed over the years. Taxi stands and taxi mafia  everywhere. Driving down Chaweng beach road in the evening, there was hardly anywhere to park. just a long line of taxis. Drop off, park, wait for the  next customer.

 

One of the boons of the covid epidemic here is most of the  crazy taxis and minibuses have disappeared. It was like a Formula 1 race to get to the piers every time a ferry was due in Bangrak.