Taxi meter, Uber or Grab - Which one ?

[CharlieH]

Havnt been to BKK for a few years,which one is better for getting around these days ?

[richard_smith237]

There is no UBER in Thailand anymore...  

 

So, its GRAB which works well.

 

Or FlagFall, then of course have 4-5 taxi’s in a row say no depending on your location. 

 

I lost my keys last week and needed a taxi urgently to get home (5 mins away) and return with the spare keys... Grab were too far away, 3 taxi’s in a row just said no..... 

 

[lopburi3]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

There is no UBER in Thailand anymore...  

 

So, its GRAB which works well.

 

Or FlagFall, then of course have 4-5 taxi’s in a row say no depending on your location. 

 

I lost my keys last week and needed a taxi urgently to get home (5 mins away) and return with the spare keys... Grab were too far away, 3 taxi’s in a row just said no..... 

 

You live on Soi Nana?  ????  Have not had a no in years out here in Latphao area - but understand it can still be an issue from parked taxi or at some locations.  

[proton]

what about Bolt app?

[richard_smith237]

31 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You live on Soi Nana?  ????  Have not had a no in years out here in Latphao area - but understand it can still be an issue from parked taxi or at some locations.  

It was on Rama 9..... ( so not in a tourist area...)....   I find that about 50% of the time when I get a flag-fall taxi there is usually some sort of irritation... i.e. the driver says no, there’s no seatbelt, drives like a d!ck etc... 

That said - the other half seem perfectly reasonable and fine...  Taxi’s in Bangkok are a relative pleasure compared to trying to get around other cities.

 

The Flag-fall taxi’s with the green lights are the best options.

 

[Ralf001]

Bolt is the go.

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, proton said:

what about Bolt app?

I forgot about BOLT...     I think they are a little cheaper than GRAB too.

 

However, unlike GRAB they do not accept credit card payment.

[LogicThai]

I only use Grab in Bangkok. It usually is quite reliable, the use of the app removes the need to communicate with the driver, as your destination is pre-set before you even get into the car and the total fare is predictable. Also, you have a choice in a wide range of vehicles for different needs (large cars, SUVs, pet-friendly, etc.). Also, it charges your credit card (or in my case several cards depending on business or private rides), ... All in all, even with the traffic issues, I think that Grab is great.

[CharlieH]

16 minutes ago, LogicThai said:

I only use Grab in Bangkok. It usually is quite reliable, the use of the app removes the need to communicate with the driver, as your destination is pre-set before you even get into the car and the total fare is predictable. Also, you have a choice in a wide range of vehicles for different needs (large cars, SUVs, pet-friendly, etc.). Also, it charges your credit card (or in my case several cards depending on business or private rides), ... All in all, even with the traffic issues, I think that Grab is great.

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

 

Anyone know how Bolt compare in price to metered ? 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

3 taxi’s in a row just said no..... 

 

I would trust their judgment - I haven't been in Bkk for 10 years but last time there it was awful traffic... sat in a taxi for 45 minutes on Sathorn and barely moved... felt bad for the driver but gave him a good tip and got out and walked... 

[blackcab]

33 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

 

Anyone know how Bolt compare in price to metered ? 

 

Yes, they are definitively more expensive. At least 1.5x and sometimes 2x.

 

It's relative though. If I'm at the end of a soi and it's raining I'll pay the extra to not get wet walking to the main road. 

 

I also appreciate not having to constantly give the driver directions.

 

I've heard Bolt is cheaper, but I've never used the app myself. 

[richard_smith237]

40 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

3 taxi’s in a row just said no..... 

 

I would trust their judgment -

Why would you ? half of the drivers don’t even know Bangkok very well, certainly not as well as I who have lived here for over 20 years...

 

40 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I haven't been in Bkk for 10 years but last time there it was awful traffic... sat in a taxi for 45 minutes on Sathorn and barely moved... felt bad for the driver but gave him a good tip and got out and walked... 

Traffic is an issue everywhere......   6pm on a Friday is true a nightmare in Bangkok, I can understand drivers saying no at that time. 

 

2pm on a Tuesday afternoon, 3 in a row saying no....    The reason is they don’t know the direction to get where I wanted and thinking about it was too much trouble. Many of these guys are just fools.

 

 

[CharlieH]

4 minutes ago, blackcab said:

 

Yes, they are definitively more expensive. At least 1.5x and sometimes 2x.

 

It's relative though. If I'm at the end of a soi and it's raining I'll pay the extra to not get wet walking to the main road. 

 

I also appreciate not having to constantly give the driver directions.

 

I've heard Bolt is cheaper, but I've never used the app myself. 

Downloaded the Grab app but didnt proceed and uninstalled it after not being happy with "permissions", why the heck they need access to my physical activity, photos and media files, camera, audio files is a step too far for me. ????

Bolt was easier so will try that and see how it goes.

[richard_smith237]

47 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

 

Anyone know how Bolt compare in price to metered ? 

Grab is definitely more expensive than a metered Taxi.... about 1.5x to 2x the price..... 

 

Grab is simply a lot more convenient - they come ‘into my complex’ and pick me up rather than me having to walk out to the main raod and then have a few taxis in a row decide they don’t want to take me in the direction I’m going.... 

 

Grab also keeps a record, so the IF the driver or passenger is terrible they can be reported - this means there is ‘incentive’ for both the driver and customer to behave and not act like impolite tools. 

 

Grab also have different options, including just ‘Grab Car’ which means its not regular taxi and is often cleaner with better drivers etc.

 

 

Bolt is about 1.2x to 1.5x the flag-fall metered fare - however, I gave up on Bolt, they don't seem to be as ‘available’ whenever I need a taxi. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Downloaded the Grab app but didnt proceed and uninstalled it after not being happy with "permissions", why the heck they need access to my physical activity, photos and media files, camera, audio files is a step too far for me. ????

Bolt was easier so will try that and see how it goes.

Definitely a step too far, but something strange happened in your set up.

Grab doest have any access to that....   It just needs access to your location. 

[KhunBENQ]

Can't judge about Bangkok but in Pattaya BOLT is the app to use.
And who depends on credit cards to pay xxx Baht for a taxi.

[1FinickyOne]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The reason is they don’t know the direction to get where I wanted and thinking about it was too much trouble

so, they are doing you a favor... 

 

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Traffic is an issue everywhere..

by everywhere, you mean everywhere in Bkk? I have lived in places with no traffic other than an occasional stop light... 

[underthesky]

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Grab is definitely more expensive than a metered Taxi.... about 1.5x to 2x the price..... 

 

My experience says the same. Grab is very pricey versus a meter taxi.

[LogicThai]

11 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

And who depends on credit cards to pay xxx Baht for a taxi.

We have an office credit card to charge our business-related trips, and that info is uploaded into our accounting system. For private use, it is good never to have to worry about exact change, coins etc., and even for private use, it is useful to have access to ride data for further analysis. It all depends on one's particular situation, actually. A retiree spending his own money might not care about any of that, but I do.

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

You live on Soi Nana?  ????  Have not had a no in years out here in Latphao area - but understand it can still be an issue from parked taxi or at some locations.  

Parked taxis have always been a problem. They spend ages waiting for that 'big hit'.

[LogicThai]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

I don't really know, since I never use metered taxis, but by all accounts yes, Grab is at least 50% more expensive. Much more than that actually, since I usually book Premium category (most often a Toyota Camry). Such cars are larger and more comfortable when riding with colleagues or family, and they are often more available than Regular Grab, but Premium tends to cost 50% more than Regular. But it is all relative. A metered ride might cost 75, Regular Grab 120 and Premium Grab 180. No big deal, and a much improved user experience. Every morning, usually within minutes of booking, a Camry picks me up at the door of the condo and gets me to the door of the office. No hassle, for 200 baht. Most evenings, I go home with the BTS, which sort of evens out ????

[mark5335]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

 

I had to take a taxi from Phrom Phong to Chaengwattana earlier this month. Grab quoted 533 baht on the app, so instead we flagged down a meter taxi and it cost only 245 baht. So yes my experience in that case was that Grab costs twice as much.

[lopburi3]

53 minutes ago, blackcab said:

I also appreciate not having to constantly give the driver directions.

That has almost ended as if you tell them a destination most will just speak it into phone and have turn by turn directions on screen and by voice.  No need for driver to know Bangkok anymore.

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Bolt is the go.

How does it compare with Bolt in terms of price and reliability of driver?

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, EricTh said:

How does it compare with Bolt in terms of price and reliability of driver?

Bolt compares pretty good with Bolt.

[dj230]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There is no UBER in Thailand anymore...  

 

So, its GRAB which works well.

 

Or FlagFall, then of course have 4-5 taxi’s in a row say no depending on your location. 

 

I lost my keys last week and needed a taxi urgently to get home (5 mins away) and return with the spare keys... Grab were too far away, 3 taxi’s in a row just said no..... 

 

why would they say no? 

[dj230]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Bolt is the go.

not many bolts in Bangkok, have to wait 30 minutes sometimes, lots of Grab and Lineman taxi's 

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, dj230 said:

not many bolts in Bangkok, have to wait 30 minutes sometimes, lots of Grab and Lineman taxi's 

You should recommend them then.

[ChaiyaTH]

1. Grab for motorbike is very affordable and easier as no need to explain the destination.
2. Bolt for cars at almost any place, is half the price of the same ride for Grab, on most times of the day.
3. Bolt pricing seems similar to what a metered taxi would be. Bolt can take a long time to get as well (depending where you are). 

 

I now usually take MRT and metered taxi in BKK or else a grab motorbike.

Edited August 28, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[FritsSikkink]

4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Is there any truth in Grab are x2 price of metered cars in your experience ?

 

Most of the time they are, that is why i take a metered taxi and they arrive a lot quicker too for me.