Taxis still an issue in Bangkok ?

[CharlieH]

I note the Taxi situation in Bangkok seems to be the same hit n miss nightmare.

 

Took a journey from A to B at 7pm and 150 baht on the meter.

Tried this morning at 9.45 am to do B back to A and 6 Taxis refused ! None of them would use the meter. 3 just drove away when given the destination.

Tried Bolt,and they were 15 minute wait and 327 baht so over double the metered fair.Best offer on the app was "comfort" at 260 baht ? but 35 minutes.

 

It really felt like a lottery as to what you might get and what the price was going to be. 

[bob smith]

always has been, always will be.

[DaLa]

This is absolutely not my experience here in Bangkok. I actually live in Nonthaburi which you would believe to be a problem from the city centre ( Sukhumvit). After midnight some taxi want to charge flat fee, others don't want to travel that far out but after 3 or 4 taxis I'm set to go. Pleasant guys that will take my left/right/straight on directions, all on the meter.

 

Biggest problem is standing around waiting for a few minutes and some lovely looking girl wants to drag me into yet another bar.

[soi3eddie]

My recent experiences this month (general A-B and heading home after a night out in Sukhumvit) are that the Taxis are trying to make up for lost revenue over the pandemic now that demand is higher. I agree that they need higher meter fares, but with that should come sanctions and penalties if reported for refusing fares or trying the "No meter" B.S.

 

[Lorry]

You are too polite and ask them first for the destination, like Thais do.

I get into the taxi first,  then tell them where to go. The barrier to kick me out again is quite high. 

I know I am not nice.  I don't care.  When traveling together with a Thai, the Thai will ask the destination first and many taxis will refuse, no matter where. 

 

BTW i found Bolt just as useless as you

[iaminwa]

17 hours ago, DaLa said:

This is absolutely not my experience here in Bangkok. I actually live in Nonthaburi which you would believe to be a problem from the city centre ( Sukhumvit). After midnight some taxi want to charge flat fee, others don't want to travel that far out but after 3 or 4 taxis I'm set to go. Pleasant guys that will take my left/right/straight on directions, all on the meter.

 

Biggest problem is standing around waiting for a few minutes and some lovely looking girl wants to drag me into yet another bar.

Try doing it at peak hour and not at night and you will get the same issues as the OP...you are obviously not a Thailand regular. Taxi drivers are notoriuos for refusing rides to busy traffic areas during the day! OP - will never change, I avoid them like the plague - I have found Bolt MB taxis the way to go.

[RT555]

The Thai Taxi drivers are a laugh...not too bright if you think about it.

 

Scenario #1 - I ask a taxi driver to take me from Emporium to Central World he says "NO" and drives in the same direction to Central World? with no meter running?......I have to laugh.

 

I knew a taxi driver in San Francisco, and he had a collection of antique and non-antique cars.........driving a taxi mind you.

He told me you know how I can afford these?

He said when he's driving is to have somebody in the taxi as much as possible, meaning the meter is running...ching-ching.....rather than the Thai Taxi's driving around wasting gas......jus sayin

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, iaminwa said:

I have found Bolt MB taxis the way to go.

That's my choice now but it can be a bit scary. I find that the Bolt riders are a tad more aggressive than the regular motorcycle taxis. 

 

They also turn up with all sorts of random bikes. I took a trip from Lumphini to Central Bang Na, which is quite some distance, and the guy turned up on one of those tiny electric bikes. Even less room than normal on the back for my fat ass! ????

[lopburi3]

I have been using taxi service for all travel for the last 20 years and have never had them try to drive off meter - and only time refused has been heavy downtown traffic areas - with none lasting more than 20 minutes before getting service.  But part of my luck is likely not being downtown most of the time - most is in Latphao area.  And when in town always stop a moving taxi. 

 

To me using taxi is giving back to local economy as drivers are normal people and mostly fine.  Taxi are so inexpensive here, and I mean really cheap, kind of hard to complain about a few bad apples or expect standards at level where cost is 10x times more (and you are expected to tip 20% or more).      

[Lemsta69]

8 hours ago, Lorry said:

You are too polite and ask them first for the destination, like Thais do.

I get into the taxi first,  then tell them where to go. The barrier to kick me out again is quite high. 

I know I am not nice.  I don't care.  When traveling together with a Thai, the Thai will ask the destination first and many taxis will refuse, no matter where. 

 

BTW i found Bolt just as useless as you

I've considered doing this but then I remember about that American fella that got chopped up by a taxi driver ????

 

Have you ever had a taxi driver make a big fuss about it? Or do they just grumble about it and eventually get moving? 

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, iaminwa said:

Try doing it at peak hour and not at night and you will get the same issues as the OP...you are obviously not a Thailand regular. Taxi drivers are notoriuos for refusing rides to busy traffic areas during the day! OP - will never change, I avoid them like the plague - I have found Bolt MB taxis the way to go.

 

 

I  usually open the rear passenger to ask about the ride.

 

 

If they decline I walk off and leave the door open. Childish, I know, but I know that the mild inconvenience will irritate them. 

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

I  usually open the rear passenger to ask about the ride.

 

 

If they decline I walk off and leave the door open. Childish, I know, but I know that the mild inconvenience will irritate them. 

I usually ask about the ride too and if it's fixed price I pull out my squeegee and start to clean their windshield and ask them for money. 

[Lorry]

18 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Have you ever had a taxi driver make a big fuss about it? Or do they just grumble about it and eventually get moving? 

Never a big fuss. But some do insist they don't go to my destination,  usually they apologize and tell me the reason (end of shift, no more gas, doesn't know the destination). Then I get out and find another one.

This is rare. Whereas when traveling with Thais (who always ask before getting in) lots of drivers refuse.

[Callmeishmael]

It's almost impossible to get a taxi on Sukhumvit.  I always take the BTS or MRT instead, they may be crowded, but you can always get a ticket and get on.  On the rare occasions that I find myself there late at night, I will literally just walk around a corner and up a block and wait for a taxi going the right direction.  Taxis coming into the area are not members of the "Sukhumvit Mafia" and will turn on their meters without being asked to.

[couchpotato]

34 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

I  usually open the rear passenger to ask about the ride.

 

 

If they decline I walk off and leave the door open. Childish, I know, but I know that the mild inconvenience will irritate them. 

Not only childish, but dangerous for him and other road users...d___head move.

[Lemsta69]

22 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Never a big fuss. But some do insist they don't go to my destination,  usually they apologize and tell me the reason (end of shift, no more gas, doesn't know the destination). Then I get out and find another one.

This is rare. Whereas when traveling with Thais (who always ask before getting in) lots of drivers refuse.

Thanks. I've been doing the ask-first method because that's what I've seen Thais doing. Ive been qouted flat fares about half the time, some reasonable so I took the offer, some just downright insulting.

 

I also kinda got used to asking first from catching taxis in Sydney. There's a lot of drivers there that flout the rules and who's got time to report them for their infractions?

[Bangkok Barry]

20 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

My recent experiences this month (general A-B and heading home after a night out in Sukhumvit) are that the Taxis are trying to make up for lost revenue over the pandemic now that demand is higher. I agree that they need higher meter fares, but with that should come sanctions and penalties if reported for refusing fares or trying the "No meter" B.S.

 

Nonsense. Taxis have always wanted to charge more out of Sukhumvit at night. Nothing to do with making up revenue, everything to do with the usual greed and corruption. As for reporting, I knew a taxi was driving me around to raise the metered fare. I called the number to report, they told me to call the tourist police. I called the tourist police and they told me to call the taxi number. This is Thailand, where rules and the law mean nothing at all.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

13 minutes ago, Callmeishmael said:

It's almost impossible to get a taxi on Sukhumvit.  I always take the BTS or MRT instead, they may be crowded, but you can always get a ticket and get on.  On the rare occasions that I find myself there late at night, I will literally just walk around a corner and up a block and wait for a taxi going the right direction.  Taxis coming into the area are not members of the "Sukhumvit Mafia" and will turn on their meters without being asked to.

Same for me, but with a twist. I'll take the BTS say from the Villa at Suk 33/1 (Prom Phong) to On Nut. I get out there and grab a taxi from in front of the big Lotus inbound back to Rama 4. My distant condo complex is a 1 km walk from Phra Khanong BTS but the taxi from On Nut is direct and easy  for  45 baht.

 

Taxis have refused me many times just going from, say, the corner of Suk and soi 23 to Phra Khanong or asked for 200 and 150 baht for a 65 baht ride. If the driver knows where I'm going, I happily hand over a 100 baht. 

[Bangkok Barry]

I sometimes wonder what tourists make of the taxi system in Bangkok. Some taxis have a red light showing, some green. Both mean the taxi is available. In theory, anyway, because at the same time they might stop a taxi with a light on and the taxi refuses the fare anyway. So, in reality, the light of whatever colour means nothing at all.

[lopburi3]

11 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

As for reporting, I knew a taxi was driving me around to raise the metered fare.

Must not have been any customers as that is normally a very poor income maker - much better to have flag down charge and short trips for making money.  In my experience most alternate routes are due to perceived traffic conditions and often are asked before doing.  And when done only amounts to a few baht difference anyhow.  To me not having to drive myself though the MC kamikaze land of Bangkok traffic is worth the very low total costs of taxi service here.

[Bangkok Barry]

8 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Must not have been any customers as that is normally a very poor income maker - much better to have flag down charge and short trips for making money. 

You are thinking like an alien, not a Thai. Also, I got a taxi from the departures level at Swampy airport, as many do, and at first the driver refused to use the meter and I walked away. Then he called me back, said he'd use the meter - and then drove me such a long way around that I ended up paying the non-metered fare anyway.

[Lorry]

39 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Thanks. I've been doing the ask-first method because that's what I've seen Thais doing. Ive been qouted flat fares about half the time, some reasonable so I took the offer, some just downright insulting.

 

I also kinda got used to asking first from catching taxis in Sydney. There's a lot of drivers there that flout the rules and who's got time to report them for their infractions?

I very rarely get a flat fare quote. Then I just firmly insist on the meter. Almost always helps. I had to start taking pictures of their registration 2 times, it helped (those 2 times were once at the airport and once upcountry).

If everything doesn't help,  I get out and leave the rear door open. I do watch my back.

BTW complaints to tel 1584, by a Thai speaker.  These things are taken seriously. 

 

Like lopburi3, I hardly ever take taxis at lower Sukhumvit or Khasarn. And I always flag  a moving taxi. 

 

Unfortunately,  farangs usually do not firmly insist on the metered fare (see Kao's post). Many tourist happily told me how they bargained an inflated flat fare down to what they called " a very good price". Usually twice the meter price.

They like to feel rich, and the taxi drivers take advantage of their stupid inflated ego. 

[CharlieH]

3 minutes ago, Lorry said:

I very rarely get a flat fare quote. Then I just firmly insist on the meter. Almost always helps. I had to start taking pictures of their registration 2 times, it helped (those 2 times were once at the airport and once upcountry).

If everything doesn't help,  I get out and leave the rear door open. I do watch my back.

BTW complaints to tel 1584, by a Thai speaker.  These things are taken seriously. 

 

Like lopburi3, I hardly ever take taxis at lower Sukhumvit or Khasarn. And I always flag  a moving taxi. 

When I came out of the Hotel I ignored the 3 parked up outside (always do). I walked around 50 meteres up the road and I always flag a metered car with the green light on. Didnt help in that instance though as stated in the OP.

That situation ended after 30 minutes of refusals with me negotiating a fixed fee as basically had no other choice and didnt want to stand there for much longer trying more taxis.

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You are thinking like an alien, not a Thai. Also, I got a taxi from the departures level at Swampy airport, as many do, and at first the driver refused to use the meter and I walked away. Then he called me back, said he'd use the meter - and then drove me such a long way around that I ended up paying the non-metered fare anyway.

That is not what most would call Bangkok Taxi's - airport taxi has always been an issue.  Back in the 60's taxi were not allowed at Don Muang and only vehicles with military plates operated - normally an off duty enlisted member driving and officers car and negotiated price.  Currently only cars registered with airport can pick up customers and the distance (fare likely one way only) makes it a loss leader for drivers unless fare is more than meter and the  extra charge for airport service.  

[scorecard]

22 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

My recent experiences this month (general A-B and heading home after a night out in Sukhumvit) are that the Taxis are trying to make up for lost revenue over the pandemic now that demand is higher. I agree that they need higher meter fares, but with that should come sanctions and penalties if reported for refusing fares or trying the "No meter" B.S.

 

'Higher meter fares'

Sure point taken, but please rember that 99% of taxi passengers are Thai and the existing flag fall and fares for Thai is quite expensive.

 

So do we want to see double pricing, higher for farang? I believe not.

[hotandsticky]

Just now, scorecard said:

'Higher meter fares'

Sure point taken, but please rember that 99% of taxi passengers are Thai and the existing flag fall and fares for Thai is quite expensive.

 

So do we want to see double pricing, higher for farang? I believe not.

 

 

I just tip well  -  if the service has been good. 

 

 

For low fares like 30 Baht from a local hotel to Don Muang airport I will pay 100 Baht.

[ThailandRyan]

Yesterday tried to get a taxi from CentralWorld home to Lumpini, a short normally 65 Baht ride.  Every taxi driver in the que refused, a TukTuk in Q said he would take us for 400 Baht, what the hell is wrong with these folks, we walked to the BTS station and too the BTS to Sala Daeng then the MRT home to Lumpini. Cost was 82 baht for each of us and took us almost 40 minutes with the walk to the BTS at Siam and then the walk to the MRT from the BTS while carrying our bags of goodies.

 

This is not the first time this has occurred, and this time the GF was so <deleted> she spit on the TukTuk drivers shoes and called him a buffalo, while the other drivers laughed.....What a sad state of affairs getting a taxi has become.  I don't drive to CentralWorld from the condo because it is just a mere 3km away, but the damned traffic makes it take 30 to 40 minutes, maybe why the drivers always refuse.

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

but the damned traffic makes it take 30 to 40 minutes, maybe why the drivers always refuse.

Suspect you answered yourself - driving in Bangkok is Hell on Earth (unless you give everyone a 5 day weekend to get most drivers out of town).  And taxi fares do not make up for the slow movement.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, iaminwa said:

you are obviously not a Thailand regular.

You, obviously, can't read, he posted that he lives here!

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I sometimes wonder what tourists make of the taxi system in Bangkok. Some taxis have a red light showing, some green. Both mean the taxi is available. In theory, anyway, because at the same time they might stop a taxi with a light on and the taxi refuses the fare anyway. So, in reality, the light of whatever colour means nothing at all.

The light colour generally means a lot.   All new/newer taxis have the green light and they are equipped with interior cameras and emergency buttons on the interior B-pillar.   Unfortunately, some of the older, unmonitored taxis are now getting the green lights also.