Are There Honest Taxi Drivers In Bkk?

[lotus eater]

Earlier this year I dropped my Palm pda in the taxi and the driver brought it in to a police station, where i had reported it. gave him a reward - the info in the palm was invaluable to me.

[Suszzy]

Thais tip 0 baht.

that's so mean..!!

[backflip]

"... most of my experiences with taxi drivers here in BKK has been a positive one."

My experiences have been the same as yours. On the other hand, you've seen the responses to your generosity, and that's the problem with the mindset of many farangs - they are cheap cheap cheap. Every baht that is spent elsewhere is a baht that can't be spent on beer and sex, and that's offensive to them. You're a good guy, and you shouldn't listen to the braying of the Cheap Charlies.

[onethailand]

You're a good guy, and you shouldn't listen to the braying of the Cheap Charlies.

I started this philosophical argument so I feel compelled to reply.

What the OP did was VERY KIND.

Tipping is GOOD.

Overtipping for a failed effort by someone who should know how to do his job is NOT good.

Tipping well for a failed effort by someone who could not be expected to know is FINE. But in this case a taxi driver should've known a large complex that has been in Bangkok for ages.

If you overtip someone who does not do their job well, especially when it is more than he would have been tipped if he did his job correctly, something is DEFINITELY wrong.

In my case, it has absolutely nothing to do with being a cheap charlie. Tip for efficient service, good service, fine - cover expenses incurred in a failed effort, fine. I don't see a single post in this thread which says "Don't tip" or mentions savings for "beer or girls" so I think perhaps you're getting a bit carried away.

[mikethevigoman]

Before I came to BKK I read a lot of warnings about crooked taxi drivers and to be honest what I have experienced here has been the exact opposite. Today I was trying to find the Bangkok Garden Apartment. I got off at BTS Chong Nonsri and map in hand I went looking for soi 24. Well I found soi 22 and (TIT) the next street was soi 26. After walking around for a bit and trying to ask the locals I said f-this and got in a taxi and I showed him my map and for the next 15 minutes he drover around trying to find it.

Well he couldn't find it so I told him to forget about it and just take me to the nearest BTS station. He then did something that really surprised me, he said "no find" and reset his meter. At that point there was 74 baht showing on the meter and the trip to the BTS station was another 41 baht. When we got to the station I asked him how much and all he wanted was the 41 baht, so to thank him for his courtesy I gave him 200 baht. I also noticed that he had a long list of hotels/apartments in English and Thai making it easier for farangs to show him where to go and he had a English/Thai dictionary.

I don't know if I am just really lucky but most of my experiences with taxi drivers here in BKK has been a positive one.

[DaffyDuck]

I don't know if I am just really lucky but most of my experiences with taxi drivers here in BKK has been a positive one.

I've had one bad experience with a taxi driver, in over 20 trips, over a 4 year period. I find, in general, most taxi drivers appear nice, friendly and honest.

The key is triage before getting into the taxi - when they claim to have no meter, get out; When they make you an 'offer' for your destination, get out; etc....

I'm sure there's bad apples (and most of the late night taxi mafia in front of Soi Cowboy qualifies), but simply don't get in their cabs...

[Travel2003]

Living in Chatujak area, and it can sometimes be a nightmare to find a taxi that is willing to bring me home.

Whenever someone does, I always try to be generous, by giving about 30-40 in tip (meter normally stops on 85-95).

If I'm in a good mood, I might give a little more then that.

My (Thai)wife is not happy about it at all.

But if I can not afford this tiny little tip, then I will consider moving back to where I came from.

Of course, I never tip 40 when the meter stops on 50-60.

[tijnebijn]

suspends what the bill at the end is .

So if it is for example 175 baht I will give him 200 .

Fair enough though .But if it is 220 I will give him 300 and take 50 back .

Most Thai I know also do similar , not giving is very Ki Niao .

[KuamRakWahn]

The last time I came to Bkk, I hired a taxi from the taxi stand at the arrivals level. After we arrived at my destination, I asked him how much and he told me he forgot to switch on the meter. Then he said, "Give me what you think is fair".

I gave him what I seemed to remember giving a driver for driving into the city from Suvarnabhumi in the past, rounding it up to avoid confrontation or embarassment on my part.

The cynic in me wondered whether he often 'forgot' to turn on the meter as part of a well-researched and well-calculated system he worked out, which worked on the principle that on average, farangs end up giving the driver more than what he would otherwise get had he gone by the meter.

[sutnyod]

The cynic in me wondered whether he often 'forgot' to turn on the meter as part of a well-researched and well-calculated system he worked out, which worked on the principle that on average, farangs end up giving the driver more than what he would otherwise get had he gone by the meter.

Well, in the case I describe above, the driver was elderly and clearly forgot. He was very embarrassed and told me it had also happened when he had brought some Farangs to the airport. He had requested from them to pay him only the 35 Baht minimum charge, because he accepted it was his mistake not to turn the meter on. Not only did they NOT pay (not even the 35 Baht), but also called the police on duty there. The driver tried to plead with the policman that he just wanted the 35 Baht, but it all ended with him being shooed away.

On another note, yesterday I had a good laugh, when a taxi driver in Phnom Penh told me he does not like French passengers, because they are 'stinky'. Don't know whether he meant the smell or being stingy....

[PadThaiGuy]

"Don't know whether he meant the smell or being stingy.... "

Probably....both.

[thaihome]

Disagree with the poster that claims Thais tip zero. In my experience they will round up to nearest 10 baht.

TH