Pattaya Now Has Legal Metered Taxis!

[Jingthing]

No, the date is not April 1. This is not a joke.

This news is too BIG not to have its own thread.

There are now 25 legal TAXIS on the streets of Pattaya. Simply amazing.

But questions remain:

who controls the taxis?

are they controlled by the baht bus mafia?

do you have meters?

WILL THEY USE THE METERS?

what is the fare structure?

will they charge more when you call for them?

will they go east of Suk?

This is a fantastic development. But it is only the beginning. It is within our power to make sure the taxi service that develops here becomes as great and fare and METER USING as Bangkok which should be the shining model.

Not Phuket. Not Chiang Mai. BANGKOK style here for Pattaya is what we the consumers truly and overwhelmingly WANT AND NEED, settle for nothing less than the REAL DEAL.

I thought it was going to be 10 years or never before even seeing this beginning development. This calls for a celebration!

IF, and I do mean if, Pattaya city officials call pull off establishing this taxi service (over time we need way more than 25 cars) that does have a defined fare structure and the drivers follow meter using under the law (as they do overwhelmingly in Bangkok and nowhere else in Thailand) they will have made a huge PR statement about progress against corruption in Pattaya, which as we know is a very corrupt city in a very corrupt country. This would make a great statement that government here can really do something good and honest for the people, and the tourists and expat residents.

<a href="http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd6" target="_blank">http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd6</a>

Care for a real legal PATTAYA taxi?

Call 038-423-554

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[NanLaew]

But questions remain:

who controls the taxis?

see next answer

are they controlled by the baht bus mafia?

yes

do you have meters?

no

WILL THEY USE THE METERS?

see above answer

what is the fare structure?

35 baht and up, negotiable

will they charge more when you call for them?

Is the Pope a Catholic?

will they go east of Suk?

Of course, for 300 baht and up.

[lazeeboy]

But questions remain:

who controls the taxis?

see next answer

are they controlled by the baht bus mafia?

yes

do you have meters?

no

WILL THEY USE THE METERS?

see above answer

what is the fare structure?

35 baht and up, negotiable

will they charge more when you call for them?

Is the Pope a Catholic?

will they go east of Suk?

Of course, for 300 baht and up.

samui is quiet at the moment ,maybe some of the nice taxi drivers from here will venture up there and show them how to rip off tourist

[monty]

Being a bit optimistic here maybe, but in the printed Pattaya Mail, you can see clearly the the sign "Taxi Meter" on top of the car (not clear in the on-line picture).

The article also states following sentence:

Service prices start at 35 baht according to the taxi regulations for service in Bangkok

Which would indicate that the meter settings are the same as in Bangkok, where indeed they start at 35 Baht!

So we can stay hopefull!

Definitely would be brilliant if you could call them for a pick-up on the East side of Pattaya!

[britmaveric]

Gonna laff when you start whinging about their prices....how its not fair that they charge more than Bangers.

[wpcoe]

I read the article the same way you did, Monty.

If Khun Chamlong weren't standing in front of the taxi door, maybe we would see more signage, perhaps with a telephone number?

I like the color -- bright yellow -- helps them stand out.

[wpcoe]

But questions remain:

do you have meters?

no

WILL THEY USE THE METERS?

see above answer

what is the fare structure?

35 baht and up, negotiable

What's your source of info on the fares?

[Jingthing]

Gonna laff when you start whinging about their prices....how its not fair that they charge more than Bangers.

I wouldn't mind one bit if they are somewhat more than Bangkok, so you are wrong, I am telling you now.

If they don't use the meters or don't have meters, I will complain, as should everyone.

I also would complain if the metered prices are radically more than Bangkok, as should everyone.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

telephone number?

Call 038-423-554

I am being too optimistic that this is really the real deal yet, but please cut me some slack. I thought it would take 10 years to even get to this beginning. And most of you said NEVER.

[britmaveric]

Got a feeling the price a baht bus charges for a trip to the darkside will be the same price or more what the taxi charges. Any rate shall be interesting since same lads who run the baht bus run the taxi(s).

[Jingthing]

Gonna laff when you start whinging about their prices....how its not fair that they charge more than Bangers.

Pattaya Taxi Meters Rule!

How do you like them apples, Mr. Baht Bus Rules dude?

To be clear, we want the baht buses to stay AS BUSES.

I think 350 baht buses and 350 taxi meters would be a perfect balance.

[Jingthing]

Any rate shall be interesting since same lads who run the baht bus run the taxi(s).

This is definitely the same outfit? That is what I feared. Reasonable defined surcharges for extra service would be reaonable. The way the baht buses operate as pirate taxi charters is not reasonable.

The only optimistic spin on this is maybe they realize there needs to be taxis and buses and they will phase the better baht bus drivers into taxi meters.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Gonna laff when you start whinging about their prices....how its not fair that they charge more than Bangers.

Pattaya Taxi Meters Rule!

How do you like them apples, Mr. Baht Bus Rules dude?

To be clear, we want the baht buses to stay AS BUSES.

I think 350 baht buses and 350 taxi meters would be a perfect balance.

I wouldnt get so confident mate - yet to ride in one nor see their prices.

[Jingthing]

True, but if they start at 35 and use a meter, that is the key. That would be great.

I also think it is reasonable if there is a defined surcharge if you call for a taxi to come get you, and a higher surcharge if the call is for far out like you say, the dark side. The reality is the biggest demand will be trips to Pratumnak Hill, the hospitals, and restaurants, night spots, and tourist attractions off the baht bus routes, like 3rd road.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

So where are the people now who said this would never happen?

Apologies for repeating this; I consider this very important:

For all those who support this fantastic development, please try out the taxis. If they do not operate fairly or they do not use meters, please make a big stink to the local media. Tell them what we need and want by a vast majority! REAL Bangkok style taxi meters in Pattaya that operate and function similar to Bangkok USING THE METERS. If there is huge demand, we are well on our way to great progress. If not, or they are doing it wrong and WE DO NOT COMPLAIN, this experiment could mean the death of this progress. It is up to us.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[ZZZ]

Gonna laff when you start whinging about their prices....how its not fair that they charge more than Bangers.

I wouldn't mind if they are somewhat more than Bangkok, so you are wrong, I am telling you know.

If they don't use the meters or don't have meters, I will complain, as should everyone.

I also would complain if the metered prices are radically more than Bangkok, as should everyone.

You seem to be under the impression that BKK taxis use the meter?

That may be so, if it suites them! Try and get a taxi to a congested or remote area and you will be refused or have to pay an additional "surcharge".

The same will happen in Pattaya, if you think you will be able to flag down a taxi at 2am to go go to the dark side of Sukhumvit and pay the meter fare, think again

This taxi service is a private business and not a subsidized public service. If you go somewhere where it's likely the taxi will have to go back to civilization empty you will have to pay a "surcharge"

In the end this will be a service of convenience. It's air conditioned and you can call for it BUT it will always be more expensive than the Baht bus.

[Jingthing]

I am under that impression. Bangkok taxi drivers mostly do use the meters. I would say 99 percent of time in my experience over the years. If they claim the meter is broken, you leave the cab and get in the next one. For this system to work (COMPETITION) there must be a critical mass of cabs. 25 is not enough. The only exception is Patpong at night and then all you have to do is what to Rama 4 or Convent Road. Sometimes they refuse to go somewhere, that is true. In those cases, you try a few more cabs (there are thousands) until someone will take you.

Nobody expects perfection. If the Pattaya taxi system is anywhere near the service in Bangkok, it would be incredible.

BTW, whether the new taxis are controlled by the baht bus mafia or not, we have some power as consumers to do what we can to speak up and try to help shape this new system so that these taxis don't end up being baht bus thugs with cars. There is alot of media in Pattaya.

Not so long ago Bangkok taxis mostly did not use meters. Now most of them do. It would be great if the Pattaya system starts out correctly and the drivers mostly use the meters. But if they don't, change is possible over time as it did happen in Bangkok.

Economically, from the drivers point of view, if they are thieves they will turn off customers, and only desperate people will use them. So they will sit around for most of time. Have a FAIR FARE, transparent meter system where you can REPORT the driver to get a fine if they fail to use the meter, and these drivers will be driving all the time, making more money and providing a real service.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Mobi]

Jingthing, I must admit I never thought it would happen.

I wonder what's really behind it all - 700 hundred baht buses and 23 taxis?

All very strange, but you can bet the mafia have seen a dollar or two to be made here, or they wouldn't be bothering.

I really hope your dreams will come true, but I'm very suspicious. Of course they have to make public utterances about meter fares, but I suspect the reality will be something akin to extortion, a la Samui and Phuket.

We may yet rue the day we asked for taxis to replace BAHT buses.

Let's hope I'm wrong.

[Jingthing]

Mobi, I agree it could be one of those careful what you wish for kinds of things.

However, if they don't use meters, that wasn't what I wished for.

But hope is still alive ...

[monty]

They do have one advantage over their Baht bus brethren, in the fact that they will be extremely cheap to operate, their per km expense will be around 30% of what a Baht bus will cost, due to the fact they will run on NGV.

To fill up a pick up after driving 300 km (the range of an ngv tank) costs maybe 700-800 Baht, while an ngv fill-up will be 170-220 Baht. Factor in that I would expect them to drive way less empty of customers compared to a Baht bus, and at Bangkok metered taxi fares they will make more money per car (cars which admittedly are a bit more expensive).

My guess is that a metered taxi driver operating at Bangkok fares will make heaps more then his Baht bus brother!

[patsfangr]

I have to side with those recognizing this as, at the very least, a step in the right direction. I own a car now. But the memory of my first 3 months here last year remains painfully clear in my mind. The combination of the discomfort in a Baht Bus; the need to walk to a spot on one of their routes; and the need to walk from the route stop nearest your destination to that destination was absolutely horrible.

I, too, have spent a bit of time in Bangkok over the last 35 years (length of my marriage). Virtually all of that time has been during vacation trips from the USA to visit my wife's family. But over those years, I have seen a very positive change in the level of professionalism and straight dealing for those taxis.

Reference to BKK taxis in the article gives me some hope that the same rules may apply here.

In any case, I think the fact that it has happened justifies at least a suspension of negative speculation until we get some factual reports from customers. Fair enough? Let's have a few residents use the service, and report their experience. Then we can develop and state informed opinions about it.

At this point, having not used the service myself, all I can say is that I believe it to be a potentially outstanding improvement in the public transportation system here. And, if you recognize my name, and can attach it to previous comments about Pattaya, you'll realize that I'm a long, long way from being a "Pattay booster"! :-)

[britmaveric]

25taxis - I see most of them doing airport runs - thats where the dosh is certainly???

[Jingthing]

25taxis - I see most of them doing airport runs - thats where the dosh is certainly???

You are being a cheerleader for this to fail, huh?

Cooked flying pig

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[monty]

25taxis - I see most of them doing airport runs - thats where the dosh is certainly?

Easy to do that already at the South Pattaya Bangkok meter taxi cue!

Plus competition is heavy. Volvo 740/940, including tollway for 1200 Baht, and this is in a bloody strong massive Swedish steel body to protect you in case of an accident! I wouldn't do the trip in a Toyata Altis unless it was for less then half price. I'd probably wouldn't do it for free!

( I might be prejudiced being a Volvo owner/driver though )

[Pattaya_Fox]

It looks on face value that these new taxis will be run by the same organisation who runs the baht buses. I must say that if this is so then it is a brilliant move by the cooperative (from a business point of view).

They will not only be able to control the number and use of the baht buses but also the green and yellow taxis as well and thus keep the independant taxi meter owners (green and yellow in Bangkok) out of Pattaya.

It will be very interesting to get some comments from users of the new taxis including prices, ease of obtaining a vehicle and whether the meters if fitted actually work and are operated by the drivers.

[Jingthing]

Yes, it is brilliant and predictable ... for them. It was probably impossible for this to happen any other way.

This is how it happened in Chaing Mai and it is a failure there, they do not use meters, there aren't enough of them, they won't go many places, totally bad.

Now the question is, what have we got now, and will we get more of it if it is good, as in more taxis, because 25 is not critical mass for a full service taxi service.

I believe there is still hope this will work here and be decent. The reason is because we are so close to Bangkok here, and the people here will directly compare this service to Bangkok service, unlike Chiang Mai.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[scotsman]

That is great news I did not think it would come this soon but its a start. If they don"t use the meters then you don"t use it Then you GO AND COMPLAIN thats the only way we will get a fair taxi system. If that does not work then it will be all for nothing as most people will not use them if the price is over the top. But only time will tell but for now its a great bit of news for pattaya.

[Jingthing]

The way to make this work is keep a big fire under their mafia butts! Forget the 5 baht, 10 baht letters to Pattaya Mail. Lets all make it clear we want these taxis to be real Bangkok style taxi meters and behave similar to them and use their meters. If there are problems, speak up. It is early in the game and we have some power in the matter as customers. Not political power, but money power.

To those who ever doubted this is a mafia. Why did their have to be any relationship between the baht buses and the taxis?

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Jingthing, maybe you were too excited after reading about the taxis to notice the following article about baht bus fares. It would seem that the baht buses drivers are complaining about the rising cost of fuel because the fare is still only 5 baht.

Regarding the new taxi service, there is no mention at all about meters in the report.

Edited November 2, 2007 by tropo

[plasticpig]

I hope we get them soon.

Great news for the people of pattaya