Farang In The Car? - You Are An Unlicensed Taxi!

[Endo]

1) The green lettered plate is for a company vehicle.

2) The blue lettered plate is for a company vehicle that transports staff.

3) The yellow '80-' plate is for taxis and vehicles carrying members of the public.

Holy crap that is confusing... Is this the same everywhere in Thailand? At least as a tourist I'll be able to work out who the dodgy buggers are

[LivinginKata]

Yes, same for all Thailand. And there are more colours. Red background/white letters for police. Military vehicles have their own plates (can't remember !). Over the years the Phuket plates for motor bikes have changed at least 3 times since I have been here

[Endo]

Thanks

That does make life a little easier... So if it doesnt have a yellow number plate starting with 80-... stay away

[LivinginKata]

You should check that private taxis (car/limo) must have the green background plate/white letters.

Edited August 29, 2008 by LivinginKata

[unforgiven]

[quote name='simon43' date='2008-08-20 20:26:12' post='2157835'

I strongly suspect you are lier.Why would you pay anything,your in a cab, any problem is the drivers issue...................................you full off ...........

Well, this is an interesting 'scam'.

Today, my hotel driver was taking a customer to another hotel in Patong. On the bypass road was a police checkpoint and all cars were stopped. Any car that was being driven by a Thai, but had a farang passenger was booked for being an unlicenced taxi!! The police guy who stopped my driver didn't ask anyquestions of him but simply said that he was driving an unlicenced taxi since his registration number was not white-on-green (or green-on-white or whatever it is!).

This wasn't a way to pocket money. My driver had a ticket written out and I have to go and pay 500 baht at the police station.

Nice little earner I think. But who is actually behind this action? Is it the taxi companies eager to maintain their monopoly over transporting hotel guests to Patong??

Simon

[sbk]

Well, to those who assume Simon is lying, or his driver is lying, or that something is being made up here I can verify that this happens on regular occasions on Koh Phangan. It is initiated by the taxi co-op to crackdown on unlicensed taxis carrying passengers.

At least on Koh Phangan, if the bungalow/resort name is somewhere on the vehicle (ie sticker on the windshield) and the passengers are not paying, then it is allowed. I do not know what the law is, just what the local police allow.

[LivinginKata]

I strongly suspect you are lier.Why would you pay anything,your in a cab, any problem is the drivers issue...................................you full off ...........

Read the OP's word's ..... It was his car & employee. He was NOT the passenger. He paid the fine on behalf on the driver, who most likely did NOT have 500 baht in his pocket.

[LivinginKata]

3) The yellow '80-' plate is for taxis and vehicles carrying members of the public.

While I was driving about today I wanted to check this out. Most TUK TUKs in Patong have 30-, some have other number, and some have 2 Thai letters. The rule seems to be that all public service vehicles - Tuks, meter taxis, tour mini buses, public buses, tour pick-ups (dive shops), Land Rovers (safari tour), even taxi motor bikes should have yellow plates with black or blue letters.

[Endo]

Thanks for the update Will keep an eye out for the yellow plates:)

Edited August 29, 2008 by Endo

[digitalchromakey]

3) The yellow '80-' plate is for taxis and vehicles carrying members of the public.

While I was driving about today I wanted to check this out. Most TUK TUKs in Patong have 30-, some have other number, and some have 2 Thai letters. The rule seems to be that all public service vehicles - Tuks, meter taxis, tour mini buses, public buses, tour pick-ups (dive shops), Land Rovers (safari tour), even taxi motor bikes should have yellow plates with black or blue letters.

Yes my original post on this contained a typo; 30- is certainly the normal yellow plate prefix for public service passenger vehicles.

Yellow plate 70- is for commercial working vehicles (e.g. cement mixers).

Perhaps the yellow plate 80- is for local authority vehicles.

I also remember seeing city buses in BKK with 20- (or was it 10-?) yellow plates.

Not sure if there is a legal difference between green plates with white writing (sometimes seen on some limos) and white plates with green writing - often seen on working pick-up trucks.

[jingjoke]

So you take a chance about accident & hospital insurance.

I was not aware that Thai licensed taxis or for that matter buses, which are involved in some of the most terrible accidents, would ever pay actual and reasonable costs should passengers be injured, or worse like the loss of limbs which affects future earnings even more. Hmmm

[jingjoke]

Ref: 'So you take a chance about accident & hospital insurance.'

I was not aware that Thai licensed taxis or for that matter buses, which are involved in some of the most terrible accidents, would ever pay actual and reasonable costs should passengers be injured, or worse the loss of limbs which affect future earnings even more. Hmmm

[LivinginKata]

All vehicle must have insurance to cover hospital care or death of the driver and the passengers. I have that kind of cover for my car and motorbike, it's the law. The cover has it's limits. I'm guessing that taxis and minivans etc has more cover. It's the insurance company that pays out to the driver and passengers, usually direct to the hospital for major claims.

Edited August 31, 2008 by LivinginKata

[digitalchromakey]

3) The yellow '80-' plate is for taxis and vehicles carrying members of the public.

While I was driving about today I wanted to check this out. Most TUK TUKs in Patong have 30-, some have other number, and some have 2 Thai letters. The rule seems to be that all public service vehicles - Tuks, meter taxis, tour mini buses, public buses, tour pick-ups (dive shops), Land Rovers (safari tour), even taxi motor bikes should have yellow plates with black or blue letters.

Yes my original post on this contained a typo; 30- is certainly the normal yellow plate prefix for public service passenger vehicles.

Yellow plate 70- is for commercial working vehicles (e.g. cement mixers).

Perhaps the yellow plate 80- is for local authority vehicles.

I also remember seeing city buses in BKK with 20- (or was it 10-?) yellow plates.

Not sure if there is a legal difference between green plates with white writing (sometimes seen on some limos) and white plates with green writing - often seen on working pick-up trucks.

The more I look, the more I see.

Yellow plate - Black numbers (10-)... Songthaews

Yellow plate - Black numbers (80-)... Commercial Working Vehicles

Green plate - White letters and numbers ... Limo

Yellow plate - Blue/Green letters and numbers ... Some Tuk Tuks

Dark-red plate - White numbers .... Police

Now I have also read about Diplomatic Vehicles, Royal Vehicles and Military Vehicles all having different plates as well.

[ignis]

Yellow plate - Black numbers as I understand the 1st numbers = age.... end of next year new trucks with start with 90.....

Same with Buses 10 = old... 20 is newer etc

White plate - Black numbers [cars private] still not worked it out yet but a Thai knows the year of the car by the 1st letters [not possible on private plates, there is more and more about these days]

Edited September 2, 2008 by ignis

[LivinginKata]

I am staying in a small hotel in Patong next Friday 29th Aug - & have a complimentary pick up from airport, are u saying that i should not accept the free/complimentary pick up & get a taxi??

Up-to-you ..... personally I'd take the free ride. Really it's the driver's problem.

[LivinginKata]

Oops ... duplicate post

Edited September 2, 2008 by LivinginKata

[jackinbkk]

Regarding the taxi/transport situation here in phuket:

well i've been in bangkok for the last 6 months. I will be working and living in Patong for the foreseeable future.

Using a taxi in bkk is great.(provided they take you to the right place ) Very very cheap when I compare them to London where I worked before.

Coming back to Patong for a holiday at xmas I realised the huge rip off culture here. Especially toward farang. Thais pay a bit more in Phuket for things but I think it's just slightly higher rates than the capital. All imports come into Bkk and many factories are situated near by.

Taxi's wanted 500 baht from Karon to Patong, each way! In Bkk I payed about 150 baht for 20km trips. With the low cost of fuel here it seemed reasonable. 60 baht in my scooter can take me right across the Island no problem. Luckily with the scooter I avoid these con artists.

When a trip from jungcelon to patong beach is 100+ baht on a motorbike it has to raise questions. This is what's called a monopoly or a cartel. It's about time a patition etc was started to re-open a free market and reasonable prices.

[barney42bb]

This yet another subject on Thais Money...and Far rang trying to make an earner here.

THAILAND IS A NATIONALIST STATE MASQUERADING AS A DEMOCRACY.

Far rang are tolerated guests seen as ATM'S and a way to scamming money

Come FOR HOLIDAY ONLY pay enjoy and go home...DO NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATE TRYING TO BUY... LAND ..HOUSE.. CONDO.. OR BUSINESS...JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL YOU GET SCAMMED.

And the scams wil get worse.

Mass unemployment on the way,fueling more scams and resentment against Far rang.

Thai Airways declare 21.4 Billion Baht loss for 2008.

Exports 40% down

Hotel rooms and Tourism 40% empty.down thus far.

Thaxsin must be rubbing his hands to use all this to mount another rebellion and gain power.

Happy Days...Hope all the Farrang her long term have a safe haven to run to.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

Maybe you should start runing, if you start now when can you be home?? as for me i am staying, houses is getting cheap now

[Khun Jack]

This yet another subject on Thais Money...and Far rang trying to make an earner here.

THAILAND IS A NATIONALIST STATE MASQUERADING AS A DEMOCRACY.

Far rang are tolerated guests seen as ATM'S and a way to scamming money

Come FOR HOLIDAY ONLY pay enjoy and go home...DO NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATE TRYING TO BUY... LAND ..HOUSE.. CONDO.. OR BUSINESS...JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL YOU GET SCAMMED.

And the scams wil get worse.

Mass unemployment on the way,fueling more scams and resentment against Far rang.

Thai Airways declare 21.4 Billion Baht loss for 2008.

Exports 40% down

Hotel rooms and Tourism 40% empty.down thus far.

Thaxsin must be rubbing his hands to use all this to mount another rebellion and gain power.

Happy Days...Hope all the Farrang her long term have a safe haven to run to.

Yes it's terrible here, please go away!

[LivinLOS]

Regarding the taxi/transport situation here in phuket:

When a trip from jungcelon to patong beach is 100+ baht on a motorbike it has to raise questions. This is what's called a monopoly or a cartel. It's about time a patition etc was started to re-open a free market and reasonable prices.

Gee really ?? I wonder why this doesnt get more discussion your almost the first..

[Cyprus1951]

Regarding the taxi/transport situation here in phuket:

When a trip from jungcelon to patong beach is 100+ baht on a motorbike it has to raise questions. This is what's called a monopoly or a cartel. It's about time a patition etc was started to re-open a free market and reasonable prices.

Gee really ?? I wonder why this doesnt get more discussion your almost the first..

Iif you think that's bad you should try living in Europe (100baht = 2.2 Euro), can't get any form of taxi for under €4

[LivinLOS]

Regarding the taxi/transport situation here in phuket:

When a trip from jungcelon to patong beach is 100+ baht on a motorbike it has to raise questions. This is what's called a monopoly or a cartel. It's about time a patition etc was started to re-open a free market and reasonable prices.

Gee really ?? I wonder why this doesnt get more discussion your almost the first..

Iif you think that's bad you should try living in Europe (100baht = 2.2 Euro), can't get any form of taxi for under €4

And how would that be relevant ?? Whats the earning power back there ?? When a 10 min taxi ride costs about the same as the countrys average daily wage somethings wrong.

[LivinginKata]

And how would that be relevant ?? Whats the earning power back there ?? When a 10 min taxi ride costs about the same as the countrys average daily wage somethings wrong.

LOS ... the taxi mafia will flourish as long as tourists come here and equate back to their home country prices. Ohh ... it's so cheap ... costs x Pounds, y Euros, or z $ back home. Taxis driver happy to hear that, and charge more. tourists do not equate to local cost of living being much much lower (easily a fifth) of their home country.

Just the other day I watched 2 guys arrive at their Patong guest house in a private taxi, ask the charge, driver says 500 baht EACH, they each pay 500 baht, and each happily give a tip. Why o why do we locals bitch about taxi charges when tourists pay anything that is asked...

[Ping]

Not just taxis.