Illegal Taxis At Airport To Be Suppressed

[sriracha john]

Illegal taxis at airport to be suppressed

BANGKOK, 17 June 2009 (NNT) – The Airports of Thailand (AOT) will suppress illegal taxis operating inside Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Deputy-Director of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Wing Commander Pratheep Wijittho, said that AoT was preparing to train staff from every unit including police officers from Racha Thewa Police Station, Special Operation Police Division, Tourist Police Division, Land Transportation Department, and 250 security guards at the Airport.

They would also survey the area inside the passenger building in order to prepare the prevention and suppression plan for the illegal taxis and guides.

The operation would start on June 24.

-- NNT 2009-06-17

[Briggsy]

Again!

Yawn.

[AbelMagwitch]

About time. I had to walk along the path outside the main terminal recently to find and errant family member and I had a group of them on my coat tails yelling on about Pattaya. As I was looking back and forth to find him they were in my face the entire time. I had to resort to shooing motions and loud 'instructions'.

It is not that hard to see them, why can't they be moved on?

[jamesjdaly]

As Briggsy put it......

YAWN!!!!

[sriracha john]

no... seriously... they really, really mean it this time...

[salty]

I am arriving on June 24th. I look forward to cabaret inside the terminal.

[sriracha john]

cabaret... :D

That's a very healthy way of looking at the situation.....

[AbelMagwitch]

I know a taxi driver and he hates the security there. All on the take which eats into his profits.

[robbiecia]

Yes, they really, really, really mean it this time

[neverdie]

strange really, I know they are there but none of them approach me for some reason

[bubba]

Seems as though something is happening. I returned on late Tuesday night after a week away and as usual headed up to the departures area to catch a taxi that was depositing arriving passengers. There was a huge jam of taxis with traffic cops all around writing them up and none of the taxis would take me on. After standing around for a while and moving down past the jam, I was able to get a taxi. The driver told me that the drivers guilty of accepting passengers after dropping off passengers were assessed 1000 baht fines.

I don't mind the authorities dispersing the annoying touts inside, but it will be a shame if they begin preventing arriving taxis from taking on passengers. I always found that much faster than queuing downstairs. It also seemed somehow more "eco-friendly" to take a taxi that had dropped passengers at arrivals so that they didn't have to go out empty. As well, I suspect that not allowing arriving taxis to take on passengers might make them less inclined to take fares to the airport.

[budmak]

Just jump on the free shuttle bus to the bus terminal takes ten mins plenty taxis there waiting for fares

[bubba]

Just jump on the free shuttle bus to the bus terminal takes ten mins plenty taxis there waiting for fares

Actually, I think I'd rather just pay the 50 baht and queue for a few minutes downstairs after a trip, rather than waiting on a bus, carrying luggage and taking a ten minute trip to the bus terminal just to catch a taxi. And for a short duration trip, I'll be much more inclined now to leave my car in the carpark and take a five minute walk.

[mdechgan]

I don't see how they will enforce the rule. Most taxis just give the guards some hush money, and no see no tell.

I mostly drive and park now. I argued with the taxi drivers all the time because most never want to turn their meters on and request higher than normal fares on top of the airport fees.

[bubba]

I don't see how they will enforce the rule. Most taxis just give the guards some hush money, and no see no tell.

I mostly drive and park now. I argued with the taxi drivers all the time because most never want to turn their meters on and request higher than normal fares on top of the airport fees.

They were certainly enforcing it last Tuesday night. All it took were some traffic cones and about five traffic cops.

Actually, I can't recall a single time when the taxis at arrivals argued about switching on their meters. Seemed to me that they were very happy simply to have a paying passenger rather than deadheading out of the airport. I'm not sure if that is because I'm lucky or that I can speak reasonable Thai and smile when I tell them my destination.

[robblok]

I don't see how they will enforce the rule. Most taxis just give the guards some hush money, and no see no tell.

I mostly drive and park now. I argued with the taxi drivers all the time because most never want to turn their meters on and request higher than normal fares on top of the airport fees.

They were certainly enforcing it last Tuesday night. All it took were some traffic cones and about five traffic cops.

Actually, I can't recall a single time when the taxis at arrivals argued about switching on their meters. Seemed to me that they were very happy simply to have a paying passenger rather than deadheading out of the airport. I'm not sure if that is because I'm lucky or that I can speak reasonable Thai and smile when I tell them my destination.

They always want more when i say my destination. On the meter its around 450bt max but they want over 600. That is why i always went up to catch a taxi there.

[CMFarang]

MY TECHNIC :

Go to Departures Level , Just grab a Taxi doing a Drop Off , and away you go.

HOW TO CHOOSE A TAXI

- Is the driver helping with the Baggage , or just sitting in his Cab ?

- Does the Cab look safe ?

- Does the Driver look Sober ?

- Does the Passenger(s) look Happy or Relieved ?

I judge the Driver , the Cab and the passengers getting out of the Cab, If all looks good , that is my Cab for the Trip into town.

Arrival Level Taxis - NEVER .................

[frenchFARANGbkk]

No doubt this time !

5555555 !

[bubba]

I don't see how they will enforce the rule. Most taxis just give the guards some hush money, and no see no tell.

I mostly drive and park now. I argued with the taxi drivers all the time because most never want to turn their meters on and request higher than normal fares on top of the airport fees.

They were certainly enforcing it last Tuesday night. All it took were some traffic cones and about five traffic cops.

Actually, I can't recall a single time when the taxis at arrivals argued about switching on their meters. Seemed to me that they were very happy simply to have a paying passenger rather than deadheading out of the airport. I'm not sure if that is because I'm lucky or that I can speak reasonable Thai and smile when I tell them my destination.

Sorry I said "arrivals" area when I meant "departures area".

[Jimjim]

Are they talking about all the touts? Or the taxis that take people from departures? Well, I think they mean touts but since there are so many, why are they considered illegal? Surely there are some that come up to you and offer you service that are legal? This whole issue has always confused me, I guess I don't know the actual rules. Only AOT limos allowed? "Limo" a loose term, meaning just a luxury car, but not really a limo.

[mysterybkk]

anyone ever seen the taxi queue by the bus terminal? there's gotta well over 600 in the day time. i took one yesterday and i looked at his receipt. i left at 11:30 pm and his paper said he took the queue card at 9 pm. they really need to change something there, this is absolutely not economical.

[torrenova]

The touts are a bloody annoyance and should just be removed. All they do is inflate fares and rip people off. A terrible first impression for tourists. But, the meter taxi service is crap and you would not want one of their cars for a long trip most of the time. The official limos are utter rip offs so someone has to plug the gap or the touts remain. My guy pays Bt500 a day to the airport mafia.

[mike_rad]

So what's the situation starting tomorrow? A cab rank outside arrivals with the usual Bt50 surcharge?

--

[dentonbkk]

The government makes a lot of promises as it did from the beginning considering the airport but lets see if they can carry their promise into actions. The security at the airport has a long ways to go. Regarding the taxis which ones are the legal ones and which are the illegal ones? The expensive ones are on the 3rd floor but i prefer to take taxis from the departure terminal where they set the taxis meter and you dont have to wait in line at all.

[mike_rad]

So what's the situation starting tomorrow? A cab rank outside arrivals with the usual Bt50 surcharge?

Yes that's what the story is, seems pretty organized, it's right outside meeting point 3

[petepete]

Anyone else find the legal taxis to be almost as much of a pain in the ass? It's gotten to a point where I use the airport express buses just to avoid dealing with someone who drives at 160km/h on the way back, forces conversation on you in a way that regular taxi drivers don't, and will try and quote fixed prices at you over and over again...

[SantiSuk]

I don't see how they will enforce the rule. Most taxis just give the guards some hush money, and no see no tell.

I mostly drive and park now. I argued with the taxi drivers all the time because most never want to turn their meters on and request higher than normal fares on top of the airport fees.

They were certainly enforcing it last Tuesday night. All it took were some traffic cones and about five traffic cops.

Actually, I can't recall a single time when the taxis at arrivals argued about switching on their meters. Seemed to me that they were very happy simply to have a paying passenger rather than deadheading out of the airport. I'm not sure if that is because I'm lucky or that I can speak reasonable Thai and smile when I tell them my destination.

Ditto. Only one time in about 30 have I had any problem with an arriving taxi and I simply took the luggage back out of his hands and handed it to the next guy.

I would also miss the level 4 option, but understand entirely that the airport wants it's revenue - I'm sure most international airports take a cut from taxis (the UK ones certainly do

[bulmercke]

On the three ocassions I have taken 'meter taxis' from arrivals in the last six months - two had meters running fast - and the other - just last Tuesday - was obviously a mafia taxi judging by the interior and general appearance of the car - although for some reason I wasn't ritually rippped off - probably due to the presence of my wife -

Shouldn't have taken it in the first place.

The situation at arrivals is a disgrace. Big mafia everywhere.

[newtronbom]

strange really, I know they are there but none of them approach me for some reason

Has to be your good looks. I have never been hassled by them either!

[Farma]

4 weeks ago I had one particularly annoying pest follow me inside the airport from international arrivals to the 4th floor with the usual you want taxi, where you go, you go pattaya questions. That’s the first time this has happened in a long time.

Last week I noticed a big difference the uniformed taxi/limo touts were all corralled in little dedicated areas at the arrivals public area plus the pattaya calls from across the road outside had stopped.

.

Earlier this week I watched the police stopping minivans with white number plates as they arrived to drop passengers off on departures level. The vans were pulled over to the side, photographed, made to wait for 5 or 10 minutes and then were free to leave. There was so sign of money or tickets changing hands. Yellow plated vans passed freely through the barrier.

I was standing outside at level 4. No sooner had the police moved off and in the space of 10 minutes I had 2 illegal taxi touts approach me offering cheap? taxi to pattaya. So they’re still there, just not so vocal.