Taxi Fare

[chelford67]

Can any kind sole please tell me what the going cab fare from the airport to Banglamphoo is (Khao San area)...My friend is telling me 500bht I have laughed at this and he says thats what he always pays I said usually 350bht.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[jumnien]

I'd go with 350 baht or a bit less.

[saintofsilence]

definetly not 500 between 280 and 350

[chelford67]

Thanks for that.. I dont want to sound a Keaneau, but he even insists on a tip of 50 -100, and then he complains he has no money

[jontom]

The way to do this is simple, use a Taximeter and insist that he uses his meter, they are legally obliged to do so. If you want to sweeten him up offer to go by the Tollways (which you will pay for.) I usually pay about 200 baht from On Nut so perhaps 300 baht from Kowsan sounds about right. Usually they like to go to the airport as they are likely to get a return fare. Many taxi drivers seem OK guys (unless of course its raining and everyone really need a taxi)

[TheLaughingMan]

Ya seriously you are both wrong. There is no going rate, there is just the meter. Anything else is a scam. No meter no ride, it's totally against the law. Not that the law actually means too much here but still. I pay about 200 - 300 baht with tollways and meter.

OH! And tell your friend tips are for stooges. Nobody tips so why does he? I mean some falangs might tip a bit (10 - 20 baht max) but 100 baht? Your friend is a sucker. Thais do not tip, only tourist falangs.

Edited June 26, 2009 by TheLaughingMan

[Texpat]

No meter, no ride -- good advice.

[Curt1591]

OH! And tell your friend tips are for stooges. Nobody tips so why does he? I mean some falangs might tip a bit (10 - 20 baht max) but 100 baht? Your friend is a sucker. Thais do not tip, only tourist falangs.

Since the vast majority of cabbies rent the cab, all the money on the meter goes in their pocket. The meter is just a means of standardizing fares.

Unless the driver has done something quite exceptional, there is really no need to tip. You will be tipping for a service that you already paid him to provide.

My wife, Thai, actually does tip, if the driver has been exceptional.

[sbk]

My husband, Thai, also tips. He has a friend who drove a taxi for a while in Bangkok and is well aware of how stressful the job is.

I wonder if the crackdown on picking up taxis at the departures level will make taxis less willing to go to the airport?

[lostworm]

The taxi will cost roughly 300 and the highway tolls, two of, are well worth taking at 20 baht and 40 baht. Thais do not tip. Maybe round it up ie. 280 to 300.

[Daffy D]

I would only use a meter taxi and always give a generous tip.

In a previous life I did some cab work and it's not an easy life. I will not support the cowboys that try to take income from a hardworking legal taxi guy.

[MeetJohnDoe]

In regards to tipping, for short runs in the CBD areas of Bangkok, I never tip...just round up (or even down) the fare to the nearest 5 or 10 baht (e.g., 37 baht goes to B 40 and 42 baht to B 40) depending on what change I have at the moment.

If I'm going out of the CBD and traffic is inordinately heavy and it takes a much longer than normal time to get where I'm going, I usually add on B 20-50 to the meter fare.

[billp]

Airport to KSR:

240 baht on the meter,

50 baht

65 baht expressway tolls.

You do the math.

[SantiSuk]

The taxi will cost roughly 300 and the highway tolls, two of, are well worth taking at 20 baht and 40 baht. Thais do not tip. Maybe round it up ie. 280 to 300.

Being a pedant - 45 and 25 baht now - if you are talking about the Chonburi highway into town from Suvarnabhumi.

Round the fare up to the nearest 10 baht to avoid your pockets jingling with ones and don't be afraid to tip 1 baht if the fare ends in 9. That seems to be what the Thais I know do in BKK. I have never had a taxi driver scowl at me for poor tipping, whereas London (or worse New York) ....

[foxnsquirrels]

If a taxi offers you a 'deal' :s its for them not you.

Always use the meter and your sure of a fair fare.

On other notes, I recently made a day trip to Bangkok to goto the Embassy, I jumped in the Cab and demanded the meter to be used and also the Expressway, whilst travelling on the expressway looking at my phone checking my emails the taxi jumped off the expressway and when I looked up he told me 'rot dtit' ???? Make sense of that if you can especially when we drove straight into a traffic jam, he refused to go back onto the express way and decided he wanted to dart in and out of soi's all over bangkok, after an hours travel we got to the embassy but just before getting there he pushed the buttons on his meter flashing up numbers that I do not know what they mean and when we stopped he demanded 400 baht! I told him there was only 191 baht on the meter 100 metres before and he still demanded the 400, i pulled out 200 baht, dropped it on the floor in the back of the taxi and got out leaving the door open. Don't let them rip you off or they will think they can do it with everyone. (Incase you are thinking way I stayed in the cab after leaving the express way was because I was short on time and was afraid of not being able to find another taxi to get to the Embassy).

On my return I got another taxi trying to charge an extra 50 baht (supposedly to pay for the airport entry?? never seen this before) so I also left that taxi's door open on sukhumvit rd. Taxi number 3 was happy to goto the airport, 65 baht for tolls, 220 baht for the fare and a nice 20 baht tip for him being an honest taxi.

Its just like anything else, if they are honest and provide a good service then they deserve a tip. After all its only 20 baht.

[soloman]

My husband, Thai, also tips. He has a friend who drove a taxi for a while in Bangkok and is well aware of how stressful the job is.

I wonder if the crackdown on picking up taxis at the departures level will make taxis less willing to go to the airport?

I usually give taxis from Airport 20+ baht tip. When catching an arrivals level meter taxi from Swampy recently, I had him drop off my gf at her place before I went on to Suhumvit. Traffic was bad and I felt sorry for driver so I gave him 35 Baht tip. He just screamed that I had to pay another 50 baht for the lady (saying 2 airport fees) because I dropped off my gf. I was too hot and tired to argue so I threw another 40 baht at him (trimming his tip) but in hind sight I should have called the tourist police. I submitted the complaint form but do not expect anything will happen. No wonder we get bitter. I will go to departure level in future, and no tips. Screwed one too many times by taxi drivers.

[OxfordWill]

Im normally in such a good mood after returning to Thailand I end up tipping way too much to my first few taxi drivers, catching up on news, etc. But with regards suitability and your question, the meter plus 50 baht is generous enough.

[redscouse]

I must be very lucky, I think in four years here maybe 1% have not wanted to use the meter, compared to my 3 years in Kuala Lumpur where that number jumps to 90%. I am sure it happens but I have my own rules, I never get in a taxi parked outside a hotel or tourist area, I always use a taxi that I have flagged down, I always speak a little Thai when I tell him where I want to go so he does not think I am tourist, this seems to work.

[tw25rw]

I must be very lucky, I think in four years here maybe 1% have not wanted to use the meter, compared to my 3 years in Kuala Lumpur where that number jumps to 90%. I am sure it happens but I have my own rules, I never get in a taxi parked outside a hotel or tourist area, I always use a taxi that I have flagged down, I always speak a little Thai when I tell him where I want to go so he does not think I am tourist, this seems to work.

Me too. I never get in a taxi that's waiting for passengers. They sit around half the day, so obviously the only way they can make a living is by charging more.

[siam2007]

I must be very lucky, I think in four years here maybe 1% have not wanted to use the meter, compared to my 3 years in Kuala Lumpur where that number jumps to 90%. I am sure it happens but I have my own rules, I never get in a taxi parked outside a hotel or tourist area, I always use a taxi that I have flagged down, I always speak a little Thai when I tell him where I want to go so he does not think I am tourist, this seems to work.

100% agree. the Taxi scumbags of KL are by far the worst in Asia now and actually a reason NOT to visit KL (but to rent a car or head straight to lovely places such as Perhentian or Redang )