Strange Happenings With Airport Taxies!

[PEP]

Two items of interest?

• During the last week I have travelled by Taxi from Airport to town. Same Route, same destination then return the same way, similar time similar traffic delays. The metered fare had a range of between 280 Baht and 360 Baht. Do you think that perhaps the Meters may need calibrating?
  
• Nice new desks at ground floor for yellow ticket for Taxi all manned by pleasant young men, hand the issued ticket to a Lady in exchange for the usual white Taxi docket, for passanger, which has space to complain about service if necessary. The Taxi driver is told by her the destination and away we go! On the three occasions this docket, (bearing the rubber stamped details of Mr. Mon**** Suk******) was a recycled one bearing a different date/ time to which I was travelling. At journey end the Driver asked for its return, possibly to recycle again next trip from the Airport. Why is this so? Who benefits?
  

Just curious!

[fantuzi]

I had similar observations during my last trip from Swampy.I think - taxi meters are rigged,and they share profits.

How much is trip:Swampy to Morchit Bus Station?

[PattayaParent]

Use the airport bus.

My mate arrived at Swampy for the first tme last Friday night and although I'd given him directions and instrucitons on how to get a taxi he wandered out of the terminal and onto the Airport Bus and was dropped outisde his hotel on Sukhumvit for 120 Baht.

[ChangMaiSausage]

All part of the new Thai service :-)

[hhgz]

"Why is this so? Who benefits?"

Why didn't you ask the taxi driver?

[PattayaParent]

The mate who arrived by airport bus has just told me the taxi cost wehn he left from Soi 26 to Swampy was 180 Baht.

There's at least 1 honest taxi driver out there then.

[NanLaew]

There's not many places in the world where the inbound and outbound distances to/from the airport are EXACTLY the same. In my recent experience if city and suburban driving in Bangkok, the outbound route may be totally different from the inbound route due to local traffic conditions, the time of day, one-way street regulations and the way that some interchanges are built.

As for recycling the white paper taxi chits, what's so bad about that? You aren't charged for that 'receipt' and I would surmise that most tourists throw them away in the back of the cab so they get reused a few times.

Wow! NOBODY is getting ripped off here!

Edited November 27, 2009 by NanLaew

[namoo]

Depends whether the taxi has the new upgraded (more expensive meters) if it has there should be a little round sticker displayed on the window.

Therefore its more expensive. Not all taxi's have been upgraded because the owner needs to pay to get the meter updated.

And of course route taken and the traffic.

Everyone always cries the Meter is rigged the meter is rigged but 99.9% it aint.

[Serpico]

Plenty of rigged meters these days.

I was in a taxi the other day and watched the meter clicking up way too fast. When I mention this, it stopped.

Must be some device the driver has in his hand to jump the meter up.

[siam2007]

many Meters are definitely RIGGED this days !!!

I travel between Suvannaphum and my home 15-20 times every year, and I know exactly the fare and the distance.

one day, I suddenly had 35 kilometers instead of 25 on the Meter, and a fare according to that distance.

unfortunately, I was reading the newspaper most of the time and only noticed it when we almost reached my home.

very important: KEEP THAT POSTCARD with the registration plate and the number and name of the driver, even if the driver asks you to hand it over to him. THIS POSTCARD IS FOR YOU, not for the driver.

Expect a rip-off from any of those drivers who demand the postcard before starting the ride.....

and please DO send the postcard back by mail with your complaint written on it in case something like that happens.

[BangkokHank]

many Meters are definitely RIGGED this days !!!

I travel between Suvannaphum and my home 15-20 times every year, and I know exactly the fare and the distance.

one day, I suddenly had 35 kilometers instead of 25 on the Meter, and a fare according to that distance.

unfortunately, I was reading the newspaper most of the time and only noticed it when we almost reached my home.

very important: KEEP THAT POSTCARD with the registration plate and the number and name of the driver, even if the driver asks you to hand it over to him. THIS POSTCARD IS FOR YOU, not for the driver.

Expect a rip-off from any of those drivers who demand the postcard before starting the ride.....

and please DO send the postcard back by mail with your complaint written on it in case something like that happens.

The distance from the airport to my home is exactly 30.0 kilometers. But on my last trip home the meter showed 40 kilometers. When I disputed this, the taxi driver smiled and told me to just pay what I usually pay. The next day I went to the post office to mail the complaint postcard. The Thai postal employee read the card and figured out that a foreigner was about to complain about a fellow Thai. I'm almost certain that, even though I paid the postage, the postcard was never sent. (Remember: Thai Rak Thai) In any case I never heard anything from the complaint department. Next time I won't pay anything and I'll let the taxi driver explain to the police why I refuse to pay. This sort of thing didn't happen in the past. Now that the authorities are cracking down on other scams, the taxi drivers have had to come up with new ones.

Edited November 30, 2009 by BangkokHank

[Meridian007]

I've noticed the new meter scam too. I haven't been out to the airport for a while, but around town I know how much it should cost for certain locations, and it has changed more than it should for even an "updated" meter. One of the explanations I've heard is that there is something the driver can activate with his right hand to bump the kms up.

Watch out especially for those taxis that have their meter positioned really low in the dash, that is so you can't watch it. Make sure you watch it, and that the driver sees you watching it. Does anyone know who the regulating authority for the meters is?

I can't wait for the express train...

Edited November 30, 2009 by Meridian007

[needforspeed]

Why we always thingking that we getting ripped with the taxi fares we paying.

If you just compare price with what you recieve for it, we all have a bargain traveling with a taxi in Thailand

Its already amazing Thailand that they can keep the starting price for taxi's for so many years on 35 Thai Baht.

Using taxi service in Thailand is from my point of vieuw a win win situation and i am happy to pay the fares as they charge at this moment when driving me safe home.

[Crushdepth]

I've only ever seen one meter in Bangkok that I am certain was rigged, and that over quite a few years of living here. I don't think meter rigging is common at all (unless it is a new trend on the rise).

[torrenova]

Does someone want to explain the new versus old meter thing to me please ?

[Nio]

The reason the driver takes the white chit back is because it has his name and taxi number, plus a number to call if he rips you off.

Once he takes that chit back, if you realize you were ripped off later, you have no idea who he was.

The chit is for you, not the driver.

As far as an extra 80 baht all the way from Airport to town?

First of all there is no way in the world you can tell if the traffic is the same unless you timed both trips with a stop watch. Waiting longer at tolls, even a bit more traffic would cause different meter readings

I have been from Holiday Inn Silom the airport many times and the fares are always different because no 2 days in Bangkok traffic are ever the same.

I cannot believe all the dam_n fuss over $2 or 80 baht?

If you are that worried about $2 stay home or take the dam_n bus.

Where else in the world can you get a taxi this cheap?

I mean honestly. Worried about 80 baht to the point you have to make a post over it?

When are people going to learn this is Thailand and either love it or get on the next plane home.

Because you will never change the ways of the Thai's no matter how many posts you write.

[nonthaburial]

Rigged Meters ??? reminds me of a story written by a very well known journalist in hong kong, Kevin Sinclair. He wrote that a taxi he took in Manila was rigged to the horn of the car. Everytime the driver used his horn the meter went up a peso. Mind you this was about 20 years ago

[shunima]

Same experience here... around 15 trips back from airport to Saphan Kwai area. It's 35-36 KM and in 4 cases the meter showed between 45-50KM. That did not happen during the past 5 years (not one case in 2003-2008) and started funnily at the same time they got rid of all the dodgy limo services at the airport.

It's not the 70 THB I'm complaining about. It's the cheating that is integral part to Thai behaviour. If running Taxis get's more costly then increase the fare at the airport from 50 to 100 THB. That way the many honest drivers will get something out of it.

And Nio... you must have strange company where you stay in Thailand. All Thais I know and love to meet do not display this kind of "cheating behaviour" and disagree with these rip-off scams the same as us Farangs.

[Boo]

We arrived a couple of weeks ago with 2 adults, one toddler, a lot of bags, car seat, buggy etc (all the crap you need to travel with a kid) so was expecting to need 2 cabs to get us into central Bangkok (approx 300 baht per fare).

Thai hubby goes to taxi rank desk & is told they have large station wagon style car on fleet. Great we think, 2k baht the man says!!!!

<deleted>..... hubby not wanting a scene left it to me to make one so I told the guy no way, not shouting but with a look of disgust that he was having a laugh, & asked hubby very loudly why these people want take HIS (thai mans) hard earned money. Thai don't love thai huh? No, just forget it we will take 2 separate taxis on the meter & be done with it. Amazingly the fare for the station wagon came down to 700baht inclusive toll charge.

2k baht is more than we paid to get is to Gatwick airport from London the day before & in a much nicer car & much much further. !!!

Now I could have demanded 2 cabs on the meter & it would have come in a bit cheaper but tbh I didn't want to go in 2 cars if we could go in one so we agreed. But talk about TiT huh!!!

Scamming is still def going on ime so be aware of it.

[richard_smith237]

We arrived a couple of weeks ago with 2 adults, one toddler, a lot of bags, car seat, buggy etc (all the crap you need to travel with a kid) so was expecting to need 2 cabs to get us into central Bangkok (approx 300 baht per fare).

Thai hubby goes to taxi rank desk & is told they have large station wagon style car on fleet. Great we think, 2k baht the man says!!!!

<deleted>..... hubby not wanting a scene left it to me to make one so I told the guy no way, not shouting but with a look of disgust that he was having a laugh, & asked hubby very loudly why these people want take HIS (thai mans) hard earned money. Thai don't love thai huh? No, just forget it we will take 2 separate taxis on the meter & be done with it. Amazingly the fare for the station wagon came down to 700baht inclusive toll charge.

2k baht is more than we paid to get is to Gatwick airport from London the day before & in a much nicer car & much much further. !!!

Now I could have demanded 2 cabs on the meter & it would have come in a bit cheaper but tbh I didn't want to go in 2 cars if we could go in one so we agreed. But talk about TiT huh!!!

Scamming is still def going on ime so be aware of it.

On principle you should have told him to stuff it, and why !

In similar circumstances I tell the offending rippoff merchant that had they started at a reasonable price in the first place then it would have been ok. However, as they started from such a high price I don't like them or trust them and don't want them to have my business (the same goes in the markets etc).

[Boo]

I agree but after a long flight with a tired 2 year old & a load of bags I couldn't be bothered, add to it that this was at the official taxi rank desk & that it was the taxi arranger not the actual driver who was trying to scam & it was just easier to agree to the 700 baht. If I'm not over a barrel then I always walk away when someone is trying to scam me.

[salty]

Arrived Wednesday afternoon. Metre had a starting point of 65 baht. Pointed this out and it was set to 35 baht. No problems after that. 219 baht + 50 to Sukhumvit Soi 6.

[spongeman]

Why we always thingking that we getting ripped with the taxi fares we paying.

If you just compare price with what you recieve for it, we all have a bargain traveling with a taxi in Thailand

Its already amazing Thailand that they can keep the starting price for taxi's for so many years on 35 Thai Baht.

Using taxi service in Thailand is from my point of vieuw a win win situation and i am happy to pay the fares as they charge at this moment when driving me safe home.

Hear Hear.

How about 30 euros from Dublin Airport to the City Centre.

[Portlandstone]

..... Amazingly the fare for the station wagon came down to 700baht inclusive toll charge.

2k baht is more than we paid to get is to Gatwick airport from London the day before & in a much nicer car & much much further. !!!

Now I could have demanded 2 cabs on the meter & it would have come in a bit cheaper but tbh I didn't want to go in 2 cars if we could go in one so we agreed. But talk about TiT huh!!!

Scamming is still def going on ime so be aware of it.

Yes in September I also had to take one of those medium sized "station wagons" from airport to Rama IV rd. I had a big and small suitcase and also a bicycle inside a full sized bicycle box. Although I know I could have just barely gotten it into a regular cab (have done it twice), they weren't having it and told me to take the larger one at 700 baht and as you said toll fare included (no meter). Although I'm lucky they didn't try to charge as high as they did you, I still felt 700 was on the high side as a reg taxi would be 300 ~ 350. Definately the taxi queue line still has an amateurish feel to it.

[SaikoIsaan]

Thai friends told me that a common way cab drivers rig the meter is via the radio - somehow they push some button, or turn the knob in a certain way, and it makes the meter go faster.

[PhilHarries]

Rigged Meters ??? reminds me of a story written by a very well known journalist in hong kong, Kevin Sinclair. He wrote that a taxi he took in Manila was rigged to the horn of the car. Everytime the driver used his horn the meter went up a peso. Mind you this was about 20 years ago

Jeez, don't give the boys down here that idea. If they did that in HCMC I'd need a wheelbarrow to get the taxi fare from the ATM to the cab.

The recycled receipt issue, would this not be tied into a tax scam? Like they only report 30% of their takings to the taxman.

Of course that sort of scam would never happen in a developed country would it?

[Twin]

Went to Swampy last Thursday.

32 Km on the taxi meter.

Came home last night.

55 KM on the taxi meter.

I only paid for 35 Km, and he didn't complain as I asked my building's security guard to get the driver's license info.

[finner]

Things are so much more convenient and cheaper too since Suvanaboom. Don't have to take taxis at all if you arrive daytime

Suvanaboom to Sattahip, 120 Km, by bus, drop off right in front of the condo 160B by taxi1000B

My local taxi to home in the real world, 10 Km, no city driving, 1200B

Our taxi mafia guys are much better paid than the Thai taxi mafia but at least the taxi drivers in Thailand are Thais................

Edited December 27, 2009 by finner

[pampal]

I experienced the rigged meter on my last trip Dec17.

The distance from the sanam bin to my house is 24 kilometers, and we took the normal route we always take and the meter said 38 km. I objected and the driver told me to pay what I normally pay.

This was the first time I ran into a taxi with a rigged meter.

[Gulfsailor]

The problem of rigged meters is easily avoidable. Just have fixed rates for destinations. We have this on Samui. Works great. Airport-Chaweng = 5 kilometers = 300 baht, always, both ways exactly the same. Airport-Lamai = 15km = 700 baht :-) Unless ofcourse you are a great negotiator, then you might even get a discount!... Sure the taxi's here have a 'meter' sign on the roof, but thats just a remnance from the past, when we still had the rigged meter issue on Samui.