Catching A Taxi When Drunk

[Pabloz]

Hello everyone,

I guess that all of us have caught a taxi after a night out drinking. I was wondering if any of you have experienced or heard of accidents occurred to the passenger in such situations. What I am talking about is:

- Taxi drivers that have tried to steal money, beat, cheat, etc., the passenger taking advantage of him being drunk.

- Coppers at check points causing problems to the "mao" foreigner.

Thanks for your replies. I've spent almost 1 year in bkk and I realize that sometimes I may have taken some risks... You know, when the coppers point you with the flash light at check-points... Once, I had aspirins with me. They took them from me for inspection... I was really freaking out, also because I was not completely alert...

What do you think?

[MB1]

What do I think..?..

I'd take a taxi (meter) anytime and have never been scammed or even tried to be scammed once in all my years of travelling to Thailand...

Now ask me if I'd get a motor bike taxi. for transportation back home to my hotel or anywhere else...???.

No way, never (again) would I get on a motor bike taxi, they scare me..

Edited March 23, 2010 by MB1

[ukrules]

I don't think you will have much of a problem, I've been truly drunk and gone from bar to bar, often pretty late at night like 2-6am.

[Jameshaya]

Never had problems, but I'm curious to hear if someone else did.

[smokie36]

I prefer a motorbike taxi in these situations as they are usually more honest. Helps me to sober up as well.

Mind you I don't touch spirits...if I did I'd use a taxi without hesitation.

Just to add If you get ripped off for a few Baht on a trip like this how do you remember the next day?

Edited March 23, 2010 by smokie36

[bangkokboro]

I dunno always been to drunk to remember always wake up at home though.

[Pabloz]

I prefer a motorbike taxi in these situations as they are usually more honest. Helps me to sober up as well.

Mind you I don't touch spirits...if I did I'd use a taxi without hesitation.

Just to add If you get ripped off for a few Baht on a trip like this how do you remember the next day?

Well, i don't mind being "ripped off". I'm more talking about physical danger, and about the risk of having problems with coppers.

[Pabloz]

I dunno always been to drunk to remember always wake up at home though.

haha

[smokie36]

Well, i don't mind being "ripped off". I'm more talking about physical danger, and about the risk of having problems with coppers.

Never had any problems like this. More likely to have hassles with ladyboys if you're paralytic imo.

Edited March 23, 2010 by smokie36

[IanForbes]

I can't reply with any useful information because I never get drunk. And, although I've HEARD the horror stories, I've never personally seen them or experienced them in Thailand. But, I have LOTS of horror stories from the Philippines... both personal and been witness to a few. I know 4 guys that got murdered while there in the 2 years when I used to visit the Philippines.

[bkkmick]

Can't hardly remember catching one when sober. Never, ever, had a problem.

[t.s]

Well, i don't mind being "ripped off". I'm more talking about physical danger, and about the risk of having problems with coppers.

Never had any problems like this. More likely to have hassles with ladyboys if you're paralytic imo.

no reason to fear coppers unless you are holding a little bag o' nonsense.

[onnut]

Never had a problem, and I've been so pissed i've hung out of the open door chundering my guts up while they are still driving trying to pull over for me to finish, I always tip those ones very well.

Try doing that in London!

[nevermore93]

I've had a few try to overcharge me, but not much. Maybe 20 or 40 Baht more than the usual fare. Hardly worth an argument unless you need that extra 20 for the next beer.

[britmaveric]

Never had an issue.

[tangcoral]

Not a horror story but I had one heading towards Suvarnabhumi airport luckily I caught him when we were half way there.

Guess it was partly my fault as I dozed off from being so drunk. Furious but didnt want to get dropped off in the middle of no where, so had him u-turn and paid full meter price as any trouble was not worth it.

Edited March 23, 2010 by tangcoral

[smokie36]

Not a horror story but I had one heading towards Suvarnabhumi airport luckily I caught him when were were almost half way there.

I dozed off a little, guess it was partly my fault. Furious but didnt want to get dropped off in the middle of no where, so had him u-turn and paid full meter price as any trouble was not worth it.

? Where did you want to go??

[tangcoral]

Not a horror story but I had one heading towards Suvarnabhumi airport luckily I caught him when were were almost half way there.

I dozed off a little, guess it was partly my fault. Furious but didnt want to get dropped off in the middle of no where, so had him u-turn and paid full meter price as any trouble was not worth it.

? Where did you want to go??

Drank near Sukhumvit 22 and need to go to DinDeang, about 3km away. Ended up traveling 25km

Should of cost 50baht ended up costing 250baht

[smokie36]

? Where did you want to go??

Drank near Sukhumvit 22 and need to go to DinDeang, about 3km away. Ended up traveling 25km

Should of cost 50baht ended up costing 250baht

A nuisance but for what its worth I would have done the same thing in the circumstances.

[smokie36]

? Where did you want to go??

Drank near Sukhumvit 22 and need to go to DinDeang, about 3km away. Ended up traveling 25km

Should of cost 50baht ended up costing 250baht

Oops.

Edited March 23, 2010 by smokie36

[Pabloz]

good news, then

Of course, I've never carried drugs. I was worrying about set ups, but you are all telling me not to worry about that (and actively encouraging me to get wasted )

[kurnell]

17 years of taking taxis, sometimes semi-conscious, never had a problem. Quite remarkable really looking at the previous posts and Thailand's supposed bad reputation. Unless we get a rush of posts with claims of robberies and assaults, then I think we can put that 'dangerous taxi ride' urban legend to bed. Along with the 'don't bad mouth a Thai or you will get shot' one and many others.

[yabaaaa]

Dont get drunk ...............no problem, difficult to do for you eh??

[jayjayjayjay]

Funny isn't it. The only place you have problems with taxis is at the airport. It's were there is a system in place from higher level (richer, influential people) to rip off customers. Taxi drivers are predominantly from Roiet and surrounding Isarn provinces, where you will find the nicest people, down to earth, unselfish group of Thai's. Only peer group pressure, a sinister boss and/or maybe a narley wife would cause them to be any different.

[sanook2me]

17 years of taking taxis, sometimes semi-conscious, never had a problem. Quite remarkable really looking at the previous posts and Thailand's supposed bad reputation. Unless we get a rush of posts with claims of robberies and assaults, then I think we can put that 'dangerous taxi ride' urban legend to bed. Along with the 'don't bad mouth a Thai or you will get shot' one and many others.

Yeah... not as long as you but 10 years worth of smashed and taking taxis home and sometimes not even home when i've given them the wrong location drunk...

Once one guy dragged me into my condo as i was flat out smashed on the taxi back seat....how kind....nothing stolen..

Nothing stolen.... thats because theres usually only me shoes and clothes left to steal after a proper BKK night out...but did lose my t shirt once too

BKK taxis are quite safe, however i have started to take the precaution of sending a photo/sms of the taxi number so if i lose anything or anything happens its easy

to find the taxi car if not the driver, this is due to so many more taxis now and not so many old retired Chinese guys that seemed to drive mostly new taxis a few

years ago.

My tip is...always go for flagging a taxi down, never take one thats waiting anywhere or a driver asking and only take new / ish ones...

Mind you i did take one a few years ago from the end of Patpong..he insisted no meter and charged me 100 baht...but i had lived at my condo for a year and new the bill was always 130 - 150 on the meter, so i said yes....he ripped himself off ! one for us drunk farangs !

[MrJohnson]

I don't know what you are on about. Been here 15 yrs. Never had a problem. Let common sense prevail. You get hammered and put yourself in any situation where you are vulnerable....then who is to blame?

[Meridian007]

Aside from the normal taxi rip-offs, (you can see more about them in the Suvarnabhumi sub-forum), I've never had a problem taking a taxi while drunk. A friend of mine says that his phone was stolen while he was passed out in the front seat of a taxi once, but he was never 100% sure, so I'm not sure of the validity of his story.

Like everything else in the world, and everywhere else in the world, there are good and bad people. It's difficult to paint them all with one brush.

As to the police, I've been in one taxi that was pulled over, they asked for my passport and where I was going, but didn't "frisk" me or anything. They asked their questions, and we went on our way. It was near Sukhumwit, and that is where you usually hear about the spot check problems. From what I've heard on here, they will get you for any illegal substance, (including grey areas like the little blue pill), so be careful what you carry in your pockets.

[StreetCowboy]

The only problems I've had with taxis is when they were unable to guess where I lived, and nor could I.

I left my schoolbag in one once, and it turned up again the next day.

I sometimes think that they deliberately get on to the expressway to clock up the kilometers quickly while you're sleeping, knowing they'll have to turn back, but its still only a few hundred baht.

Anyway, what choice do you have? You're not going to stop getting drunk because you're afraid of taxis.

You could try arranging a short-time hotel near where you expect to end up, but that's not so easy (predicting where you'll end up).

You could arrange a regular taxi driver, but he's unlikely to be enthusiastic to get a drunken call at 3 or 4 in the morning, when he can pick up drunks anywhere.

SC

[sanook2me]

The only problems I've had with taxis is when they were unable to guess where I lived, and nor could I.

I left my schoolbag in one once, and it turned up again the next day.

I sometimes think that they deliberately get on to the expressway to clock up the kilometers quickly while you're sleeping, knowing they'll have to turn back, but its still only a few hundred baht.

Anyway, what choice do you have? You're not going to stop getting drunk because you're afraid of taxis.

You could try arranging a short-time hotel near where you expect to end up, but that's not so easy (predicting where you'll end up).

You could arrange a regular taxi driver, but he's unlikely to be enthusiastic to get a drunken call at 3 or 4 in the morning, when he can pick up drunks anywhere.

SC

not sure if this was meant to be funny but so true and funny...

Stop getting drunk becuase you're scared of taxis!! thats a corker...

The only prediction you can make in BKK when going out to get drunk is...its going to be double more expensive than you planned...

lots of flashing lights.... gorging on unedible food in daylight....snogging and groping ladies or what looked like ladies...at least one tactical puke.....a few lost moments or hours.... swear its the last trip to the ATM..... start refusing change and just paying with whatever note comes out of ya pocket/wallet.......at leats one eyed drunken arguement over the large bill with the sober waitress....mutter the lines..."one night in bangkok"....... make best mates with some unknown farang....realise the knocking on the door isn't your own front door and then the ceiling is different...oh no now all alone..she robbed me of 1500baht and its 4am...

but never ripped off by Bangkoks finest taxis...

[Takeo]

never any problem. Only slight thing is i know sometimes they will take the long way round. But that depends if your travelling far or not, and hardly really a crime.

one thing i do like to do, is see how often the person on the licence thing by the passenger in the front actually matches the driver. I have had many occasions where it is not. Most of the time i dont care really, i have asked sometimes. Last time i asked he said the original driver was drunk at home after a 20 hour shift, so he was just covering a few hours in the night. He claimed that the car is running 24/7 which isnt a huge suprise.