Taxi Meter Scam?

[Grawburg]

Taking taxi the other day and glanced at meter - 40B. Looked away, looked back and it was 80B. Told taxi to pull over and he immediately tried to negotiate the price.

Can these meter hold 2 rates in them? I know they do in HCMC, but never saw this scam in BKK.

[TiredTeacher]

I haven't seen this before... maybe you were on an expressway? Money moves fast there....

Then again, I would not be surprised if anyone posted that people were selling their mothers for 40 Baht.

[KCM]

Yes, there are taxi meter scams in Bangkok. I have been in two taxis with turbo meters recently. Last week I realized that I was in one so I took a picture of the plate number on the inside of the door then called my Thai neighbor and told them I was in a taxi with a bad meter and that I should contact the police. After I got off the phone the taxi driver said I could get out without paying. The meter was already over 150 Baht but he didn't even ask for money because he knew he was busted. The next taxi I got in had the rate chart showing what the rate should be for each kilometer and how to add for waiting time. On the rate chart it shows that 11 kilometers should be 85 Baht while the taxi I just got out of was around 135 at 11 kilometers with only one minute of wait time at the only red light we had to stop at. The taxi driver of the car I got into after getting out of the first taxi asked me why I got out of the other taxi and when I told him about the scam he said he was aware that it was going on now. By the way, the taxi with the turbo meter was one of the green and yellow taxis.

The other time I got a turbo meter was coming back from the airport late one night. It was a female taxi driver and once we were on the highway I noticed the meter was moving super fast so I told her that her meter had a problem. So she said something about the meter having two settings then she reset the meter back to 35 and at the normal speed so my ride home that night from the airport ended up much less than normal since she reset the meter to the correct speed about half way to home.

I tried to report the taxi from last week but with all of the problems in Bangkok nobody answered the phone. My Thai friend said to call 184 to report the problem. I will try again today to report the incident. I have the picture of the plate inside the car with the taxi number so the taxi will be easy to find if any authorities actually want to.

[MrSam]

As a manager, my company pays for taxis to haul me around to our various branches in Bangkok, so I'm in at least two taxis a day. I only get a rigged meter about once every week or two.

There are a few scams out there. The most common one is meters that are rigged to measure distance as being further than it really is so the meter goes up faster. Another one is a rigged rate which goes up faster than the distance does like KCM just mentioned. The third scam I've seen is a little more subtle. Even while moving, the timer is running and adding money (it should only be running under "6km/hr" or when stopped), and at 1.5 baht per minute a 30 minute taxi ride can end up costing you an additional 45 baht you shouldn't have been paying. Another scam is the scam where they "forget" to start the meter, then try to charge you twice as much as the ride should have been (always make sure they start the meter when you get in).

And then there's something we've probably all been a victim of at some point, the "I know a shortcut" scam that ends up adding a significant amount to the meter. Sometimes they don't tell you they're taking this shortcut, hoping that you don't know the best way to go there and just go along for the ride.

The best thing to do in any of these situations, note the taxi's license plate number and the taxi driver's name and ID card number (should be on the dash, if it isn't, don't get in). Make sure you're seen doing this, as they won't raise as much fuss when you getting out without paying (just like KCM's situation). Sternly ask the taxi to stop and let you out, if he refuses or tries to hassle you, contact the police and the Passenger Protection Center (tel. 184).

Actually, the taxi I took this morning forget to start the meter. It was unintentional I think though, as we starting chatting as soon as I got in. When I noted he hadn't started the meter after a kilometer or so, he started it. I told him it was a 100 baht trip usually (as I make this trip often) and he told me not to worry, I could pay whatever was on the meter as it was his fault he forgot to start it. He was really polite about it (not polite to the point that it seemed fake) and the meter came to only 70 baht in the end. I went ahead and paid him 100 since it's what it cost me the last 4 times I came out here from the same location. Sometimes they do genuinely make this mistake and sometimes it's a scam.

[norwayeagle]

As Long as there have been Taximeters ,people have been "fixing on them.So everyone who know how,or have the money it takes to go to the I know how person,will get more money in by doing so.

It is small amounts that are taken,in the long run they surely see it on their yearly money status checkup

conclusion is : Over half of them ( may i say even more? ) are manipulated.

We don't see it Usually , but some are 2 greedy n desperate . They Destroy for all the rest who really need that "acceptable extra unknown fee.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Overall I've never had any problems using taxi's around Thailand.

I had one who refused to turn on the meter, we simply got out of the car and walked away. I think he expected us to agree to his price seems it was raining heavily.

Compared to most countries Thailand is great for catching a taxi, plenty of them and normally cheap.

[aussiejosh]

There are some scams but there are also increases in prices recently (I believe not 100%) as stated on one or 2 cards I have seen attached to the back of the seats. I don't know if they can charge their own amounts or companies set their rates I am not sure, but I have seen different cards as well.

[Grawburg]

I'm in a taxi every day pretty much so I sort of know what things cost going around town. This is the first time since I've been here - 2 months - that I found a hyped up meter.

Here's what's even worse about this situation. The taxi picked me up from Bum. Hospital and he saw my limp to the taxi after a little snip-snip surgery. So he ripped me off after picking me up from the hospital. Nice.

I got taken the long way around the airport the other day taking a buddy back for his return trip. The toll both didn't look familiar and the next thing I knew we were looping around the back of the airport. Since I basically have no Thai ability, I had no way to argue. Guess I need to know the name of the airport highway...

[lopburi3]

Actually I take taxis at least 4 times a week and in the last 18 years have only experienced such meters a handful of times. One time with Thai wife we had the shock absorber micro-switch which added distance on each bump and once recently I had a meter that could be adjusted by pressing the top of it to a higher fee (as a previous post it was 11k costing about 130 baht rather than the 85 baht is should have cost). As my trips are almost always to the same locations have a good idea what the price should be and how much the heavy traffic will increase it (it is on the meter).

As for short cuts they are almost always to make the trip faster as drivers make more money on frequent customers (flag fall fee) than on taking the scenic route.

I expect the airport run has a higher percentage of such usage - as well as other tourist places as they expect visitors will not know what the cost should be - something like the taxi drivers is all countries who try to rip off the tourists who do not know better. But in the case of Bangkok the cost is so low it really is not much of a rip-off.