Thailand's Tuk Tuk Ranked No.5 Of The World Best Taxi

[rgs2001uk]

Whenever someone visits thailand, I tell them to take the Tuk Tuk once, for the "experience, then the A/C taxi, because it's safer, more comfortable and CHEAPER!

We did some test with my thai wife. I stay out of sight and she asks the price for trips we regularly do. In central Bangkok, the price for short trips in Tuk Tuk is 9 times out of 10 higher than in a normal Taxi.

What I have never understood is since tuk tuk driver's can charge anything they want, why doesn't at least 1 driver put a meter on his tuk tuk, set the flag drop at 10 baht less than an air conditioned taxi, and have at it.

My guess is they could get over 100 trips a day once everyone knew about them. They certainly have the advantage over air conditioned taxis in price. Their fuel economy is better, they can use NGV just like the taxis, and there is no rental charge per day for the vehicle.

Is every single tuk tuk driver really that stupid that they don't see the incredible market available by undercutting the air conditioned taxis? My back of the envelope calculations say that one with even half a brain could make 40,000 baht a month or more if they found the right location and boldly advertised metered, cheap service. Has even 1 driver ever tried this in the history of tuk tuk service?

For myself, I have never taken a tuk tuk in Bangkok. In over 10 years of living here not even once. There is no point to them.

Stick a meter on them and undercut the regular taxis on price. Then they serve a useful purpose. Otherwise they are nothing more than an eyesore and a menace on the roads.

They operate on the minimum effort maximum return philosophy.

Why make 50 journeys at 40 baht when they can make 10 journeys at 200 baht by taking gullible tourists around.

As for the locals, not much face to be gained if seen by your peers exiting at tuk tuk, better to be seen exiting a shiny new taxi, even if you cant afford it.

[RedNIvar]

It would be nice if people would read the article before posting there prejudices. The article was about travelers opinion's about the whole world. Not Bangkok residents opinions of traveling around Bangkok.

I live in Thailand and use Tuk Tuk's at least twice a week and have never paid more than 100 baht unless I asked them to hang around and take me back home.

I have used the metered cab at least once a week and have never paid less than 120 baht.

It is fairly obvious that most not all of the posters have no knowledge of the world out side of there own back yard and are quick to deny the possibility of what is not in there back yard.

There is indeed a difference in perspective whether you're visiting or living here in Bangkok (or Thailand). A wild ride with a tuk-tuk is accepted, but would lead to complaints to the police back home, go figure.

Living and working in BKK I use what is convenient which may be a mix of taxi-meter, motorcycle, tuk-tuk, BTS/MRT. It all depends on weather and traffic. I must admit, being able to tell where you want to go and how to get there also helps

I would ask jayjay0 if he catches his tuktuk from the center of town near any hotels or from a local mooban. Yes some tuktuks are reasonable, friendly and cheap. These tuktuks normally service local moobans away from where all the foriegn tourist are located. The price also depends on the color of your skin and your grasp of the Thai language The demographics of this survey is foreign tourist.

Catching a tuktuk from town near any hotel and you will get ripped off. Some do offer cheap 30baht fares, but you will have to follow then to some ++massage parlor or highly prices jewelry store. The apparently get fuel coupons from these places.

Prejudice or not, bottom line I will not get a tuktuk from town. There are just so many more safer, cheaper and cleaner options. If traffic in town is at a gridlock, tuktuk does not help. The only fast options in this case in the subway or skytrain or with enough testicular fortitude, motorbike taxi. Not tuktuk.

As you say being seen as local or just another farang tourist makes a difference. Even as 'local' you have to negotiate heavily at hotspots. As for the 'testicular fortitude', have you also noticed that when you take a motorcycle taxi, the ones without working speedometer seem to go fastest?

I'm 250 pounds, I once had a 90 pound lady motosai taxi driver that stepped up to give me a ride into my Soi..... Hey, what can I say, "Danger" is my middle name.....

[geriatrickid]

THE POLL RESULTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TUK TUKS.

Read the results, The tuk tuks were not the rated vehicles. What one sees is a distortion of the results in the press releases. "Bangkok is famed for its Tuk Tuks" That doesn't mean they were rated.

What a ridiculous basis for a thread. It's a fun poll put out by Expedia, which owns Hotels.com. The intent is to get the Hotels.com name in the media. Cheap, cheap advertising isn't it, because now Hotels.com benefits form multiple mentions. The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.

The poll scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and availability. (That means that Bangkoks taxis, all kinds were rated, not just tuk tuks).

So what else did the poll indicate?

-London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable.

-New York’s yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan’s cab drivers tied with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.

-Travellers said New York had the most available taxis. (so did the respondents even visit Bangkok, where there are more cabs available?)

- Cabbies in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travellers thinking the Italian capital had the world’s worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.

-Tokyo scored 26%

- Berlin scored 17 %

- Bangkok scored 14%

- Madridscored 12%

- Copenhagen and Dublin scored 11 % each

- Frankfurt and Paris scored 10% each

- Taxis in Sydney fell short of the top 10, scoring badly in the areas of value for money, availability and knowledge of the area.

[surangw]

ranked against what, ox carts, dung barrow?

[gregb]

What a ridiculous basis for a thread. It's a fun poll put out by Expedia, which owns Hotels.com. The intent is to get the Hotels.com name in the media. Cheap, cheap advertising isn't it, because now Hotels.com benefits form multiple mentions. The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.

Sorry, I just wanted to quote this to get hotels.com mentioned 4 (oops, now 5) more times.

I suspect geriatrickid is a stock holder, and given the terrible state of the markets thought I would help him out.

But truthfully, who cares what the original poll was about. This has become a great thread about sleazy, slimy tuk tuk drivers and the unscrupulous activities they engage in.

For me, I still maintain that there has to be at least 1 tuk tuk driver out of the thousands who has the determination and diligence to put a meter on his tuk tuk, advertise that fact, and undercut the taxi drivers.

If anyone knows of any driver who has ever actually tried that I'd love to hear the story and the results. Because from where I sit the first driver who does it and doesn't get lazy stands to make a pretty good income out of the deal.

[tso310]

ranked against what, ox carts, dung barrow?

Never broken down in an ox cart or dung barrow. Never seen a drunken ox either. Slow but dependable.

[phomsanuk]

My vote is for the Pattaya baht bus, cheap, convient and sometimes a little socializing as well.

[jayinoz]

Between their reckless driving and attempts to score in hitting on my gf's in the past- they do not get my vote... What a joke.

[surangw]

is this the same outfit that ranked BKK at #1 travel destination ?

[sprq]

This is my Bangkok take on the tuk-tuk, according to the stated criteria:

cleanliness, -- very variable

service charge, -- high, more than a proper taxi usually

driving quality, -- scary

route skills, -- mostly have no idea

friendliness, -- yes, but usually just to get the money out of you

safety, -- appalling

availability, -- poor, not many left now

And that's the 5th best taxi in the world?

Only for know-nothing "hey, isn't this fun" tourists.

[gotlost]

After yesterday experience with a tuk tuk in Chaing Mai I rate them as no go or dead last. My wife got out first paid the fair and as I was 2/3 out the typical peace of shyt <deleted> tuk tuk driver takes off at high speed and drags me about 20 feet. Black and blue I'll leave but never again.

[slapout]

That is the latest technique to rattle the change/money out of your pockets. Tourism is down in CM so be careful out there on the streets.

[MyphuketLife]

What a ridiculous basis for a thread. It's a fun poll put out by Expedia, which owns Hotels.com. The intent is to get the Hotels.com name in the media. Cheap, cheap advertising isn't it, because now Hotels.com benefits form multiple mentions. The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.

Sorry, I just wanted to quote this to get hotels.com mentioned 4 (oops, now 5) more times.

I suspect geriatrickid is a stock holder, and given the terrible state of the markets thought I would help him out.

But truthfully, who cares what the original poll was about. This has become a great thread about sleazy, slimy tuk tuk drivers and the unscrupulous activities they engage in.

For me, I still maintain that there has to be at least 1 tuk tuk driver out of the thousands who has the determination and diligence to put a meter on his tuk tuk, advertise that fact, and undercut the taxi drivers.

If anyone knows of any driver who has ever actually tried that I'd love to hear the story and the results. Because from where I sit the first driver who does it and doesn't get lazy stands to make a pretty good income out of the deal.

Can't speak for Bangkok, but In Phuket that is an oxymoron... Why would they put a meter on the tuk-tuks when they can charge 5*+ what the meter would charge, and have the prices fixed so all tuk-tuks all have the same overpriced charge?

[fxe1200]

Same reason by Bangkok is voted best city, THAI voted best airlines. You figure it out

In a recent survey Hat Yai ranked number one among the cities inbetween Phattalung and Songkhla!

[MyphuketLife]

After yesterday experience with a tuk tuk in Chaing Mai I rate them as no go or dead last. My wife got out first paid the fair and as I was 2/3 out the typical peace of shyt <deleted> tuk tuk driver takes off at high speed and drags me about 20 feet. Black and blue I'll leave but never again.

did you demand money from him? or kick his a$$?

[Colabamumbai]

Who in the Thai governemnt gets the tea money for licensing Tuk Tuks, they should all be outlawed, as were samlors in Bangkok.

[gotlost]

After yesterday experience with a tuk tuk in Chaing Mai I rate them as no go or dead last. My wife got out first paid the fair and as I was 2/3 out the typical peace of shyt <deleted> tuk tuk driver takes off at high speed and drags me about 20 feet. Black and blue I'll leave but never again.

did you demand money from him? or kick his a$$?

Fair was returned. Arsh hole.

[phuketrichard]

what a fuc_king JOKE!!

[FritsSikkink]

Thanks for my <deleted> moment for today

[SamritT]

I don't like Tuk Tuk because the seats are design in such a way that the knee is pointed upward when seated, due to insufficient leg room especially if you have long legs like me. Hence it is not possible to ride one with mini-skirt. Worst, when they go zooming down the road, the wind makes your skirt open up like an umbrella. Very embarrassing in deed.

[ScubaBuddha]

Obviously not counting the extortionate, mafia controlled, drunk, and often criminal Phuket tuk tuks, if so then black is white and up is down.

(you knew I would add my 2c)

[slapout]

I don't like Tuk Tuk because the seats are design in such a way that the knee is pointed upward when seated, due to insufficient leg room especially if you have long legs like me. Hence it is not possible to ride one with mini-skirt. Worst, when they go zooming down the road, the wind makes your skirt open up like an umbrella. Very embarrassing in deed.

Hold your handbag on your knees, and mini skit problem solved. Watch the Uni girls every day, it is a form in itself. The dress blowing up is ok as long as you are wearing knickers, otherwise a beaver shot will get us old gits blood moving. The mirror position on the tuk tuk will indicate the speed to anticipate, depending on your attire.

[RedNIvar]

I don't like Tuk Tuk because the seats are design in such a way that the knee is pointed upward when seated, due to insufficient leg room especially if you have long legs like me. Hence it is not possible to ride one with mini-skirt. Worst, when they go zooming down the road, the wind makes your skirt open up like an umbrella. Very embarrassing in deed.

Finally something positive about tuktuks.....

[bkk_mike]

It would be nice if people would read the article before posting there prejudices. The article was about travelers opinion's about the whole world. Not Bangkok residents opinions of traveling around Bangkok.

I live in Thailand and use Tuk Tuk's at least twice a week and have never paid more than 100 baht unless I asked them to hang around and take me back home.

I have used the metered cab at least once a week and have never paid less than 120 baht.

It is fairly obvious that most not all of the posters have no knowledge of the world out side of there own back yard and are quick to deny the possibility of what is not in there back yard.

It would be nice if the person who wrote the article had read the original.

The website isn't hotel.com, it's hotels.com, and nobody said it was the tuk-tuks that were being voted for. It's a ranking of cities by people voting for the best taxis. i.e. Bangkok came 5th - NOT the tuk-tuk. And if you go by the taxi-meters, Bangkok actually makes some sort of sense.

They're mainly fairly new cars, clean, and really cheap compared to the others in the list. And the taxi-drivers are generally friendly (at least that's what I've found - but I'm usually traveling with kids so that might not be true for everyone).

As for tuk-tuks, they're fun the first time as a tourist, but I now only use them if I don't see a regular taxi, and it's a really short trip.