Phuket Taxi

[Charliechill]

Phuket Airport to Kata by Fixed price Taxi = Bt 750, Mini bus (wait till it fills up with 10 passengers) =Bt 180, Metered Taxi = Bt 450.

No one will admit the existence of Meter Taxis. Tourist Info at Airport will grudgingly point you in the right direction.

Hotels will only call a fixed price Taxi, so I don't know how you get a Meter Taxi outside the airport.

At the Airport turn right out the arrivals and walk to the corner. Meter Taxis are Yellow/red and have an illuminated TAXI sign on their roof .

The Meter Taxis are a fairly new phenomenon and I guess the Taxi Mafia just like things the way they always have been.

[McFarang]

Metered Taxis have been there as long as I remember but you are right they are not signposted very well.

[barka]

WELCOME to thee island of dreams..we are still dreaming more than 10 years for a fair meter taxi system....the airport is the only place you ccan get a mter taxi..

[ozymandious]

# to call for Meter taxi pick up on the island 076-250-345 :-)

[Jimi007]

The number I have for them is 089-288-3374. I called them two weeks ago and they picked us up at my house in Rawai for 500 Baht. We got a ride home from them last night at the same price...

[falkan]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

[MrE]

I have been using the same non-metered taxi driver for more than the past four years. He shows up on time, drives carefully, is very friendly and speaks pretty good English. His name is Tawan and his number is 089 568 9978.

[petercallen]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

[Logician]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

I don't think 'Falkan' was saying that was the wrong price for a Phuket taxi. He was implying it wouldn't be the price for a BKK taxi, in that the metres are calibrated differently. I have no idea if this is the case, but it's quite possibe.

[bunta71]

Surprised they have not done the Philippine taxi option of wiring it so every time you step on the brakes the meter goes up...

[brieno1955]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

Totally irrelevant comparison...means nothing..

The average wage in Australia must be about $A20 p/hour

The average wage on Phuket must be about $A1 p/hour

[glassdude007]

every time i fly into Phuket i tell somebody (tourist) on the plane about the meter taxi and not use the overpriced taxi touts...

love that feeling of off the plane walk past the taxi touts meow caap,meow caap,meow caap and end up at the meter taxi stand....500bht to Rawai is a fair price even though most of the taxi's are shlit boxes unfit for the road.

TIT

[ivowatson]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

Way faster! 35/40 Km in Bkk is 250 Baht. Yeah, gas is 40 satang/litre more expensive in Phuket.

[ssinlos]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

Way faster! 35/40 Km in Bkk is 250 Baht. Yeah, gas is 40 satang/litre more expensive in Phuket.

Another example of the utter greed and Mafia like tactics of the Taxi and Tuk Tuk industry in Phuket

[BangTaoBoy]

the meter taxi in phuket is ticking faster then bangkok

Rawai to the airport is approx 35/40KLM 500 baht is the correct price on the meter

Half that distance in Australia is Approx 1000 Baht

Way faster! 35/40 Km in Bkk is 250 Baht. Yeah, gas is 40 satang/litre more expensive in Phuket.

Another example of the utter greed and Mafia like tactics of the Taxi and Tuk Tuk industry in Phuket

It could also be said, that it's another example, that anywhere in the world you happened to go, everything in big cities, is cheaper than it is on tiny little tourist islands.

Zanzibar off the coast of West Africa and Margarita of the coast of Venezuela are two examples that come to mind. Extremely expensive compared to the mainland just a short hop away.

Lots of people discuss Thailand, as if it was the only other place in the world they have ever been, other than where they grew up. They talk about corruption here, as if it was worse than anywhere else. They don't put things in to global perspective. Go live in Africa, or South America, then come back here and tell us how corrupt this place is!

[katabeachbum]

It could also be said, that it's another example, that anywhere in the world you happened to go, everything in big cities, is cheaper than it is on tiny little tourist islands.

Zanzibar off the coast of West Africa and Margarita of the coast of Venezuela are two examples that come to mind. Extremely expensive compared to the mainland just a short hop away.

Lots of people discuss Thailand, as if it was the only other place in the world they have ever been, other than where they grew up. They talk about corruption here, as if it was worse than anywhere else. They don't put things in to global perspective. Go live in Africa, or South America, then come back here and tell us how corrupt this place is!

also consider the running costs of a BKK taxi, NGV(all new taxis) running CNG is approx 8 baht/10 km, older LPG taxis approx 13 baht/10 km. Phuket petrol taxi is approx 40 baht/10 km

one of the main issues is taxi territory. All Phuket taxis are only allowed to pickup where they belong. IOW a Kata hotel taxi picks up outside hotel and go to airport. Then he must go empty back to hotel and wait in line before next trip from hotel.

BKK meter taxis pick up anyone anywhere

The question is, how long for authorities to clean up the territory taxi thing? Took them years to get metered taxis as an alternative to "limos" in airport

First step is to have all black (white plate) "taxis" registered as TAXIs. On its way it seems, since the new Governor and Phuket Police head poncho started few months back