Bangkok Taxi Drivers

[theoldgit]

I got in a taxi to the airport, usual fare about 200 Baht, I noticed that the meter was stuck on 35 baht and as we approached the airport the driver noticed as well, he banged the meter and it started moving, when we arrived it was still only showing 41 Baht. I asked the driver how much, he shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the 41 Baht. I paid him the regular fare plus the normal tip, laughs all round.

I agree that that, like the rest of the world, there are good and bad drivers, it does annoy me when they refuse a fare, but as others say it happens to Thai and foreigners alike, it's not just being stuck in traffic or being at the end of their shift, it's also greed where they want a more lucrative fare.

[pauljones]

Scammers, posing as taxi drivers "own" the turf outside every tourist hotel.

They only look for novice tourists to screw over.

They pay the police 2,000 by each per month they told me.

Watch them sometimes. The same guys in the same place every day.

I even see them sign into a logbook when they arrive.

[Lizard2010]

I normally use the taxi for the round trip to the Airport.

You still have to watch them they try to overcharge where possible.

I think they also push a button to increase the fare.

I always try to watch the meter, plus i always say put meter on or i want to get out.

[dddave]

A bit late in the thread but there is another legitimate reason for a driver to refuse a fare. Many of Bangkok's taxis have radio; and now computer dispatching. Once a taxi is assigned a call, he is committed to that pick up, he can not accept a walk up fare and ditch the call.

I drove and dispatched taxis while in school many years ago and was verbally abused many times by customers who would try to get into my cab at a stoplight while I was on my way to a call pick-up.

Of all the various jobs I've had in my life, driving a taxi was the nastiest. I finally quit after the third time I got robbed at gunpoint.

[theoldgit]

Once a taxi is assigned a call, he is committed to that pick up, he can not accept a walk up fare and ditch the call.

In which case it would be better if he/she didn't stop when hailed.

[emilyb]

If I'm going across town I know it's going to be tougher to get a ride because traffic is so bad here. Took us an hour in personal car to go from Saladaeng to Chinatown on Sunday. I've taken hundreds of taxis and almost no problems once in the taxi – but OP's issue is just getting picked up.

I have twice convinced taxis who originally told me "no" to pick me up….asking nicely again in Thai and looking sad did the trick. When I asked them why the originally said "no" one guy said his wife worked in a nearby office building and if he was late picking her up, she would yell at him all night. The second guy said he makes more money with short rides in the area instead of long rides sitting in traffic and wanted to maximize his last hour of his shift. All real answers and all answers YOU'D probably give were you in his shoes.

I have found the taxis here as some of the nicest guys in town. (Side story - Once I had a B100 fare and realized I only had a B500 to pay with…the taxi said don't worry about it..he was going to let me go free…I gave him the B500. Many like to practice their English and help me with Thai. We got in a taxi on Friday night and the driver, on hearing the American accent in my Thai I guess, turned off the Thai music and started playing a Rolling Stones CD. He never event spoke to us on the ride, but he had a huge smile when he saw I liked the music.)

This reflects my experience as well. A few are ornery, but never problematic and the vast, vast majority are friendly, helpful and actually pretty honest. If anything, they're sometimes too friendly and want to chat a bit much, but I can't get irritated at people for being too nice. I've had them stop me 10 meters down the road to point out that I left a hat in the car and refuse to take a fare (until I've forced it on them) because they went the wrong way and cost me more, etc. Once you get a good sense of the traffic around town and the reasons for why they sometimes don't want to take you somewhere it's pretty easy. I just smile, say thanks and move on to the next one and everyone's happy. In this city you can be out in freaking Bang Bua Tong at 3AM and a taxi will be by shortly, so if the big inconvenience is having to ask several people and wait an extra few minutes then that's a small price to pay.

The taxi touts that hang out at hotels and airports and tourist hotspots, on the other hand, are another breed entirely and tend to be much more problematic.

Edited August 9, 2011 by emilyb

[DP25]

Once a taxi is assigned a call, he is committed to that pick up, he can not accept a walk up fare and ditch the call.

In which case it would be better if he/she didn't stop when hailed.

They still have to stop at lights. Then some people will just open the door, sit down, and bark they destination to the driver.

Here you're supposed to ask the taxi if they will go to your destination first. You always see Thai people talk to the taxi driver before sitting down. Some foreigners don't do this and always seem to have problems.

[josephbloggs]

I normally use the public buses to travel around Bangkok, but occasionaly use taxis. This morning my fare came to 108 baht. I had a one hundred and a twenty. Driver told me not to worry about the eight baht as he didn't have change. This happens often. I pay less than the fare.

What?? And you wouldn't just give him the 120 and sacrifice 12 baht for a tip? That is shameful if you ask me, and it is certainly nothing to be proud of. But you feel good for yourself for "often" paying less than the fare. Well done you!

[mufcsamui]

Forgive my ignorance but why would a taxi driver flat out refuse a fare? I thought they are all about making money of the farang.

I think cardholder probably means that they refused to turn the meter on rather than refused the fare.

Although if the traffic is bad many taxis will refuse to go to places like Chinatown.

not necessarily, some will just flat out refuse to take you based on traffic, meter or no meter, or some say their shift is about to end etc

No - honestly, it was a (several) out and out refusals. I have declined to take taxis before where they will not use the meter but this was a straight forward "no"

Despite what <snip> Grawburg wrote this was not personal - unless another 10 drivers also had a sixth-sense when they refused other customers. The taxi drivers were just being selective - that does not make it a 'taxi service' in my book. I am delighted that some posters have very positive stories and I am sure that the 'good' must outweigh the 'bad'.

Normally when i go to the Airport i always say meter plus tip and usually get about 2 or 3 refusals before compliance, in general Bangkok taxi's are great but the can make more money doing 35bt runs all night. Try Samui they will not move until you agree an extortionate fare and no way will they switch on their meter.

[Andyf]

I think the taxis here are fantastic. Incredibly cheap and after taking hundreds still no major problem with one. Just avoid touts standing around instead of driving for customers.

And some drivers don't want to go to certain locations. Too much traffic, near the end of their shift, going the wrong direction, etc. Luckily there are a lot of them. In can be frustrating in some instances but usually it's not a problem to quickly find another.

I totally agree with you, I to have very rarely had a problem,

[wileycoyote]

Most Bangkok Taxi Drivers are to paraphrase Disraeli :"Liars - damned liars - and skilled statisticians-usually on how to make money for themselves!"

[Madivad]

my wife and I were shopping the oter day at Platinum Fashion mall. I went down to the IT plaza a few shops down. When we finished, we both looked like tourists, bags in hand, and walked up to the taxi in front of the plaza... We were only going to Sukhumvit Soi 13, not much more than 5 minutes. The first guy says 150B, I said, "No, on the meter". He said, "No meter".... I walked off. I'd realised I hit the back of the taxi line and so approached the front guy. 200B!!! "No, mate. It's around the corner, I just want it on the meter", he said that would be the meter price.

I laughed.

The silly part about that, the next two taxis had people in them, and they couldn't get out because of him. He refused to move his taxi until he got a substantial fare...

I walked in front of his cab, hailed the first one driving past, and just jumped in. "Sukhumvit Soi Sip Sam". He's turned the meter on and we're on our way. He took a route that I didn't expect him to take and got me there in 51B. I was happy to give 100B, because others demanded it, but he was honest.

The next day, the misses wanted to go back, we didnt stuff around, caught a street taxi, same deal. Except this one"missed" the back road that joins onto Soi 11 and 13. Hence we got stuck in traffic. I called his attention to the turnoff a bit late basically because he was hugging the curb like he was going to take it, but right at the last second he sped past. I called to stop. He did. But it was too late. irrecoverable. 71B no tip.

But the worst experience was a taxi to VFS Australia. I gave him a paper with it in english and Thai. I had been there before and he seemed puzzled. I told him I'd show him where it was. He stopped at the Australian Embassy. I told him 2 more km. "ok"... then every intersectio he wanted to turn left. My wife and I told him to get in the second lane, he refused. then he got caught at a street he had to turn left. I told him to stop here... push in.... like the car in front. "Can not, police". There were no police. He inches around the car and turns left. Whilst travlling south on this road it was quick, but by the time we turned around (many k's down the road), it was bumper to bumper. Added almost 40B to the fare.

I would normally tip that, I don't have a problem with tipping, but not when the driivers are jackars3s!

[3SoiDogNight]

i live on lat prao...many times when I want to go home from sukhumvit area after shopping, it takes about 4 or 5 taxis-they don't want to get stuck in the traffic.

My other gripe about taxis here, when I tell them to take the toll way and give them the fare for tolls, they make up some stupid excuse why they won't. Are they afraid of getting arrested by the police looking for certain license plates? Anyone know why they refuse? Then if they agree, they can't " get over in time to make the lane change" and "miss the toll way entrance". This is coming and going to Don Muang airport as well as other locations.

When they do this, or at the last minute, decide to cut short my location with some lame excuse(too much traffic u-turn...or you get out here (and walk across bridge to the address),

I live near Lat Prao and have had the same issues with these taxis. Why do I have to beg for them to take the tollway? I don't get it.

There have been many occasions where I have to beg them to take the tollway and they get off at the next exit or drive very slow. Dangerously slow to the point where drivers have to switch lanes to avoid rear-ending us.

I've been living here for over a year now and still drivers second guess me when I give directions.

I use the taxis later at night after BTS and MRT stop running usually.

Yes there are a lot of good taxi drivers out there but there are also a lot of bad taxi drivers out there too. I'm gonna go ahead and buy a car despite the high car tax because I am sick of dealing with the hassles of the taxi drivers every time I step outside and need to go somewhere.

By the way, why is it so difficult to get a taxi at the Mo Chit BTS station? There are dozens and dozens of taxis (car and motorbike) that just sit around and refuse to go where people ask. Even taxis that are driving by don't want to pick anyone up at that location. Is there a reason for this at this location?

Often times when coming from Sukhumvit, I'll take a taxi from there just to avoid the hassle at Mo Chit.

[robblok]

i live on lat prao...many times when I want to go home from sukhumvit area after shopping, it takes about 4 or 5 taxis-they don't want to get stuck in the traffic.

My other gripe about taxis here, when I tell them to take the toll way and give them the fare for tolls, they make up some stupid excuse why they won't. Are they afraid of getting arrested by the police looking for certain license plates? Anyone know why they refuse? Then if they agree, they can't " get over in time to make the lane change" and "miss the toll way entrance". This is coming and going to Don Muang airport as well as other locations.

When they do this, or at the last minute, decide to cut short my location with some lame excuse(too much traffic u-turn...or you get out here (and walk across bridge to the address),

I live near Lat Prao and have had the same issues with these taxis. Why do I have to beg for them to take the tollway? I don't get it.

There have been many occasions where I have to beg them to take the tollway and they get off at the next exit or drive very slow. Dangerously slow to the point where drivers have to switch lanes to avoid rear-ending us.

I've been living here for over a year now and still drivers second guess me when I give directions.

I use the taxis later at night after BTS and MRT stop running usually.

Yes there are a lot of good taxi drivers out there but there are also a lot of bad taxi drivers out there too. I'm gonna go ahead and buy a car despite the high car tax because I am sick of dealing with the hassles of the taxi drivers every time I step outside and need to go somewhere.

By the way, why is it so difficult to get a taxi at the Mo Chit BTS station? There are dozens and dozens of taxis (car and motorbike) that just sit around and refuse to go where people ask. Even taxis that are driving by don't want to pick anyone up at that location. Is there a reason for this at this location?

Often times when coming from Sukhumvit, I'll take a taxi from there just to avoid the hassle at Mo Chit.

Probably lat ploa isnt far enough for them they are waiting in line hoping for a better fare.

[maxme]

Had one driver whom I told that we were to pick up my friend near a pub. No problem so far, however once we picked my friend up he said that he is has to charge us the double since he needs to put food on his table. I think the excuses get worse and worse every year.

[Crushdepth]

Forgive my ignorance but why would a taxi driver flat out refuse a fare? I thought they are all about making money of the farang.

Drivers frequently refuse a fare, particularly if you want to head into town. Only about 1 in 3 will agree to take me home from work, if it's raining its more like 1 in 5. I am so over listening to them bitch and moan about the traffic.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Crushdepth

[Madivad]

I had a taxi experience from hell the other morning. The guy was driving like a lunatic and we seriously thought we were going to die oe be seriously injured. No amount of begging would slow him down. We were happy when we finally got to our destination - no tip.

During the day we migrated from one shopping centre to another in town. By the time we wanted to come from Platinum in town to Sukhumvit, NOONE would take us. It was teaming down, not just raining. About the 6th taxi pulled up, he wound his window down and I started to talk, and he yells "HEY!", I looked - it was the crazy guy from that morning. I yelled "HEY" back. Then "Sukhumvit Soi sip et" - response "100B", it's a 50B fare, but since noone else would take us, I jumped at it...

[FritsSikkink]

I normally use the public buses to travel around Bangkok, but occasionaly use taxis. This morning my fare came to 108 baht. I had a one hundred and a twenty. Driver told me not to worry about the eight baht as he didn't have change. This happens often. I pay less than the fare.

What?? And you wouldn't just give him the 120 and sacrifice 12 baht for a tip? That is shameful if you ask me, and it is certainly nothing to be proud of. But you feel good for yourself for "often" paying less than the fare. Well done you!

[DP25]

During the day we migrated from one shopping centre to another in town. By the time we wanted to come from Platinum in town to Sukhumvit, NOONE would take us. It was teaming down, not just raining. About the 6th taxi pulled up, he wound his window down and I started to talk, and he yells "HEY!", I looked - it was the crazy guy from that morning. I yelled "HEY" back. Then "Sukhumvit Soi sip et" - response "100B", it's a 50B fare, but since noone else would take us, I jumped at it...

It can be impossible to get a cab in that area during rush hour. Sometimes it's easiest to just walk or get a motorcycle to the skytrain and use that. Sometimes I'll use the bus cause at least they'll let me in

Edited August 19, 2011 by DP25