Tuk Tuks

[lumply]

As a regular user of tuk tuks on company expenses I was never that bothered about how much I was charged. My next visit will be as a tourist so I'll be stumping up out of my own pocket! So what is the rule of thumb not to be totally ripped off on pre agreed rates, assuming I have a fair idea of distance/time to be travelled?

[DP25]

The rule of thumb to not getting ripped off by tuk tuks is to take taxis instead. They're cheaper, more comfortable, and have air con. Only time I ever take a tuk tuk is for very short trips that are 20-30 baht and below the 35 baht a taxi starts at.

[CharlieH]

Agree, just give em a wide berth wherever possible and stick to meter Taxis.

[Misterwhisper]

The trick for not getting ripped off by tuk-tuks is to avoid them altogether. Since your company was reimbursing you for fares, why didn't you opt for taxis in the first place, I wonder? Small company? ;-)

Apart from that, there is no "standard fare structure" for tuk-tuks. They'll try to squeeze you for as much as they can, and as long as you're comfortable with the quoted fare, then that's that.

Get a metered taxi and save on headache pills.

[lumply]

Big company big x's. Just used to do it for a laugh, 3 star hotels instead of 5 sometimes.

Anyway thanks for the advice guys

The trick for not getting ripped off by tuk-tuks is to avoid them altogether. Since your company was reimbursing you for fares, why didn't you opt for taxis in the first place, I wonder? Small company? ;-)

Apart from that, there is no "standard fare structure" for tuk-tuks. They'll try to squeeze you for as much as they can, and as long as you're comfortable with the quoted fare, then that's that.

Get a metered taxi and save on headache pills.

[asanee]

tuks are not meant for long trips along main roads. They are meant as where you see the Thai use them for: go into the narrow sois with loads of things, market produce etc. Thats why you seen them wating at markets and the new replacement: TescoBigC, etc. In outer suburban BKK there are other replacements-some very local and interesting.

They should be -why even ask that? a little cheaper as a taximeter-and I guess any regular knows their fares. But as a white farang it will be IMpossible to get that. Even your Thai buddy-if he sees a smiling farang distant-will not get the ''Thai fare''

Your quote about ''on account '' seems laughable-never ever sen them issue a receipt to declare on.

[Daffy D]

Wot they said

A meter taxi is cheaper and more comfortable than a Tuk-Tuk any day.

Just make sure the meter is on.

[pauljones]

They are not in the transportation business as it appears.

They are there to scam first time visitors as often as possible.

As an experiment over the course of a week or so, I asked about 25 tuk tuks on Sukhumvit & Silom about a ride to the Grand Palace.

100% of them lied, said it was closed, said bombs were going off over there etc.., they did offer to take me on a tuk tuk scam run.