Night Time Street Bars In Sukhumvit.And Taxi Touts.. How Do They Do It?

[cattoc]

Any one who has been in upper Sukhumvit from Sois 3 (Nana area) to Soi 23 (Cowboy) at night will be overwhelmed by the mass of street bars all operating without licenses till just before dawn in seeming collusion with Taxi drivers who have collectively agreed to refuse anyone trying to get home unless they agree to no meter... Whilst the bars are a real step back in time to the old preThaksin Days of the city that didnt sleep - so unfortunately are the taxis touts refusing to accept passengers unless they preagree to no meter rides.

How do they do it?

[apetley]

Any one who has been in upper Sukhumvit from Sois 3 (Nana area) to Soi 23 (Cowboy) at night will be overwhelmed by the mass of street bars all operating without licenses till just before dawn in seeming collusion with Taxi drivers who have collectively agreed to refuse anyone trying to get home unless they agree to no meter... Whilst the bars are a real step back in time to the old preThaksin Days of the city that didnt sleep - so unfortunately are the taxis touts refusing to accept passengers unless they preagree to no meter rides.

How do they do it?

Do you really need to ask?

The bars have paid off the police and the taxis are a law unto themselves.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[thaihome]

Wouldn't that part of Sukhumvit be better refered to as "lower" since the soi numbers are lower?

Getting a taxi that use the meter can be a problem late at night in that area. The best thing to do is walk away from congested areas and find a taxi that is moving and not sitting waiting for a fare.

TH

[IanForbes]

The easy solution is to stay away from that area entirely. Patpong did the same thing before Sukhumvit Soi 4 became popular and then Soi 4 later chased the punters over to Soi Cowboy. Then, when Soi Cowboy got too popular and raised prices, everyone moved to Pattaya. I've heard that due to greed and jacking prices too high, Pattaya bars along walking street to Soi 6 area is chasing the punters elsewhere. Due to ridiculous high prices, I'm not sure WHERE the next little hotbed of iniquity will surface. When you can buy a small Chang for 40 baht from any nearby 7-11 shop it seems pretty silly to pay 180 for the same thing at a bar where all the tired looking women are over 40.

[Bangkokhatter]

Never really a problem if you follow the advice above, move away from the area a few hundred yards and you'll get a taxi no problem. I love them bars

[bendix]

I love them bars too, particularly my favourite - the original VW bar on soi 7, outside Park Hotel. It's been there years.

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

[Moonrakers]

I love them bars too, particularly my favourite - the original VW bar on soi 7, outside Park Hotel. It's been there years.

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

Same here

I find them a good place to have a drink, great spots for people watching. It's good to know that as a grown adult I am not told what time I am allowed to drink until.

And the taxis...... I too have not had a single problem with them. Not once.

[x5david]

I love them bars too, particularly my favourite - the original VW bar on soi 7, outside Park Hotel. It's been there years.

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

For that short a trip I'm surprised they take you at all..however a quick uwey and their back to try and extort from someone going further...

[arthurwait]

Just ignore the taxi touts completely or say mai ow kup and walk to Sukumvit road to flag one down. Don't shut the door until the meter is on.

As someone posted above if you speak in thai to a taxi driver they never (except the very rare odd one) try to rip you off. Taxis waiting in tourist areas like this and especially Khao san road will always try to rip off the farang until they think you can speak Thai or that you have been here long enough not to fall for it. That's why they sit there all night looking for the easy pay instead of looking for normal customers.

[HardenedSoul]

I live on soi 23 and whenever I cut through Cowboy to Asoke, I'm besieged by touts waiting at the other entrance. I refuse to get into any of the taxis even if they assure me that a meter will be used because they often doctor them to charge a higher fare. For example, from Asoke to, say, soi 11 should cost around 40 baht with a standard meter but, with these jokers, the meter can read upwards of 60 or 70. Sure it's only 20 or 30 baht but it's the principle. I tip if I feel like it; I resent being cajoled into doing so by a moody meter.

Having said that, I can't say I've ever had any major difficulty in getting a taxi on lower Sukhumvit to use a meter but, then again, I do make a point of never using one that's just parked up on the side of the road. I always flag one down and on the very rare occasion the driver tries to blag me, I just shut the door and hail another.

As for the bars on the street, I simply walk on the other side of the road when I'm not in the mood to navigate an obstacle course. Sure it's a major pain in the arse but it's their country and their city - if they want to block the already run down pavements, let 'em.

[DP25]

Never really a problem if you follow the advice above, move away from the area a few hundred yards and you'll get a taxi no problem. I love them bars

This pretty much always solves any taxi problem in Bangkok tourist areas. In Patpong for instance it is impossible to get a meter taxi directly in front of soi. The waiting touts obviously won't, and the taxis coming up the street have all the way to the end of the road to find a chump so usually won't either. But just across the road in front of McDonalds there will be a dozen waiting taxis and they'll all use the meter. So easy but you still see tons of tourists going with the tuk tuk and taxi touts in front of Patpong

[StreetCowboy]

Never really a problem if you follow the advice above, move away from the area a few hundred yards and you'll get a taxi no problem. I love them bars

This pretty much always solves any taxi problem in Bangkok tourist areas. In Patpong for instance it is impossible to get a meter taxi directly in front of soi. The waiting touts obviously won't, and the taxis coming up the street have all the way to the end of the road to find a chump so usually won't either. But just across the road in front of McDonalds there will be a dozen waiting taxis and they'll all use the meter. So easy but you still see tons of tourists going with the tuk tuk and taxi touts in front of Patpong

I've found, pretty much everywhere I've been, you've got more chance of the meter with a moving taxi, or, in Singapore, a taxi at an official taxi rank - though generally the queue of people there means a far longer wait than elsewhere...

SC

[KeyserSoze01]

I too enjoy the street bars and restaurants open late. Nothing happens between soi 3 and 24 without the BiB getting a taste.

As far as taxis, you could be brave and take a motocy.

[ricku]

Its because there are so many dumbass tourists who agrees to pay these outrageous taxi fares.

If we all just refuse (like I always do) and demand that they drive with meter on, they would surely give up and do it.

But as long as there are dumbass tourists throwing their money around them, there will also be greedy taxi drivers.

Edited February 25, 2012 by ricku

[grumpyoldman]

Those late night street bars and restaurants are perfect if you are in off an International flight late night and can't sleep.

I once rolled in about 2AM, showered up, put the head down, time change dilemma the lights just wouldn't go out. Off to the street,few big beers, a Suki taken care of by some local female talent who had joined me, down at 5AM up at noon good as new.

[Nana Parking]

I hang out at the Soi 13 street bar. Been doing it for over a decade. I remember the 7/11 on the corner of Soi 13 across from the Miami Hotel and the bars that extended from the Miami to Bush garden b4 construction on that new hotel that took almost a decade to build started. Ah the memories

[balo]

But just across the road in front of McDonalds there will be a dozen waiting taxis and they'll all use the meter. So easy but you still see tons of tourists going with the tuk tuk and taxi touts in front of Patpong

Not true at all. If you are talking about that McDonalds close to Sala Daeng BTS, late nights the taxis are waiting to get customers , no meter will be used, I have tried several times, they will give you a price up front. So better to walk away from this area.

[Dancealot]

The original question is how do they do it? It's a business, there is a lot of demand, therefore the price goes up. I am also sure the 'taxi no meter rides' and the 'street bars' will pay their share accordingly to the people who will turn a blind eye...

[HalibutJones]

But as long as there are dumbass tourists throwing their money around them, there will also be greedy taxi drivers.

You were never a 'dumbass tourist', then, you were just born with the wisdom and knowledge you have now?

[raro]

But as long as there are dumbass tourists throwing their money around them, there will also be greedy taxi drivers.

You were never a 'dumbass tourist', then, you were just born with the wisdom and knowledge you have now?

Doesn't need much wisdom or knowledge to see you're in for a ride to the cleaner when the driver refuses to use the meter.

Get out of the taxi and leave the door open. And avoid stationary taxis altogether.

sent from my Android phone

[toesolipsolie]

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

What exactly does that mean translated into english?

[EyesWideOpen]

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

What exactly does that mean translated into english?

" I want to go to Soi 14 please." A friend of mine used to work at one of the late night street bars, and I talked one night to the owner. She paid money directly to the police in the form of rent. This for a 12 foot piece of sidewalk that is owned by the city.......

[HardenedSoul]

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

What exactly does that mean translated into english?

" I want to go to Soi 14 please."

Have to correct you there . .. It means "go to soi 24 please"

"Yip" is a contraction of "yee sip"

[Dancealot]

As for taxis from that part of town back to my place on Soi 24, I've never had a problem getting one to put on a meter at any time of the day. A simple 'pai soi yip si, krab' always seems to do the trick.

What exactly does that mean translated into english?

" I want to go to Soi 14 please."

Have to correct you there . .. It means "go to soi 24 please"

"Yip" is a contraction of "yee sip"

Ehm, er you know who you are talking to? Read more carefully, do yip see now?

[Kananga]

The easy solution is to stay away from that area entirely. Patpong did the same thing before Sukhumvit Soi 4 became popular and then Soi 4 later chased the punters over to Soi Cowboy. Then, when Soi Cowboy got too popular and raised prices, everyone moved to Pattaya. I've heard that due to greed and jacking prices too high, Pattaya bars along walking street to Soi 6 area is chasing the punters elsewhere. Due to ridiculous high prices, I'm not sure WHERE the next little hotbed of iniquity will surface. When you can buy a small Chang for 40 baht from any nearby 7-11 shop it seems pretty silly to pay 180 for the same thing at a bar where all the tired looking women are over 40.

180 for a small chang? That's gullible tourist prices. They're mugging you Ian.