Strange Thing Happened At Swampy

[SabaiBKK]

I don't get all the paranoia about the taxi booths and their taxis- i come in and out of Swampy 2-3 times per month and always use the taxi booth system, never had any problems at all.

I used to think the same, but the last 2 times I took a taxi from Swampy to the Asoke area, the meters were definitely rigged. It's a 220-250 baht ride, but these meters came in at 400 and 450 baht- and traffic wasn't anywhere near bad enough to explain the discrepancy.

depends which way you take , for instance from sutthisan - ratchada to swampy if you take the tollway at rama 9 its approx 250 baht but if you don't pay attention and the cabbie takes the other toll going through at narong it will cost you 450 ... without the tolls

[rotary]

Walk down one floor and take the public taxi just outside the door where you pay meter fee plus 50 baht.

I travel to Nontaburi for B400. Sukhumvit would be about B300. What mess with Limos or non metered taxis??

[MANICMINER]

I don't get all the paranoia about the taxi booths and their taxis- i come in and out of Swampy 2-3 times per month and always use the taxi booth system, never had any problems at all.

I used to think the same, but the last 2 times I took a taxi from Swampy to the Asoke area, the meters were definitely rigged. It's a 220-250 baht ride, but these meters came in at 400 and 450 baht- and traffic wasn't anywhere near bad enough to explain the discrepancy.

most of the taxis at the airport taxi rank have had their meters rigged. i have taken three taxis from the rank to my house, and the fares were 800, 900 and 500 baht, excluding the toll fare. now i always get taxis outside departures, and have always got the 500 baht fare. when i was in the taxi from the rank, i was watching the meter and it definitely increments faster.

[rotary]

I don't get all the paranoia about the taxi booths and their taxis- i come in and out of Swampy 2-3 times per month and always use the taxi booth system, never had any problems at all.

I used to think the same, but the last 2 times I took a taxi from Swampy to the Asoke area, the meters were definitely rigged. It's a 220-250 baht ride, but these meters came in at 400 and 450 baht- and traffic wasn't anywhere near bad enough to explain the discrepancy.

most of the taxis at the airport taxi rank have had their meters rigged. i have taken three taxis from the rank to my house, and the fares were 800, 900 and 500 baht, excluding the toll fare. now i always get taxis outside departures, and have always got the 500 baht fare. when i was in the taxi from the rank, i was watching the meter and it definitely increments faster.

Well I have never seen a rigged taxi meter and I was in Thailand before they had metered taxis but I am sure there are some rigged. If I was in a taxi and saw the rate of increase seemed to be too high I would tell the driver and pay up there and get out. I think rigged meters are rare. I would also report a rigged taxi meter but as you know maybe nothing would be done about it

Edited March 18, 2012 by rotary

[MANICMINER]

I don't get all the paranoia about the taxi booths and their taxis- i come in and out of Swampy 2-3 times per month and always use the taxi booth system, never had any problems at all.

I used to think the same, but the last 2 times I took a taxi from Swampy to the Asoke area, the meters were definitely rigged. It's a 220-250 baht ride, but these meters came in at 400 and 450 baht- and traffic wasn't anywhere near bad enough to explain the discrepancy.

most of the taxis at the airport taxi rank have had their meters rigged. i have taken three taxis from the rank to my house, and the fares were 800, 900 and 500 baht, excluding the toll fare. now i always get taxis outside departures, and have always got the 500 baht fare. when i was in the taxi from the rank, i was watching the meter and it definitely increments faster.

Well I have never seen a rigged taxi meter and I was in Thailand before they had metered taxis but I am sure there are some rigged. If I was in a taxi and saw the rate of increase seemed to be too high I would tell the driver and pay up there and get out. I think rigged meters are rare. I would also report a rigged taxi meter but as you know maybe nothing would be done about it

Around about bangkok, you don't come across too many rigged taxis, and the ones that do, only increase their fares by about 20-30%, so most people do not notice it. I haven't taken a taxi from the Airport rank for over two years, and then i believe there was some sort of racket going on, because when you double the fare it is blatant overcharging. It wouldn't surprise me that over the past two years, that they have reduced the amount of overcharging, as more and more people have complained and started using the taxis at departures, which would also explain what happened to the OP, as the taxi drivers at the airport rank are losing business, and obviously now doing something about it.

[impulse]

If I was in a taxi and saw the rate of increase seemed to be too high I would tell the driver and pay up there and get out. I think rigged meters are rare. I would also report a rigged taxi meter but as you know maybe nothing would be done about it

Most of the ride from Swampy to Asoke is on roads where I'd rather be cheated out of $6 than get out and try to flag down another taxi, if it could be done at all. And I'm not about to get dragged into a physical fight with a driver for that same $6.

I, too think rigged meters are rare, which is why I was surprised to get 2 in a row, out of perhaps 2 dozen round trips I've taken in the past year I've been in BKK. Considered reporting them, but then laughed on myself for even thinking it.

[bendix]

i sometimes wonder if I'm living in a different Thailand to half of TV.

I have done the Swampy to Sukhumvit taxi run around 100 times since it's opened. It is ALWAYS around 220-250 plus the tolls plus the 50 baht levy. Only once did it reach 300 and that was because I hit the rush hour - big deal.

And yet everyone else on TV seems to have only bad experiences.

Allegedly.

[smokie36]

i sometimes wonder if I'm living in a different Thailand to half of TV.

I have done the Swampy to Sukhumvit taxi run around 100 times since it's opened. It is ALWAYS around 220-250 plus the tolls plus the 50 baht levy. Only once did it reach 300 and that was because I hit the rush hour - big deal.

And yet everyone else on TV seems to have only bad experiences.

Allegedly.

I agree with you. I've done the run from the airport many times for 350 Baht including tolls.

The return from Asoke is a shade under 200 Baht if you don't use the tollway. Often have to negotiate a few drivers before getting in a cab though. Never with the guys sitting around outside the hotel.

Edited March 18, 2012 by smokie36

[NanLaew]

....since otherwise they would be dead-heading back out of the airport without a fare. ...

They don't. They loop around and get in the queue downstairs. Taxi drivers are generally lazy sods and the airport run gives them a decent 2-way fare and time for a nap. If it wasn't a money maker for them, taxi's would be unwilling to take fares to the airport.

how can you say that taxis are lazy sods? its incredible to read such nonsense ... my wife's uncle is a cabbie and works everyday ( thats right 7 days a week, starting at 7 am till 7 PM ).... he's the bread winner for his familly and borders on nervous breakdown when his cab get immobilized for repairs ... and 90% of cabbies in bangkok fit this description.

I said generally. So your wife's uncle is a decent and honest cabbie... well done.

I base my statement on the majority of wanke_rs cabbies that lurk around the tourist traps, eating noodles or napping with a cardboard sign stuck on the nearest pole saying "Airport 800 baht" or some such nonsense. The ones that don't turn the meter on before they pull away and then say, 'Up to you..' when you ask how much. The chancers, the fly-boys, the ones that never have change, the oxygen wasting scam artists... that's the ones I am referring to.

Not your wife's uncle.

[IMA_FARANG]

Hasn't anybody else realised yet that after the bombings in Bangkok there is a security crackdown under way at Swampy?

Everyone coming in or going out is being observed more closely, now.

Why do you think many of the immigration booths are unmanned?

And there you were, undoubtably putting your luggage into a taxi you stopped on the DEPARTURE level.

Don't you see how something like that would make a spooked security guard nervous?

Think about it,

[bubba]

Another "me too" on your post, although out of 100 or so trips, I did get a fast meter one time, about two months ago. About halfway home I mentioned to the driver "you know, at this point the fare is usually about 100 baht, but your meter is showing 180 baht". He apologised profusely and said that this was a rented taxi that he had just picked up today, and told me just to pay him whatever the fare usually is. I don't know if that would have been the case had I not known what the fare was supposed to be, but still, one out of 100 isn't bad.

i sometimes wonder if I'm living in a different Thailand to half of TV.

I have done the Swampy to Sukhumvit taxi run around 100 times since it's opened. It is ALWAYS around 220-250 plus the tolls plus the 50 baht levy. Only once did it reach 300 and that was because I hit the rush hour - big deal.

And yet everyone else on TV seems to have only bad experiences.

Allegedly.

[sprq]

The advantages of taking a taxi at the departures level, in order of usefulness:

1) you save 50 baht

2) you don't have to queue

3) you can choose a decent taxi

No.3 is the killer. Avoiding rattletraps is the top priority when taking a Thai taxi. If you try that in the official queue, you get a lot of problems, and can even be shunned by all the drivers.

[wpcoe]

I don't think the taxis from the metered stand on the bottom floor have any higher percentage of rigged meters, but what I've heard *some* drivers do is turn on the meter while still waiting in the queue, so that when you enter the taxi, it's not starting from "zero" (B37 is it,now?). The only way to avoid that scam would be to make sure the meter is started or reset while you are in the taxi.

[endure]

I don't get all the paranoia about the taxi booths and their taxis- i come in and out of Swampy 2-3 times per month and always use the taxi booth system, never had any problems at all.

I used to think the same, but the last 2 times I took a taxi from Swampy to the Asoke area, the meters were definitely rigged. It's a 220-250 baht ride, but these meters came in at 400 and 450 baht- and traffic wasn't anywhere near bad enough to explain the discrepancy.

most of the taxis at the airport taxi rank have had their meters rigged. i have taken three taxis from the rank to my house, and the fares were 800, 900 and 500 baht, excluding the toll fare. now i always get taxis outside departures, and have always got the 500 baht fare. when i was in the taxi from the rank, i was watching the meter and it definitely increments faster.

How does that work then? All the taxis that collect passengers from Arrivals have rigged meters but all the taxis that collect passengers from Departures don't? That means there must be two sets of taxis, one with rigged meters and one without. Why would the 'departures' taxis not rig their meters too? Are they philanthropists?

[smokie36]

Pfft...just point at the meter and laugh when you reach your destination. The driver will soon get the message. Give him the usual fare and be on your way.

These rigged meters are for the newbies...fair enough...just let 'em know it aint you....

[kruangfaifar]

Me too. No trouble. I guess some drivers aren't happy that they have been waiting for hours for a fare only to see a taxi outside the system steal their fare

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[thaicbr]

Maybe for some locations.. but for those going to say Pattaya, I have never once had them use the meter.

They are not obliged to use the meters when they leave the Bangkok metropolitan area.

bullshit. they are required to use the meter at all times. that is a lie told by the taxi service downstairs. they usef to even have the price up to 1000kms hanging on the seat a few years ago. don't just listen to the taxi mafia downstairs.

[thaicbr]

....since otherwise they would be dead-heading back out of the airport without a fare. ...

They don't. They loop around and get in the queue downstairs. Taxi drivers are generally lazy sods and the airport run gives them a decent 2-way fare and time for a nap. If it wasn't a money maker for them, taxi's would be unwilling to take fares to the airport.

taxis can only join the queue if they have paid up membership

[martin81]

I have also experienced rigged meters at downstairs taxi line. Me and my family got 2 taxis and both had meters that were running more than 50% too fast.

I also believe normal taxis are not allowed to join the taxi line downstairs. There is some kind of membership.

[bendix]

Maybe for some locations.. but for those going to say Pattaya, I have never once had them use the meter.

They are not obliged to use the meters when they leave the Bangkok metropolitan area.

bullshit. they are required to use the meter at all times. that is a lie told by the taxi service downstairs. they usef to even have the price up to 1000kms hanging on the seat a few years ago. don't just listen to the taxi mafia downstairs.

Adding the word bullshit as a way of empasising the force of your view doesnt make it true.

It is a truism around the world that if a taxi trip takes them outside of their metropolitan boundaries, they are free to negotiate the fee, on the basis that they will likely have to come back with no passengers.

[smokie36]

Maybe for some locations.. but for those going to say Pattaya, I have never once had them use the meter.

They are not obliged to use the meters when they leave the Bangkok metropolitan area.

bullshit. they are required to use the meter at all times. that is a lie told by the taxi service downstairs. they usef to even have the price up to 1000kms hanging on the seat a few years ago. don't just listen to the taxi mafia downstairs.

Adding the word bullshit as a way of empasising the force of your view doesnt make it true.

It is a truism around the world that if a taxi trip takes them outside of their metropolitan boundaries, they are free to negotiate the fee, on the basis that they will likely have to come back with no passengers.

Indeed a Bangkok taxi touting for fares in Pattaya is likely to be looked upon unfavourably by the locals.