Bkk Taxis

[kawaiimomo]

On monday night I went to have dinner with a friend between Phaya Thai and Ratchatewi BTS stations. After the dinner I tried to flag down a taxi to go back home (Phra Ram 9). First one told me 200 baht, no surprise so I continued my search. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th all told me just no. I was expecting them trying not to put the meter, but they didn't even offer a fare. This reminds me of an old post about ignoring taxis when they talk to you from the window :-P Finally I took the BTS because even I was expecting something like that I was starting to lose my cool temper.

I wonder if I just look stupid or I had bad luck and all those 4 taxis didn't want to go to my area. I said to them were I was going in Thai, btw. Oh, flames to /dev/null :-P

[bendix]

On monday night I went to have dinner with a friend between Phaya Thai and Ratchatewi BTS stations. After the dinner I tried to flag down a taxi to go back home (Phra Ram 9). First one told me 200 baht, no surprise so I continued my search. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th all told me just no. I was expecting them trying not to put the meter, but they didn't even offer a fare. This reminds me of an old post about ignoring taxis when they talk to you from the window :-P Finally I took the BTS because even I was expecting something like that I was starting to lose my cool temper.

I wonder if I just look stupid or I had bad luck and all those 4 taxis didn't want to go to my area. I said to them were I was going in Thai, btw. Oh, flames to /dev/null :-P

Right. Ok.

What's the punch line?

[kawaiimomo]

LOL, no punch line, I just want to know how to make one of those taxis to pick me up and deliver me to my place. And putting the meter would be nice too :-P

[ayayay]

two days ago, I was at soi 24, wanted to go to soi 11, day time, I had 3 taxis that did not want to go, another one said, he wanted 150 thb.

Some taxi drivers are just really spoiled, and yes, those rolling down the window, instead of letting you open the door, are less likely to give you a ride.

[WhizBang]

Other than the taxi drivers that (in my opinion) are not legit drivers anyway, it seems mainly to depend on the time of day.

At certain times of the day the drivers change shifts, so unless you are on the way to the changeover point, they won't take you. Ditto if you want to go in the wrong direction or too far.

And then there is your destination. In rush hour traffic many drivers will not go into certain areas.

And lets not forget the taxi drivers that will park outside hotels or entertainment venues. I doubt any of them even know what the meter is for.

And lets not talk about trying to get a taxi in the rain

It's all just fun and games, until someone breaks a nail

[DP25]

Phaya Thai area is pretty busy in the evening, I've had problems getting a cab there before. In general it can be hard anywhere in the city to get a taxi if the traffic is bad and your location is difficult to get to. Or if they are near their shift change and want to get a ride back to their depot. Standing on certain side of the road can make a big difference as well. If the side your on is jammed or he has to make a long u-turn in traffic he is less likely to go. Sometimes I've been refused by half a dozen taxis on one side, then crossed the road, and gotten picked up on the first try. Sometimes it's easiest to just take the BTS a few stops past a traffic jam and get a cab from there.

Edited May 2, 2012 by DP25

[kawaiimomo]

Hey, thanks for the helpful replies ;-)

This happened at 23:00 11 pm so traffic jam was not an option. I thought all those guys were finishing shifts or just not wanting to leave the area where they were working and you are just verifying my initial thoughts. I guess I was just very unfortunate to flag down 4 taxis in a row with that thought :-)

It was quite astonishing to me that my Thai friend tried to flag down some taxis from Chitlom to Phaya Thai and 1 also tried to negotiate a fixed price, and about 2 or 3 didn't stop at all :-( If they are not willing to pick up people they should better turn off their light instead of making you feeling like a f%$#ing idiot....

[mrclough]

Was in Bangkok the other week and this sort of this happened everytime we tried to get a cab.

Seems they just see the colour of your skin and either are not interested off or see it as an opportunity to try and rip you off.

This was happening in the daytime as well as the evening.

On the up side, public transport seems to be improving constantly in Bangkok so with a bit of luck these will be the same guys crying into their cheap whisky & noodles when they have no customers and everyone has other options like MRT, BTS etc etc.

They are very short sighted when it comes to realising their use is getting less and less and their potential customers are getting more and more options not to put up with their BS.

[RedNIvar]

I believe there a couple of Taxi hubs around that area. Since it was close to midnight, there is a high probability that they were on their way to return the taxi. I believe their 12 hour rental expires around midnight. During this time the taxi might only pick you up if your destination in on the same direction as where they are heading to or if they are late, they might not stop as all. Most of these taxi's are out on 12 hour rental cycles, a very few of them are actually owned by the driver.

So I guess, you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. My guess is that half an hour earlier or later would probably have worked out for you.

[LuckyLew]

A taxi not wanting to give you a ride is common place everywhere in Bangkok

I have a new way of saying "thank you" when they do not want to take me

where I want to go. I just walk away and leave the taxi door open. This really

pisses them off .. and makes me smile

[beano2274]

If they want a hike in the fare prices, then I suggest that they take the fares and should not say "No".

[KHR1010]

Hey, thanks for the helpful replies ;-)

This happened at 23:00 11 pm so traffic jam was not an option. I thought all those guys were finishing shifts or just not wanting to leave the area where they were working and you are just verifying my initial thoughts. I guess I was just very unfortunate to flag down 4 taxis in a row with that thought :-)

It was quite astonishing to me that my Thai friend tried to flag down some taxis from Chitlom to Phaya Thai and 1 also tried to negotiate a fixed price, and about 2 or 3 didn't stop at all :-( If they are not willing to pick up people they should better turn off their light instead of making you feeling like a f%$#ing idiot....

Best not to let "feelings" be apart of your thought process here. There is not personal vendetta against you by the BKK taxi drivers. For some reason they did not want to go in your direction, it happens to everyone. Adopting a bit of the mai-ben-rai Thai mentality helps a lot when dealing with some of the more irritating issues of the city.

A good tip in this situation, if you are reasonably near a decent hotel, is to use the valet/concierge guys to flag you a taxi. Most 3 to 4 star and up hotels will write down the taxi license and time of departure, retaining a stub and giving you a tear-off stub. Utilizing this method will help accomplish a few things, 1. Criminal taxi drivers know the hotels write down the details of the cabs and stay away from hotels so as to avoid recourse from their fleecing of customers. 2. Taxi drivers do not turn down a fair from a hotel 99% of the time. 3. You will get a taxi that uses his meter. 4. Should something go wrong you have witnesses and a record of you entering the taxi.

[nontabury]

Last month I took a taxi from the airport to our condo,usual price 200bht,this time the chargs 350bht,and this was on the meter. I queried

this with the driver,who informed me that there had been an increase on all taxi rates,which I thought was BS. I decided not to argue, but instead took the details of the taxi. My wife then telephoned the taxi system help line, to explain the problem.They took all details and promised to return our call after investigating. Forward 3 weeks,no telephone call, so my wife rang them again to ask what had happened,they then told her they had no record of her call.So much for the so called help line, TYPICAL THAILAND.

[phuturatica]

It happens to me all the time. Sometimes I have been late for work as I've been going from taxi to taxi trying to get them to put the bloody meter on! Sometimes I just get in and push the start button on the meter myself. They get proper pissed when I do that though.

[benbear]

Once I wanted to go home from Samsen soi 4, it was 1:00 am and I was a little fuzzy. I live up Satree Nonthaburi school. Now I know it's 80 to 90 baht so I asked the taxi and he came out with 120 baht, nice, get in and lets go home. Turn up at my place, give him 120, smile and said thanks, try to open the door and it's locked. Look at him and he smiles and says " tip please "

Talked my way out of it, or did I talk my way in it. How you look at it I guess

Edited May 3, 2012 by benbear

[kurnell]

They are all <deleted>. I tried to flag a taxi from soi 23 to soi 33. The grumpy clod shook his head. I watched his taxi disappear into the distance and noted that he went past soi 33 anyway. Who knows what goes on in the mind of a blithering idiot

[djayz]

I think you just had a bit of bad luck. I've never been turned down by more that 2 taxi drivers (various parts of BKK). More times than not, they agree and turn on the meter without any if, ands or buts.

[jonclark]

I think you just had a bit of bad luck. I've never been turned down by more that 2 taxi drivers (various parts of BKK). More times than not, they agree and turn on the meter without any if, ands or buts.

I agree, in 15 years here apart from my naive first year, when i would get in the car and ask how much to ......... and can you blame them for giving me an exaggerated figure - i asked the question they gave me an answer - my choice to say yes or no.

Since, I have found it is very rare that a taxi driver does not turn his or her meter on. I agree they can be a pain in the backside when the shift changes.

[ayayay]

At certain times of the day the drivers change shifts, so unless you are on the way to the changeover point, they won't take you.

4-5 taxis in row?

Ditto if you want to go in the wrong direction or too far.

Soi 24 to soi 11, maybe 2 kilometer, not far at all, and I was only asking taxis going in my direction

[ayayay]

Once I wanted to go home from Samsen soi 4, it was 1:00 am and I was a little fuzzy. I live up Satree Nonthaburi school. Now I know it's 80 to 90 baht so I asked the taxi and he came out with 120 baht, nice, get in and lets go home. Turn up at my place, give him 120, smile and said thanks, try to open the door and it's locked. Look at him and he smiles and says " tip please "

Talked my way out of it, or did I talk my way in it. How you look at it I guess

Tell him to use the taxi meter, by agreeing to rbun without it, you have alredy set the standard that it is ok for you to be scammed

[ayayay]

A taxi not wanting to give you a ride is common place everywhere in Bangkok

I have a new way of saying "thank you" when they do not want to take me

where I want to go. I just walk away and leave the taxi door open. This really

pisses them off .. and makes me smile

Haha, thats a nasty one

Usually, when taxi drivers roll down their window instead of letting you open the door, they are most likely to be picky, and refuse you a ride. If they begin to roll down the window, i just ignore them, and simply wav another taxi in, that will make them really confused.

[edwardandtubs]

It seems highly unlikely, as has been suggested, that there is a fixed time for shift changing. This would create all sorts of admin and congestion problems. I'm sure they just change shifts throughout the day.