Taxi'S - Love 'Em Or Hate 'Em... I Hate 'Em Today!

[h90]

I'm not too keen on the "BKK taxi experience", but I don't blame the drivers- I blame the system.

Between their cost to lease the car and taxi permit, their cost of fuel and the low km fares and wait-o-meter increments they're locked into, I'm surprised they don't all cheat just to make a living.

Yes, I get frustrated when I have 3 or 4 in a row that refuse to take me to the most crowded corner of Sukhumvit on a Friday at 5:00 PM. Then the 5th one suggested he'd drop me off at a nearby BTS station, saving me an hour of traffic and over a hundred baht of wait-o-meter fee.

Do the math yourself, then decide whether you'd put up with the crap they put up with to bring home what they bring home....

full costs basically nothing....good/smart taxis can easily make a 500-1000 Baht profit per day which isn't bad for Thailand.

[barky]

I'm not too keen on the "BKK taxi experience", but I don't blame the drivers- I blame the system.

Between their cost to lease the car and taxi permit, their cost of fuel and the low km fares and wait-o-meter increments they're locked into, I'm surprised they don't all cheat just to make a living.

Yes, I get frustrated when I have 3 or 4 in a row that refuse to take me to the most crowded corner of Sukhumvit on a Friday at 5:00 PM. Then the 5th one suggested he'd drop me off at a nearby BTS station, saving me an hour of traffic and over a hundred baht of wait-o-meter fee.

Do the math yourself, then decide whether you'd put up with the crap they put up with to bring home what they bring home....

My simple answer to your 2nd paragraph is, if drivers don't make enough money, don't take it out on the passenger (westerner) as they didn't make the rules, just get out of the business and get another job more suitable to your (driver's) disposition and intelligence like "a policeman" lol.

[draftvader]

This has been covered before, but it happened again to me today (and yesterday, and the day before, etc). There are basically 3 types of taxi driver when you are flagging taxis:

You flag them and:

a. They wind down the window. The following conversation basically need not happen. Today's example heard me speaking Thai (had been eye-ing 4 farang with a baby in the rain) and just said "No!". Other versions include "I don't know" and "Yes, BXXX".

b. They don't open the window and you have to open the door. They are going to take you, but there is a good chance of suicidal driving, tutting and/or body odour.

c. They just nod when you look at them. Game on for a decent taxi driver.

Edited August 11, 2012 by draftvader

[farang000999]

taxi driver probably one of the worst jobs around. what do you expect? if they could earn a living wage they might not be so miserable.

[h90]

taxi driver probably one of the worst jobs around. what do you expect? if they could earn a living wage they might not be so miserable.

I think you don't know bad jobs....

[farang000999]

it is a pretty crappy job. what is worse? factory worker, okay. what else?

[draftvader]

it is a pretty crappy job. what is worse? factory worker, okay. what else?

Is your imagination really THAT impaired?

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[StreetCowboy]

We got two taxis this evening; the first was a bit surly, didn't really want to take us, and negotiated to avoid going into the thick of the traffic. He nearly went to a different BTS than we had agreed as well, but we were having none of that. Wouldn't have made a lot of difference to us (maybe five baht and a couple of minutes), and might have been more convenient for him for his next fare. The second, no problems and seat belts in the back. I don;t know how you guys find the rogues and cheats.

The only night I was really cursing the taxi drivers, was a night of a bus strike; of course, I hadn't realised this at the time, and thought - "Helpmaboab, that traffics dreadful, I'll pop into tesco to do my shopping." So it was pissing down with rain, there was not a taxi to be found, the traffic was like cold treacle, and I had big bags of shopping so I couldn't just go up to Soi Cowboy for a couple of hours. and then a clanged my shin on an <deleted> municipal pavement obstruction, and scarred myself for life. Anyway, I still got home... And not really the taxi driver's fault. But don't get me started on tuk-tuk drivers or the charlatans that loiter round Hua Hin Station...

SC

[farang000999]

it is a pretty crappy job. what is worse? factory worker, okay. what else?

Is your imagination really THAT impaired?

still waiting.

[Scottythai]

I have never had much issues with them. I have a condo in Sukhumvit and one in Ratchyothin. In Sukhumvit its always best to get to the main road and not try to get on on what ever Soi your on. They always think your a tourist and try for the I want XXX Baht. In Ratchyothin they bend over backwards to pick you up. Love that area taxis are generaly clean there. But the one bad thing I can not stand is getting inot a Taxi that stinks of Som Tam or Strong Garlic. Thats a deal breaker for me I just hop out and wave another down.

[StreetCowboy]

If it hadn't been so windy, it would have started tipping down stair-rods the moment I stepped outside the apartment. I walked down to the main road, about two hundred yards, and I was piss-wet through by the time I got there - I was glad I had my jacket on. But the first taxi with his "for hire" light on stopped, and took me to the airport without question; andhe drove reasonably sensibly considering we were aquaplaning along with him with his hand out the window to feel way ahead. And a very cheerful young man he was, too.

Had a pretty good driver in KL as well. I went to the 'pay-in-advance' counter, rather than haggling with the charlatans, chancers and rogues, and got a nice new cab; fixed price less than I expected, and a good brisk drive home.

SC

[LucidLucifer]

I'd say, overall, my experiences of Bangkok taxis is good. Yes, sometimes they don't want to take you, or if in a tourist area don't want to use the meter, but that is their choice and if they don't want to use the meter I exercise my choice of not going with them.

I've had the odd bad experience but it is a small percentage of the total jouneys i've made. My two biggest complaints would be heavy right foots, some drivers can be downright scary, and as another poster said, some drivers do have a bit of a body odour issue.

[StreetCowboy]

The one thing that annoys me is their inherent shyness about waking up steaming drunk somnolent farang... and I get really annoyed if they get themselves on the tollway and half-way to Pattaya with ten km before the next u-turn. But compared to other incidents that could befall you in such a state, one should retain a sense of humour...

[payak]

was going to dreamworld, thre driver fell asleep at a high rate of speed,

i asked him to be careful, politely.

several minutes later he decided to demand a high price mid drive despite the meter being on, I refused as he wanted so much and he let me and the wife out on the side of the road, we were in the middle of knowhere, and he was to old to hit.

waited ages for another cab to pass

[giddyup]

Don't offten use taxis as I live in Pattaya and drive everywhere. However, just spent the weekend in BKK and had to get a taxi from On Nut to the brother-in-law's restaurant, at least a 15 minute (maybe 20) ride away. The taxi driver who picked me up spoke excellent English, was very polite and chatty and best of all, the fare came to 59 baht! I couldn't believe it. A taxi ride for that distance would have set me back around at least $15 (450 baht) in Australia.

[nocturn]

i personally cant imagine Bangkok without the convenience of taxis.

certainly there are problem spots, but these are easily recoginzed and avoided.

i have a friend with a condo near the sathorn/narathiwat intersection.

if i say Narathiwat it is a no go. If i say Sathorn, no problem.

i would much rather grab a taxi in Bangkok at 6 pm than in Singapore