Asking "permission" From Taxi Drivers

[rascalman]

TIT is your answer! THIS IS THAILAND. Get used to it or leave!

[Ajaan]

I'm not going to push her into a confrontation with a fellow Thai;

Firstly, why would you want to push anyone into a confrontation with anyone, irrespective of their nationality?

Secondly, you have your own, kinda 'these are the rules, I'm gonna make people stick to them' way of getting taxis, but your wife and plenty of other people (myself included) have their own way of doing things.

Relax. This is small stuff. You could, if you wanted to, turn it into big 'I know I'm right and I'm gonna prove it' stuff, but where would it get you?

It might get you to where you're going slightly quicker, but it might also get you nowhere, fast.

Why pick a fight over taxis? Hardly worth it really. Attempting to modify other people's behaviour is, in my opinion, rarely successful, contentious, argumentative, annoying, and slightly egotistical.

Many things are cultural differences, some things are just differences in the way individuals behave.

I think this is the latter.

I mostly agree with your assessment. Here's an example of where, regrettably, I pushed my wife into a confrontation with the girl at True TV. We went in to cancel our service; I knew we would have to pay 1 extra month of service since we'd missed the cut-off date to cancel for the current month. Then the girl says we'll have to pay for TWO months of service, for reasons unknown. I knew this was wrong, but she was intransigent after talking it over nicely. I told my wife to translate: "We've checked the website, we understand the rules, we know we have to pay 1 extra month, but not two months." My wife was reluctant to translate, but she did.

In the end, we got what we came for and paid only one month, but the True lady was embarrassed (wouldn't come out of the back room) and my wife was p.o.'d at me. If felt like I was the victim here (in the right, but nobody cared). After that, I truly understood winning the battle but losing the war; it's generally not worth it.

As far as being "contentious, argumentative, annoying, and slightly egotistical" these are latent qualities in my persona that I constantly struggle with. You have diagnosed me well. In past lives (military officer & corporate manager) these traits served me well, but I try to put these attributes behind me in the spirit of mai bpen rai. Still, they are hard habits to break.

I also agree this is small stuff and I try to relax, but when it's rush hour, everyone's trying to flag a taxi, rain is coming (after which getting a cab will be impossible) and in a 20-minute period 3 taxis have declined my particular destination, that's about the time I run out of patience. So yeah, chalk this up to my personality flaw; fair enough. But still, at that point I'm not in the mood to ask the driver if it's convenient. He's on duty and I need a ride; it's a simple equation.

Ahhh...now we're getting to the root of the problem. You need to learn to speak Thai, so you can interact with Thais yourself, like an adult.

Just think about how you look at immigrants to your country who live there for years and don't learn the language. Not very favorably, I bet.

If you're going to live in Thailand, you should speak the language. Pure and simple. Then you can fight your own battles, and take care of yourself in situations such as taking taxis and negotiating with salespeople.

Back to the specific taxi issue: I'm betting this has a lot to do with language as well. I myself can count on one hand the times during 14 years visiting (six of them living in) Thailand I've had problems with taxi drivers. I hear countless tales of scams, rudeness, etc., and several of my acquaintances regularly get into altercations with taxi drivers, and one has been punched twice by taxi drivers. What's the commonality among all these acquaintances? They don't know how to speak Thai, despite--in some cases--having lived there for years.

Yes, I have drivers refuse to take me to my destination sometimes (I always ask before getting in). Is it technically illegal for them to do so? Yes. Is it annoying? Yes. But it's a minor annoyance, and I just roll with it. Way too minor to get upset about, and certainly way too minor to get in an argument with anyone about.

Learn patience; eventually a taxi driver will take you where you want to go, just maybe not the first one you ask. And for crying out loud, learn to speak Thai if you're going to live in Thailand.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Ajaan

[Tatsujin]

I also get pissed off when told by the 6th cabbie in a row that he doesn't want to take me where I want to go to . . . which is straight down Sukhumvit . . .15 mins tops. But such is life in Thailand. I have to remind myself not to get wound up over the little things, and when it comes to taxis I simply now look for the 'older' driver and ask them . . . 99 times out of 100 they have no problems taking me wherever I want to go. It's the "younger" drivers that always refuse.

[kurnell]

I live in Bangkapi and can rarely get a taxi to come out this way. Which I understand. When I want to go from Asoke to Thonglor and they refuse, then that is just being an ass, and they deserve a bollocking.

[Cleveland]

I understand arround 4:00 pm, some taxi will change their shift, they have to turn the taxi to some one else to drive, and they can not go any where that you wish to..

Then turn the for hire light out and don't accept passengers. Problem solved.

[eddiefalcon]

I agree 100% with the OP. All the expats I know are like me. When a taxi driver refuses to take you where he knows full well he should be taking you, he is being a lazy ass and deserves to be told that. The simple "open his rear door trick" works wonders. I do it every time and everyone else I know does. Sooner or later the message will get through.

I don't get angry, I don;t pick a fight, I just open the door once I have told them the law states they should accept the fare. This is enough to make the point.

In my view anyone who does not take action and just accepts it has been here too long! This is not Thai culture or the Thai way - it's just plain ignorance and laziness and continues because most Thais are too subservient to speak out.

Well those of us who are lucky enough to have come from other cultures where we are taught not to accept breaking the law, have a duty to pass on our experience for th good of all.

It's simple. You want to drive a taxi and get paid for the work. Do the job properly! Follow the rules and treat your customer with respect which means don't pick your nose, don't spit, turn the meter on and don't refuse a valid fare....

Don't like the rules, get another job!

I am sure I'll be told I'm arroagnt etc etc but that is rubbish. For all those who want to accept Thailand the way it is, where are you planning on drawing the line in their culture? Rude taxis, ok?, beating women - not ok?, leaving kids to fry in school buses - not ok? Thailand is a great place but accepting the things that are wrong helps no-one!!!

[Newguy70]

TIT is your answer! THIS IS THAILAND. Get used to it or leave!

Typical attitude of someone who has been here way too long. Edited April 17, 2013 by Newguy70

[ricklev]

I agree 100% with the OP. All the expats I know are like me. When a taxi driver refuses to take you where he knows full well he should be taking you, he is being a lazy ass and deserves to be told that. The simple "open his rear door trick" works wonders. I do it every time and everyone else I know does. Sooner or later the message will get through.

I don't get angry, I don;t pick a fight, I just open the door once I have told them the law states they should accept the fare. This is enough to make the point.

In my view anyone who does not take action and just accepts it has been here too long! This is not Thai culture or the Thai way - it's just plain ignorance and laziness and continues because most Thais are too subservient to speak out.

Well those of us who are lucky enough to have come from other cultures where we are taught not to accept breaking the law, have a duty to pass on our experience for th good of all.

It's simple. You want to drive a taxi and get paid for the work. Do the job properly! Follow the rules and treat your customer with respect which means don't pick your nose, don't spit, turn the meter on and don't refuse a valid fare....

Don't like the rules, get another job!

I am sure I'll be told I'm arroagnt etc etc but that is rubbish. For all those who want to accept Thailand the way it is, where are you planning on drawing the line in their culture? Rude taxis, ok?, beating women - not ok?, leaving kids to fry in school buses - not ok? Thailand is a great place but accepting the things that are wrong helps no-one!!!

The system is what it is. It's unrealistic to expect the driver to never say no. And let's not forget that it's the Thai system that allows an unlimited number of taxis, an abundance to be sure, at prices so cheap it feels like its almost free. All resting on the backs of the poor bastards who drive them.

Edited April 17, 2013 by ricklev

[Cleveland]

TIT is your answer! THIS IS THAILAND. Get used to it or leave!

What a moronic thing to say!

Is that the best you can do with your few remaining brain cells whenever anyone has any criticisms of the country?

[pete66]

I also get pissed off when told by the 6th cabbie in a row that he doesn't want to take me where I want to go to . . . which is straight down Sukhumvit . . .15 mins tops. But such is life in Thailand. I have to remind myself not to get wound up over the little things, and when it comes to taxis I simply now look for the 'older' driver and ask them . . . 99 times out of 100 they have no problems taking me wherever I want to go. It's the "younger" drivers that always refuse.

Straight down Sukhumvit? Wasn't that what the skytrain was invented for?????????

[FDog]

pete66, on 17 Apr 2013 - 22:54, said:

Tatsujin, on 17 Apr 2013 - 18:40, said:

I also get pissed off when told by the 6th cabbie in a row that he doesn't want to take me where I want to go to . . . which is straight down Sukhumvit . . .15 mins tops. But such is life in Thailand. I have to remind myself not to get wound up over the little things, and when it comes to taxis I simply now look for the 'older' driver and ask them . . . 99 times out of 100 they have no problems taking me wherever I want to go. It's the "younger" drivers that always refuse.

Straight down Sukhumvit? Wasn't that what the skytrain was invented for?????????

Isn't that his choice on how to travel?

[FDog]

I agree 100% with the OP. All the expats I know are like me. When a taxi driver refuses to take you where he knows full well he should be taking you, he is being a lazy ass and deserves to be told that. The simple "open his rear door trick" works wonders. I do it every time and everyone else I know does. Sooner or later the message will get through.

I don't get angry, I don;t pick a fight, I just open the door once I have told them the law states they should accept the fare. This is enough to make the point.

In my view anyone who does not take action and just accepts it has been here too long! This is not Thai culture or the Thai way - it's just plain ignorance and laziness and continues because most Thais are too subservient to speak out.

Well those of us who are lucky enough to have come from other cultures where we are taught not to accept breaking the law, have a duty to pass on our experience for th good of all.

It's simple. You want to drive a taxi and get paid for the work. Do the job properly! Follow the rules and treat your customer with respect which means don't pick your nose, don't spit, turn the meter on and don't refuse a valid fare....

Don't like the rules, get another job!

I am sure I'll be told I'm arroagnt etc etc but that is rubbish. For all those who want to accept Thailand the way it is, where are you planning on drawing the line in their culture? Rude taxis, ok?, beating women - not ok?, leaving kids to fry in school buses - not ok? Thailand is a great place but accepting the things that are wrong helps no-one!!!

The system is what it is. It's unrealistic to expect the driver to never say no. And let's not forget that it's the Thai system that allows an unlimited number of taxis, an abundance to be sure, at prices so cheap it feels like its almost free. All resting on the backs of the poor bastards who drive them.

It may be cheap to westerners but it isn't to Thais.

It is also the Thai system to say it is illegal to say no. If the light is on then they have to take the fare.

If the driver is on the way home then keep the light off and then he can stop to ask where you want to go and refuse. If the light is on then take the fare.

Quite simple really

[pilm]

The OP is an advertisement for people who are not able to live peacefully in Thailand.

I predict many years of anger, frustration and hate building up inside.

[USNret]

The OP is an advertisement for people who are not able to live peacefully in Thailand.

I predict many years of anger, frustration and hate building up inside.

Actually, I feel very much at peace and appreciate every day that I get to be in Thailand. Thank you for your concern and street corner psychoanalysis. Trust me... I don't let taxi wars rule my life.

Edited April 17, 2013 by USNret

[pilm]

The OP is an advertisement for people who are not able to live peacefully in Thailand.

I predict many years of anger, frustration and hate building up inside.

Actually, I feel very much at peace and appreciate every day that I get to be in Thailand.

Yes, very much at peace.

"I pushed my wife into a confrontation with the girl at True TV."

"As far as being "contentious, argumentative, annoying, and slightly egotistical" these are latent qualities in my persona that I constantly struggle with."

"it's rush hour, everyone's trying to flag a taxi, rain is coming (after which getting a cab will be impossible) and in a 20-minute period 3 taxis have

declined my particular destination, that's about the time I run out of patience. So yeah, chalk this up to my personality flaw; fair enough."

"try teaching higher math to a cab driver, much less teach them driving skills."

"Maybe a better to way to say it is they have come to accept p-poor customer service. Either way, I agree with you; it rubs me the wrong

way."

A perfect image of someone at peace with Thai society.

[HoudiniXLogic]

OK, here here guys, the Taxi's here refuse everybody if they are too lazy, just the Thai's know how to turn that no into a yes. I've gotten refused, then said some little sob-story to him like "Man, I've been refused by 20 cabs tonight. Please man, I hope you are 'jai boon' enough to understand the hardship of people."

And another time, I'm just walking a line of cabs being refused by all of them. A cab down the line, an older gentleman in his 50's asked me "hey boy where do you need to go? All these cabs are rented, they're going nowhere. I own my car so I dont have to follow the shifts." I got in, told him I needed to go to ramkamhaeng and he took me.

Thing is, you can't get hung up on cabs. You'll be saving time if you just close the door on them before they finish saying "mai pai" and move onto the next one.

Thai people have grown up here for multiple generations with numerous examples in society of people breaking the law(s) and getting away with it. Like Captain Hector Barbossa said [about the Brethren Code], "is more what you call 'guidelines' than actual rules".

[Tatsujin]

I also get pissed off when told by the 6th cabbie in a row that he doesn't want to take me where I want to go to . . . which is straight down Sukhumvit . . .15 mins tops. But such is life in Thailand. I have to remind myself not to get wound up over the little things, and when it comes to taxis I simply now look for the 'older' driver and ask them . . . 99 times out of 100 they have no problems taking me wherever I want to go. It's the "younger" drivers that always refuse.

Straight down Sukhumvit? Wasn't that what the skytrain was invented for?????????

Hilarious Pete . . . try getting the Skytrain at 3am one day and see how far you get

[Tanuki]

Your frustration is not justified. If you do not like "sticking your head in", the simple solution

is , don't use taxis. Either walk or use a bus.

Taxis may be a public service, but they have every right to decide who to let into their cars

and where they want to go, as much as you can decide who to let any salesman into your

house.

Wrong.

[Tanuki]

you are on their turf, what if the positions were reversed,

would you like some farang telling you how to do your job?

Yeah the problem is they are NOT doing their job friend.

[Gassit]

After several years of battling taxi drivers in the Philippines - and yes the law there is they cannot refuse a fare - I find the best strategy is the middle path.

I always get in first and tell the driver where I want to go - I have learnt that to be assertive (firm but polite) often works . I have used the same strategy in Thailand over the past few months and it seems to be working OK for me. I have also taken the trouble to learn taxi Thai - the basic phrases - which seems to help.

If the taxi driver refuses to go after a minute or so of firm discussion - then I calmly get out and wait for another taxi - no slamming of the door! I think just meekly surrendering to the driver's first response reinforces the wrong behaviour - just like being too insistent or getting angry and stressed out also sends a bad message.

Sure sometimes I have to wait or walk for a while. I have explained my strategy to my Thai GF - at first she tried to tell me not to bother after the initial refusal - but now it seems like she accepts to accept it because she is becoming confident it won't end in a big argument.

Treat it like a game, smile and don't get mad.

[N47HAN]

May I join you on planet farang !!

Obnoxious , arragant forieners that still stick to western idealisms should not be in the East .

Its a godamn taxi ride <deleted>.

Does no one else have better things to complain about !

[easybullet3]

I'm not going to push her into a confrontation with a fellow Thai;

Firstly, why would you want to push anyone into a confrontation with anyone, irrespective of their nationality?

Secondly, you have your own, kinda 'these are the rules, I'm gonna make people stick to them' way of getting taxis, but your wife and plenty of other people (myself included) have their own way of doing things.

Why do you want to change her behaviour? What difference would it make? If you flag a taxi down, state your destination and you get "ไม่ไป" as the response, get another one.

Relax. This is small stuff. You could, if you wanted to, turn it into big 'I know I'm right and I'm gonna prove it' stuff, but where would it get you?

It might get you to where you're going slightly quicker, but it might also get you nowhere, fast.

Why pick a fight over taxis? Hardly worth it really. Attempting to modify other people's behaviour is, in my opinion, rarely successful, contentious, argumentative, annoying, and slightly egotistical.

Many things are cultural differences, some things are just differences in the way individuals behave.

I think this is the latter.

While I (slightly) agree with "Bifftastic", I think you are missing the point.

for people that often take taxis around bangkok, its frustrating when you get a whole line of taxi drivers 'shaking their head' (coz they know its a traffic area).

how would that be in other countries if all the taxi's say "no" to you?

Of course, sometimes a person has patience and doesn't mind waiting a few taxis.

but if its a constant thing,,, and if it happens often, it would make anyone frustrated.

if you are really desperate, then you could always sit in the taxi (before you say where you are going), and then refuse to get out.

you can call up the Tourist Police,,, 1155

or, you can call up the Taxi Reporting Hotline: 1197 (to report taxi drivers that refuse your fare) he will get a 500 baht fine if you manage to report him successfully.

you can take a photo of his ID on the Window, and also take a photo of the Yellow Sign on the door (that shows his taxi ID code).

if there are any Police near-by, then call then to your car.. and they will tell him to take you,.

Of course, ALL of the above actions will get you in a real big fight with your wife!!!

at the very least, you could take pics of the offending taxi Licences and Numbers and report them to the 1197 hotline.

- at least they will receive a fine for their behaviour.

(but the hotline has Thai Speakers). your wife would have to report them.

BUT: of course, its MUCH better to forget about these drivers and get the next taxi and have a nice stress-free day

[maddas]

as a blow in tourist, twice of 1 mth I agree totally with the op, if its on the menu I should be able to order, 4 english speaking chemists and different answers for a non script drug, 20 cabs refuse to take in bkk, amazing, but I just smile as I have time on my side, eventually I get what I want but thai lady hopeless in her own country, chokdee

[doctorproc156]

I'm honestly not too bothered about this simply because of the sheer amount of taxis in Bangkok. If this one says no there are probably a few 100 behind them and they are likely to take you where ever you would want to go. The only time i've been denied repeatedly (4 times) was when I was trying to take a taxi from opposite Panthip plaza to go to Ekkamai soi 10 around 6:30 PM (the traffic was horrendous).

[allalong]

Thais dont like to confront anyone even when they know they are correct. Crazy attitude

Sent from my GT-S7500L using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[robblok]

May I join you on planet farang !!

Obnoxious , arragant forieners that still stick to western idealisms should not be in the East .

Its a godamn taxi ride <deleted>.

Does no one else have better things to complain about !

You were put on your place a nr of times, its the law and if it was important enough for the Thais to get upset about and put it into writing and start a campaign there must really have been a problem. This was not invented by arrogant farangs this was made for Thais because there was a problem. There still is there is even an app (in Thai) to report Taxi's that refuse you. (again it shows that the problem is there and Thais acknowledge it)

Its a big bother to many people myself included. It is a bigger bother to Thais than farangs. I have heard many Thais complain about it.

As for the wife not liking confrontations, i learned to speak a bit of Thai and now i confront them myself if i think im in my right.

Last time i was called to pick up my repaired UPS only to arrive at the shop to hear it was not repaired. After telling them that i came from far and only because the called and that this was bad service they looked a bit further and found it repaired and all. Sometimes it helps to stand your ground and be a bit confrontational.

I know my gf does not like it so I do it myself and it works, of course it all depends how you do it and if you are right or not. But being able to speak some Thai an complain to them directly helps a lot as your not putting your partner on a spot. Though i have dated Thai girls who were far more confrontational then me so its also a personal thing.

[luckyluke]

Lucky people you are there in Bangkok, here in Pattaya, no taxi will put his meter on, and only will do the travels they want, no option by calling the police, they will not interfere.

[robblok]

Lucky people you are there in Bangkok, here in Pattaya, no taxi will put his meter on, and only will do the travels they want, no option by calling the police, they will not interfere.

Sure in general taxi's in BKK are great but there is a problem too else the Thais would not have made those laws and else i would not have heard complaints about taxi's from other Thais. I even had a discussion about it with a taxi driver who did pick me up after many had refused. He wondered why they had become taxi drivers if they did not want to pick people up.

I have some of the nicest conversation with taxi drivers helps met o improve on my Thai, though its also quite frustrating if taxi after taxi refuses you.

[rgs2001uk]

I'm honestly not too bothered about this simply because of the sheer amount of taxis in Bangkok. If this one says no there are probably a few 100 behind them and they are likely to take you where ever you would want to go. The only time i've been denied repeatedly (4 times) was when I was trying to take a taxi from opposite Panthip plaza to go to Ekkamai soi 10 around 6:30 PM (the traffic was horrendous).

Why not just get the boat from Pratunam to Ekamai?

At that time quicker and cheaper.

[Razzler1973]

Taxis may be a public service, but they have every right to decide who to let into their cars and where they want to go, as much as you can decide who to let any salesman into your

house.

Erm, no, not really.

These are not private taxis whizzing about deciding if they fancy stopping or not it's their bloody job!