Bangkok taxi - taxi has meter, driver has no meter"?

[ETatBKK]

more and more taxi not using meter and hunt for a big shot.

yesterday at the taxi stand in front of the Siam Paragon, many tourists got into the taxi and drivers asked 'no meter'. the 'lazy' taxi coordinator piss-off the tourist by saying 'taxi has meter, driver has no meter' :- ( saw many angry faces.

[Chicog]

It's called a sense of entitlement.

[Somchai Mao]

If they won't use the meter don't get in unless you are in a massive hurry to get somewhere. They know they can always get a better fare if negotiated. To be fair though taxi prices compared to the West are dirt cheap.

[AlexRRR]

ive never taken a cab if not using the meter, if they can pick and choose there customers I can pick and choose the meter option, only once, wet Friday night in a traffic jam did "I" offer a nice sum to get me to the airport on time.

[krummi]

If they won't use the meter don't get in unless you are in a massive hurry to get somewhere. They know they can always get a better fare if negotiated. To be fair though taxi prices compared to the West are dirt cheap.

I have been in many situations where the driver confirmed use of the meter, once in the taxi starts driving and driver with a cheaky smile refuses to switch the meter on...

[whybother]

Don't use taxi stands outside hotels or popular tourists areas. Look for a taxi driving past.

If you get in and the driver says 'no meter', then get out.

[yourauntbob]

If they won't use the meter don't get in unless you are in a massive hurry to get somewhere. They know they can always get a better fare if negotiated. To be fair though taxi prices compared to the West are dirt cheap.

I have been in many situations where the driver confirmed use of the meter, once in the taxi starts driving and driver with a cheaky smile refuses to switch the meter on...

i will start insisting on meter or tell them to pull over in Thai. once you speak to them in Thai usually they will comply with one of the preceding options. its also not a bad idea to pull out your phone and let them know your calling the taxi company and tourist police.

[mrtoad]

Don't use taxi stands outside hotels or popular tourists areas. Look for a taxi driving past.

If you get in and the driver says 'no meter', then get out.

Agreed, had one at the airport trying on for no meter bargain price last week. Told him, I owuld get out. He then asked for 50 baht, which was not applicable, as I had got picked up from Departures. Anyway, he asked me for a tip when got to the destination, which I gave him, "don't try and con people , and you might get a tip". <deleted>, but there does seem to be a growing sense that they feel they can do this, or try it on.

[h90]

ive never taken a cab if not using the meter, if they can pick and choose there customers I can pick and choose the meter option, only once, wet Friday night in a traffic jam did "I" offer a nice sum to get me to the airport on time.

At some tourist places you may stay one hour and ask 20 taxis till you get one that will take you without meter.

(I must admit I also go a bit outside where no tourists go, so many of the taxis specialized on tourists don't want to go there anyway).

[Forethat]

its also not a bad idea to pull out your phone and let them know your calling the taxi company and tourist police.

You can do this if you feel like it, but personally I wouldn't waste my time. If I have made the mistake of getting in a taxi without negotiating the terms I'd simply man up and pay the fare. Confronting the guy by making phone calls (which could be seen as a threat) is not going to make things better at all. In fact, it could get you in all sorts of trouble.

[ETatBKK]

I used to stop 'running' taxi. of course some say go, some say don't, some say 'no meter'.

I won't mind to pay a bit of tips to those say GO at the first place. just keep the change within that THB20 note.

[jammai]

After about a year and a half her I got my first taxi that had a tampered meter even though I thought it was one of those urban myths, the journey I have taken many times is pretty much 14km on the dot his meter showed 32km.

Not a bad little earner if clocking up double the distance for each trip. I did point out to him that his meter was broken and should get it fixed but he pretended to not even understand my thai. However I did get a reaction when I said he was cheating before I left the taxi.

I thought about reporting him but I'm sure there will be plenty of others who will, unless he can switch it back to normal easily so just try's to pray on unsuspecting customers.

[prospero]

When I got in this situation, I took out my smartphone and photographed his licence. He turned on the meter.

[soundman]

When I got in this situation, I took out my smartphone and photographed his licence. He turned on the meter.

You were lucky. Some people have been known to end up staring at the wrong end of machetes or home made Samurai swords.

[Paangjang]

When I got in this situation, I took out my smartphone and photographed his licence. He turned on the meter.

You were lucky. Some people have been known to end up staring at the wrong end of machetes or home made Samurai swords.

Agree, don't try and push an uneducated Thai man into losing face. Not worth your life, your worth more than them. Also don't waste your time. As another post said "If they refuse to turn the meter on, don't speak just get out and get another." Simple

I've noticed the Yellow and green (Privately owned) taxi's tend to be more polite/fairer than the agency cabs (pink, blue etc)

[richard_smith237]

As a simple rule: the more foreigners around the less considerate / more problematic the taxi drivers are likely to be.... this seems exacerbated by darkness !

Outside of areas with greater numbers of foreigners around the taxis drivers are always far more affable.

It is a shame that about 5% of idiotic selfish morons tarnish the reputation of the majority of hard working taxi drivers trying to maj a living.

But then again we could say the same of 5% of the foreigners we see bumming about.

[N47HAN]

If they won't use the meter don't get in unless you are in a massive hurry to get somewhere. They know they can always get a better fare if negotiated. To be fair though taxi prices compared to the West are dirt cheap.

I have been in many situations where the driver confirmed use of the meter, once in the taxi starts driving and driver with a cheaky smile refuses to switch the meter on...

i will start insisting on meter or tell them to pull over in Thai. once you speak to them in Thai usually they will comply with one of the preceding options. its also not a bad idea to pull out your phone and let them know your calling the taxi company and tourist police.

I would say its a BAD idea to let them know while your in the cab . Unless of course your up for a confrontation with the pissed off cabbie

[Somchai Mao]

If they won't use the meter don't get in unless you are in a massive hurry to get somewhere. They know they can always get a better fare if negotiated. To be fair though taxi prices compared to the West are dirt cheap.

I have been in many situations where the driver confirmed use of the meter, once in the taxi starts driving and driver with a cheaky smile refuses to switch the meter on...

That's happened to me a few times. I just tell him to stop and I get out. No conversation, no money.

A couple of years ago I was unloading my bags from the boot of the taxi at the Dynasty Inn when the taxi driver decided to drive off with a small case in his boot. He knew exactly what he was doing, he didn't even close the boot. Luckily Soi 4 was busy and I caught him about 100 yards up the road. Idiot and I told him so, just be careful with these guys. Another time a bahtbus driver pulled a gun on me in Pattaya but that's a story for another time.

[CharlieH]

Had a situation Monday, taxi at Mochit, meter on when I got in, after 300 yds wanted to turn off , fix price too busy for traffic, I refused told him its 10pm not 5pm not busy, after 5 minutes car apparently had a problem, pulled over, I watched him and was doing nothing under the bonnet just looking at it, then he lit a cigarrette, meter ticking over, that was my cue to exit and paid him 40 baht what was on the meter and flagged another one down.

Seems to be more often than not now, that there is going to be some issue with bkk taxis. Used to be the odd occasion but its definately much worse! In chinatown next day stopped 10 in a row befoe one would take me with the meter.

[samuijimmy]

I took a taxi from Siam Centre on Monday to southern train station... he kept meter on despite very heavy traffic ... it came to 100 baht ... (around 4 pm)

But other taxis were not taking on passengers, (even Thai's) so I think it depends whether they are likely to get another ride at destination ( I have run into that situation before in BKK) ... train station would be a likely one to get a new passenger....