AT 2AM stuck at the Airport as Taxis want 1000 Bt. to take you back to Lad Yao

[sarathjay]

For 240Bt my wife and daughter came to the Airport Suwarnaabuhmi at 11 PM for 240Bt. and now to get back home after dropping off a friend, the Taxi Mafia , as I would call it wants 1000Bt. At Mo Chit it is the same. I think if no one uses the high rates, they will rethink.

[Harvey1903ch]

There's a taxi rank at suvanaburi airport, you need to queue. You don't need to use these other taxis that rip you off

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[sarathjay]

Is anyone around at the airport now? The two ladies are peacefully seated inside waiting for the first train. Probably in four hours!

This is what my wife wrote about the Mafia just now....

They told me all of them have they same price and if we do not want to pay we can walk!! the audacity!! they can all fly a kite!!

Who had similar experiences?

Unfortunately I am in Germany right now and cannot help. We have a car parked in the Garage in Chatuchak, but for many reasons they decided to use a Taxi.

[sarathjay]

They got your message Harvey...Thanks a lot for the tip...They are walking now....I am on skype with them. and they see what others write here

[Harvey1903ch]

No problems - there should be a desk with a small next to the road as you ext the building - this why they try to get you before you reach the roads. Hope they find it. Good luck

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[Dancealot]

Surely, they must have found a cheaper ride by now....

[sarathjay]

Thanks a lot for your concern....They found the cabin, and the drivers are asleep in their cars and there is no one in the cabin and no driver is willing to drive!!! This is crazy! If anyone knows any other way to get out of the Airport, please post here as my wife is reading TV postings on her i pad. Address her direct....Chrisna is her name. Speaks Afrikaans too.

[sarathjay]

I have advised them to buy a coffee and sit somewhere till the first train leaves at six AM.

In my home country in Sri Lanka, there is an area called Bentota where there is a river to cross by Ferry. Usually tourists use it often. Recently a group of rich russians asked the ferry man how much it costs and he replied hundred, which is less than one dollar US. The russian pulled out a hundred dollar note and the ferry man was happy. Since then he asks for hundred Euros/ dollars from all tourists and at least 5 out of ten pay it as I was told. This is quite close to what my wife is experiencing right now in Bangkok!!

[sarathjay]

my wife sent this message just now.....

We do not trust the taxis. They say meter and when you are inside, they change their story. So we have decided to wait for the train, it is anyway safer... We can sleep when we get home.

[mad mary]

Are you taking the pish?

[Dancealot]

Are you taking the pish?

Most definitely not.

A worried man resorted to this place to try to help his beloved. He tried to do something from far away because he cares about them.

Good to hear they opted to wait it out. This is by far the safest and wisest solution.

Thanks for reporting back, Sarathjay. Have a good sleep.

[Maestro]

She should call 1111, who will raise the police on duty at the airport and send them to assist her.

[sarathjay]

Thanks Maestro, I think if this was in Frankfurt and they called the Police something will happen. Not in Thailand at 3 in the morning. I really appreciate your concern. It is not easy as two white expat females to deal with corrupt Thais. Its 11 pm here in Germany and its 4am in BKK.Two hrs left for the first train.

[lomatopo]

The official taxi queue is on the ground floor, aka level 1. There are typically multiple desks staffed dispatching taxis, 7x24. These should use the meter.

If in a pinch, you can try level 4, aka Departures, where there will be taxis dropping people off who are flying out. Simply negotiate a reasonable fare, maybe 400 - 500 baht, with one of these.

The SARL trains start running ~ 06:00.

For 240Bt my wife and daughter came to the Airport Suwarnaabuhmi at 11 PM for 240Bt. and now to get back home after dropping off a friend,

Next time, just keep the same taxi. Drop the "friend" off, and leave. Say your goodbyes before, the "friend" should be able to find their check-in desk.

[negreanu]

Simply negotiate a reasonable fare, maybe 400 - 500 baht, with one of these.

No need just tell them meter. 90% of them are just happy to get any fare back to the city before they are moved on by the airport security.

[Spare]

The taxi queue operation 7x24, and they never ask for a 1,000. They all go by the meter plus 50 Baht.

I have a feeling that you are just trying to tarnish the image of Thailand.

It is not too late to make a U-turn now and go back to Sri Lanka. I am sure it is cheaper too.

[sarathjay]

Spare wrote.....

The taxi queue operation 7x24, and they never ask for a 1,000. They all go by the meter plus 50 Baht.

I have a feeling that you are just trying to tarnish the image of Thailand.

It is not too late to make a U-turn now and go back to Sri Lanka. I am sure it is cheaper too.

My dear friend,

Why should I want to tarnish the image of fellow Asians?

I would want you to experience the Taxis at a late hour simply at the Mo Chit MRT station apart at the Airport. Looks like you have no clue what others experience daily.

My wife is doing a service to the Thai Nation in giving her expertise in education and I have no need to do a U turn to be in Sri Lanka. Choose your wording the next time you post something. Like in your own country, there are enough crooks all over the world! So there is no need to create the impression that in Thailand is Friede Freude Eierkuchen as the Germans say.....

This is what my wife wrote this morning after waiting 6 hrs for the first train....

We took the first train at 6:00. Halfway we took the connecting train, the MRT up to Phanon Yotin at Central Plaza and from there a taxi, because the bus didn't come. The taxi got us fast to Major Cineplex. From there we walked home. We were here at 7:30.

After our bad experience we just didn't trust the taxis at the airport and didn't feel like taking one. We were afraid they will get funny again once we are inside the taxi. Maybe we will try next time. At least now we know where to find the public taxis.

[Chicog]

Probably frightened by that bloke that got stabbed to death the other month/year/decade.

[hansnl]

Let's face it guys, the taxi mob is growing everywhere.

Same in Khon Kaen, all taxi's do not want to put on the meter and ask for 500 baht or more.

Then call the switchboard, and lo and behold, out of the row comes a taxi, and switches on the meter.

Funny!

Fact is, those shitdrivers steal from their employers by running meterless.

[NanLaew]

I have never tried to get a taxi out from Suvarnabhumi after 1 am, but would be surprised if there were any taxis waiting, mafia or otherwise. The bulk of the airports late night departures and arrivals peak just before midnight. So taxis dropping off departing passengers after midnight either prefer to try and get an 'illegal' hire on the Departures level or travel directly back into the city empty rather than risk being at the arse-end of the taxi queue below the Arrivals level as the flow of arriving passengers eventually dries up.

A lesson learned indeed but unfortunate that someone had to find out the hard way. Thanks for sharing.

[lomatopo]

I've landed as late as 03:00 - IRROPS - and as early as 05:00 and never had an issue getting a taxi at the official dispatch queue on level 1.

There are banks of departures and arrivals early AM so no shortage of drop-offs beginning at 03:00; suspect some then queue (for a nap) at the transpo. center to be dispatched back to to the terminal, or head to their rendezvous to drop off leaded/rented taxis as the popular exchange time on 12 hour dailies is 04:00/16:00.

[lemoncake]

I realize it's a silly question, but why not pay 1000 and go relax at home instead of siting up all night

[lomatopo]

I realize it's a silly question, but why not pay 1000 and go relax at home instead of siting up all night

Principal? Principle?

Confusion? Unfamiliarity?

The OPs wife/daughter might have felt overwhelmed, confused. Understand his challenge as he is in another country.

[sarathjay]

It was not the money dear Lemon cake, It IS the principle. By paying them the asked exhorbitant sum, you promote the dirty attitude against the foreigners who have no choice. This morning they are on their way to KL from the other airport and returning at 11 pm to be faced with a similar situation. I am confident that now the two ladies know how the clock ticks.

[lemoncake]

It was not the money dear Lemon cake, It IS the principle. By paying them the asked exhorbitant sum, you promote the dirty attitude against the foreigners who have no choice. This morning they are on their way to KL from the other airport and returning at 11 pm to be faced with a similar situation. I am confident that now the two ladies know how the clock ticks.

Well if its the principal, then sit around all night, suffer, stress and worry. No doubt 700 baht are worth 12 hours of your life.

[sarathjay]

It is because of ones like Lemoncake who would pay any price the drivers ask, that they are what they are today....ripping off the foreigners arriving at late times. The ladies are still alive and kicking even after a five hour wait for the train.

[sarathjay]

This is what my wife wrote just now at the Don...Airport regarding the comments here

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa Forum... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. Lemoncake would have streched the 1000 THB note with pleasure to avoid ' SUFFERING'

[lemoncake]

This is what my wife wrote just now at the Don...Airport regarding the comments here

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa Forum... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. Lemoncake would have streched the 1000 THB note with pleasure to avoid ' SUFFERING'

again if 700 worth 12 hours of her life then stick to principals

[sarathjay]

My wife read the comments and wrote this........

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa forum.... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. There is one here, who would have stretched the THB 1000 note with pleasure to avoid any suffering. Sitting in an air conditioned hall for five hrs. is nothing close to suffering but sitting for a good cause to make a point so that the majority reading this posting would follow the same line as my wife did as it makes sense. Sorry for you Lemon cake. Gegen Dummheit ist kein Kraut gewachsen!

[lemoncake]

My wife read the comments and wrote this........

I read the comments on your posting in the Thai Visa forum.... Fact is that this was our experience with two taxi drivers.

and you are right... it is not the money but the principle... and the second driver lied to us and said he will use his meter, and then tried to force us to give him THB1000 and when I refused, he turned around and dropped us off at the airport and told us it was the standard fee and if we do not want to pay it we can walk home. He was intimidating us and we were feeling a bit harassed by his attitude, so much so that we didn't even trust the taxis at level 1 and couldn't find the courage to try again.

My comment. There is one here, who would have stretched the THB 1000 note with pleasure to avoid any suffering. Sitting in an air conditioned hall for five hrs. is nothing close to suffering but sitting for a good cause to make a point so that the majority reading this posting would follow the same line as my wife did as it makes sense. Sorry for you Lemon cake. Gegen Dummheit ist kein Kraut gewachsen!

I am more sorry for you and your wife for wasting half a day of your life over 700 baht just for the sake of principal. Like you really taught any driver a lesson or anyone for that matter. Just hurt yourself,. Keep sticking to your principals