Uncertain about Taxi driver behaviour

[Helm]

Hello,

i visited Bangkok several times the past years and had many good experiences with taxi Drivers, used them a lot and (almost) got to the places i wanted.

But I twice experienced some strange behaviour of taxi Drivers leaving MBK Shopping Centre from taxi stand located there. Never had a Problem with Taxis going to sukhumvit road regardless of any traffic jam, but i tried twice to get a taxi from mbk to silom road (silom village), because skytrain doesnt goes on on silom road.

The guy from the mbk taxi stand talked to the Drivers about his megaphone, told them the Destination and .... off they go, just leaving, looking angry, dont saying a word, just driving away ... but without me....

After each time two Drivers having left the scene this way, i felt somehow uncomfortably, went to skytrain, drove to chong nonsi bts and walked the rest in the heat with lots of stuff.....

Not a big thing, but It doesnt seem to make sense, ist not a long distance, i just cannot explain. Maybe someone experienced can explain to me.

Thanks, Helm

[richard_smith237]

Silom is a 2 minute drive from MBK - the drivers are probably irritated that they didnt get a larger fare.

The BTS on Silom Road is Saladaeng... 2 stops from Siam Station.

[LuckyLew]

Nothing to worry about

Taxis in Thailand only take fares when they feel like going in that direction

If they do not want to go where you want them to take you .... they just drive off

Depending on where you are in Bkk ... where you want to go ... time off day ... it is not unusual for 10-20 to drive away

Do not worry ... they do this to Thai people as well

[SantiSuk]

Taxi drivers are not allowed to cherry pick in cities where taxi services are highly regulated - but they often do in some (eg London) running the risk of being reported and fined.

However taxi fares in highly regulated cities can be 5 times that of Bangkok. I think I prefer the Bangkok approach; in most cases after being refused a couple of times I find that the offer of an extra tip usually does the trick!

[Billmont]

I think the problem is traffic. I used to stay at Amari Watergate, Pratunam but liked to go to Patpong for a couple of beers and then one of my favourite Indian restaurants at the Holiday inn end of Silom Road including the hotel Indian on the top floor. It became increasingly difficult to get a taxi there and almost impossible to get one back. So a few years back I decided to stay near Silom as the taxi hassle ruined the evening.Ten or more years ago the traffic was not so bad and I never got refused. Times have unfortunately changed. The only sure way was to take a hotel limousine there and back but that made the evening a bit expensice with tips also the journey time was excessive due to traffic congestion.

[Travel2003]

Nothing to worry about

Taxis in Thailand only take fares when they feel like going in that direction

If they do not want to go where you want them to take you .... they just drive off

Depending on where you are in Bkk ... where you want to go ... time off day ... it is not unusual for 10-20 to drive away

Do not worry ... they do this to Thai people as well

Spot on.

The only problem is, when you need to go to the airport, or if it is raining, they know you need them, and they press the price up.

[asiaexpat]

Visited a friend at the Royal Orchid Sheraton last night and found it impossible get a taxi from there that would use the meter. I have lived in Bangkok a long time and never before found it impossible to get a taxi that would use the meter. Meter taxi going there was under 100 TB, but the return trip cost 250 (unmetered.) I guess those that stay in the 5 star hotels also pay high transport fees.

[Travel2003]

Normally stay in Suk soi 11, due to location (not the soi itself so attractive).

Can determine the fact it is less than 5% chance to get a taxi with meter.

[Curt1591]

Silom is a 2 minute drive from MBK - the drivers are probably irritated that they didnt get a larger fare.

The BTS on Silom Road is Saladaeng... 2 stops from Siam Station.

Any driver would love to pick up, drive a couple minutes and drop off a fare.

Thirty-five baht, for 2 minutes work? They'll take that all day!

[Lakegeneve]

Visited a friend at the Royal Orchid Sheraton last night and found it impossible get a taxi from there that would use the meter. I have lived in Bangkok a long time and never before found it impossible to get a taxi that would use the meter. Meter taxi going there was under 100 TB, but the return trip cost 250 (unmetered.) I guess those that stay in the 5 star hotels also pay high transport fees.

Royal Orchid and the River City Complex next door are a great place for taxi driver to scalp tourists. Always a bunch of tuk tuks sleeping there ready to pounce as well.

Locals - most coming from the pier - walk the 70m up to Charoen Krung rd intersection to get a taxi which is what I also do whenever I venture that way. Never a problem from the intersection. Give that a try next time.

[impulse]

Silom is a 2 minute drive from MBK - the drivers are probably irritated that they didnt get a larger fare.

The BTS on Silom Road is Saladaeng... 2 stops from Siam Station.

Any driver would love to pick up, drive a couple minutes and drop off a fare.

Thirty-five baht, for 2 minutes work? They'll take that all day!

It's not the 2 minutes of work that causes problems. It's returning to the back of the line and waiting a half hour for their turn again.

[Prbkk]

While the rogue taxis parked outside will only pick and choose, the doorman will flag a passing cab to use the meter. Done this hundreds of times very easily but never once taken one of the ones parked across the street...

Visited a friend at the Royal Orchid Sheraton last night and found it impossible get a taxi from there that would use the meter. I have lived in Bangkok a long time and never before found it impossible to get a taxi that would use the meter. Meter taxi going there was under 100 TB, but the return trip cost 250 (unmetered.) I guess those that stay in the 5 star hotels also pay high transport fees.

Royal Orchid and the River City Complex next door are a great place for taxi driver to scalp tourists. Always a bunch of tuk tuks sleeping there ready to pounce as well.

Locals - most coming from the pier - walk the 70m up to Charoen Krung rd intersection to get a taxi which is what I also do whenever I venture that way. Never a problem from the intersection. Give that a try next time.

[ayayay]

Never ever take a taxi that is standing still and/ or parked.

Never ever negotiate a price with a taxi driver, ALWAYS tell them to use the meter.

[SantiSuk]

Never ever take a taxi that is standing still and/ or parked.

Never ever negotiate a price with a taxi driver, ALWAYS tell them to use the meter.

Yes - that's rule No 1.

Rule no 2 is don't be a plonker and get soaked just to prove a point and save a couple of hundred baht

Both rules require a balanced judgement to be made sometimes!

[Curt1591]

Silom is a 2 minute drive from MBK - the drivers are probably irritated that they didnt get a larger fare.

The BTS on Silom Road is Saladaeng... 2 stops from Siam Station.

Any driver would love to pick up, drive a couple minutes and drop off a fare.

Thirty-five baht, for 2 minutes work? They'll take that all day!

It's not the 2 minutes of work that causes problems. It's returning to the back of the line and waiting a half hour for their turn again.

Why would they return to MBK?

[CharlieH]

Police were having a clamp down a while back, they were standing in back mbk and any taxi that refused to picknup was pulled in and fined. It was good to see them actually doing something about it.

I tried one afternoon to get a taxi from Chinatown to Pratunam, 15 taxis stopped none would take the journey, no.16 did though and on the meter. Just got to stick at it, there are enough of them out there.

[kurnell]

I've traveled to Manila, Vientiane, Hong Kong, HCMC, KL and Jakarta within the last 2 years and Thais really could learn a thing or 2 about service from any of these countries. If a Thai is having a bad day, then they are more than happy to share it with you, whether they're a taxi driver or 4 star hotel waitress.

[asiaexpat]

Normally stay in Suk soi 11, due to location (not the soi itself so attractive).

Can determine the fact it is less than 5% chance to get a taxi with meter.

Actually, we were staying on Suk 11 for a couple of nights and never had to ask more than 2 taxi's before we got a metered taxi ride. Guess we were lucky.

Edited November 12, 2013 by asiaexpat

[ayayay]

Never ever take a taxi that is standing still and/ or parked.

Never ever negotiate a price with a taxi driver, ALWAYS tell them to use the meter.

Yes - that's rule No 1.

Rule no 2 is don't be a plonker and get soaked just to prove a point and save a couple of hundred baht

It´s not about proving a point.

It is certainly not about 100 baht.

This is what it´s about:

1. Do you agree with a system that constantly aim to dishonestly rip people off?

2. Do you think it is bad to feed into a system that constantly tries to rip people off?

I certainly choose number 2

[Briggsy]

I used to live on Ramkhamhaeng. I remember one time getting a scolding from a taxi driver who picked me up at the airport. Because the airport is a fixed queue, he had to take me.

Apparently, according to him, it wasn't far enough and I should have taken a local taxi from the airport transportation centre. I apparently got the wrong type of taxi and I shouldn't do it again. The distance was over 15 km but I suppose after waiting for an hour or two he was hoping for a bigger fare.

[douginbkk]

I used to live on Ramkhamhaeng. I remember one time getting a scolding from a taxi driver who picked me up at the airport. Because the airport is a fixed queue, he had to take me.

Apparently, according to him, it wasn't far enough and I should have taken a local taxi from the airport transportation centre. I apparently got the wrong type of taxi and I shouldn't do it again. The distance was over 15 km but I suppose after waiting for an hour or two he was hoping for a bigger fare.

I live on Ramkhamhaeng Rd towards Minburi and had similar problems. According to one taxi driver, they often have to wait 2 hrs in the taxi cue before picking up a fare from the airport. They are not allowed to return back to the cue for at least two hours or unless their previous fare was a very short haul one. The taxi driver told me that instead of telling the people at the airport that I wanted to go to Ramkhamhaeng Rd, I should tell them I want to go to Romklao Rd (near the airport)., and then just inform the taxi driver the actual destination (Ramkhamhaeng) after getting into the taxi. This would allow them to return to the airport and cue up right away instead of waiting 2 hrs. I tried this a couple times and it worked, taxi drivers were no longer irritated. Apparently, Ramkhamhaeng Rd., because it's so long (basically stretches right down to Sukhumvit Rd - changing its name to Sukhumvit Soi 71 before intersecting with Sukhumvit) is considered long haul, but my house is closer to Minburi than Sukhumvit Rd. so this would annoy the taxi drivers taking me home from the airport (20 mins away). I have long stopped using taxis from the airports (due to their bad driving habits) and prefer to take the AOT cars. Much more expensive, but stress free with safe and courteous drivers.

[ultimate weapon]

I used to live on Ramkhamhaeng. I remember one time getting a scolding from a taxi driver who picked me up at the airport. Because the airport is a fixed queue, he had to take me.

Apparently, according to him, it wasn't far enough and I should have taken a local taxi from the airport transportation centre. I apparently got the wrong type of taxi and I shouldn't do it again. The distance was over 15 km but I suppose after waiting for an hour or two he was hoping for a bigger fare.

I live on Ramkhamhaeng Rd towards Minburi and had similar problems. According to one taxi driver, they often have to wait 2 hrs in the taxi cue before picking up a fare from the airport. They are not allowed to return back to the cue for at least two hours or unless their previous fare was a very short haul one. The taxi driver told me that instead of telling the people at the airport that I wanted to go to Ramkhamhaeng Rd, I should tell them I want to go to Romklao Rd (near the airport)., and then just inform the taxi driver the actual destination (Ramkhamhaeng) after getting into the taxi. This would allow them to return to the airport and cue up right away instead of waiting 2 hrs. I tried this a couple times and it worked, taxi drivers were no longer irritated. Apparently, Ramkhamhaeng Rd., because it's so long (basically stretches right down to Sukhumvit Rd - changing its name to Sukhumvit Soi 71 before intersecting with Sukhumvit) is considered long haul, but my house is closer to Minburi than Sukhumvit Rd. so this would annoy the taxi drivers taking me home from the airport (20 mins away). I have long stopped using taxis from the airports (due to their bad driving habits) and prefer to take the AOT cars. Much more expensive, but stress free with safe and courteous drivers.

Question about the AOT cars do u have an idea how much it would cost from say airport to chao phraya? I know the hotels have their own limo services but who knows maybe AOT's is cheaper. How do you find the quotations? I found the site and it said you had to call in to get a quote.