Do Thai Taxi drivers not get paid well. Why do almost half of them feel like they are entitled to

[HardenedSoul]

Like others, I've never had any issues with the taxis in BKK. I use them pretty much every day and the meter is never an issue.

I wonder why some people seem to have quite a hard time with them and others don't.

The minimum fare of 35 baht has been the same since I got here - probably longer, I don't know - but it does seem awfully cheap.

I think it should be raised to 50 baht.

The driver's gotta eat, <deleted>

You have been extremely lucky. Luckier then (tens)thousands of thais that have files complaints and luckier then many other non thais.

Please tell us which "good luck amulet" you wear.

Search me, mate. I just flag the cab down, smile, say "Sawasdee krup" and tell the guy my destination and he switches on the meter.

I suppose I do make my own "luck" by not, for example, trying to hail one on streets with a lot of punters milling around when the clubs chuck out because the drivers will obviously quote you a price fit for a pissed-up, dumb-ass tourist who doesn't know the score . . . even if you aren't and do.

Best just to walk to the main road and flag one down there.

[Hardened Spanker]

You say Malaysian taxi drivers never ask for more than the meter,are you serious?

And if so have you never been to Kuala Lumpur?

That is exactly what I was going to say.

The OP is completely clueless.

Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers are 100x worse than Bangkok.

You guys must actively seek out the villains. Follow the simple guidance in my first post and you won't have a problem in Bangkok, KL, Singapore, or, now I come to recall, Manila.

SC

Manila is just awful for taxis,they NEVER want to use the meter!Although Cebu is fine,I used to live in The Philippines.

Which leads me to my next question,have you actually visited ANY of the places you're talking about or are you just making it up?

[Hardened Spanker]

If they ask for a hundred baht before I get in, I laugh in their faces for behaving like lazy racist greed bags. Phuket taxis and Patts baht busses do not get my taxis because I never go to these short-holes. In the daytime I take two or three cabs a day. I direct them to a BTS or MRT stop whenever possible. If they take a wrong turn I wail on them with abuse that they can't read a map and don't know the city. And if were a Thai man would they have expected me to direct them. If they tell me that the traffic is jammed on the route I have indicated I ask him how he knows that. IT RARELY IS JAMMED. If they pretend that my Thai was unclear I tell them it's their job to listen up and ask me to repeat if they don't get it. I then ask them exactly what the confusion was. If they say no-moneeee, I wail on them with a breakdown of their NET TAKE after telling them that most gov't officers get about half of what they get. I ask them what they expect. I remind them that a European taxi fare goes to a European driver paying for a European apartment and paying for European expenses. And they are expected to actually know where things are. If they give me a hard luck story I sympathize but I don't tip If they are nosy and run that nonsense that I speak Thai because I have a Thai wife I tell them I have been here for decades and I ask them if they can identify the farang-slagging MF who taught them that myth. I like to tell them that I drove a cab when I was in Uni, the year I missed the hiring for the mine. That's if I'm not bored with their whole nonsense play. More often than not they do a complete 180 and after they get clear that I couldn't give a toss about the fough-bough WE can have a decent conversation about political realities of the Realm. If you don't spark decent Thai, do NOT attempt any of this. If the driver is cool and the ride is safe and the conversation is not intrusive I tip like a drunken sailor. And I smile look 'em in the eye and tell them as I hand them the cash "bourigan dii mak" They get it.

And this my friends,is why Thais don't like foreigners increasingly!

"" If you don't spark decent Thai, do NOT attempt any of this."

And if you don't wrot decent English don't post?

[seasia]

Malaysian taxis being honest???? Is that a joke? I used to live four years in Kuala Lumpur and the taxi system over there is a total failure! taxi drivers being probably the most dishonest drivers in the whole world!

As for Singapore, the main I uses over there is that ... there are no taxis available at the leak hours. Nearly me missed a couple of flights on a Friday night in Singapore just because not a single cab would pick me up at the taxi stand and the waiting list on the various taxi company hotlines was just crazy.

Bangkok taxi drivers may not be perfect but the system is much much much better than in any other Asian countries (and probably even worldwide)

Very little use of BKK taxi drivers but the Hong Kong ones seemed way better

[Hardened Spanker]

Look,it's easy.Just walk up to the taxi,open the door and get in the taxi first,then tell the driver where you want to go and 99% of the time he'll take you!
If they wind down the window to "decide" whether they want the fare or not,ignore them and walk on to the next taxi.
No charge for good advice this time around!

[StreetCowboy]

You say Malaysian taxi drivers never ask for more than the meter,are you serious?

And if so have you never been to Kuala Lumpur?

That is exactly what I was going to say.

The OP is completely clueless.

Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers are 100x worse than Bangkok.

You guys must actively seek out the villains. Follow the simple guidance in my first post and you won't have a problem in Bangkok, KL, Singapore, or, now I come to recall, Manila.

SC

Manila is just awful for taxis,they NEVER want to use the meter!Although Cebu is fine,I used to live in The Philippines.

Which leads me to my next question,have you actually visited ANY of the places you're talking about or are you just making it up?

I was just recalling the last taxi that I can recall catching in Manila. I'd come out the pub, and there were touts parked two deep, all asking ridiculous prices. So I wandered out into the street, flagged down a passing taxi, told him "Meter plus 50" and off we went.

So that's one that I've visited. You can speculate all you want about the others

("Naow Naow, Cowboy, theur's no point speculaitinG")

Sorry, Ray...

SC

[David48]

^^ ... Bah Humbug ... I'm always a sucker 'like' for mere speculation!

[notmyself]

a rare breed a Saumi one?

Not seen taxi with a working meter for 14 years on Samui. Drivers argue that they need to charge extortionate rates because there are so few people using them. There would seem to be no regulation on issuing new licenses that takes into account market demand. Prices have come down a little this year from 500 minimum to 300 but it is still around a 1000 return to Makro or Big C which is a 20 minute drive away.

[donniereadit]

Like others, I've never had any issues with the taxis in BKK. I use them pretty much every day and the meter is never an issue.

I wonder why some people seem to have quite a hard time with them and others don't.

The minimum fare of 35 baht has been the same since I got here - probably longer, I don't know - but it does seem awfully cheap.

I think it should be raised to 50 baht.

The driver's gotta eat, <deleted>

You have been extremely lucky. Luckier then (tens)thousands of thais that have files complaints and luckier then many other non thais.

Please tell us which "good luck amulet" you wear.

Crappy clothes probably.

[HardenedSoul]

Like others, I've never had any issues with the taxis in BKK. I use them pretty much every day and the meter is never an issue.

I wonder why some people seem to have quite a hard time with them and others don't.

The minimum fare of 35 baht has been the same since I got here - probably longer, I don't know - but it does seem awfully cheap.

I think it should be raised to 50 baht.

The driver's gotta eat, <deleted>

You have been extremely lucky. Luckier then (tens)thousands of thais that have files complaints and luckier then many other non thais.

Please tell us which "good luck amulet" you wear.

Crappy clothes probably.

Ah yet another classic example of rank stupidity from the chump who, in another thread, claimed that any single Thai woman who looks approachable is more than likely a whore

I mean . . . I just . . .

[alex8912]

I take BKK taxis everyday. Just open the back door, greet them in Thai, and as I am getting in say where I am going in Thai. My Thai sucks but all you have to know is how to count maybe to 100 and a few major street names and the word soi. If my location is a little off a main road knowing how to say straight ahead , left turn and right turn is very helpful. I really think anyone can learn this on the plane before their first trip here. I never, ever go to the passenger window and ask for " permission" I even see Thai people do this but I am hoping they are going to Bang Na or somewhere else far from Bkk because I understand why a taxi driver might not want to go so far at 2 am and then it's impossible to get a fare back to BKK. I find many of them speak some English which is awesome because at home many do not! They also practice Thai with me sometimes and it fun a lot of them are on an ear piece theses days talking to wife or friend bad I don't care. They are never rude to me. I always tip 99% of the time. Cheap skate foreigners and Thais who don't are crap. Just my feeling. Taxis are just too cheap here always have a/c and you can usually pick a new one if you want because there are so many.

[soomak]

The taxi drivers that I know that are hard working earn over 30kbht a month so are considered well paid. They have to work hard but then again don't we all if we want to earn? Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

But to make that kind of money, they have to work 12 hours a day, 6-7 days per week. So 300+ hours per month sitting in their cab or fighting the bkk traffic.

Doesn't seem like a great life to me...

I actually think most taxi drivers make less (in bkk), based on the VERY low taxi fares in Thailand.

[Donnie Brasco]

If they ask for a hundred baht before I get in, I laugh in their faces for behaving like lazy racist greed bags.Phuket taxis and Patts baht busses do not get my taxis because I never go to these short-holes.In the daytime I take two or three cabs a day.I direct them to a BTS or MRT stop whenever possible.If they take a wrong turn I wail on them with abuse that they can't read a map and don't know the city. And if were a Thai man would they have expected me to direct them. If they tell me that the traffic is jammed on the route I have indicated I ask him how he knows that. IT RARELY IS JAMMED.If they pretend that my Thai was unclear I tell them it's their job to listen up and ask me to repeat if they don't get it. I then ask them exactly what the confusion was.If they say no-moneeee, I wail on them with a breakdown of their NET TAKE after telling them that most gov't officers get about half of what they get. I ask them what they expect. I remind them that a European taxi fare goes to a European driver paying for a European apartment and paying for European expenses. And they are expected to actually know where things are.If they give me a hard luck story I sympathize but I don't tipIf they are nosy and run that nonsense that I speak Thai because I have a Thai wife I tell them I have been here for decades and I ask them if they can identify the farang-slagging MF who taught them that myth. I like to tell them that I drove a cab when I was in Uni, the year I missed the hiring for the mine.That's if I'm not bored with their whole nonsense play.More often than not they do a complete 180 and after they get clear that I couldn't give a toss about the fough-bough WE can have a decent conversation about political realities of the Realm.If you don't spark decent Thai, do NOT attempt any of this.If the driver is cool and the ride is safe and the conversation is not intrusive I tip like a drunken sailor.And I smile look 'em in the eye and tell them as I hand them the cash "bourigan dii mak"They get it.

Oh, your'e way scarier than any BKK taxi driver!

@prbkk:

Hey, if you're a larcenous Bkk taxi driver I certainly am and it certainly has nothing to do with the two or three dollars at stake. I will tip silly money for good service. If the clown tries to "make me stupid" in any way shape or form he gets punished.

@hardened spanker:

Excuse me very much but your tweet implies that you will roll over, hands steepled in the two-week-Trevor version of the dead-fish handshake any time one of these goofs tries to treat you like a moron and rip you off for your time.

Yeah, I'm a real bad@ss, . . . . . . . . don't "wai" them either, (you know, to compensate for the fact that I can't speak Thai !) But then again I expect the same level of respect that a middle class Thai expects. That's it. And (if you had bothered to read the post rather than concentrate on the predictive text errors) I tip for good service.

And as for your "don't post" admonition ? ? ? ? . . . . . . . A "Pot-kettle" and "res ipse loquitur" to you and yours.

But don't worry. There's an accommodating taxi scamster out there just waiting for an agreeable Thai culture maven-chap like yourself. They love guys like you. He can sell your face, pick up a few baht for noodles and afterword share the tale with his buddies.

[soomak]

It is what it is.30 days A month,30000 baht.1000 baht A day.It's not good.They have to eat.I don't have problem with Bangkok taxi drivers.The ones I've had all use the meter.I tip 10-15% of the fare?If I didn't have extra money I wouldn't come to Thailand.It's called trickle down economics.

You think thats not good? I do not really disagree, but:

1000 Baht/day? I doubt that many drivers reach this amount.

And 30000 Baht/month is definitely not a bad salary for an unskilled person in Thailand.

Average (younger) teachers will not earn more.

Wish I could find this link with some insight reports from Bangkok taxi drivers.

Most are happy with less than 1000 Baht per day.

Not the link that I was searching for, but goes in a similar direction in terms of income:

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader/reader1983.htm

What does that bring us to?

- Inexperienced / dumb driver who rents his cab: +/- 6,000 baht per month

- Honest, experienced taxi driver who rents his cab: +/- 12,500 baht/month

- Honest, experienced taxi driver who owns his cab: +/- 27,500 baht/month

- Borderline cabby with flexible morals who rents his cab: +/- 20,000 baht/month

- Borderline cabby with flexible morals who owns his cab: +/- 35,000 baht/month

- Criminal **** who owns his car: 50,000++ baht/month

It's not 1,000 net, they have costs such as fuel, rent (if they don't own the car) and insurance.

Very very few drivers will make 1,000 baht a day after all the expenses are paid.

[kandi]

If they ask for a hundred baht before I get in, I laugh in their faces for behaving like lazy racist greed bags. Phuket taxis and Patts baht busses do not get my taxis because I never go to these short-holes. In the daytime I take two or three cabs a day. I direct them to a BTS or MRT stop whenever possible. If they take a wrong turn I wail on them with abuse that they can't read a map and don't know the city. And if were a Thai man would they have expected me to direct them. If they tell me that the traffic is jammed on the route I have indicated I ask him how he knows that. IT RARELY IS JAMMED. If they pretend that my Thai was unclear I tell them it's their job to listen up and ask me to repeat if they don't get it. I then ask them exactly what the confusion was. If they say no-moneeee, I wail on them with a breakdown of their NET TAKE after telling them that most gov't officers get about half of what they get. I ask them what they expect. I remind them that a European taxi fare goes to a European driver paying for a European apartment and paying for European expenses. And they are expected to actually know where things are. If they give me a hard luck story I sympathize but I don't tip If they are nosy and run that nonsense that I speak Thai because I have a Thai wife I tell them I have been here for decades and I ask them if they can identify the farang-slagging MF who taught them that myth. I like to tell them that I drove a cab when I was in Uni, the year I missed the hiring for the mine. That's if I'm not bored with their whole nonsense play. More often than not they do a complete 180 and after they get clear that I couldn't give a toss about the fough-bough WE can have a decent conversation about political realities of the Realm. If you don't spark decent Thai, do NOT attempt any of this. If the driver is cool and the ride is safe and the conversation is not intrusive I tip like a drunken sailor. And I smile look 'em in the eye and tell them as I hand them the cash "bourigan dii mak" They get it.

Lee Pilkington must have had a similiar attitude. And yeah, he spoke "decent Thai".

[IDL]

There are taxi drivers who make very solid earnings because they are smart, work hard and own their own car. Most of the lads in the hired taxis are pure lazy, they line up outside shopping malls refuse customers and then drive off to the next place and refuse the next customer. A lot of them don't understand the point of working the same location all day like a hospital, theme park, airport and instead drive around randomly looking for customers that are going to give them a big pay off until the next customer in 2 hours. Taxis in Bangkok should either be restricted to districts and customers pay an additional charge to go to the next district or they should be forced to pick up every customer they stop for as this 1,000 baht fine for not picking up customers clearly causes no fear for any of them.

Someone in my family here is a taxi driver and he makes a pittance due to the fact that he doesn't have any clear strategy when he goes to work and he just doesn't have the work ethic to make money doing it. There is a 30-40k salary to be made driving a taxi in Bangkok if you're smart and work hard which is excellent considering it's a job that requires very little skill.

Having had a trillion experiences in my years here, here's a snippet from recent weeks, including yesterday:

• Leaving Asiatique (Charoen Krung Rd)- with two Thai women (one the GF) and a visiting mate from UK, approx 8 taxis were asked by the GF to take us home on Charoen Nakorn Rd; this being just the other side of the river, and a total of say 4klms to my door. I've told the GF a thousand times just to pile-in and then talk, not to do it the 'Thai' way, but hey, she's Thai! I eventually blow a gasket and employ my theory with the next one; along we trundle...will never know if just a better standard of taxi driver, or my way works best.
• Yesterday (6am) heading from C'Nakorn to Bangpakong Golf course- I spoke to the driver and showed him the book, with address etc in Thai & English. He knows the way. So, after a 'white-nuckle' ride for about 30 minutes, he then stops to call the golf course...he's lost! We finally arrive at course and as I'm dropping my bag off with caddies, he turns off the metre. Luckily I had noted the metre's reading beforehand (just over 500THB) and handed him 500THB as he still had 45THB of my toll money. He started flapping his hands and ranting that he now needs to get all the way back to Bkk! He was also upset that he could have made more money if he'd stayed around town. He told me the fare is 800THB (plus the 45THB he had kept). 555, he's obviously not had me in the car before. I, errr, insisted he accepted the journey coz he'd cost me money by getting lost, and he shouldn't have had his light on if he didn't want a pick-up. I placed the money on his armrest and exited the car; he appeared to be very close to tears and still waving his hands around frantically,
• Yesterday (2:30pm), having been dropped-off at Rama 4- Taxi driver accepted the journey back to C'N. Moments in the car and he's rambling on (high-pitched) that "Farang give big tip at Christmas". His manner was almost like he was taking the piss (seeing no value as to why 'we' celebrate), to such a point that he kept saying "200, 300 standard". He then headed for a long circuit back to mine so I got him back on track. Eventually I had to ignore his verbal diarrhoea and keep my cool. No tip, BTW.

My conclusion: Thai. From top-to-bottom, greedy and obsessed with 'what they want' and a feeling they deserve, regardless of whether it's rational or not. Just generalizing, you understand.

FYI: I recently sold my car as I'm planning to leave Tryland. I really don't miss driving in Bkk, but I certainly didn't miss using taxis either...guess I should stay in the condo.

[Mooner]

Get inside a taxi in any tourist area and its the norm. Never had a problem outside of them.

[StreetCowboy]

There are taxi drivers who make very solid earnings because they are smart, work hard and own their own car. Most of the lads in the hired taxis are pure lazy, they line up outside shopping malls refuse customers and then drive off to the next place and refuse the next customer. A lot of them don't understand the point of working the same location all day like a hospital, theme park, airport and instead drive around randomly looking for customers that are going to give them a big pay off until the next customer in 2 hours. Taxis in Bangkok should either be restricted to districts and customers pay an additional charge to go to the next district or they should be forced to pick up every customer they stop for as this 1,000 baht fine for not picking up customers clearly causes no fear for any of them.

Someone in my family here is a taxi driver and he makes a pittance due to the fact that he doesn't have any clear strategy when he goes to work and he just doesn't have the work ethic to make money doing it. There is a 30-40k salary to be made driving a taxi in Bangkok if you're smart and work hard which is excellent considering it's a job that requires very little skill.

Having had a trillion experiences in my years here, here's a snippet from recent weeks, including yesterday:

• Leaving Asiatique (Charoen Krung Rd)- with two Thai women (one the GF) and a visiting mate from UK, approx 8 taxis were asked by the GF to take us home on Charoen Nakorn Rd; this being just the other side of the river, and a total of say 4klms to my door. I've told the GF a thousand times just to pile-in and then talk, not to do it the 'Thai' way, but hey, she's Thai! I eventually blow a gasket and employ my theory with the next one; along we trundle...will never know if just a better standard of taxi driver, or my way works best.
• Yesterday (6am) heading from C'Nakorn to Bangpakong Golf course- I spoke to the driver and showed him the book, with address etc in Thai & English. He knows the way. So, after a 'white-nuckle' ride for about 30 minutes, he then stops to call the golf course...he's lost! We finally arrive at course and as I'm dropping my bag off with caddies, he turns off the metre. Luckily I had noted the metre's reading beforehand (just over 500THB) and handed him 500THB as he still had 45THB of my toll money. He started flapping his hands and ranting that he now needs to get all the way back to Bkk! He was also upset that he could have made more money if he'd stayed around town. He told me the fare is 800THB (plus the 45THB he had kept). 555, he's obviously not had me in the car before. I, errr, insisted he accepted the journey coz he'd cost me money by getting lost, and he shouldn't have had his light on if he didn't want a pick-up. I placed the money on his armrest and exited the car; he appeared to be very close to tears and still waving his hands around frantically,
• Yesterday (2:30pm), having been dropped-off at Rama 4- Taxi driver accepted the journey back to C'N. Moments in the car and he's rambling on (high-pitched) that "Farang give big tip at Christmas". His manner was almost like he was taking the piss (seeing no value as to why 'we' celebrate), to such a point that he kept saying "200, 300 standard". He then headed for a long circuit back to mine so I got him back on track. Eventually I had to ignore his verbal diarrhoea and keep my cool. No tip, BTW.

My conclusion: Thai. From top-to-bottom, greedy and obsessed with 'what they want' and a feeling they deserve, regardless of whether it's rational or not. Just generalizing, you understand.

FYI: I recently sold my car as I'm planning to leave Tryland. I really don't miss driving in Bkk, but I certainly didn't miss using taxis either...guess I should stay in the condo.

The passenger pays tolls on meter rides. For cross-harbour trips, you also pay for the return, unless you get the taxi from a tunnel rank.

Perhaps you live in a particularly undesirable neighbourhood, or you just have a knack for selecting unpleasant taxi drivers. I once had to bail out of a taxi on the expressway because he couldn't follow directions, but otherwise, the only problems I have had with taxi drivers have been engendered by grossly excessive alcohol, and I couldn't really expect them to judge that before they picked me up.

SC

[peecee]

In tourist area's usually you got to get a driving taxi driver not one standing around else they wont turn on the meter. I hate it when they don't but i just take the next one or the one after that and so on.. in tourist area's it could take a while. Normal area's its easier to get a taxi.

Some are lazy some are not some are stupid some are not. I known hard working ones in our village to make good money but they in general own their taxi and work hard.

I was desperate for a taxi to take me home and the taxi drivers were refusing until I lost my cool and started to write his number down. Then no argument (they can't refuse a fare by law).

That's a sure fire way to end up at the hospital rather than at home.

Or get the machete out!

We had one who kept a handfull of large ball bearings for anybody not pulling over after 30 seconds of tailgating

I've found BKK taxis 50/50, the last guy was great, but one drove off and trapped my leg (I'm disabled) when he saw a traffic cop (whilst waiting in a red zone) and another, a 70 year old with a not much newer cab, swore at my 20bt tip on a 200bt fare to swampy that nearly scared the life out of me; he swerved into any lane and hardly could keep up with traffic!

Most round up when I ask how much (even when they know I've seen the meter) but I don't mind if it's within 10/15% and it's a decent drive.

[yooyoo]

Before we start this hot topic off, may I ask the OP what the 'I know Korean, Singaporeans and Malaysian Taxi drivers get more money' ... just what are their average wages?

As for directly asking about the Thai Industry.

Are you asking about a Bangkok Taxi, Udon or Ubon one, a Pattaya or Phuket one or, a rare breed a Saumi one?

Does the Taxi driver an Owner driver or a hired hand?

Does the Taxi driver rent a newer or older taxi?

... or do you just wish to generally beef about been asked for more money by a Taxi Driver ...

BTW, for the record, I've never been asked for more then the fare ... and that based on hundreds of fares, though not thousands like many here living in Thailand permanently.

Its because they are Thai....

[BKKdreaming]

,

Malaysian taxis being honest???? Is that a joke? I used to live four years in Kuala Lumpur and the taxi system over there is a total failure! taxi drivers being probably the most dishonest drivers in the whole world

Malaysia taxi drivers full of scam ( special button increase meter rates) refuse to used meter, rude bad driving attitude. I born there I know very well.

Are they that bad in all of Malaysia or just KL ?

[Loles]

And what kind of taxi driver do you mention?

In BKK no-one taxi driver has asked me more money than meter.

My car is only 2 yrs old and used to I use taxi almost every day.

Do you talk about Phuket hyenas? Or do you use taxi around rubbish-shoot khaosan road?

Edited February 14, 2014 by Loles

[sam sen]

as i remember the pick up charge was 35 baht 10 years ago, so no increase to take into account inflation or rising fuel costs since then.

i live in bangkok, as does my gf, and we use taxi's almost daily. we never take a taxi that is sitting waiting or with drivers that approach us and we dont take taxi's outside hotels or other tourist places.

it is rare that a driver will not use the meter. it is more common that the driver will not go where we want to go and while annoying one who will soon turns up.

i know bangkok pretty well and i honestly cant remember the last time a driver didn't take me the route i myself would have taken.

i have no bangkok taxi driver complaints.

[seajae]

most drivers I have had just charged the meter price, the only one that tried to rip us off was one working a hotel car park in Bangkok, he just wanted to set his own price but we told him where to go. Got a meter taxi across the road instead, the only time we didnt use the meter was to the airport but the driver gave us a good price and was very curtious

[benalibina]

Thai taxi drivers apparantly are like humans....some good some bad...some honest some cheating.

I was in Phitsanulok last week where they have a callcentre which u need to call to tell pick up place and destination. Also u need to give ur telnr to them. They give that info through their mobile system. Driver nearby reports back to take the ride. Calls the passenger to confirm the pick up with his/her carnr. So far so good.

In my experience of using them 9 days....many are cheats for little money...some are ok....some pleasant and courteous.

I speak some thai...really needed there. Of the round 25 times i needed a taxi only 1 driver spoke some english, who was a cheat too for 20 bth. Some drivers told me to pay an extra 20 bth because of using the callcentre....some did not.

1 driver told me that they rent the car for 1.000 bth a day and when working 12 hrs a day he would make 750 bth for himself after paying all work related costs.

When was at Morchit busstation in bkk to go to sukhumvit soi 4...3 drivers quoted me a fixed price of 600 bth. The taxi i took finally costed me 107 bth +55 bth toll and 20 bth shortcut....so difference of 400 bth.

Again they are only humans.

[Marcel1]

as i remember the pick up charge was 35 baht 10 years ago, so no increase to take into account inflation or rising fuel costs since then.

i live in bangkok, as does my gf, and we use taxi's almost daily. we never take a taxi that is sitting waiting or with drivers that approach us and we dont take taxi's outside hotels or other tourist places.

it is rare that a driver will not use the meter. it is more common that the driver will not go where we want to go and while annoying one who will soon turns up.

i know bangkok pretty well and i honestly cant remember the last time a driver didn't take me the route i myself would have taken.

i have no bangkok taxi driver complaints.

Exactly my experience, never have a problem with these guys, as soon as you speak some Thai or trow in a joke they turn the meter on withouth asking and eith a big smile.

must add to that, I maybe use the taxi once or twice a month.

[gandalf12]

Most taxi drivers rent the taxi they drive and have to pay for the fuel. Many also have to pay for any repairs to the taxi as well. Take all that lot out and I would suspect there isnt too much left to take home

[wym]

The honest ones (99%) clear between B400 and B800 on average, often head home when they've hit their goal for the day or shift.

Very stressful work in BKK.

[bobo42]

I don't live in Bangkoko, but I visit at least 6 or seven times a year, over the last seven or eight years - and I've probably used taxis hundreds of times. I've experienced only minimal problems over all that time.

Only one time have I had a taxi who did not use the meter. It was around 3 or 4am and there were not a lot of taxis around, he quoted me around triple the normal fair to go back to my hotel. There were plenty of other people ready to take that deal if I didn't, so I just paid it. I seldom have to find a cruising taxi that late at night, but I've done so a handful of other times and been charged by the meter.

By far the most trouble I've had is refusals - desination too far away, or too close? Not everybody wants to take you. This has happened numerous times, but has never inconvenienced me for more than a few minutes, flagging down 3 or 4 taxis until somebody wants to take me. Never have had to ask for the meter, but I always make sure they start it.

I guess I'm just the lucky one, but they don't seem that bad to me.