GrabTaxi App?

[ricklev]

http://grabtaxi.com/bangkok-thailand/

Has anybody tried this?

Edited February 13, 2014 by ricklev

[bubba]

I was just about to post the same question. I've downloaded the app and it seems to work, but I haven't actually used it to request a taxi. Just wondering if it's reliable and would actually work in a pinch.

[ricklev]

I have noticed a few taxis with a Grabtaxi logo sticker, but I haven't tried it yet either.

[Rumblecat]

Yeah, I use it. Works fine- shows you where the taxi is on GPS so you know when it's arriving, same with the journey- you can track where you're going and how far from the destination you are. So far it's been reliable and fuss free. It does depend on there being taxis available, but I've never had a problem with that yet.

[lomatopo]

Yeah, I use it.

Can you share any details? How many time have you used it? In which general areas? How does the driver know where/how to find you?

Is there any additional fee, like the 20 baht fee for radio-dispatched taxis, for using GrabTaxi?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grabtaxi.passenger

I guess Uber just launched here in Bangkok as well, but maybe just over the past day or two so maybe not a lot of user experiences so far?

[bubba]

I just checked Uber's sample rates and they are really expensive. For example, city to Suvarnabhumi is given as 1000 baht in (for example) a Nissan Teana. Established and reliable limo companies charge less than that for the same car. I think I'll be giving Uber a miss.

[lomatopo]

Established and reliable limo companies charge less than that for the same car.

Can you share any details/rates/contact info for established and reliable limo companies, going from the city to Suvarnabhumi, which you've used?

Thanks.

Looking forward to some first-hand experiences re: GrabTaxi. Some Thai social media have mixed/slightly less than positive experiences.

[Morakot]

Interesting background to the app here

[Morakot]

Is there any additional fee, like the 20 baht fee for radio-dispatched taxis, for using GrabTaxi?

I've not used this app yet, but according to this review (in Thai) there is a B 25 surcharge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlBGFdJmylU

[bubba]

Established and reliable limo companies charge less than that for the same car.

Can you share any details/rates/contact info for established and reliable limo companies, going from the city to Suvarnabhumi, which you've used?

Thanks.

Looking forward to some first-hand experiences re: GrabTaxi. Some Thai social media have mixed/slightly less than positive experiences.

I have used SP Limo for years, and they are always reliable. They always arrive at least 15 minutes early to my home for trips to the airport, regardless of time. At the airport, they greet you at arrivals with a sign and escort you to a waiting car outside. Price is 950 baht, including tolls. Cars are Nissan Teana or Toyota Camry.

[bubba]

Here is another taxi app that promises to work in Bangkok. I've installed it, but haven't tried it out yet.

Easy Taxi:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easy-taxi-taxi-cab-app/id567264775?mt=8

[Rumblecat]

Yeah, I use it.

Can you share any details? How many time have you used it? In which general areas? How does the driver know where/how to find you?

Is there any additional fee, like the 20 baht fee for radio-dispatched taxis, for using GrabTaxi?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grabtaxi.passenger

I guess Uber just launched here in Bangkok as well, but maybe just over the past day or two so maybe not a lot of user experiences so far?

I've used it six times I think. General areas were Sathorn to Sukhumvit areas.

It works like this- you put in your location (you've got a chose of two location finders to go through- default is Foursquare which works well, or you can use google maps, plus there's options to use locations you've been to before. You can also favourite locations.) Then you choose where you're going.

A map shows marking where different taxis that have GrabTaxi installed are. I just tried it now (you can set up a taxi route and check it out- but it won't call a taxi until you hit the final confirm button so you can mess around with it if you want before, which is nice). Anyway- right now it's telling me there's 53 driver nearby. Looking at the map some are about five or ten minutes away, some are further.

You hit book now and it gives you a ten second countdown timer to change your mind. You can skip that if you want, if you're sure.

Then it sends out messages to all the drivers and you want for a confirmation (in my experience that's taken under a minute usually). Taxi drivers tend to call you just to double check but that doesn't always happen. I prefer when it doesn't- the taxi has a GPS anyway showing your location.

You can then follow the taxi's progress to your location on the map in the app, which will inform when the taxi has arrived. And, yes, there's a 25 baht surcharge.

It's free to download anyway and you can muck around with it and try it out without hitting that final confirm button. The last taxi driver I had was quite interested in how often I'd used it and how many other people I know used it. He seemed to think it was a good idea- took a lot of the hassle out of finding condos and arranging pick-ups.

I did try out Easy Taxi but it's got a much less accurate map facility- I couldn't get it to actually choose my location, just the soi I was on- which wasn't much help. The great thing about GrabTaxi is that I've yet to find somewhere which isn't on FourSquare (and if it wasn't I reckon it'd be on Google Maps) so I can pull up my condo building, pull up my friend's condo building, and be in a taxi on my way in a short space of time. Wasn't able to do that with Easy Taxi.

So yeah... I think it's great. One of the hassles of Bangkok has been finding a good, reliable taxi call-out firm. With GrabTaxi there's no confusion over where you are or where you're going because both you and the driver are working from the same map.

Bloody hell, I sound like a GrabTaxi evangelist. I'm not- but I will say it's well designed, and it works.

[infernalman7]

Tried Uber. The first ride under 300 Baht is free. And to me I think its very reasonably priced. I rode a new Merc E class. Fast, efficient, and the driver is the best you'll possibly get in BKK.

But will try Grab Taxi.

[edwardandtubs]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

[Morakot]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

• Have you tired to flag down a cab in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?
• Have you tired to direct a cab driver over the phone to a specific spot in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?

Edited March 5, 2014 by Morakot

[edwardandtubs]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

• Have you tired to flag down a cab in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?
• Have you tired to direct a cab driver over the phone to a specific spot in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?

There are always motos lurking at the corners of these "soi mazes" that take you to the nearest thanon for 10 baht. How did people survive before smartphones?

[ricklev]

My hope is that the drivers who choose to use Grabtaxi will provide a better service than the drivers randomly selected on the street.

I hope Uber works out, because I would be happy to have the option of a higher quality experience even at a higher price.

[Morakot]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

• Have you tired to flag down a cab in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?
• Have you tired to direct a cab driver over the phone to a specific spot in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?

There are always motos lurking at the corners of these "soi mazes" that take you to the nearest thanon for 10 baht. How did people survive before smartphones?

Absolutely true! It's just always tricky to wear a helment and a top hat at the same time, while ensuring that the tails of one's coat don't get caught in wheel.

[Rumblecat]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

• Have you tired to flag down a cab in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?
• Have you tired to direct a cab driver over the phone to a specific spot in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?

There are always motos lurking at the corners of these "soi mazes" that take you to the nearest thanon for 10 baht. How did people survive before smartphones?

There aren't always motos lurking on corners- not where I live. You have to walk far enough to get one that you're at the main road for a taxi anyway.

So, yeah, if I'm heading out with the girlfriend and she's all dressed up in heels I'd call a taxi so we don't have to totter down a badly kept street. Or if I've got heavy bags or I'm taking the dogs to the vet or any number of reasons why I wouldn't want to set out to track down a moto taxi to take me to try and find a taxi on the main road who'll then agree to go where I want to go...

It's not like taxis coming to your door is some crazy new concept. It happened before smartphones, y'know.... when people would phone for a taxi. The smartphone aspect just gives you an easier way to pass on the information and the ability to track when the taxi is going to come. Technology making life easier.

[bubba]

Unless you live in a really isolated place it's always easier just to get on street and flag one down.

• Have you tired to flag down a cab in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?
• Have you tired to direct a cab driver over the phone to a specific spot in a "soi maze" in the middle of BKK?

There are always motos lurking at the corners of these "soi mazes" that take you to the nearest thanon for 10 baht. How did people survive before smartphones?

Sure, no problem - in the rain with my baggage on the way to the airport.

[thailandbeachisland]

Tried Uber. The first ride under 300 Baht is free. And to me I think its very reasonably priced. I rode a new Merc E class. Fast, efficient, and the driver is the best you'll possibly get in BKK.

But will try Grab Taxi.

Driver was not ESAAN farmer ?

In EU drivers own their taxi but I can't imagine a farmer owning a benz in Thailand ?

[James Smith]

One of my friend tried this application in singapore and he said it was pretty good application for taxi booking needs and it made safe booking for taxi ride. I would try this application, but its not available in all the countries. I found another similar rideshare applications such Uber, Sidecar and taxi mobility which makes ease of taxi hailing and tracking. Those rideshare applications might be essential in future.

[lomatopo]

I've been using Grab Taxi a lot, ~ 15 times, over the last month or so. I have had great experiences. Note that there is a 25 baht surcharge.

I have to use it as I am often in a new housing development and there are no taxis passing, or deep inside a sub- sub- sub-Soi. Obviously with rainy season upon us I will be using even more.

Drivers get a decent bonus for trips to the airport, good ratings from customers, safe driving (as reported by the customer) so the experience may be in the top percentile? They also have to be technology savvy (GPS, mobile data, etc.).

[ricklev]

Last night I booked a GrabTaxi for pickup this morning from rajadamri to Rangsit. Instead of a metered taxi a new Camry picked me up. The driver confirmed it was a GrabTaxi and I would be charged the regular metered rate as determined by gps. No problems. It was 300 baht which I know to be the correct fair. Strange but I was pleased.

I think it was also used as an uber vehicle. A bunch of the uber cars seemed to be owned by an airport limousine company. Guess they are working GrabTaxi also.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[sanoek60]

Grab Taxi ,works great !

Good drivers,good cars and only 25 bht on top of the meter price !

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Senechal]

GrabTaxi is fantastic.

IMHO Uber is overpriced in Thailand unless for some reason you need a really nice car for business purposes, etc.

I use GrabTaxi a couple times a week.

[edwardandtubs]

I tried out the app and it was rubbish. It recognised my current location but then the pick up point was about half a kilometre away. I didn't see any way of moving the pick up point to where I actually am (my apartment, which is accessible to taxis).

[RT85]

works well for me..

useful when its raining and i'm deep in some soi with little taxi traffic going by...

or when i'm with guests and i don't expect them to slum it out and walk with me all the way through (especially in the rain and darkness)

so the app is cool because u get to see which drivers around you are considering to pick u or not..

when i get desperate i use the 'tip' function as an additional incentive to come get me!

i usually play around with like 20 baht tip... and i work my way up to 70baht (the most i ever offered!!)

once the taxi confirms the job.. u can see him on ur map as he heads to pick u up... also u see his plate number and even his photo...

the only down side for non thai speakers is.. most of the cases the drivers will like to call just to confirm and ask questions about the exact location... i suppose there are pranksters who use this app and 'no show'?

sorry for the long post.

good app for emergencies

[bubba]

I tried out the app and it was rubbish. It recognised my current location but then the pick up point was about half a kilometre away. I didn't see any way of moving the pick up point to where I actually am (my apartment, which is accessible to taxis).

I'm using the iOS version, and there is a "From" drop down that allows you to select a location that is near you (from Foursquare data) and the selections show how far the location point is from your current location. Of course, to get an accurate current location, one needs to be outdoors to get an accurate GPS fix.

Works fine for me.

[edwardandtubs]

I tried out the app and it was rubbish. It recognised my current location but then the pick up point was about half a kilometre away. I didn't see any way of moving the pick up point to where I actually am (my apartment, which is accessible to taxis).

I'm using the iOS version, and there is a "From" drop down that allows you to select a location that is near you (from Foursquare data) and the selections show how far the location point is from your current location. Of course, to get an accurate current location, one needs to be outdoors to get an accurate GPS fix.

Works fine for me.

I thought the whole point was that it made it easier if you were down some obscure soi but if it doesn't recognise whatever obscure soi you're in then it's of no use. Also there's no way of changing the route and the route it chooses is right into traffic on the main road. If you know a shortcut or a route with less traffic can you tell the driver to take that route when he picks you up?