Do your part. Report taxi drivers who refuse you.

[KunMatt]

Today I had to go to Sukhumvit Soi 13 to apply for my child's UK passport. We used to live in The Trendy building which the VFS is now located in so I know the area quite well but I have seen the situation for taking taxis from Soi 13, and more so Soi 11, get much worse over the last 5 years. I can see the increased mafia presence along Soi 11 now which wasn't so prevalent before. Today I had to flag down more than a dozen taxis before one would take me back home again, and it wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't carrying my child at the same time and the disrespectful attitude of the taxi drivers who don't want to do their job unless they get paid several times the real fare for doing so. I've been in the Sukhuvit area several times over the last 2 weeks and every time I had had to stop 10 or more taxis until I could find a normal driver to take me home. I live in a busy district too where there are always people waiting to pick up the taxi I arrive in so that is not the reason.

One of the taxis who stopped for me today said he wanted 300 baht to take me the real 65 baht fare to where we live, I asked him to use the meter and he just drove off with the door still open as I was leaning in holding my child, nearly driving over me. I guess that what he didn't realise was that because so many taxis had refused me before I had started to video them on my phone so I got the incident and his taxi number.

I got home and called 1584 with the taxi details, the pickup and destination and what happened. About 20 mins later I got a text saying a complaint has been submitted to his company and I will hear the result within 7 days. I wouldn't really hold much hope except my SIL's ex husband is a BKK taxi driver and he has been fined 500 baht for refusing a customer who called 1584 on him.

It has come to the point where I now expect taxis in tourist areas to refuse me, no matter where I say I want to go and I cannot see much logic in it or what they want. One time I was at Ekhamai and I need to go to 2 different places that day, one 5 minutes away and the other about 150 baht on the meter, so after being turned down a few times I told the next driver who stopped to take me the short fare, he refused, I said OK then take me the long fare, he also refused. I don't know why he stopped for me unless he was looking for someone to go to his neighbourhood so he could go home in which case he is just wasting my time.

So enough is enough. From now on whenever I stop a taxi in a tourist area I'm going to film it and report every driver who refuses me so they get fined for not doing their jobs. I suggest everyone else does the same and maybe the timewasters and extortionate fares may calm down a bit because right now it is getting worse and is too much already.

I know that this is the General Forum and I'm taking a risk posting anything here because no doubt some members will point the blame at me or my child for a taxi driver not wanting to drive a taxi and takes us home or find something to abuse me about, but whatever.

[HeavyDrinker]

I hope you didn't tell him your address. If he gets beans through your complaint, I'd say expect an angry taxi driver knocking at your door or worse, accosting you in the street....

I agree with your overall sentiment. For a few years it seemed the "refusal syndrome" had all but gone away however over the past year it seems to be back with a vengeance. Too many want a 'dumb tourist' fare over even a decent earning long distance trip.

[KunMatt]

I hope you didn't tell him your address. If he gets beans through your complaint, I'd say expect an angry taxi driver knocking at your door or worse, accosting you in the street....

I agree with your overall sentiment. For a few years it seemed the "refusal syndrome" had all but gone away however over the past year it seems to be back with a vengeance. Too many want a 'dumb tourist' fare over even a decent earning long distance trip.

You don't give your address to 1584 when complaining and obviously he doesn't know where I live cuz he wouldn't drive me home!!

[rixalex]

If mafia is involved presumably that means the taxi drivers are having to pay them in order to be able to hustle for business in the areas you are trying to get a taxi. Wrong but somewhat understandable then that if they are paying a premium to pick up in those areas, they really do need "premium" customers... by that I mean customers who are prepared to pay inflated off the meter rates.

If my assumption is correct, the only real way of stopping this practice then is to stamp out the mafia... and if the mafia is connected with the local boys in brown, not sure how progress will be made.

Applaud you for trying though.

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[KunMatt]

If mafia is involved presumably that means the taxi drivers are having to pay them in order to be able to hustle for business in the areas you are trying to get a taxi. Wrong but somewhat understandable then that if they are paying a premium to pick up in those areas, they really do need "premium" customers... by that I mean customers who are prepared to pay inflated off the meter rates.

If my assumption is correct, the only real way of stopping this practice then is to stamp out the mafia... and if the mafia is connected with the local boys in brown, not sure how progress will be made.

Applaud you for trying though.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ XA using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As I've seen it, the mafia are the guys who wait outside the bars and hotels to pick up expats and want 1000 baht to go to the airport. They have some power to stop other taxis and tuk-tuks coming down Soi 11, but if a company car picks up from there I don't think that the company would have to pay a kickback. Obviously I'm not sure, but that's how I think it works. One time we flagged a tuk-tuk driver down who looked pretty worried, we said we wanted to go to Robinsons and asked him how much, he just said "whatever, let's go" and we jumped in and he sped off. I noticed that all of the drivers along the soi were mean mugging our tuk-tuk driver and one ran out and threw a kick at his head which he swerved to avoid. I guess that he obviously wasn't given clearance to drive his private tuk-tuk down Soi 11.

Apart from intimidation to stop other taxi cars coming down their Soi how would they know who picked up and how much to charge them, and who has to pay? They are not recording the taxi numbers. When a I say mafia, I really mean highschool mentality bullies btw!

[Shurup]

It's been going on for years in downtown BKK, not just last few years, honestly it's how I remember it from 5 years ago.

The same issue is pretty much everywhere else in BKK but to a lesser degree outside of tourists areas.

Just a month ago I tried to get a taxi from Sukhumvit and soi Udomsuk area, took quite a while. However there are no tourists there and there was one Thai lady 20 meters up the road unsuccessfully trying to get a taxi, same as me.

Nothing to do with mafia in that area, it's something with cabbie's mentality...

[somchaismith]

Apparently the drivers are fined a thousand baht after a complaint. Don't know how this can be done on the strength of an anonymous telephone call, as the only evidence against the drivers.

Even if they are fined a grand, you can bet the complainant wont get to see a baht. So, imo, it's a waste of time as refusing passengers for a variety of reasons is rampant in BKK.

Edited May 1, 2014 by somchaismith

[CharlieH]

Agree with you entirely, its z nightmare and needs addressing. I tried 15 taxis one time befors I found one to take me, all the same story, high price , no meter or just plain no way. It enfuriating when you need transport.

I actually learned to use the mrt more and other ways to move around so I did actually benefit from it too.

One time at the back of MBK, the drivers were refusing and a Policeman came and stood at the front and everyone who refused was immediatly pulled over, that was nice to see.

[DP25]

I'm all for reporting taxis who try to gouge fares and will not turn on the meter or who are standing around tourist areas scamming people.

But I will not report one just for not going where I want to go. They aren't my slave and I don't expect them to do my bidding like one. I sympathize with the drivers, it is a hard job and not a lot of money, and going to certain locations at certain times can make them lose money. At the end of their shift they need to head back to their depot and need to get a passenger going in that direction, I am not going to ruin some poor driver's profit for the day because I can't wait for another taxi to come.

Taxis here cost peanuts, and I want it to continue that way. If they ever enforce regulations they will HAVE to raise prices, there is no way taxis can make a profit at the current rate if they aren't allowed to choose where they want to go. I would rather wait for another taxi once in a while, than pay 2 or 3 times as much every single day.

[craigt3365]

Best of luck with this. It's a problem for sure. I'll try to remember to do the same thing next time I'm in town. It's very frustrating to have numerous drivers turn you down just because you want them to use the meter.

[Beetlejuice]

This practice of taxi drivers with attitude problems, picking and choosing what passengers and which journeys to take has been going on in New York and London for as far back as I can remember.

Many of the black cab drivers that operate at the airports in the UK and the Yellow cab drivers of New York, prefer the naive tourists that want to travel long distances and will often refuse to do the short runs. I would not describe these taxi drivers as being part of a mafia gang, but they have definitely formed some sort of unofficial syndicates that consider themselves above the law and above any public transport regularity organisations. It now seems that this practice has caught on in Bangkok.

As for doing your part, I have no idea what one can do to stop a practice that has been going on for decades, but it seemed no problem for this fella in the video below:

[KunMatt]

This practice of taxi drivers with attitude problems, picking and choosing what passengers and which journeys to take has been going on in New York and London for as far back as I can remember.

Many of the black cab drivers that operate at the airports in the UK and the Yellow cab drivers of New York, prefer the naive tourists that want to travel long distances and will often refuse to do the short runs. I would not describe these taxi drivers as being part of a mafia gang, but they have definitely formed some sort of unofficial syndicates that consider themselves above the law and above any public transport regularity organisations. It now seems that this practice has caught on in Bangkok.

I'm not saying I don't believe you but I've never had a taxi driver scam me in the UK and I've taken many a licensed black cab at many airports and they've always used the meter. I've also had to call some unlicensed taxis in London with west African drivers who charge a bit more than the regular fare but this is not comparable to BKK because I am flagging down licensed taxis every time.

[brucegoniners]

I appreciate the effort, but lots of luck having it do any good. I've tried to call those numbers before and couldn't even get through. Or I got someone who didn't know what I was talking about. I get refused on a daily basis. It is what it is.

[draftvader]

We live in Pak Kret and most taxi drivers used to take us without hesitation but now it tends to take 3 or 4 tries to get one to take us anywhere that isn't local. We speak enough Thai and I can describe our desired route in Thai....still no go. Mind you we find it even harder to get one back from town. It certainly is harder in more expat popular areas. Sometimes speaking Thai might be a hindrance as they "dumb Farang" disappears in front of them and become an "annoying know-it-all". You just can't win.

[ricklev]

Grabtaxi and Uber apps are very useful to avoid the unpleasantness.

However neither is perfect. Drivers don't bid for inconvenient destinations with Grabtaxi and Uber sometimes has no cars available.

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[KunMatt]

Taxis here cost peanuts, and I want it to continue that way. If they ever enforce regulations they will HAVE to raise prices, there is no way taxis can make a profit at the current rate if they aren't allowed to choose where they want to go. I would rather wait for another taxi once in a while, than pay 2 or 3 times as much every single day.

To be honest I would have no problem paying more for a better regulated taxi service than what we have here now, but that means cars which are clean and properly serviced and maintained annually, drivers who have a real driver license and, most importantly for my current situation , seat belts and THE CLIPS accessible in the back seats.

However to achieve this you would need to replace about 90% of the cars and drivers in BKK.

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[chatette]

Yes, it's a major headache, but it's also time consuming to report.

Has anyone tried GrabTaxi or Uber?

I wonder if they'll help by at least attracting real taxi drivers and not these often aggressive people who don't want to go where you want to go

[DiamondKing]

Had the same happen to me took me 10 times and then I still had to get one with no meter as I was sweating like a trooper and had had enough, its obviously a serious issue that needs addressing.

I will now video then too when they refuse me next time

[KunMatt]

Yes, it's a major headache, but it's also time consuming to report.

Has anyone tried GrabTaxi or Uber?

I wonder if they'll help by at least attracting real taxi drivers and not these often aggressive people who don't want to go where you want to go

Never heard of either of these. Do they work in BKK?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[chatette]

Uber's in start up phase and GrabTaxi's been going for a while. I haven't tried either as I typically take a cab at 5:30am and have no trouble flagging one where I live.

https://www.uber.com/cities/bangkok

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

[Deserted]

What details need to be reported?

The drivers name?

Taxi number?

[draftvader]

A service like Bluebird in Jakarta is well overdue. They are roughly double the cost but they have a similar principle to black taxis in England. They all know where they are going, will help you with your luggage, put the meter on and don't expect a tip. You will see local people ignoring 10 taxis whilst waiting for a Bluebird.

http://www.bluebirdgroup.com/passenger-transportation/regular-taxi-blue-bird-pusaka

[Beetlejuice]

This practice of taxi drivers with attitude problems, picking and choosing what passengers and which journeys to take has been going on in New York and London for as far back as I can remember.

Many of the black cab drivers that operate at the airports in the UK and the Yellow cab drivers of New York, prefer the naive tourists that want to travel long distances and will often refuse to do the short runs. I would not describe these taxi drivers as being part of a mafia gang, but they have definitely formed some sort of unofficial syndicates that consider themselves above the law and above any public transport regularity organisations. It now seems that this practice has caught on in Bangkok.

I'm not saying I don't believe you but I've never had a taxi driver scam me in the UK and I've taken many a licensed black cab at many airports and they've always used the meter. I've also had to call some unlicensed taxis in London with west African drivers who charge a bit more than the regular fare but this is not comparable to BKK because I am flagging down licensed taxis every time.

Read my post again.

I did not say that the New York and London cabbies are scammers. My point is that these drivers prefer the long distance passengers and especially tourists who are inclined to give better tips. Their philosophy being: they prefer the big jobs rather then doing short runs for less profits. It appears the same now applies in Bangkok.

[KunMatt]

What details need to be reported?

The drivers name?

Taxi number?

Taxi number (on side of car). Colour of taxi. Time. Where you were and where you were going to. What happened, i. e. driver refused to use the meter and asked for 300 baht. Took 2 minutes.

[Goat Roper]

Forget any kind of reporting, it's a total waste of time.

[KunMatt]

Forget any kind of reporting, it's a total waste of time.

Read the OP...

I got home and called 1584 with the taxi details, the pickup and destination and what happened. About 20 mins later I got a text saying a complaint has been submitted to his company and I will hear the result within 7 days. I wouldn't really hold much hope except my SIL's ex husband is a BKK taxi driver and he has been fined 500 baht for refusing a customer who called 1584 on him.

Edited May 1, 2014 by KunMatt

[Rumblecat]

Forget any kind of reporting, it's a total waste of time.

Why? Some of the comments above suggest that it's not.

[makkam]

Yeah I'm sure police will be all too keen on stamping on a group who pay such such big money to them

[KunMatt]

Yeah I'm sure police will be all too keen on stamping on a group who pay such such big money to them

So why does that complaints line exist then, and seem to be quite so efficient?? Edited May 1, 2014 by KunMatt

[jimbeam1]

And don't get me going on about busses that wont stop for you on Sukhumvit either.

jb1