Do your part. Report taxi drivers who refuse you.

[Beechboy]

Surely the time of day is another factor. Sukhumvit can be notoriously jammed up at certain times ofthe day.

I must be fortunate because I take loads of taxis , but rarely have this problem, can't remember the last time actually.

I recently caught a taxi from 11 to 21. It took the best part of forty five minutes and we were stationary for long periods before inching forward.

The meter was, of course ticking over. I usually know the rough fare for most trips and have the money, plus a little extra ready in my hand. I had to keep dipping into my pocket to top this up.

I actually felt sorry for the driver, felt that I had been a bit of a pain fare in a way and gave him a decent enough tip.

I'm not suggesting that this is the only reason but in these circumstances you can understand driver reluctance. It can't be much fun having to drive in those conditions. It was no fun being the passenger for sure.

[stephen tracy]

I disagree with the notion that taxi drivers are obligated to take you wherever you want. I f I drove a taxi in a city with such heavy congestion, I would also refuse fairs. I would not, for example, accept a fair to anywhere on Sukumuvit at rush-hour. It's simply not worth it. I did read about a new app though the other day available here which allows you to hail a taxi using it It's a bit more expensive but a guaranteed ride. Sorry, can't remember the name of it. I read it in last Friday's Guru supplement of the BKK Post

[KunMatt]

I disagree with the notion that taxi drivers are obligated to take you wherever you want. I f I drove a taxi in a city with such heavy congestion, I would also refuse fairs. I would not, for example, accept a fair to anywhere on Sukumuvit at rush-hour. It's simply not worth it. I did read about a new app though the other day available here which allows you to hail a taxi using it It's a bit more expensive but a guaranteed ride. Sorry, can't remember the name of it. I read it in last Friday's Guru supplement of the BKK Post

I agree and at rush hour I would take the Skytrain home. Like I said I have lived in Sukhumvit for 5 years. What I mentioned in the OP happened at 10.30am today and there is a highway most of the way to where we live.

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[fredv]

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[holymoly]

This topis hs been discussed several times. May I point out that all Thais will ask the cab driver about his willingness to take this fare.

Often the cab driver refuses. Thai people appear not to be upset and flag down another cab. Thus it is a part of the Thai culture that the driver is permitted to refuse.........

[Skint]

It is simple they only want the big fare, it's not just Thailand the Netherlands is worse for this nonsense.

[YipYipYa123]

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

what colour taxi do you drive ?

[thaicookingchef]

Totally agree and wish that UBER will kill the business of all these low so retarded farmers...

[uptheos]

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.

They are not above the law and if they refuse or try to overcharge, you can call the police (or airport police). I presume the 6 mile rule is still in force? If you can take their badge number, cab number and report them to the Public Carriage Office, they won't get off lightly. However, on the whole I find black can drivers to be among the best there are and I've never had a problem.

Actually I've never had a problem with Bangkok or Bangkok airport Taxis either.

[kovaltech]

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.

DP, i like your opinion, dough, for them to be an taxidriver also includes that they can not refuse customers...

If they stop then they have to bring you... almost anywhere ;-). thats there job, thats why they have a license... Thats why that phone number exists. Only by reporting at any time , everything, things will change.. otherwise it will only getting worst.

just dial the number and tell the operator what happened...

[coppywriter]

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

I use Grabtaxi all the time and find them very reliable and courteous. It costs 25 thb on top of the metered fare but it's well worth it.

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

Edited May 1, 2014 by petergurling

[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

I use Grabtaxi all the time and find them very reliable and courteous. It costs 25 thb on top of the metered fare but it's well worth it.

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

If nothing else, the best thing about me starting this thread here may be that I found out about GrabTaxi! I will definitely try to use them from now on. Edited May 1, 2014 by KunMatt

[Stan7444]

If you really want to see the taxi scammers try Phuket for the tuk-tuk and to call a regular taxi in Phuket takes 2 hours advance notice and many times never show up. I had a friend from the US visiting in Bangkok few months ago and we had a nice dinner on the river and jumped in a cab to go back to the Sala Daeng BTS area for his hotel. I got out about 3 blocks from my friend's hotel and they continued onwards. It took my friend 30 mins. longer to reach his hotel while the meter was running up.

I have often been refused by a driver in Bangkok but usually when I speak some Taxi with them they usually warm up. However, there are crooked taxi drivers in every country I have ever visited, with the exception of London cabbies which are amazingly good. Never forget when I took a London cab in the West End and the driver looked at his watch and said in mid-journey, "oh me God, it is tea time with the misses" whereupon he promptly found another taxi to continue to my destination and did not charge me for his portion of the trip. Funniest taxi ride I ever had, although this was many years ago.

[KunMatt]

If you really want to see the taxi scammers try Phuket for the tuk-tuk and to call a regular taxi in Phuket

OBVIOUSLY!! But that's a different kettle of fish.

I think Phuket is so bad because it's basically an island of expats and tourists so it's what I explained in the OP taken to the most severe extreme. I'm sure that BKK taxi drivers would love to be able to do the same as their Phuket counterparts.

[lensta]

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

I agree, Bluebird and Silver bird taxis are very good in Jakarta and were years ago when I lived there. But Jakarta does have Prestasi taxis and I guess they are the equivalent of the taxi mafia here.

[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

I agree, Bluebird and Silver bird taxis are very good in Jakarta and were years ago when I lived there. But Jakarta does have Prestasi taxis and I guess they are the equivalent of the taxi mafia here.

I had my run in with them when there. I ended up paying more than I would have done with Bluebird....which is why I ended up joining the patient masses for that welcomed Bluebird.

[InsideOut]

I totally agree wholeheartedly with KunMatt. And yeah, it have gotten A LOT worse in recent years.

I have for a long time been thinking about filming and reporting them too.

In the Sukhumvit area, I never ever ask them to drive somewhere, cause 80% of the time, they will refuse to go. So I simply get into the taxi and then tell them were to go.

If they still refuse, I make a big deal out of getting out of the taxi, first sitting and waiting a few seconds to make it really uncomfortable for the taxi driver, then I SLOWLY move out of the taxi, and then I semi close the door.

Two clear signs that a taxi driver is picky, and will most likely to refuse to pick you up, do NOT bother asking these "drivers".

1. They wind down the windshield and ask you where you want to go.

2. The have locked the door so you can not get in before you have answered where you want to go

I sometimes also ask them if they do not know its illegal to refuse a customer, and that I will report him, all in Thai.

Edited May 1, 2014 by InsideOut

[KunMatt]

Exactly. If a taxi rolls up with his window down then 99% of the time he is going to ask for an extortionate fare because he knows that if you say no then a few minutes later a naive tourist will say yes. It's these people that deserve being fined because they are abusing what they do.

Edited May 1, 2014 by KunMatt

[InsideOut]

And for those of you who think it does not matter reporting to the police, I saw a thread a few weeks ago here on Thai visa, where they showed that indeed it worked, and the taxis who got reported, had to pay a fine of 1000 thb.

So, if enough of us are getting annoyed at this, I think, if not totally make it stop, at least reducing the amount of refused taxi service

[draftvader]

I totally agree wholeheartedly with KunMatt. And yeah, it have gotten A LOT worse in recent years.

I have for a long time been thinking about filming and reporting them too.

In the Sukhumvit area, I never ever ask them to drive somewhere, cause 80% of the time, they will refuse to go. So I simply get into the taxi and then tell them were to go.

If they still refuse, I make a big deal out of getting out of the taxi, first sitting and waiting a few seconds to make it really uncomfortable for the taxi driver, then I SLOWLY move out of the taxi, and then I semi close the door.

Two clear signs that a taxi driver is picky, and will most likely to refuse to pick you up, do NOT bother asking these "drivers".

1. They wind down the windshield and ask you where you want to go.

2. The have locked the door so you can not get in before you have answered where you want to go

I sometimes also ask them if they do not know its illegal to refuse a customer, and that I will report him, all in Thai.

The window wind down is a dead-cert. I simply move away without speaking and wave them on....not worth wasting breath on.

[HooHaa]

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.

good god, best hide under the bed. it is dangerous out there

[ggt]

You do like to live dangerously...please try and remain anonymous...when you bring charges against these guys..

Have you looked into the bus and sky-train service in BKK?

[Morakot]

Has anyone tried GrabTaxi or Uber?

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

See here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/704204-grabtaxi-app/

[KunMatt]

You do like to live dangerously...please try and remain anonymous...when you bring charges against these guys..

Have you looked into the bus and sky-train service in BKK?

Have you read any of this thread or just the title before you commented??

[malathione]

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

I use Grabtaxi all the time and find them very reliable and courteous. It costs 25 thb on top of the metered fare but it's well worth it.

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

If nothing else, the best thing about me starting this thread here may be that I found out about GrabTaxi! I will definitely try to use them from now on.

And, Easytaxi, as well. Both work; maybe not always, but, they do work.

[KunMatt]

And, Easytaxi, as well. Both work; maybe not always, but, they do work.

I now have the app if my phone. It says there are 37 taxis in my area to go to Sukhumvit for 87 baht, and the return far is similar. Will definitely try this the next time we need a taxi. b

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[mok199]

as i have said in the past i have been here almost 20 years,robbed,druged,beatup,stolen from,built the house in burriram and was kicked out...but none compares to the dislike i have for taxi drivers...if it is any consalation its even worse in vietnam...

[bonobo]

We called Grabtaxi for two trips a couple of weeks ago. I needed to go to Swampy while my wife needed to go to Don Muang. I got mine no problem, but we received a call an 45 minutes before the pick-up time that there would be no taxi for the Don Muang trip. We had to call a mototaxi to go out to the road and flag down a taxi for her.

On the way back, my business partner's son picked us up and took me half-way back from the airport where I hailed a taxi. The entire time, the driver kept complaining about "far very" and demanding 500 baht. I told him it would be about 200 baht on the meter and refused to say anything more to his complaining and insisting it was "far very" and 500 baht. We arrived at my home, and it was 190-something baht. He asked for a cigarette from me (I don't smoke) and then demanded a tip. I gave neither. I usually tip, but not this time.

[potters]

Not just downtown

Trying getting a Taxi from Mochit BTS to take you to the bus station.

Same there

[leosuntime]

Honestly, nobody likes the black market when the true exchange rate is slapped into your ignorant faces, im sure Zimbabweans were angry at shop keepers who asked for millions of Zimbabwean dollars for a loaf of bread!