KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 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! OK. I don't think you really understand the two parallels you are trying to bring together but thanks for trying to be a part of the discussion. Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apiwan Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Poor fella trying to scrape a living at 80p flag and average fare £ 2 And you want to do him more with a fine of 500/1000. Beggars belief . Good thing about BKK there's loads of taxis. Ask max 4 . And 1 will go . Asking the 10+ in ain't too sure. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Poor fella trying to scrape a living at 80p flag and average fare £ 2 And you want to do him more with a fine of 500/1000. Beggars belief . Good thing about BKK there's loads of taxis. Ask max 4 . And 1 will go . Asking the 10+ in ain't too sure. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app And here comes the typical General Forum level of response. I was going to comment that it's gone so well until now, but it's now it drunken times so I expected more of these brainless replies to come... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocopops Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Price fixing leads to shortages if, as in this case, the price is fixed too low. A free market where prices are set by negotiation between buyers and sellers is almost always a better answer. I fully support the right of these taxi drivers to charge market rate for their services - just as I do my own. If you don't like the price you are offered, ask another driver or take the bus. It's called commerce people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leosuntime Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 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! OK. I don't think you really understand the two parallels you are trying to bring together but thanks for trying to be a part of the discussion. Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app I dont think you understand so i will say it simply the western countries are printing LOTS of money out of thin air! when you come here the thai central bank prints LOTS of money out of thing air to buy your foreign money you take all that baht and steal goods and services from hard working thai people! I am not saying you are bad its just a fact. reporting the taxi driver is pure fascism, nobody forces you to catch a taxi! Its as if farangs came straight out of the soviet union! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Price fixing leads to shortages if, as in this case, the price is fixed too low. A free market where prices are set by negotiation between buyers and sellers is almost always a better answer. I fully support the right of these taxi drivers to charge market rate for their services - just as I do my own. If you don't like the price you are offered, ask another driver or take the bus. It's called commerce people! As I already said in this thread, that is fine, charge me more but give me a clean serviced taxi with full seat belts and a fully qualified driver. But usually what I get is a stinking battered taxi with a hungover/drunk taxi driver who speeds wrecklessly and has no seat belts in the back of the car. Why should I pay full price for this level of service?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apiwan Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Poor fella trying to scrape a living at 80p flag and average fare £ 2 And you want to do him more with a fine of 500/1000. Beggars belief . Good thing about BKK there's loads of taxis. Ask max 4 . And 1 will go . Asking the 10+ in ain't too sure. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app And here comes the typical General Forum level of response. I was going to comment that it's gone so well until now, but it's now it drunken times so I expected more of these brainless replies to come...Brainless ??I thought I would post from behind the wheel of a cab . Rather than most who think we are their hired slaves. Been driving a black cab in the smoke for nearly 20 years. That's how I can live my life the way I want to. In London I will only refuse if Really. Really drunk. Happy drunks most welcome. Or I feel I will have a aggro at the end. Failing that all are welcome inside. If for example someone wants the flyers and I know the M4 Is solid I would explain to them Better get the Heathrow express. Rather than sit in traffic. Punters are happy. Yes we do have dodgy black cabs . It's not an easy job at the best of times. Has for the BRAINLESS comment. No probs been called worse. However my brain (hippocampus) is bigger than yours. Be lucky Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Edited May 1, 2014 by apiwan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Poor fella trying to scrape a living at 80p flag and average fare £ 2 And you want to do him more with a fine of 500/1000. Beggars belief . Good thing about BKK there's loads of taxis. Ask max 4 . And 1 will go . Asking the 10+ in ain't too sure. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app And here comes the typical General Forum level of response. I was going to comment that it's gone so well until now, but it's now it drunken times so I expected more of these brainless replies to come...Brainless ??I thought I would post from behind the wheel of a cab . Rather than most who think we are their hired slaves. Been driving a black cab in the smoke for nearly 20 years. That's how I can live my life the way I want to. In London I will only refuse if Really. Really drunk. Happy drunks most welcome. Or I feel I will have a aggro at the end. Failing that all are welcome inside. If for example someone wants the flyers and I know the M4 Is solid I would explain to them Better get the Heathrow express. Rather than sit in traffic. Punters are happy. Yes we do have dodgy black cabs . It's not an easy job at the best of times. Has for the BRAINLESS comment. No probs been called worse. However my brain (hippocampus) is bigger than yours. Be lucky Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app And this post has what to do with the thread or your last reply?? (apart from appearing that you really hate your taxi driver job in the UK). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLUBBER Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 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: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLUBBER Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Not sure about London but in NYC this practice has been all but eliminated . Much more strict enforcement , GPS monitoring and a very rigorous schedule of meter inspections has all but stopped this . I think the same is in London now also . Of course private taxis are still doing what they want but in NYC yellow taxis should be fine , you should also especially use them when landing at JFK as you get a receipt and there are flat fares . Now as for here in Bangkok I live (part time) Near soi 16 not far from Asoke BTS I must say I still dont usually have a problem with taxis most all I meet use the meters and are pretty good . I only have a problem in the night life areas they all want inflated prices but this has been the norm for a long time , sometimes I just walk a block or two away onto the main road and get a meter taxi . Anyway I have been away for 6 months so maybe things have changed I hope not as I have always had good luck with BKK taxis . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongteesood Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Open the back door to ask, when they say 'No' walk away leaving the door open. They will close it. Then open it again just to make the point mwuhahahaha !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneyboy Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 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. So after all that RANT. Get over your little man syndrome. Get on with your life OR buy a car, easy way to get around!!!! ???? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 So after all that RANT. Get over your little man syndrome. Get on with your life OR buy a car, easy way to get around!!!! ???? Hello quintessential General Forum everyman. Welcome to the happy hour. I've been expecting you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurnell Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Classic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAa6VinDpkw Edited May 1, 2014 by kurnell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loles Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I never undersatnd these taxi terrible stories. I don't understand why didn't happen to me never ever. Used to I take taxi cabs 5-6 times / day and I didn't get anything wrong. I use car for 2 years now but many times I take taxi without any small or very small problem. Sometimes they don't take me, but this is a travelling contract, I want something, and if he says OK, the contract is done. I understand why they don't go every-where. Mostly they use CNG gas car, 1 Km around 0.6 B (I use it also). But the tank is enough only for 200 Km or under. Their tariff unless i'm mistaken 2,5 B / km. Inside this cheap amount many cost: daily rental fee around 700 - 1200 B, service, tires, etc .... If their CNG tank is run out the next solution the E20 which is over 36 B / L. Just compute first, it gives him 3.6 - 4.5 B / Km only for fuel. When you shake your hand for a cab in BKK you don't know how many KM reminded in his tank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotheruser Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 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. Nor are they my slave, that is why it is called a job and they earn their livelihoods from it. Raising prices wouldn't matter that much if they demand three times the metered price anyway. Make the meter start at 100 Baht for all I care but they must go anywhere they are told. This is their job to do so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loles Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Open the back door to ask, when they say 'No' walk away leaving the door open. They will close it. Then open it again just to make the point mwuhahahaha !! Tingtong, I guess you would like to die soon. I understand your avatar choice ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotheruser Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 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: Last time I was in NYC every taxi from the airport was forced to charge a flat rate dependent upon where in NYC they had to go. No meters, no overcharging, no BS of any sort. Manhattan $45 anywhere on Manhattan island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bosun Posted May 1, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2014 I feel sometimes on TV that I live in a different Bkk to so many posters. I am happy that this thread was created but very disappointed by the amount of negativity towards the thousands of hard working Thais who in my opinion provide such an excellent service. Of course a more expensive and better service for the likes of the OP would be a good addition but primarily Bkk taxis are for Bkk people ! Do the maths ... 35 baht flag, heavy traffic etc etc..I take an average of 4 taxis a day in the Sukhumvit area and a few every month to the airports. I rarely get turned down and only negotiate after about 3am outside the clubs , soi 11, RCA, etc then it's usual for everyone including Thais. I also go to some pretty obscure parts of Bkk sometimes.. Samat Prakan, Bang Na, Yanhee hospital area.. Same story..great service for the price. Done this for the last 5 years. Do wd live in the same Bkk KunMatt? Maybe the clue to the problem lies with the OP..I noticed Kun Matt clicked 'like to the sad poster who wrote.. .."Totally agree and wish that UBER will kill the business of all these low so retarded farmers..." Maybe an attitude adjustment rather than an App would help... As I said earlier the Bkk taxi system works great for most of us and no system is perfect... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 I feel sometimes on TV that I live in a different Bkk to so many posters. I am happy that this thread was created but very disappointed by the amount of negativity towards the thousands of hard working Thais who in my opinion provide such an excellent service. Of course a more expensive and better service for the likes of the OP would be a good addition but primarily Bkk taxis are for Bkk people ! Do the maths ... 35 baht flag, heavy traffic etc etc..I take an average of 4 taxis a day in the Sukhumvit area and a few every month to the airports. I rarely get turned down and only negotiate after about 3am outside the clubs , soi 11, RCA, etc then it's usual for everyone including Thais. I also go to some pretty obscure parts of Bkk sometimes.. Samat Prakan, Bang Na, Yanhee hospital area.. Same story..great service for the price. Done this for the last 5 years. Do wd live in the same Bkk KunMatt? Maybe the clue to the problem lies with the OP..I noticed Kun Matt clicked 'like to the sad poster who wrote.. .."Totally agree and wish that UBER will kill the business of all these low so retarded farmers..." Maybe an attitude adjustment rather than an App would help... As I said earlier the Bkk taxi system works great for most of us and no system is perfect... OK, so this is exactly what I said would happen in the OP, somebody would come and blame me for a taxi driver not wanting to drive me home in a taxi. Exactly which part of my end of this contract of carriage am I doing wrong?? I need a taxi, I stop a taxi, I tell the taxi driver politely in Thai where I want to go, the taxi refuses my fare and almost drives over me as I am leaning in to explain where I want to go. Please enlighten me what I can do to correct all of my mistakes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bosun Posted May 1, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2014 Kun Matt ..adapt..think differently..I had a haircut downstairs in Trendy soi 13 today around 5pm.. I needed a taxi so I walked ( yes bit hot and you had your child) to the main Sukhumvit road turned left another 10 meters and flagged down a taxi from the normal flow. No problem. Meter on and off we crawled. You must know the taxis inside Sois like 11, 13, 22, 33, etc aren't normal so don't bother with them and certainly don't give them your business! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosun Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Another quick suggestion after one or two taxis have refused you then wait a few minutes or move a little coz the taxis backing up behind will see you have been refused and will follow their co workers. They probably won't even listen to you... they just stop for a second and get away as fast as they can thinking " there must be something wrong with the farang coz the other taxis won't take him!". Bit of a sheep mentality but as I said adapt and think of a way around the problem! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choonpon Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 One of my relatives just came back from Bkk. She had similar problems with taxis. She said more and more taxi drivers refusing to charge by meter and demand much more expensive fare. She had a hard time getting around in Bkk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maroon Watcher Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 If everybody tips a meter taxi driver an extra 10% - then maybe the honest ones will remain honest I am presuming taxi drivers get the 10% "service charge" ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAMSOBAD Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Don't fine them...PARK THEM for one week. Solves the problem and cuts traffic by 80 percent. All they do is cause traffic jams and air pollution. I have no feelings for childish business people with hatred in their hearts. Edited May 1, 2014 by IAMSOBAD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post brit1984 Posted May 1, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2014 Most Bangkok taxi drivers are barely scraping a living because the meter fares are so ridiculously low. If one taxi refuses you, wait for the next. If he also refuses it's probably because your route is uneconomical at that time given traffic conditions. If convenient (as would always be the case in the tourist areas) just jump on BTS / MRT, or offer the driver a meter plus 50/100 baht deal. I always chat with the taxi drivers (to practice my Thai) and find them to be mostly really nice guys who are working crazy long hours to support their families. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choonpon Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I usually tip honest taxi drivers. Those dishonest ones, I'll pay exact fare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Never really had much of a problem with this. Now and then one or two drivers will turn me down, but I tend to attribute this to them not being able to understand my bad Thai. Life's too short to get all bothered about it when there are plenty of others driving around and I generally find one within a couple of minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benalibina Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 At Morchit busstation at the taxiqueue a driver was hammered by a supervisor because he did not want to do a ride for a thai customer. I was surprised, as far as i could understand it, the driver was threatened by said supervisor by taking away his license. He drove out of the busstation without a customer. In all my years coming to bkk and using taxis i have witnessed that more and more want to ride with a fixed price and not use the meter. As there are many taxis just bare the impoliteness and be happy you dont have to do their crappy, lowpaid job. On a sidenote....inside the taxis the licenceholders photo is usulally never from the driver..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YipYipYa123 Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 At Morchit busstation at the taxiqueue a driver was hammered by a supervisor because he did not want to do a ride for a thai customer. I was surprised, as far as i could understand it, the driver was threatened by said supervisor by taking away his license. He drove out of the busstation without a customer. In all my years coming to bkk and using taxis i have witnessed that more and more want to ride with a fixed price and not use the meter. As there are many taxis just bare the impoliteness and be happy you dont have to do their crappy, lowpaid job. On a sidenote....inside the taxis the licenceholders photo is usulally never from the driver..... i had a taxi drive us a the long way home i asked for his id before paying him as the id holder was empty my gf thougt i was crazy i said if he cant identify himself he shouldnt be driving taxis he wanted wpaid the meter rate for the scenic trip tried to tell her the short way was closed we arrived home and i asked to photo his taxi id or thai card becauze i think he purposely took the log way then he started going mental shouting at her and one of our local shop owners (an old thai woman and her hubby came out to see whats going on) as aggressive as he thought (twoards a woman obviously ) he might be i was planning to pull his neck off if it came to it he ended up leaving woith no fair as the locals took our side before it came to violence and called police and he sped off before the police arrived you just need to stand up to them so they know they bullying tactics they might use o their wives dont work on farangs as well but whatever you say ,make sure the odds are on your side 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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