Urgent: Phone number for reliable taxi company needed.

[dddave]

I have a 6:30AM flight out of Survanabhumi tomorrow (Saturday) morning and need to be at the airport by 3am. I live in Phra Khanong and don't trust that with the curfew at midnight, that I'll be able to hail a taxi on the street.

Does anybody have handy the speed dial number for a reliable Bangkok taxi fleet? If possible, I'll pre-book a taxi. Otherwise I'll have to go there at 11pm and just sit around 6 hours...

Thanks

[smileplur]

You didn't mention if you are taking a domestic or international flight. Either way 0630 is pretty early. I am always worried about getting to the airport nice and early myself. I get serious anxiety when I am running behind schedule. I like to arrive a good 3 hours before an international flight. Despite having crossed the Pacific more times than I care to mention, I still arrive 3 hours early. Every single time I do it, I find myself sitting at the airport with absolutely nothing to do. Usually, I end up in a smoking room with a beer giving myself lung cancer and wondering why on Earth I always get to the airport so early.

That being said, I think you would be fine to walk out of your place near Prakhanong at 0345 just before the curfew is lifted at 0400 I don't know exactly where you live, but I don't think you will have any difficulty finding a taxi to get you to the airport. Prakhanong isn't very far from the airport, so you will get there rather quickly with no traffic at that time. It is a weekend morning at 0-dark-nothing! Despite the curfew, there will be taxis roaming around. There will be fewer than usual, but you will not have a problem finding one. I live on On Nut Road, and I have left for many flights with similar departure times that were bound for North America. So, that's your best bet in my opinion.

That's easier said than done if you are the type of person who tends to worry like I do. If it will calm your nerves and make you feel better to book something ahead of time, I think you should do it. By all means, long-haul flights are stressful enough without having to worry about getting to the airport, through passport control, and to the gate in time for boarding. Running through Suvarnaphumi isn't exactly my idea of a good time. The good news is that is now easier than ever to book a taxi in advance! I don't know what kind of phone you use, but apps are the way forward! Several new apps have surfaced to book taxis. You might give that a try. Here are a couple of them:

Easy Taxi is probably the most well known one out there. You may have noticed their little stickers popping up on Taxis is becoming increasingly more common. Have a look at their website: http://www.easytaxi.com/

Grab Taxi is also becoming pretty popular. They are another reputable service you can use to ease your worries about getting to Swampy in time. Here's their website: http://grabtaxi.com/bangkok-thailand/ If you are uneasy about booking a taxi using an application on your phone, you should know that there isn't anything to worry about. These two services are good ones. Grab Taxi Thailand's Facebook page has 146,000 likes, so somebody out there is using their service. Check it out for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/GrabTaxiTH A lot of expats turn to online journalists and bloggers to get information. Richard Barrow is one of those sources that many people seem to like and trust; although, there are a few out there who discredit him and his work. I'm not one of those people. I read a lot of what he writes because I find he is very knowledgable about Bangkok and Thailand in general. He wrote a piece about Grab Taxi: http://www.richardbarrow.com/2014/02/fastest-safest-taxi-booking-app-in-bangkok/

Google will give you plenty of phone numbers you can use. Personally, I have had success using 1681 in the past. Most recently, I used 1545 a couple of months ago to arrange a taxi for a friend. You can give those a try if you really want to call someone.

The advantage of using an app is pretty clear. You don't need to speak to anyone to do it! While my Thai is good enough to get by and read road signs in Thai script, I find talking on the phone to be quite difficult. There's no body language. There's no way for the person on the other end of the line to see that you are completely lost and confused with a blank, vacant expression on your face as your brain tries to dissect the language you just heard into small segments or words that can give you the meaning. Instead of slowing down, they just keep speaking because they don't get to see that priceless reaction on your face! LoL! For me, the worst part of the entire ordeal of calling and booking a taxi is the uneasy feeling I get when I hang up the phone and begin to doubt myself. I always wonder if they understood me correctly. I wonder if the taxi will actually come. I am never certain they even heard the address and instructions I gave them to get to my house clearly. Those feelings don't occur when you use an app.

So, there's my 50 satang's worth, You should be fine just walking out and grabbing a taxi at 0345. Use an app to pre-book a taxi if it puts your mind at ease. If you feel up to the challenge and want to deal with a live person who may or may not speak English (almost certainly not), give 1545 a call and try.

Good luck! My final note ---- If you do decide to use an app to book the taxi, search the internet for promo codes before signing up. Some of them have some good promotions for you just to try their service. Uber, another service similar to a taxi (same same but different), was offering 300 baht credit for your first ride when you sign up with them. That's just good marketing and a great way to get your name out there. Be sure to look and see if there are any codes out there that could result in you saving a few baht which never hurts!

Let us know how you do ....

[joe552]

That's probably the most comprehensive reply to a simple question I've ever seen on a message board. Well done - lots of useful information.

Maybe the OP will come back and tell us how he got on with his taxi to the airport?

Edited May 30, 2014 by joe552

[KittenKong]

A lot of expats turn to online journalists and bloggers to get information. Richard Barrow is one of those sources that many people seem to like and trust; although, there are a few out there who discredit him and his work. I'm not one of those people. I read a lot of what he writes because I find he is very knowledgable about Bangkok and Thailand in general. He wrote a piece about Grab Taxi: .......

He didn't write it. It's just a copied press release. In his comments he admits that he hadn't used the service at the time the article was published but that he intends to.

The main thing that many bloggers and journalists are good at is making it seem that they know a lot about the subject they are talking about, whereas in reality they often know very little. As such I take everything they say with a pinch of salt.

You can find some bloggers or journalists who actually do detailed research in person on everything they write about, but they are rare.

[kratiam]

A lot of expats turn to online journalists and bloggers to get information. Richard Barrow is one of those sources that many people seem to like and trust; although, there are a few out there who discredit him and his work. I'm not one of those people. I read a lot of what he writes because I find he is very knowledgable about Bangkok and Thailand in general. He wrote a piece about Grab Taxi: .......

He didn't write it. It's just a copied press release. In his comments he admits that he hadn't used the service at the time the article was published but that he intends to.

The main thing that many bloggers and journalists are good at is making it seem that they know a lot about the subject they are talking about, whereas in reality they often know very little. As such I take everything they say with a pinch of salt.

You can find some bloggers or journalists who actually do detailed research in person on everything they write about, but they are rare.

Copied or not, if accurate the information is still of value to the OP and the rest of us.....it's not an exam!

[lomatopo]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/717941-help-worried-about-getting-a-taxi-on-monday-morning-april-14/?p=7693897&hl=%2Bmorning+%2Btaxi

Personally I'd just arrange a taxi the day before with a driver in the neighborhood, or use GrabTaxi.

[BKKdreaming]

I tried grab taxi , yes you can see the taxi as it comes to you but my guy sat at Lumpini waiting for a better share , the 2nd guy calls and asks how much will I pay ? The 3rd guy was 5 miles away and said 30 minutes at 6am.....

what a waste......

Grab taxi does not own anything and does not hire the taxi drivers , so they really do not have any control over them.

you can be stuck on the side of the road waiting for them as 20 taxis drive by ,

better to get someone local and hope he shows up ! Then just go out in the street and pay a little too much since that will only be 100 to 200 baht extra anyway......

and yes I am sure my Grab taxi experiance was not normal and everyone else gave them A plus plus service

[lomatopo]

I've used GrabTaxi ~ 35 times or so over the past ~ 9 weeks, and every single experience has been fine. I only use them when at a remote location with no access to rolling taxis.

I would never use GrabTaxi if I am on a main road "...as 20 taxis drive by...", that's stoopid, just wave a passing taxi down.

Taxi drivers get extra pay from GrabTaxi based on passenger reviews, accepting fares, etc. You should report any offending GrabTaxi drivers.

Edited May 31, 2014 by lomatopo

[MMarlow]

That's probably the most comprehensive reply to a simple question I've ever seen on a message board. Well done - lots of useful information.

Maybe the OP will come back and tell us how he got on with his taxi to the airport?

Well it was posted just 1 hour before the OP wanted to be at the airport and the vast majority of it was irrelevant. He took approximately 1000 words talking about himself and phone apps just to give two phone numbers which was what the OP asked for.

Edited May 31, 2014 by MMarlow

[smileplur]

That's probably the most comprehensive reply to a simple question I've ever seen on a message board. Well done - lots of useful information.

Maybe the OP will come back and tell us how he got on with his taxi to the airport?

Well it was posted just 1 hour before the OP wanted to be at the airport and the vast majority of it was irrelevant. He took approximately 1000 words talking about himself and phone apps just to give two phone numbers which was what the OP asked for.

Considering the app can get a taxi to your home in about 10 minutes or so, it was timely enough to serve his needs. I replied when I saw it which is about the best anyone can hope for. He said it was urgent, so I replied immediately when I got to it in the daily email sent out by Thai Visa with "Today's Hot Topics" or whatever. I provided the answer he was looking for by giving the numbers that worked for me in the past. Google can easily give you a dozen or more phone numbers to book a taxi. I shared the two I have personally used and answered the OP's question by doing so.

I went a step further and provided some alternatives that might not have occurred to the OP otherwise. These taxi apps are relatively new to me, so it is isn't unreasonable to assume that they might not be the OP is even aware of. I felt it was worth mentioning. If you frequent this forum enough, you will see people advising others to use the search function. It's true that a lot of these questions have been asked before, and people always want their own personalized answers as they pertain to their own situation. They either don't bother to search, or they feel that the information provided in other threads doesn't 'fit' with their own situation. So, we end up with yet another thread about something that has already been covered.

It's my hope that other people might just do a search when they are looking for similar information. I know I do. On a side note, I don't use the search function in the forum. Personally, I used google and search through the Thai Visa site for the keywords that correspond with my question. That seems to be more effective that the forum's own search function. So, those that do search and stumble upon this thread might actually find that there are more options available to them than simply picking up the phone and calling dispatch. I outlined some of the problems associated with making a telephone call to request a taxi. Using phone applications is a more sensible option for those who aren't fluent enough or confident enough to make a phone call like this

You may call it irrelevant, but I call it practical. I am not entirely sure why I need to justify my post to you anyway. A little bit of common sense would lead anyone with the ability to think to the same conclusions. Answers to posts aren't just deleted. They remain out there for others to read through. In short, I answered the query and provided additional options for the OP and anyone else who might read this post with a similar question in the future. Only one Thai Visa does it seem one can be criticized for going a step beyond simply answering the question and providing alternative solutions that might not have occurred to the OP or others reading this in the future. When I post an answer to a question, I will always attempt to provide a comprehensive answer with as much information as I can with the hope that it will help the OP and others rather than writing a post that contributes absolutely nothing to the topic being discussed and is focused on being critical of someone who takes the time to provide a more in-depth answer. I don't always answer so thoroughly, but I do try when time permits.

Take care ....

[Morch]

We've been using Nakhon Chai (02-878-9000) for a few years now - can't recall having a problem, although for late night/early morning better to book ahead. Call center does basic English, I think. They call you back within 15 minutes in case something

goes wrong (like no taxis available) - but that's more relevant to on the spot requests. Never an issue when booking ahead.

Used HOWA for a while before that. Started out ok, then got unreliable (call center not responding, no taxis available, cancellations after confirmation etc.).

Edited May 31, 2014 by Morch

[KittenKong]

Copied or not, if accurate the information is still of value to the OP and the rest of us.....it's not an exam!

I didn't imply otherwise. I just pointed out that the article was a press release and not a review based on personal experience.

[tinhead]

Firstly, there were still taxis on the road on Saturday morning, despite said coup.

Another option is Uber - which is a significantly different experience than GrabTaxi as drivers serve on a first-come basis and do not pick-and-choose or refuse. Also, vehicles vary from silver camrys to Mercedes E-class or even a BMW at the same price (you have no choice of car, just whatever's close and available)...

Cost around town is a bit more than a taxi which isn't bad since it's a private car. Cost to airport is 1000฿ which, for some, may be steep.

All charges go to a credit card, so if you don't have a CC, the service is not for you.

I also have a 300฿ promo code: 'up2wi' - all users who sign up get their own code, both parties get 300฿ upon successful sign-up and use of the service.

[dddave]

I'm the OP of this thread, recently returned from my quick trip to San Francisco. I want to thank all, especially SMILEPLUR for the timely and informative responses to my query regarding on call taxi services.

Although I did not mention it in my OP, I frequently fly as an on call air courier for an international logistics company. Less than 12 hours notification is not unusual in this work and it is imperative that I be at the departing airport three and a half hours before departure because I have to meet with the people delivering the goods to me for transport, inspect the shipment since it travels as my baggage and clear it through Thai customs. All this has to be completed before check-in.

All the above is why I did not dare trust to luck as the curfew/taxi situation is unique and unclear.

I did check out the Grab Taxi website but time was getting short and I was reluctant to place faith in an untested service as the consequences of me being late are dire. I will try it at some point when time is not so critical.

Ultimately, I did the prudent thing and caught a taxi at 11:30, getting to Swampy by midnight. I found a vacant bench and tried my luck at snoozing; rather unsuccessfully.

It was a long night.