How to get around Bangkok easiest?

[basvdelsen]

I've been here now with my gf for a 2 days. Seems like no cab driver speaks English. How do you get around when you can't communicate?

[stoneyboy]

I use an English speaking cab driver.

[basvdelsen]

So how do I get an English speaking driver?

[rhythmworx]

Ask him if he speaks English.

[basvdelsen]

Wow great advice

[vagablond]

Wow great advice

we do abuse better. next time press the red button instead

[Carib]

Wow great advice

Come on Bas, who started with a rather naïve question?.

Ask the hotel or the place where you stay to write down your destination in Thai, hand it over to the driver and you will be fine.

My experience is that they will understand some English, but not enough for a real conversation.

Other means of public transport are the BTS (skytrain) The MRT (subway) and the riverboats, as well as a network of city busses, and they are all easy to use.

[sundrenched]

Try showing them a map and see what happens.

Personally I stick to the skytrain and subway system as much as possible, and walk in between. Also because I'm tall and the low roofs in the taxis are torture.

Edited June 12, 2014 by sundrenched

[thailiketoo]

What language does GF speak?

[CharlieH]

With the thousands of cabs, open the door and ask, if he says no, get the next one, not like it would be a long wait is it. Best advice as above though is get someone where yiu are staying to write in thai where you want to go and carry your hotel card for the return journey.

Edited June 13, 2014 by CharlieH

[craigt3365]

Moved to Bangkok forum.

[hanno]

Like others, I try to use BTS and MRT as much as possible as they are often faster than a taxi. If a taxi is a must I do as suggested: have my GF write the destination down in Thai.

Much bigger issue for m is to get a taxi that is actually willing to go where I need to be....

[thailiketoo]

I print a photo out with my handy dandy canon ink jet printer and the sign above the place in Thai.

My Thai is not that bad but the photo helps and gets me there quicker.

Edited June 13, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Estrada]

I have been all over the world, so I recommend you get a phrase book, and some maps. Never had a problem even with the Irish, the Scots, the Geordies and the Aussies.

[TheRascal]

• Accept that some do understand you but may pretend they don't as they don't want to take the fare
• Take taxis around Tourist areas - almost all will speak some English (although they'll be less likely to want to use the meter)
• As suggested already take the BTS, MRT and Boats - dead easy and most major tourist destinations are close
• Show them on Google maps on your phone plus the name in Thai
• If you're going somewhere specific (hotel etc) then phone the location and pass the taxi driver the phone to speak to the person at the other end.

For most common locations you really shouldn't have an issue. For more obscure locations you would potentially have an issue even if you can describe where you want to go. Always surprises me how few taxi drivers know how to get to Chaeng Wattana.

[edwardandtubs]

Why would you need the taxi driver to speak English? Just tell him the place you want to go. If necessary, find out the name of the place in Thai. Would you really expect them to speak English considering their earnings and poor quality of the Thai education system?

Edited June 13, 2014 by edwardandtubs

[utkb]

I've used my smart phone with 3G and google maps. I can track where the taxi is taking me and point him in the right direction.

Last time I drove myself back from Hua Hin to BKK, the maps took me straight into Sukhumvit Soi 18 where I was staying without a single mistake.

Very impressive technology.

Can also use the google translate with some success and some strange looks

[TheRascal]

Why would you need the taxi driver to speak English? Just tell him the place you want to go.

Assuming of course if the place has a Thai name that he can pronounce it correctly (which relies on transliteration being accurate)...

case in point - Ratchathewi BTS, read it in Thai and it's much closer to Ratchataywi - Thai people in general (in my experience) won't have a clue where you mean when you pronounce it the way it's transliterated.

[malt25]

How on earth did you find TV to post this stupid question ? I've been travelling LOS for over 8 years & living here now for 4 months. I know about 6 Thai words & none have anything to do with travel.

As others have said, get hotel to write it for you. Ask driver do they speah English. Take a photo. Print off the address in Thai. I regurarly go up to a hotel reception desk & either ask for directions or if they would mind writing an address in Thai for me. NEVER been refused. Ask any hotel reception to call you a taxi & tell them where you wish to go. Most pharmacies have an english speaking pharmacist. Whilst it's not perfect English to Thai translation on any computer will solve 99% of your destination issues. It really ain't rocket science.

Your g/f must worry about you !

Sorry about my negativity.... just that some questions do make one wonder.

[sawadeeken]

Do like I did for my first 10 years or so, rent you one of those little 'walking-talking dictionaries'. You can find them in all the bars in Thailand. Hope your luck is better than mine if you decide to marry one of them. Assuming your girlfriend will be open-minded about it also.

Mostly just kidding but it really did work for me the first few years...............

[tingtongteesood]

Use some common sense, get a map, learn to use the BTS...

[smileplur]

Typically, I drive either my motorbike or car. If I am going to an unknown destination, I tend to take a look at Google Maps online before I leave the house. When I am out on the road, I pull up Google Maps on my iPhone and look at my destination and possible routes I can take to get there. Sometimes, I rely on the guidance system provided by the application. It is usually pretty good, but sometimes it will give you some strange routing. It's also done a few silly things like told me to turn the wrong way onto a one-way street. Admittedly, these things don't happen often.

If I am not driving myself, I simply tell a taxi where I want to go. If it is some obscure, out of the way place, I will do the things mentioned above. I will ask someone how to say it in Thai or have them write it down in Thai. Again, if I am already out and about, I call someone who speaks Thai and have them speak directly with the driver as a last resort.

I'm not a big fan of the BTS or MRT, but I used them frequently when I didn't know my way around too well. They can easily get you to many of the more popular places around the city. The boat networks can be a little bit more tricky, but you can succeed using them if you simply ask one of the people sitting near you where you should get off the boat. This has never failed me; although, I did feel hesitant to take the word of a complete stranger in a country where losing face and saying "I don't know" are not nearly as acceptable as simply lying and pretending you actually do know!

Good luck! If you do find one that speaks English well (this is rare), you may find that you are in for a rather annoying ride. They tend to be overly chatty to practice their English. I really don't feel like telling a random taxi driver what I had for lunch. When they find out it was a western dish, they often tell me how wonderful Thai food is. Sigh!

[basvdelsen]

Thank you to the ones that don't act arrogant and just try to help. To others, not everyone has loads of travel experience, was just asking for some tips.

[mrfaroukh]

Learn to speak with signs.

[stephen tracy]

State your destination and get in the car if he agrees to take you there... difficult I know, but I think you can manage it. Or here's a novel idea... learn some Thai!

[ggt]

Have the hotel receptionist...write down your destinations in Thai...carry a map written in English and Thai...a hotel business card...enjoy your stay...and please do report back to this forum your assessment of you experiences...

[CharlesHH]

I have done this for eleven years..........

-have a Thai write travel instructions to give to a taxi man; do not give him a map.

-get a Thai speaking friend on telephone and give phone to taxi man to get info.

-use a well known landmark near where you want to go; example all taxi now know Pantip Plaza.

-have your hotel dispatcher, the man out front calling taxis, tell taxi where u want to go.

-hope that the person the taxi driver is calling on phone knows the route to take.

-have your Thai girl speak to the taxi.

-hire a car and English speaking driver.

-try to call and use same taxi driver for your trips; soon he will learn your needs.

-use skytrain and subway with English signs.

-walk with your own map.

-avoid normal public bus unless you are really good at knowing routes, etc.

I traveled all over Asia without the local languages, not great but necessary, with very few problems caused by languages, but I do smile a bunch, do wai, learn at least ThankYou, and have patience.

[Aigner]

Use Google translate if u owned a smart phone if not time to get one.

[thailiketoo]

Too bad S Translate does not work for Thai.

[Mudcrab]

How on earth did you find TV to post this stupid question ? I've been travelling LOS for over 8 years & living here now for 4 months. I know about 6 Thai words & none have anything to do with travel.

As others have said, get hotel to write it for you. Ask driver do they speah English. Take a photo. Print off the address in Thai. I regurarly go up to a hotel reception desk & either ask for directions or if they would mind writing an address in Thai for me. NEVER been refused. Ask any hotel reception to call you a taxi & tell them where you wish to go. Most pharmacies have an english speaking pharmacist. Whilst it's not perfect English to Thai translation on any computer will solve 99% of your destination issues. It really ain't rocket science.

Your g/f must worry about you !

Sorry about my negativity.... just that some questions do make one wonder.

So in a nutshell....you're a sex tourist who can speak basic bar girl...six words...beer chang..boom.boom..my hotel. Your hotel reception has photos/maps of Nana Plaza/ Soi Cowboy that they can give you. You can ask a pharmacist for Viagra.

Not knocking you mate...just filing away for future reference and use