Taxi mafia clean out at Suvarnabhumi airport

[hawker9000]

The 50B is not paid at the counter. It's paid to the driver at your destination in addition to whatever's on the meter plus tolls if you opted for the tollways (plus whatever tip you want to give him). Period. (I hardly ever get a driver who doesn't automatically use the meter from Swampy.)

I'm usually headed to a hotel in town somewhere, and almost always have something with me with the name of the hotel and the address in thai. ('Doesn't usually seem to be necessary tho'.)

To those catching taxis from the departures level @ Swampy: so you guys are literally just jumping the fence or turnstile with your bags?

[ginjag]

Are you on here posting to cause problems ?? you have cut out the post I was answering WHY ??

If you look at that post it says "on the ticket you pay the driver at the end of the journey" I said why does the desk lady take ticket money as well ???

What is your problem with my reply. ??

Simple. I'll repeat it slowly for you; there is no requirement for you to pay anyone at the taxi stands. If you choose to do so, as they say, up to you - I'm sure they appreciate the tip.

Simple and I will repeat it, Many people have been asked by the desk lady to pay her. So they did. My point then being, in some cases they were asked to pay then received the ticket.

My other main point is as I stated very simply why pay anyone apart from the said fare asked by the cab.

Joke--to lighten the air. I asked the lady--" call me a cab " and she said "your a cab"

[louse1953]

Love it. I want to go to the airport JUST to use this system! I'm sick of the stupidity and abuse that has been endemic at the airport in relation to taxis and limo services and the impression it gives to arriving tourists. My family members all ask for either a limo service or pay for us to hire a car and pick them up/drop them off. Well done Junta....well done!

I must be blind.Been getting taxi's for a long time from the airport and never had a problem.Line up,pay the 50 baht premium and wait a short time.Used to be asked by privateers occasionally,just said no,and that was that.What are these problems you speak about?

[louse1953]

i was litterally held prisoner,in a taxi in ho chi minh city 2 years ago,he wouldnt stop or let me out until i agreed to a higher fare,i was late for my flight and i had to grab him by his neck,then when he let me out he tried to drive away with my bags...it is every where...i always say...i have been robbed ,beat up,druged ,built the house in burriram ,with the new car and the scooters,were she now lives with her new guy...but nothing has angered me more.. than dealing with these uneducated,taxi driver scumbags....

You should have finished your sentence with "in HCMC".None of the above have happened to me,your just lucky i guess.

[ginjag]

Love it. I want to go to the airport JUST to use this system! I'm sick of the stupidity and abuse that has been endemic at the airport in relation to taxis and limo services and the impression it gives to arriving tourists. My family members all ask for either a limo service or pay for us to hire a car and pick them up/drop them off. Well done Junta....well done!

I must be blind.Been getting taxi's for a long time from the airport and never had a problem.Line up,pay the 50 baht premium and wait a short time.Used to be asked by privateers occasionally,just said no,and that was that.What are these problems you speak about?

You said, quote, "line up pay the 50 baht premium and wait a short time" I have been cried down because in some cases you paid the 50 baht. Here you clearly state that.

The other posters that were not asked to pay the desk, jumped on me like I was telling porky pies when I was asked to pay the desk.

It has been a long long time ago that this happened to me--so all I can think of that things have altered over time.

[blue6062]

Never had any problem catching cab to pattaya.

[ginjag]

Never had any problem catching cab to pattaya.

In emergency's only for me-taxi----. every hour Direct bus service 135 baht airport to Jomptien, more legroom than a taxi.

[Globeman]

Getting better and better...

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Agree.

Some impressive clean up programs the General has started.

Although, have a feeling he will be there for a long long time if he really wants to make sure all these programs are successful.

Well, yeah, especially since all these bits and pieces he's going after - public pet peeves mostly - are not part of his serious agenda. They are a way to show he is doing "positive" things, and serious about rooting out corruption (as long as you are a former Thaksin affiliate) - and insofar as that goes, it is enjoyable to watch... I notice he hasn't exposed any corruption in the military by the way ... how about starting with the GT200 empty scanners... So everyone sings the military rulers' praises because they are tackling things that have pissed you guys off for some time (those little things, that if only they were changed, Thailand would be perfect) ... meanwhile summoning, detaining and intimidating whomever they feel might be a wee bit of a threat because they have different opinions on how this country should be run, while making a number of other changes that completely change the political landscape.

I recall when I was a kid having an old German lady telling me in earnestly wistful tones, "You know, they say many bad things about Hitler, but when he was in power before the war, you could leave your bicycle on the front lawn and nobody would steal it." Which means Hitler was a great man if your main concern in life was the security of your bicycle.

So lads, my point is, I wouldn't go applauding to enthusiastically just yet. There is much more yet to come.

[hhinhh]

I will continue to wait at the 4th floor while having a Leo and a cigarette, plenty of available taxis at the cheapest prices.

But as I experianced with mafi like habits. Drivers were snatching my luggage and putting it into their taxis without my permission so I had to secure my luggage from the trunk. The new system sounds good as so many things getting organized now. I am only thinking why democratic parties sometimes are not able to organize a state decently but the army can do. Is democracy a fading kind of government?

[sandhurstmolonski]

WOW ..to be honest , I'm just blown away ..I really hope all this stuff works , the desire seems there ..

Keep it consistent , and please keep going ( and going ) ..

I also say ..Thankyou Sir .. the majority will really appreciate your Endeavors.

Just please keep going ..and going ..

sandm:)

[hawker9000]

Are you on here posting to cause problems ?? you have cut out the post I was answering WHY ??

If you look at that post it says "on the ticket you pay the driver at the end of the journey" I said why does the desk lady take ticket money as well ???

What is your problem with my reply. ??

Simple. I'll repeat it slowly for you; there is no requirement for you to pay anyone at the taxi stands. If you choose to do so, as they say, up to you - I'm sure they appreciate the tip.

Simple and I will repeat it, Many people have been asked by the desk lady to pay her. So they did. My point then being, in some cases they were asked to pay then received the ticket.

My other main point is as I stated very simply why pay anyone apart from the said fare asked by the cab.

Joke--to lighten the air. I asked the lady--" call me a cab " and she said "your a cab"

I've probably queued and caught a taxi there over 20x, going back to when Swampy first opened and as late as last month. 'Have NEVER been asked to pay the 50B there, have NEVER paid the 50B there, have NEVER handed over ANY money there, and have NEVER seen anyone ELSE handing over any money there either. The driver WILL expect you to include it when you pay the fare!

[ultimate weapon]

i was litterally held prisoner,in a taxi in ho chi minh city 2 years ago,he wouldnt stop or let me out until i agreed to a higher fare,i was late for my flight and i had to grab him by his neck,then when he let me out he tried to drive away with my bags...it is every where...i always say...i have been robbed ,beat up,druged ,built the house in burriram ,with the new car and the scooters,were she now lives with her new guy...but nothing has angered me more.. than dealing with these uneducated,taxi driver scumbags....

can you share your story of the new car and scooters with the new guy?

[Chicog]

50bt goes on the meter from the airport doesn't it? I pay the tolls cash as I go if I choose that route. I've never once been asked to pay the desk lady in probably 4 trips a year into Bkk from that airport since it opened. Someone is having a giraffe.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[impulse]

So finally it as not a stupid idea to take a taxi at DEPARTURE ?

A nice mesages to all the monkeys who called us stupid because we wanted to CHOOSE our taxi and avoid to give 50 baht surcharge to any of your brothers.

Aside from the fact that it's against the rules? It's not stupid. But it is selfish and inconsiderate.

There'a finely tuned traffic flow in the departures area. If a few people bend the rules, it's all fine and dandy.

But imagine what the departures area would look like if every taxi coming in waited for a fare before leaving the airport. The departing passengers would eventually sit in a line of traffic several hours long, waiting for the taxis in front of them to clear the way. There would be flights missed- and for what? Saving you 50 baht?

So the airport came up with this ingenious system where the taxis serving the airport don't get in the way of the traffic flow through the airport. It works fine as long as only a few folks break the rules. If everyone jumped in a taxi at departures, there would be chaos and you wouldn't get to choose your taxi anyway. Because you'll be fighting every tourist in the the (lack of) queue for the next taxi that comes to the front of the line.

So, the vast majority of us follow the rules, and you get no competition for the taxis in the departure area. You're welcome. Feel free to act like you're special and the rules don't apply to you.

[ginjag]

Are you on here posting to cause problems ?? you have cut out the post I was answering WHY ??

If you look at that post it says "on the ticket you pay the driver at the end of the journey" I said why does the desk lady take ticket money as well ???

What is your problem with my reply. ??

Simple. I'll repeat it slowly for you; there is no requirement for you to pay anyone at the taxi stands. If you choose to do so, as they say, up to you - I'm sure they appreciate the tip.

Simple and I will repeat it, Many people have been asked by the desk lady to pay her. So they did. My point then being, in some cases they were asked to pay then received the ticket.

My other main point is as I stated very simply why pay anyone apart from the said fare asked by the cab.

Joke--to lighten the air. I asked the lady--" call me a cab " and she said "your a cab"

I've probably queued and caught a taxi there over 20x, going back to when Swampy first opened and as late as last month. 'Have NEVER been asked to pay the 50B there, have NEVER paid the 50B there, have NEVER handed over ANY money there, and have NEVER seen anyone ELSE handing over any money there either. The driver WILL expect you to include it when you pay the fare!

Fine--were you trying to tell me that you have stood there for an age and observed everyone on the desk and no money collected. and also done a personal survey with others to ask them if they have ever paid the desk ??

I lied, is that what you want me to say ???

[jpeg]

Christ all this bleating about whether or not paying a piddling 50 baht surcharge from either airport in Bangkok. It's a standard 1000 baht, that's right 1000! from my home in Rawai to the airport on Phuket, plus another 1000 to come back. Add that to a 5000 air ticket to Bangkok! And yes there is a bus, which is bloody useless as it only goes to Phuket Town. Not much use if you must catch an early flight (travel by local bus doesn't start up until around 7 to 8am, if they can be bothered to turn up at all, OR a taxi which will charge you 500 baht to get to the bus stop.

I LOVE Bangkok taxis

[hanssna]

Sounds very good so far... let's see if all this really comes trough.

[city]

The military seem intent on getting rid of a lot of bad apples, but what will happen when Thailand returns to Thai style democracy?

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They are doing a lot of window dressing things at the moment. I hope they really start to tackle serious stuff like land encroachment or tea money in schools.

I understand the feeling that you have in regards to the window dressings. The number one thing that I hope to see addressed, is the education system. Until Thai kids can go to school, and learn world history for the last 3000 years, and how Thailand enters into to that, we are doomed to just repeat the cycle. The Thai people are no more special than anyone else, but like everyone else, with the proper education they can join the global community and help to solve the problems we all encounter. Education, or the lack there of, is what has allowed people to either be productive or be enslaved.

The good generals comments on the education system should act as a red flag. More history (Thai History only), more religion and more monarchy in the curriculum. If a country has aspirations to join the world it should be less less less dependancy on the above. It is commendable to teach them in schools and for students to be proud of all things Thai but it is irrelevant if it is not put into context against world history. We learn from our history so we dont hopefully make the same mistakes. Thailand does not grasp that concept very well...19 and counting

[rajyindee]

I've probably queued and caught a taxi there over 20x, going back to when Swampy first opened and as late as last month. 'Have NEVER been asked to pay the 50B there, have NEVER paid the 50B there, have NEVER handed over ANY money there, and have NEVER seen anyone ELSE handing over any money there either. The driver WILL expect you to include it when you pay the fare!

Exactly. It's not as if they try to hide anything.

[hawker9000]

50bt goes on the meter from the airport doesn't it? I pay the tolls cash as I go if I choose that route. I've never once been asked to pay the desk lady in probably 4 trips a year into Bkk from that airport since it opened. Someone is having a giraffe.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I've never seen it go on the meter. The meter always starts out at 35B ('same as anywhere else in BKK) I think. I don't remember exactly what it says re the fee on that little form you get from the desk, but it's always seemed consistent to me with it being paid to the driver, which is what I've always done. No idea where, when or how the driver then remits it to the airport authority.

If you DO pay it at the desk (which until now I'd never even heard of anybody doing...). and therefore DON'T pay it to the driver, I doubt the driver would be happy about then having to pay it (again) himself. There must be some way they keep track of it already been paid by the customer at the desk so the driver is exempted when the time comes for his step in the process. The driver gets a piece of paper from the desk as well I think - maybe the desk stamps it or something to show that the 50B has already been paid.

[thaicookingchef]

Yes I never followed the rules anywhere and I am proud about it !