Metered taxi prices jump as roving service starts in Phuket -

[phuketrichard]

PHUKET: A hike in metered taxi fares comes as roving metered taxis officially begin foraging Phuket for passengers, after the grand opening of the new island-wide service this morning.

We will now see more metered taxis driving throughout the island. There will eventually be about 1,400 metered taxis on Phuket, said Phuket International Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham.

The new rates are are 50 baht for the first two kilometers, then 12 baht per kilometer for the next 15km, then 10 baht per kilometer thereafter. - -

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Metered-taxi-prices-jump-roving-service-starts/33753#ad-image-2

Lets see, i live 22 kms from the airport, the Airport limo ( a Toyota Camry) charges me 750 baht

the metered taxi will be 100 surcharge+ 280 baht still only 380 baht!!!

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

[LivinginKata]

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

Note the taxi's number and if driver still sings the same song, exit the taxi, and report him.

[eezergood]

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

Note the taxi's number and if driver still sings the same song, exit the taxi, and report him.

Great in theory, but if you need to get somewhere.........

[CiaranO]

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

Note the taxi's number and if driver still sings the same song, exit the taxi, and report him.

Great in theory, but if you need to get somewhere.........

Get in the next taxi - if your at the airport their is a line of them

[GiantFan]

What's the THB 100 + THB 50 in airport additional charges all about? And who actually gets it?

In Singapore, it's only S$3 (THB 80) and those drivers sit around for hours sometimes before they get a fare. They get all the money as well.

[LivinginKata]

What's the THB 100 + THB 50 in airport additional charges all about? And who actually gets it?

In Singapore, it's only S$3 (THB 80) and those drivers sit around for hours sometimes before they get a fare. They get all the money as well.

The way I read it is that the extra 50 Baht (for the first 2 Kilometers) applies everywhere you take a taxi. Not sure it's fair to state it's 'an additional airport charge'. Only the 100 Baht is extra charge. I am fine with that, helps pay for their queuing time..

[KarenBravo]

FYI

In Singapore all taxi drivers must go to the airport at least once a month by government order.

[jpeg]

I've seen not ONE 'taxi meter' let alone taxi/limo (scared them off, s'pect) during my trip from Rawai/Chalong/Phuket Town and back today. Not ONE. As expected

[jpeg]

FYI

In Singapore all taxi drivers must go to the airport at least once a month by government order.

Please do all quit sidelining the issue of a viable island wide taxi service, (y'know, like they have everywhere else), by constantly bringing up to/form the airport, which, I suspect is only used by long term resident expats who don't want to pay airport parking fees.

The Big Issue is an island wide metered taxi service. Which will never ever happen. And, please, before y'all start, 'army fires on local Phuket taxi drivers [sic]' not likely to help with already massaged tourism stats. Izzit?

[LivinginKata]

I've seen not ONE 'taxi meter' let alone taxi/limo (scared them off, s'pect) during my trip from Rawai/Chalong/Phuket Town and back today. Not ONE. As expected

On my daily drive from Kata to Patong and back I witnessed at least 3 smart new meter taxis. And over the last few days I have seen more meter taxis than ever before.

[Guest]

Let's not forget. The taxi service is not only for the airport. It's island wide.

This means, that from today on, it's possible to take a ride in Patong and pay for example 75B for 4 kilometers. That price is much, much more reasonable compared what it used to be.

[Kopitiam]

Let's not forget. The taxi service is not only for the airport. It's island wide.

This means, that from today on, it's possible to take a ride in Patong and pay for example 75B for 4 kilometers. That price is much, much more reasonable compared what it used to be.

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

[Shot]

Saw 3 today between Phuket Town and Patong. Never noticed them before, but maybe I'm looking now.

[Guest]

Let's not forget. The taxi service is not only for the airport. It's island wide.

This means, that from today on, it's possible to take a ride in Patong and pay for example 75B for 4 kilometers. That price is much, much more reasonable compared what it used to be.

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

Where do you get the double start rate (50+50)?

From PG:

The new rates are are 50 baht for the first two kilometers, then 12 baht per kilometer for the next 15km, then 10 baht per kilometer thereafter.

[LivinginKata]

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

Wrong - 50 baht for the first 2 klicks then 2 x 12 = 74 baht

[Kopitiam]

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

Wrong - 50 baht for the first 2 klicks then 2 x 12 = 74 baht

I stand corrected. I reckon the next "issue" to look out for is how fast the meter runs. The last time (July2014) I took a meter taxi from the airport to Karon, the meter certainly ran faster than it should. The meter showed 750B for a 45km no traffic jam ride.

[phuketrichard]

Let's not forget. The taxi service is not only for the airport. It's island wide.

This means, that from today on, it's possible to take a ride in Patong and pay for example 75B for 4 kilometers. That price is much, much more reasonable compared what it used to be.

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

1st 2 kms = 50 baht, 2nd 2 kms 24 baht

total 74 baht 4 kms

The death of tuk tuk FANTASTIC

[NamKangMan]

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

Note the taxi's number and if driver still sings the same song, exit the taxi, and report him.

Great in theory, but if you need to get somewhere.........

Get in the next taxi - if your at the airport their is a line of them

I think you will find, in the future, they will all have broken meters.

[NamKangMan]

Let's not forget. The taxi service is not only for the airport. It's island wide.

This means, that from today on, it's possible to take a ride in Patong and pay for example 75B for 4 kilometers. That price is much, much more reasonable compared what it used to be.

More likely 2x50 + 2x12 = 124B, according to rates given in today's announcement. Still much cheaper than the previous tuk tuk fares (e.g. Karon to Patong - 400B).

1st 2 kms = 50 baht, 2nd 2 kms 24 baht

total 74 baht 4 kms

The death of tuk tuk FANTASTIC

What Phuket needs is the tuk-tuks to drive around like flat fare, hop-on / hop-off, baht buses.

The drivers would make a lot more money, and it would tend to keep a lot of drunks and traffic off the road.

There's a place for the tuk-tuks here, if they operate like baht buses, if not, well, I agree, I hope they die a slow death as a transport option for tourists.

[LivinginKata]

What Phuket needs is the tuk-tuks to drive around like flat fare, hop-on / hop-off, baht buses.

The drivers would make a lot more money, and it would tend to keep a lot of drunks and traffic off the road.

There's a place for the tuk-tuks here, if they operate like baht buses, if not, well, I agree, I hope they die a slow death as a transport option for tourists.

I have sampled this much heralded Pattaya baht bus syatem. Fact of the matter is that if any pax offers a 'taxi' fare to take off directly to their destination then the rest of the pax are dumped off and have to pay again to the next baht bus. I don't spend much time in Patts but I well remeber this happened 2 times on the way back to my hotel. A real Pain in the Derrier.

[surangw]

and how much time for the detour by the bogus travel shop ?

[stevenl]

and how much time for the detour by the bogus travel shop ?

The shared minivans are known for doing that, not the meter taxi's.

[Likener1]

A guy told me that quite a few years back, I think he said around the early 90,s, how he took a cab from Manila airport into the centre of town.

Every few minutes the taxi driver would beep his horn even though the road was empty.

Was it to pay respect to some religious shrine or similar as they passed ?

No, every time he beeped the horn the meter turned over ! - he soon told him to stop the beeping and the guy just smiled and said okay, the meter then turned far less often.

The only reason I'm recounting this is because just because a cabs got a meter it wont stop guys finding ways around it if they want to.

The Phuket taxi trade has a reputation for honesty, fairness and integrity, just like lions are famous for their vegetarianism !

Edited September 5, 2014 by Likener1

[jpeg]

Just wonder how long till someone gets in a cab an this happens

"please turn on the meter"

"Meter broken 500 baht please"

Note the taxi's number and if driver still sings the same song, exit the taxi, and report him.

Great in theory, but if you need to get somewhere.........

Get in the next taxi - if your at the airport their is a line of them

Fine, IF you are travelling FROM the airport only. After all, the tourists at which this dog and pony show is aimed, need only to travel from the airport, after which they couldn't give a stuff about them, (whilst they're here or leaving. And the locals? Pffft). IF you want to avoid the 1000 baht standard fee TO the airport, who ya gonna call?

Still no word on the 'island wide' except for 'difficulties with technicalities setting up a call centre', even though the short lived but failed for obvious reasons, of some ten years back was set up overnight. And, no, I've still to see yet ONE meter taxi from Rawai to Phuket town. You've all been had. Again

[NamKangMan]

@ jpeg

Basically, a tourist will only require airport transport, twice, in their holiday, however, they will require short distance travel, many times during their holiday, and in some case, several times a day.

To date, this has not been addressed. There has been no real change to the current transport fiasco along the coast road.

"And, no, I've still to see yet ONE meter taxi from Rawai to Phuket town." - I've still yet to see ANY waiting at either end of Bangla Road, late evening, which is prime time for customers wanting to get home.

"You've all been had. Again" - Yes, but the western market has wised up to the way Phuket operates, and it will take a lot more than some BS media releases, and a few arrests that never make it to Court, to lure them back here.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

"And, no, I've still to see yet ONE meter taxi from Rawai to Phuket town." - I've still yet to see ANY waiting at either end of Bangla Road, late evening, which is prime time for customers wanting to get home.

C'mon NKM - let's get real. No way meter taxis are going to wait in Patong. They will make more money doing the much more lucrative airport run. Any pick-ups on the run will be welcome to the meter guys, but I don't see that as a money maker for them. I do see many more more new meter taxis on the Patong/Karon/Kata route. Even see the 'for hire' light on. It's early days NKM, let's see how it develops.

[NamKangMan]

What Phuket needs is the tuk-tuks to drive around like flat fare, hop-on / hop-off, baht buses.

The drivers would make a lot more money, and it would tend to keep a lot of drunks and traffic off the road.

There's a place for the tuk-tuks here, if they operate like baht buses, if not, well, I agree, I hope they die a slow death as a transport option for tourists.

I have sampled this much heralded Pattaya baht bus syatem. Fact of the matter is that if any pax offers a 'taxi' fare to take off directly to their destination then the rest of the pax are dumped off and have to pay again to the next baht bus. I don't spend much time in Patts but I well remeber this happened 2 times on the way back to my hotel. A real Pain in the Derrier.

I agree that it does happen, occasionally. It's only ever happened to me once. It's certainly not as common as your post may have people believe. It almost never happens in high season, when they are full anyway.

The baht buses in Pattaya move thousands of people around the city, 24/7, at 10 baht a journey.

It's 200 baht minimum journey in a Phuket tuk-tuk - that's 20 times more expensive. Why, because the tuk-tuks were allowed to operate this way, due to corruption.

Pattaya baht buse have been operating for many years, while we have had nothing but BS here for years, not to mention the many road deaths and injuries caused here.

[NamKangMan]

<snip>

"And, no, I've still to see yet ONE meter taxi from Rawai to Phuket town." - I've still yet to see ANY waiting at either end of Bangla Road, late evening, which is prime time for customers wanting to get home.

C'mon NKM - let's get real. No way meter taxis are going to wait in Patong. They will make more money doing the much more lucrative airport run. Any pick-ups on the run will be welcome to the meter guys, but I don't see that as a money maker for them. I do see many more more new meter taxis on the Patong/Karon/Kata route. Even see the 'for hire' light on. It's early days NKM, let's see how it develops.

So, what are you saying, Phuket needs another 100 metered taxis to create a situation where the que at the airport is so long for each of them that they have to wait too long in between lucrative airport customers/fares, so they start circulating the coast road?

If that's the solution, it should be done.

After all, this is a "World Class Tourist Destination" - remember.

Edited September 5, 2014 by NamKangMan

[stevenl]

I agree that it does happen, occasionally. It's only ever happened to me once. It's certainly not as common as your post may have people believe. It almost never happens in high season, when they are full anyway.

High season starts in October, the present changes in the transportation system on the island, still under construction, are of the last months.

So we'll have to wait and see, your post is living in the past.

[NamKangMan]

I agree that it does happen, occasionally. It's only ever happened to me once. It's certainly not as common as your post may have people believe. It almost never happens in high season, when they are full anyway.

High season starts in October, the present changes in the transportation system on the island, still under construction, are of the last months.

So we'll have to wait and see, your post is living in the past.

In this post, I'm talking about baht buses in Pattaya.

How is my post living in the past, for Phuket?