Taxi fare to go up 8-13% in December

[Lite Beer]

Taxi fare to go up 8-13% in December

BANGKOK: -- Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said taxi fares will be increased by 8-13%, starting December.

The rise will come in two phases. From December to May, the hikes will be limited to 8%. After the period ends, service quality will be evaluated, he said.

If the results are satisfactory, the ministry will allow for increases to a maximum of 13%, he said.

But the minister said the starting fare of the first kilometre, however, will be capped at the same rate of 35 baht as it has been for more than 20 years.

A 50 satang increase from previous 1.50 baht to two baht will apply to each subsequent kilometre and when the car stops.

The distance to be calculated will also be reduced to every 10 kilometres from 12 kilometres , thus resulting in lower fares for shorter distances.

At present, taxi fares are 35 baht for 0-1km, five baht each for the first to 12th kilometres, 5.50 baht each for the 12th to 20th kilometres, six baht each for the 20th to 40th kilometres, 6.50 baht for the 40th to 60th kilometres, 7.50 baht each for the 60th to 80th kilometres, and 8.50 baht each for the 80th kilometre or higher.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/taxi-fare-go-8-13-december/

-- Thai PBS 2014-10-18

[Pib]

Sounds very fair to me. Taxi drivers definitely ain't going to get rich even off the new fares. Yeap, sounds very fair to me.

[JOC]

With a stupid fare-system like that, no wonder the drivers sometimes refuse a fare!!

A 3 km trip=45 baht!! After paying rent for the car and fuel, how much is left for the driver??

If they want good service, good vehicles, I think they need to raise the fares, so the drivers can make a decent living!!

[siam2007]

"from the previous 1,5 Baht per Kilometer" ?

very funny...... were those guys drunk or on Yabaaaa ?

[Stradavarius37]

With a stupid fare-system like that, no wonder the drivers sometimes refuse a fare!!

A 3 km trip=45 baht!! After paying rent for the car and fuel, how much is left for the driver??

If they want good service, good vehicles, I think they need to raise the fares, so the drivers can make a decent living!!

Did you not read the article? Crawl back in your bottle.

[colin2]

Joc is right. any one who is worried about this is a pessent and shouldnt be here

[CBR650]

The sooner they can afford guns instead of samurai swords the better.

I can't recall ever seeing the minimum fare (35b) rise in my 10 years here, so good on them, wonder how much the politician's income has increased compared to taxi driver's over the past few years.

[siam2007]

The sooner they can afford guns instead of samurai swords the better.

I can't recall ever seeing the minimum fare (35b) rise in my 10 years here, so good on them, wonder how much the politician's income has increased compared to taxi driver's over the past few years.

5 years ago or so, the 35 THB flagfall covered the first TWO kilometers. Now it covers only ONE kilometer. there have been fare increases (particularly at long distance rides of more than 10 km or so).

but I agree the fares are very low indeed. That's why the fares will go up.

but this will mean many locals (plus some Farang as well) will think twice using a Taxi in the future and consider to rather stick on public transport.

[Sviss Geez]

With a stupid fare-system like that, no wonder the drivers sometimes refuse a fare!!

A 3 km trip=45 baht!! After paying rent for the car and fuel, how much is left for the driver??

If they want good service, good vehicles, I think they need to raise the fares, so the drivers can make a decent living!!

"A 3 km trip=45 baht!! After paying rent for the car and fuel, how much is left for the driver??

Nothing, obviously, but most taxi drivers do more than one trip per day.

[Beng]

Sounds like good news for the taxi mafia on the holiday islands. So they can justify even higher fares.

[ezzra]

About time and well deserved every baht of it....

[lomatopo]

Most taxi journeys are made by Thais, who for the most part, have limited disposable income. This is one reason why it can be so challenging to get a taxi on/just after salary day. So fare increases will have an inflationary affect on them.

In theory, as fares increase, total passenger Km will decrease, at least until wages catch up. Hence, taxi drivers might not benefit as much as one would imagine, at least in the short term.

[ATF]

Does this mean that the Police will be enforcing the maximum age of Taxis which was capped at seven years a very long time ago.

[Rob Smith]

not sure the fair hike will beneficial to the 20 sequential taxis that refuse to take a metered fair - whilst on the prowl for the rich arab who they can charge extortionate prices for a short hop.I wonder if the hike will appease the drivers.

[neverdie]

Does this mean that the Police will be enforcing the maximum age of Taxis which was capped at seven years a very long time ago.

It's being enforced with an internal payment of sorts.....I'm sure you understand

[JThai]

Will I be finally able to get a metered rate? haha

[rheinwiese]

The good minister is twisting the truth.

Last fare high hike (12%) was 6 years ago and not 20.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted 2008-07-03 13:24:23

New taxi fares take effect today

BANGKOK: -- Taxi fares started to rise on Wednesday on the average of 12 per cent per trip although the start-up charge for the first kilometer travelled remains at Bt35.

The new rates will start at 35 baht for the first kilometer, not two kilometers as before.

The fares will then be five baht a kilometer for the 2nd-12th kilometers, 5.50 baht a kilometer for the 12th-20th kilometers, six baht a kilometer for the 20th-40th kilometers, 6.50 baht a kilometer for the 40th-60th kilometers, 7.50 baht a kilometer for the 60th-80th kilometers and 8.50 baht a kilometre beyond that.

The new fares came into effect following the today's announcement in the Royal Gazette.

-- The Nation 2008-07-03

[srchino]

Whatever it takes so that taxis don't routinely refuse to take paying customers or try to charge them through the nose off-meter in BKK. As much as I love the city it has one of the worst behaving populations of taxis.

[Searat7]

How about taxis with rigged meters? I've run into these coming from the airport...one time the fare changed before we left the airport and the other time more recently the driver pushed buttons on meter several times. In both cases the fare was 100b higher than usual so I gave drivers choice of the normal fare or reporting them. They took what I offered.

[smokie36]

Seems fair to me.

[bronco10250]

It was time to do so, i totally agree; and also hope a quality service raise

[Lite Beer]

Low-Cost UberX Launched In BKK As Taxi Fare Set To Rise

By Kaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — The international crowd-sourced taxi company Uber has launched a low-cost service in Bangkok offering cheaper rates than the proposed fare increase for conventional taxis.

According to its website, the service, called UberX, will offer a base fare of 25 baht plus 1 baht per minute, with a minimum fare set at 45 baht.

The rate is significantly lower than the base fare of 35 baht plus 5-5.50 baht per kilometre currently charged by conventional taxis in the Bangkok.

The Ministry of Transport also recently approved a fare hike demanded by taxi unions that will increase the current per-kilometre fare by 8 percent in December 2014 and 13 percent in June 2014. However, the Ministry rejected a hike in base fare proposed by the unions, maintaining the 35 baht rate.

Air Chief Marshal Prajin Janthong, a member of the ruling military junta and Minister of Transport, said yesterday that authorities approved the fare rise because inflation has risen by 13 percent since the last taxi fare increase approved by the Ministry in 2008.

"We will separate the fare increases into two stages," ACM Prajin said, "The first stage, the 8 percent rise, will start in December. After that, we will evaluate the quality of the taxi services for six months. If they are satisfactory, the Ministry will go ahead with the second stage, the 13 percent rise."

Only taxis that meet safety and convenience standards set by the Ministry of Transport will be eligible for the fare hike, ACM Prajin added.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1413707422

-- Khaosod English 2014-10-19

[kaobang]

BANGKOK — The international crowd-sourced taxi company Uber has launched a low-cost service in Bangkok offering cheaper rates than the proposed fare increase for conventional taxis.

According to its website, the service, called UberX, will offer a base fare of 25 baht plus 1 baht per minute, with a minimum fare set at 45 baht.

i cant believe that is in Bangkok now....very insensitive...

the majority of taxi drivers(in Bangkok not in thailand) are honest guys and work a lot to make a living

i will be by their side if they will raise their voices

Edited October 19, 2014 by kaobang

[bob4you]

I wish they would come to Pattaya where we have a hundred "meter taxi's" with no meters. Just negotiate, sometimes fair other times highway robbery.

[RIJoe]

Check out the Grabtaxi application. They guarantee using the meter. Works in Pattaya, not sure about BKK.

[retell]

BANGKOK The international crowd-sourced taxi company Uber has launched a low-cost service in Bangkok offering cheaper rates than the proposed fare increase for conventional taxis.

According to its website, the service, called UberX, will offer a base fare of 25 baht plus 1 baht per minute, with a minimum fare set at 45 baht.

i cant believe that is in Bangkok now....very insensitive...

the majority of taxi drivers(in Bangkok not in thailand) are honest guys and work a lot to make a living

i will be by their side if they will raise their voices

agree with you ,

[Tokay]

GrabTaxi is really the only way to go these days.

None of this is difficult. Set your rate, act professional, turn on your meter, don't act like an idiot, be sober, and run your business. If you set your rates too low, that is your problem, not mine. If it's too high, I won't use you if I feel it is ripping me off. New companies like GrabTaxi and UberX will step in and replace those who can't manage their business. That's how the free market works, which is a foreign concept to Thailand.

Whatever the case, all of this is nonsense anyway. A rate raise now isn't going to help anyone or save them.

[JThai]

BANGKOK — The international crowd-sourced taxi company Uber has launched a low-cost service in Bangkok offering cheaper rates than the proposed fare increase for conventional taxis.

According to its website, the service, called UberX, will offer a base fare of 25 baht plus 1 baht per minute, with a minimum fare set at 45 baht.

i cant believe that is in Bangkok now....very insensitive...

the majority of taxi drivers(in Bangkok not in thailand) are honest guys and work a lot to make a living

i will be by their side if they will raise their voices

Why the uber hate? It sounds like a chance to actually get the meter used. If the majority of the cabbies were honest guys and used the meter there wouldn't be a problem.

[stevehaigh]

i don't get it, who provides the service on app based taxi things? is it normal taxis or individuals with private cars? if the latter, isn't that going to turn into a war?

[tomyummer]

How is it that the baht per km is lower than regular cars on the road? In all fairness, the rate should be higher taking a cab versus driving your own car. Only mass public transit should be lower, but not for a taxi. It's an upside down business model. 8-13% is still low.

As much as some taxi drivers are a-holes, there should be a steeper fare schedule. Making taxis a more profitable business may encourage better drivers to enter.

The governement should cap Thai Airways fares instead. Obviously no fee management for the consumers there.

Edited October 20, 2014 by tomyummer