You can now travel around Bangkok with UBER taxi

[upinthesky]

Good news for those of us who is staying Bangkok. No more rejection and ripped off from regular taxi. UBER taxi is officially available in the city now. You can hire them via their application on your smartphone. More importantly, all of them speak perfect English as they advertised. The price is affordable and not so expensive compare to normal taxi here. Here is the code with 200 THB discount WORAWUTK1

[tw25rw]

So what controls are imposed on these drivers?

[ttthailand]

Explain how this all works.... Thanks

[innerspace]

Download the mobile app, hire a taxi. Typically independant but vetted drivers who meet the accepted quality standards.

Uber are leaders in the states but grabtaxi seem bigger in Thailand, similar business models.

Stirring up fuss around the world by disrupting traditional taxi businesses...google it.

[kingalfred]

OP is out of date, Ubers been in Bangkok all 2014,trying to get the 200 baht credit? fact is Uber can prove very expensive. I took a 3km trip in one of their cars, it cost 110 baht, the actual trip was 45 baht but the "call up" charge was 50 baht and 15baht for an item called "time" on the bill. Stick to regular hailing Bangkok Taxis.

Edited October 22, 2014 by kingalfred

[srchino]

OP is out of date, Ubers been in Bangkok all 2014,trying to get the 200 baht credit? fact is Uber can prove very expensive. I took a 3km trip in one of their cars, it cost 110 baht, the actual trip was 45 baht but the "call up" charge was 50 baht and 15baht for an item called "time" on the bill. Stick to regular hailing Bangkok Taxis.

Yeah, use my referral code instead of the OP's[emoji2]: r9ijj

But seriously, BKK regular taxis are the worst in the world. I'd happily pay more, double, triple, whatever.... rather than playing the game of "will you take me here?" I hope Uber disrupts the shit out of the taxi business in Thailand. They deserve it.

[WhizBang]

They want a credit card.

Sorry... NO WAY.

[Robert24]

UBER is great. I wish they would come to other cities in Thailand, like Chiang Mai, Phuket etc where taxis are a lot more expensive than BKK.

[FinChin67]

If it works. Did not have that luxury yet.

I waited for the driver to show up and did not or yes but I saw him passing by (could not run out with my luggage to stop him ) and then after about two minutes later I was charged for the trip that never occurred. Did not have even chance to call the driver. The application sucks too. Maybe the uber guys never take rides themselves and after cashing in don't give rat's ass about developing it.

Uber customer service -> non existent. Sent email through a form on website and 3 days later they refunded the trip to my credit card with a lame excuse. Took a taxi from Siam Square to Airport and paid THB 240,-. No hassle.

[saakura]

Have used meter taxis in Bangkok for 20yrs, never a problem. Refused sometimes but there are hundreds of others. Never overcharged, but i speak fluent thai and know the roads.

[Petchou]

There is no real problem with taxis here in Bkk. Where in your country will you pay a so low price.

I sincerely sympathize and have compassion for taxi drivers here in bangkok. They hardly make 300 bahts per day.

Stop complaining about anything and everything. Nothing is perfect in this world. Thailand and Thai people are so nice and friendly. Respect and value them or leave.

[srchino]

Wow, you Thai taxi drivers sure have proficient English writing skills[emoji23]

[xxoahu22]

Excellent! Uber will be a huge help. Cheaper and MUCH easier than dealing with the average Taxi driver, no dealing with cash and easily expensify-able PDFs. i love it.

[akampa]

I may have been lucky when arriving from Chiang mai ,not being so familiy with swampy I took a taxi at the I suppose official taxi stand where they asked where i was going and handed me a ticket where upon the drive walked me to his cab and of we went ,he (the driver) started up a conversation and was a very pleasant trip. I ask myself go with Uber ?

Edited October 24, 2014 by akampa

[Petchou]

Wow, you Thai taxi drivers sure have proficient English writing skills[emoji23]

I am pretty sure most of them speak English better than you speaking Thai language.

[srchino]

Wow, you Thai taxi drivers sure have proficient English writing skills[emoji23]

I am pretty sure most of them speak English better than you speaking Thai language.

I don't dispute that one bit.

[Petchou]

Wow, you Thai taxi drivers sure have proficient English writing skills[emoji23]

I am pretty sure most of them speak English better than you speaking Thai language.

I don't dispute that one bit.

Your opinion is the event of the year :-)

[srchino]

And your observation is Pulitzer material.

[TheGhostWithin]

Just took a 2 Uber X cars from Sutthisarn Latprao 33 to Don Mueang. Coat me 570 baht each. Took the same route in a normal taxi yesterday for 120 baht. Tried to check their website to raise an issue and cant find anything other tjan a FAQ guide designed to reduce customer interraction.Use Uber daily in New Zealand. In Thailand.. never again. Worse than being scammed by the scum at Suvarnabhumi.

[mogandave]

More importantly, all of them speak perfect English as they advertised.

Indeed.

[mogandave]

Just took a 2 Uber X cars from Sutthisarn Latprao 33 to Don Mueang. Coat me 570 baht each. Took the same route in a normal taxi yesterday for 120 baht. Tried to check their website to raise an issue and cant find anything other tjan a FAQ guide designed to reduce customer interraction.Use Uber daily in New Zealand. In Thailand.. never again. Worse than being scammed by the scum at Suvarnabhumi.

Yes, but you get to use an app.

[SoiBiker]

If you want the fun of using an app without the cost of Uber, try grabtaxi.

[siam2007]

UBER in Asia is such a ridiculous joke, making even the worst scammers at Suvarnabhumi look like saints.....

[richard_smith237]

UBER at peak times asks (via text in the App on your phone) whether or not you are happy to pay a premium.

This in the past has turned what would be a 200 baht taxi ride into a 580 baht taxi ride...

In future I will reject this option to use the UBER for a premium at peak times.

Recently I took UBERx (Toyota Vios) at a cost of 197 baht - the usual cost to my destination is 200 baht.

UBER-Black (Toyota Camry) to the same destination is about 300 baht.

The UBERx car was brand-new, clean with functional seat belts and a polite and professional driver.

Having used them for a few months, UBER is always my first choice. If UBER is not available, Grab-Taxi becomes my second choice, followed by a simple flag-fall as a last resort which half the time involves a sub-standard taxi and a substandard driver.

[TheGhostWithin]

Uber have finally (yes, it has only taken 3 days) to respond to my complaint that they charged me over 300% above a standard taxi to go from M2 De Bangkok Hotel (corner of Viphawadee Rangsit Road and Sutthisarn Road) and informed me that they charge me a "fixed rate" for any trip to Don Mueang.

I have now posed the questions "what if I took the taxi from 1KM away from Don Mueang are you telling me you would charge me 500 baht?" and also "I took one of your cabs from Lat Krabang (near to Suvarnabhumi) to Don Mueang and was only charged 500 baht + tolls - the same as the fares in question - how can you justify this?

I await their response.

I catch Uber daily in NZ and the "fixed rate airport charge" is an absolute farce which gives to a few but takes from most.

[siam2007]

Uber have finally (yes, it has only taken 3 days) to respond to my complaint that they charged me over 300% above a standard taxi to go from M2 De Bangkok Hotel (corner of Viphawadee Rangsit Road and Sutthisarn Road) and informed me that they charge me a "fixed rate" for any trip to Don Mueang.

I have now posed the questions "what if I took the taxi from 1KM away from Don Mueang are you telling me you would charge me 500 baht?" and also "I took one of your cabs from Lat Krabang (near to Suvarnabhumi) to Don Mueang and was only charged 500 baht + tolls - the same as the fares in question - how can you justify this?

I await their response.

I catch Uber daily in NZ and the "fixed rate airport charge" is an absolute farce which gives to a few but takes from most.

As I said, it is a rip-off and actually nobody in South East Asia needs it.

Really looking forward to the NCA Taxi fleet. I am sure they will offer same service standards at half the price of UBER

[ttthailand]

I have not used Uber but use Grab Taxi all the time in Bangkok. Grab Taxi is very easy to use and it is so nice to have the taxi come directly to your home with only a few second of time to enter your info. The app works great and prices are reasonable. The rate is 25 baht plus meter. There are sometimes promotions that waver the 25 baht so many trips are just meter.

[smokie36]

I have not used Uber but use Grab Taxi all the time in Bangkok. Grab Taxi is very easy to use and it is so nice to have the taxi come directly to your home with only a few second of time to enter your info. The app works great and prices are reasonable. The rate is 25 baht plus meter. There are sometimes promotions that waver the 25 baht so many trips are just meter.

Exactly right....anyone using Uber has to have a screw loose!

[TheGhostWithin]

So Uber finally got back to me 2 days ago... kindly refunded me 300 baht or so of my 1000 baht fare but refused to acknowledge that their system is unfair or uneven.

Managed to continue to blame me for their 500 baht flat rate price to either airport regardless of pick up...

Have now taken the advice of other users on here and registered with grab a taxi. .. will leave Uber to use in New Zealand and not use Uber in Thailand..

[samsensam]

sure you can use an app and credit card to order a taxi and then sit around waiting for one to turn up.

or you could walk to the edge of the pavement, stick out your arm, stop a taxi get in and go.

sure there are occasional issues with 'no go there' and 'no meter' but i live in bangkok, use taxis regularly and seldom have any problems. and if i do have a problem it usually takes between 10 - 30 seconds to find another taxi which which will oblige.