Song Taew question

[JulieM]

I need to go from Nimmanhaemin to Central Festival in the daytime. If a driver is willing to take me, how much should I pay?

Would it be better if I flag the truck on Nimmanhaemin, or should I cross over to Maya Mall (easy for me) and flag from there?

Thanks!

[nicksal37]

Song Taews should only cost ฿20 a ride but most people pay them a little more as they are a very cheap taxi service.If you cannot afford that then try walking or go back to you own country and earn some more money to live here to the same standards as most expats do here.

[JulieM]

nicksai37, your post is most unhelpful.

I am wondering what is the local custom? For sure a ride into town would be 20 baht, but Central Festival is quite far from Nimmen.

[aTomsLife]

Song Taews should only cost ฿20 a ride but most people pay them a little more as they are a very cheap taxi service.If you cannot afford that then try walking or go back to you own country and earn some more money to live here to the same standards as most expats do here.

Way to make a complete @$$ of yourself right off the bat.

I'm sure the OP is aware that ฿20 is a standard fare in town. But as she implied in her first post, and stated explicitly in her second, it's a far ride from Nimman to Festival, so she expects to pay more.

OP, if you were going with a few people there would be little reason to pay more than the standard fare. But a) since it sounds like you're going alone and b.) you're probably not Thai, expect to pay upwards of ฿100. Any more than that and I'd consider just taking a tuk-tuk.

Edit: getting picked up on Nimman or nearer to Maya shouldn't make too much of a difference. Just luck of the draw with regard to the driver's willingness to make the trip.

Edited November 9, 2014 by aTomsLife

[JulieM]

That makes sense to me. Crossing over to Maya would seem better to me since the song taew (for whatever reason) has committed to the superhighway rather than going into town.

In past song taew threads it has been suggested that price should not be discussed. But I guess Central Festival is one of those locations where you need to talk price. Feel free to to let me know if you disagree.

And yes, I am going alone and am not Thai. I want to see 'Interstellar' in IMAX thus the reason for the trip.

Edited November 9, 2014 by JulieM

[aTomsLife]

That makes sense to me. Crossing over to Maya would seem better to me since the song taew (for whatever reason) has committed to the superhighway rather than going into town.

In past song taew threads it has been suggested that price should not be discussed. But I guess Central Festival is one of those locations where you need to talk price. Feel free to to let me know if you disagree.

And yes, I am going alone and am not Thai. I want to see 'Interstellar' in IMAX thus the reason for the trip.

I see what you mean. Good strategy if you're near to the intersection anyway.

Since the driver would be committed to the superhighway at that point, arguably there's no need to negotiate a fare, especially if there are already other people in the cab.

In the above scenario, if the driver asked for more, I think ฿40 would be fair enough.

[JulieM]

Great. Yes, I am very near the intersection.

[siamod]

Another option would be to watch Interstellar at Maya, SF Cinema and safe the costs for the songtaew...

[JulieM]

Another option would be to watch Interstellar at Maya, SF Cinema and safe the costs for the songtaew...

Good option. But my favorite movie reviewer says that the IMAX premium is worth it. I think his website it reelviews.net

I prefer to see it in IMAX first, and then on a normal screen again, if I like the movie.

[daoyai]

Have seen designated central festival shuttles (free) but don/t know their routs, maybe on their website?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Go from near Maya to Thaepae gate for ~30 baht

and catch another songthae from Thaepae to near Festival for another ~30 baht

Trying to go the whole way and they will charge much more

Also don't try to catch one right at Maya..

Walk a little bit down Huay Kaew before flagging down a songthae and will get a lower price

Edited November 9, 2014 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[Dante99]

There are song taeows that go to San Sai and pass right by Central Festival, check it out but I think they are green ones and the total fare to San Sai is less than 20 baht.

You are not going to find one near the Maya so you will need to take a red one to the station of the green ones, 20 baht.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Dante99

[evenstevens]

julie, not that i am opting for either camp, but i can see where nicksai 37 is coming from

surely u should have some idea what u want to pay

just flag them down,and ask until one suits your price

then use this as your bench mark for any further trips

really one is talking about a miserable few baht,

a very nice morning to all

[jobin]

I argued with a red song driver and lost. He wanted 150, i offered 120. He said no and drove away. I then waited 20 minutes on the road side for the next one and paid him the 150. What a dope i was.

[aTomsLife]

I argued with a red song driver and lost. He wanted 150, i offered 120. He said no and drove away. I then waited 20 minutes on the road side for the next one and paid him the 150. What a dope i was.

Where were you going and from where? I'm never quoted such high prices around town. Helps to speak Thai, I guess.

[searcher22]

Another option would be to watch Interstellar at Maya, SF Cinema and safe the costs for the songtaew...

That's what I did on Sunday. I paid 100 B to see it at the Maya. The movie was a big yawn for me. Seeing it in Imax wouldn't have made it any better. I should have listened to the The Wall Street Journal, they rated it 40% on Metacritic..."The last thing I expected was a space adventure burdened by turgid discussions of abstruse physics, a wavering tone, visual effects of variable quality..."

[AnotherOneAmerican]

That makes sense to me. Crossing over to Maya would seem better to me since the song taew (for whatever reason) has committed to the superhighway rather than going into town.

In past song taew threads it has been suggested that price should not be discussed. But I guess Central Festival is one of those locations where you need to talk price. Feel free to to let me know if you disagree.

And yes, I am going alone and am not Thai. I want to see 'Interstellar' in IMAX thus the reason for the trip.

I see what you mean. Good strategy if you're near to the intersection anyway.

Since the driver would be committed to the superhighway at that point, arguably there's no need to negotiate a fare, especially if there are already other people in the cab.

In the above scenario, if the driver asked for more, I think ฿40 would be fair enough.

100+bht, songtaws don't generally travel the superhighway.

40bht if you go into town, 20 from Huay Keow Rd to moat, 20 from moat past bus station.

PS

As another poster stated, movie is sh_it.

Edited November 10, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[aTomsLife]

Well, my interest is piqued at this point. Funny how something so commonplace can make for good banter on TV.

Hope the OP let's us know what she ends up paying.

[NancyL]

On Friday, I was out-and-about with a friend from Hang Dong and we ended up a Central Festival. She had no desire to bring me back into town because of the thick traffic. I hopped onto a red songthaew and paid 80 baht. The driver also had two Chinese tourists who went to a location in the Old City. I believe they were charged 100 baht (the driver made out very well, but the traffic was crazy thick with the holiday).

Shortly after dropping off the Chinese couple, a western couple flagged down the driver and wanted to go to (you guessed it) Central Festival. They were quoted 100 baht, which I thought quite reasonable given the traffic. They were very insistent that it should only be 40 baht and the driver tried to enlist me in his cause. I did point out to the couple that I'd just come from Central Festival, but they thought I'd overpaid at 80 baht. Oh well.

I just wanted to get home. Once home I was bummed out to discover a favorite restaurant near home had decided to close for the evening AND Meals-on-Wheels had also decided to shut down at 5:30 pm on Friday evening because of the holiday traffic.

I guess I should have checked out the Central Food Hall at Festival before heading home!

Edited November 10, 2014 by NancyL

[kanook]

Song Taews should only cost ฿20 a ride but most people pay them a little more as they are a very cheap taxi service.If you cannot afford that then try walking or go back to you own country and earn some more money to live here to the same standards as most expats do here.

...or she could move to another city in Thailand like Chiang Rai or Bangkok where they feature a taxi service that actually turns the meter on.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Good heavens.. I don't even know where to start in sight of this mountain of cluelessness, trolling, nastyness and misinformation.

The most sensible information actually came from the OP.. go figure.

* Yes if I was already at Rincome intersection I would cross over to Maya precisely for the reason that the OP stated: the vehicle will already have committed to the Superhighway and be more inclined to just keep going to Festival. (Just not any Songthaews waiting at Maya of course; get a passing one.)

* How much.. driver may ask for a bit more but most definitely not 100 Baht. I can see 30 or 40 if the driver brings it up. If not then I might in this case just confirm it's 20 because it's an unusual route. For more typical routes around town I would not confirm the price as that invites a discussion on price where none is needed. In this case though I might stick two fingers in the air and suggest 20, but will readily agree to 30 or 40.

Last Saturday I took a red songthaew to Thapae Gate all the way from the Outer Ring. Confirmed 20 baht with the driver, who asked for 30, which was fine by me and in the end didn't bother with change for the 40 baht I handed him.

The higher amounts in the 150-200 baht range happen very late at night, or for truly far/unusual routes. For example I paid 200 baht at 2am going from nearish to Thapae Gate to a bit past the Outer Ring. (Wanted to experiment with being driven home as opposed to driving after a few too many drinks, also given the general holiday traffic. 200 is still a bit high; in Bangkok a meter taxi for the same distance (counting the distance double as in Chiang Mai there is no chance of getting a ride back into town) the fare would be 133 baht.

Edited November 10, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[kanook]

Good heavens.. I don't even know where to start in sight of this mountain of cluelessness, trolling, nastyness and misinformation.

The most sensible information actually came from the OP.. go figure.

* Yes if I was already at Rincome intersection I would cross over to Maya precisely for the reason that the OP stated: the vehicle will already have committed to the Superhighway and be more inclined to just keep going to Festival. (Just not any Songthaews waiting at Maya of course; get a passing one.)

* How much.. driver may ask for a bit more but most definitely not 100 Baht. I can see 30 or 40 if the driver brings it up. If not then I might in this case just confirm it's 20 because it's an unusual route. For more typical routes around town I would not confirm the price as that invites a discussion on price where none is needed. In this case though I might stick two fingers in the air and suggest 20, but will readily agree to 30 or 40.

Last Saturday I took a red songthaew to Thapae Gate all the way from the Outer Ring. Confirmed 20 baht with the driver, who asked for 30, which was fine by me and in the end didn't bother with change for the 40 baht I handed him.

The higher amounts in the 150-200 baht range happen very late at night, or for truly far/unusual routes. For example I paid 200 baht at 2am going from nearish to Thapae Gate to a bit past the Outer Ring. (Wanted to experiment with being driven home as opposed to driving after a few too many drinks, also given the general holiday traffic. 200 is still a bit high; in Bangkok a meter taxi for the same distance (counting the distance double as in Chiang Mai there is no chance of getting a ride back into town) the fare would be 133 baht.

That isn't a fair comparison (200฿ CM Songthaew with a taxi in Bangkok). Next time try the 2 am trip with a Chiang Mai metered taxi, see if they are willing to turn the meter on.

[northernjohn]

That makes sense to me. Crossing over to Maya would seem better to me since the song taew (for whatever reason) has committed to the superhighway rather than going into town.

In past song taew threads it has been suggested that price should not be discussed. But I guess Central Festival is one of those locations where you need to talk price. Feel free to to let me know if you disagree.

And yes, I am going alone and am not Thai. I want to see 'Interstellar' in IMAX thus the reason for the trip.

If you are alone the standard fare will be about 120 baht. Distance does matter but for some reason if it is a mall they automatically charge more. Of course if you had more than one which you don't it would be cheaper.

[northernjohn]

Another option would be to watch Interstellar at Maya, SF Cinema and safe the costs for the songtaew...

Good option. But my favorite movie reviewer says that the IMAX premium is worth it. I think his website it reelviews.net

I prefer to see it in IMAX first, and then on a normal screen again, if I like the movie.

Have seen two at the I max. Will not go again. For me I like to sit back a little farther from the screen. It was for me hard to see it all. The first time I was about 2/3 of the way from the screen. The last time I was in the back row. It may be OK for some but not me. At any rate I hope you enjoy it saw it in 2D was OK.

[masuk]

That makes sense to me. Crossing over to Maya would seem better to me since the song taew (for whatever reason) has committed to the superhighway rather than going into town.

In past song taew threads it has been suggested that price should not be discussed. But I guess Central Festival is one of those locations where you need to talk price. Feel free to to let me know if you disagree.

And yes, I am going alone and am not Thai. I want to see 'Interstellar' in IMAX thus the reason for the trip.

I see what you mean. Good strategy if you're near to the intersection anyway.

Since the driver would be committed to the superhighway at that point, arguably there's no need to negotiate a fare, especially if there are already other people in the cab.

In the above scenario, if the driver asked for more, I think ฿40 would be fair enough.

100+bht, songtaws don't generally travel the superhighway.

40bht if you go into town, 20 from Huay Keow Rd to moat, 20 from moat past bus station.

PS

As another poster stated, movie is sh_it.

Central Festival has songtiaws outside with prices of 10B, 20B and 30B. But I'm not sure where they go to!

[tbaichak]

This is embarrasing to ask (as I've been in Thailand for 6 months+) but how does one use a songtaew? For instance I want to go from Tha Phae Gate to Maya, how do I sort that out? I was here a few years ago and I'd get a tuk tuk for that sort of trip but now they seem to charge crazy prices so Songtaew seems like a better bet

[AnotherOneAmerican]

This is embarrasing to ask (as I've been in Thailand for 6 months+) but how does one use a songtaew? For instance I want to go from Tha Phae Gate to Maya, how do I sort that out? I was here a few years ago and I'd get a tuk tuk for that sort of trip but now they seem to charge crazy prices so Songtaew seems like a better bet

Lean in the window say "Maya, sow baht, dai mai, kap"

He will reply (dai kap) .... get in, or "Mai dai kap" ..... wave down the next one.

Repeat as long as required.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This is embarrasing to ask (as I've been in Thailand for 6 months+) but how does one use a songtaew? For instance I want to go from Tha Phae Gate to Maya, how do I sort that out? I was here a few years ago and I'd get a tuk tuk for that sort of trip but now they seem to charge crazy prices so Songtaew seems like a better bet

First you pick a spot on a road where traffic goes in the general direction of where you want to go. In this particular case (Thapae to Maya) it doesn't matter all that much as you can loop around the moat either way. Perhaps I'd have a slight preference for going North.

You flag one down, then you say where you're going. Well known landmarks are better than street names. This includes major intersections, schools, temples, markets, etc.

For Maya you can just say 'Maya' (May-ya, not My-Ya), though the common indication for that intersection would be Rincome intersection (See-Yaek Rincome). I would personally go with the latter as it sounds more like something a local would say, plus it avoids the question if the driver is expected to turn on tot the superhighway and drop you off exactly in front or not. "Yaek Rincome" is generic enough to allow him to either continue on Huay Kaew or turn into Nimman.

Note that this whole area can get quite congested, to the point that the driver may not even want to go there at any price at certain times.

It would be common to ask for a bit more than 20, but if it gets more than 40 then it makes more sense to cut up the trip and take one to Central, and then another one on to Maya. It shoudln't be over 40 baht though, but for longer trips (longer commitments) it may take longer to find a driver who can fit that in relative to the other destinations he needs to go to for any passengers already in the vehicle; this is another reason why shorter trips are easier/cheaper.

Edited November 10, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[CMBob]

This is embarrasing to ask (as I've been in Thailand for 6 months+) but how does one use a songtaew? For instance I want to go from Tha Phae Gate to Maya, how do I sort that out? I was here a few years ago and I'd get a tuk tuk for that sort of trip but now they seem to charge crazy prices so Songtaew seems like a better bet

Shouldn't be embarrassing to ask....a good and useful question (and one I've answered many times to lots of people). I'm sure others could explain it better but I'll give it a stab:

(1) First, hopefully you know where to stand by the street to flag one down (it isn't always necessary but it's smarter to catch a songteaw going in the direction you want to go). Since you're asking about going to Maya (pronounced by Thais as "may yaa" with the "yaa" a high tone), stand on the west (mountain) side of Moon Muang somewhere north of the Ratchadamnern intersection (north of the M hotel). When you see one coming, put either arm out (palm down) somewhat horizontally and the songteaw will usually pull over (if it doesn't, it's because its full or it's going off duty or just thinks you're ugly.....kidding about the last part). To be extra nice to the driver, stand in a location where he can pull over easily.

(2) Go to the passenger window and tell the driver where you want to go. If the driver nods yes and says nothing else, just hop in and you'll get there (sometimes directly and other times, especially if the songteaw has other passengers, via a "scenic" tour of the city). More than likely the songteaw will pull over at your destination; if so, get off and pay the driver 20 baht. If, however, the driver's forgotten where you're going, push the button when you want to get out and they'll pull over at the first convenient location. [For you specifically, a driver might pull over on the south side of Huay Gaew and expect you to walk across the street to the Maya mall; however, most will fly by and then take the first turn around and drop you off right next to the mall on the north side of Huay Gaew].

(3) If, however, the driver starts talking about money, that means he's negotiating for a higher price than the standard 20 baht fare....and it's up to you as to whether you can make a deal. The route from Thaphae Gate to Maya Mall is a regular route for these drivers (meaning they go back and forth between those points all the time because their are paying customers all over that route) so most of them, I'd think, would say nothing and you only pay 20 baht. I personally would probably still get in if a driver wanted 30 baht or so (or perhaps more if it was raining, if it was late at night, or if I was just in a big hurry). Up to you, though.

Very often songteaw drivers will give you a goofy stare if they can't understand what you're saying. You're better off going to a known location (one of the gates, one of the markets, a known temple, etc.) and walking from there rather than trying to get a driver to understand some lesser known location. They ain't gonna know where "Nancy's house" is located.

On several occasions, I'll have a driver nod "yes" and then he'll flail one of his arms as if he's trying to do a bad interpretation of break dancing. I've found that usually that means that the driver will take you to your location but he's warning you that he's going all over the city before he gets there. If you have some time, take the tour!

[true blue]

how easy is it to get transport back from festival,guess thats another proplem???? traffic is getting so congested nowdays and ive heard that bus drivers are asking for more money if they get stuck in traffic,i know it took me nearly 3hours the other day just going to 41 for new sticker for car then down town by holiday inn,

to get car registered,