BKK Taxis - My observations

[alt]

Having been to Bangkok 3 years ago and having no issues with taxis, upon my return last month I felt relaxed, despite various complaints on the forums.

Arrive at the airport, get my ticket... quickly snapped off me by a taxi driver. No problem, it's late... in the car and get to hotel. As soon as he starts driving... I don't see a meter. I ask him twice to turn on the meter and he starts mentioning a fixed price. I tell him to stop the taxi, and all of a sudden the meter appears from under a towel! How sneaky! 220 baht to get to lower Suk Rd. - no problem

Second incident... GF gets into taxi and the meter is on (great) until she notices that it starts at 65 baht. She points to the meter and says "35 baht" and all of a sudden the meter drops to 35 baht.

There were various incidents of 'no meter.... xx price'. We were coming from Koh San one evening, back to lower Suk Rd. After about 3 attempts we got a guy with a meter, yet he still wanted 200 baht to go on a trip that's usually 80 baht. Eventually he decides to turn on the meter (after asking several times) but then he tries to take us on a de-tour. We tell him we know where we're going and why is he taking the long way... he kicks us out of the taxi... happy days! Flagged the next available taxi and he got us back to Lower Suk Rd. for 70 baht (we gave him 100).

A funny one (although not at the time, as I was on a strict time schedule) was when I wanted to go to Bang Kwang prison. I thought i'd just get a taxi as it'd be easier than BTS + boat. I hail a taxi and the first guy won't go there.. no prob, into the next one. The next taxi driver takes me to the wrong <deleted> prison! I tell him I want to be at BANGKWANG, but he drops me off at the young offenders prison and insists it's Bangkwang. I just get out and hail another taxi... he agrees to take me, but wants to bring me on another tour of outer Bangkok. It's only when I point the phone at him and he takes an immediate slip off a dual-carrageway and eventually brings me to (close) to BangKwang. He insisted he had brought me to the right place (about 10 min walk from the prison) but by chance I recognised the roads from Google Street View and just walked.

The cherry on the cake was upon our departure from our hotel in lower Suk Rd. We asked the hotel if they'd ring a trustworthy taxi (there were plenty outside waiting which we avoided). Taxi arrives and sure enough the meter is on... perfect. We tell him to take the express way and we'll pay the tolls. He then turns around and says "500 baht, I pay tolls". Not a hope. Again we politely tell him that we'll just get out if he won't use the meter and he starts giving us a sob story that he won't get any money on his way back in. One last time we tell him 'meter' or we get out. So, as he exits Soi 2, after taking the left, instead of taking the right after that to go through the 50 baht toll, he goes straight on and takes us on a tour of Bangkok. After a while, I ask him why is he taking us around in circles, and that i'm watching the route on Google Maps. He spouts some cr4p about having to take a U-Turn and once I tell him he didn't need to take one, he quickly gets back on track and bring us on the expressway.... all of this for about 30 baht. <deleted>, if he'd just taken us the direct way he would have gotten more in a tip. Anyhow, 220 baht from lower Suk Rd. to airport, still not a bad price... it's just the principle.

These opportunistic rip-off merchants really bug me, as they are giving the honest taxi drivers a bad reputation. In fairness, about 25% of the taxis we got were perfectly honest, but this is an obvious minority which is a pitty.

Rant over, needed to get that off my chest

[LuckyLew]

Welcome back to Bangkok

Even with the recent fare increase, the fares are very good

Problem is getting the honest ones who use meters

IMO 98% of taxi drivers are <deleted> and should have their hack permits pulled

[inzman]

There are no honest taxi drivers in Bangkok. It's an oxymoron.

[alt]

I should also add my one Tuk Tuk experience... again from Lower Suk Rd. wanted to go to Ko San. As taxi's are about 80 baht, I was willing to pay up to 120 baht for the fun factor. Driver wanted 400 baht!! I laughed and walked away, when he started to negotiate with me "OK OK, 200 baht, I take you to suit shop".

Whatever he was smoking, I wanted some (or not). I must add, we had just landed in LOS so were veryyyy white (we're Irish) so they were probably hoping we were spring chickens with no clue.

[Sviss Geez]

"So, as he exits Soi 2, after taking the left, instead of taking the right after that to go through the 50 baht toll, he goes straight on and takes us on a tour of Bangkok. After a while, I ask him why is he taking us around in circles, and that i'm watching the route on Google Maps. He spouts some cr4p about having to take a U-Turn and once I tell him he didn't need to take one, he quickly gets back on track and bring us on the expressway..."

You owe the taxi driver an apology. If you turn left, as you have to, out of Sukhumvit Soi 2 on to Sukhumvit Road there is no right turn possible on to the Don Muang tollway because you're on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The taxi driver had to continue along Sukhumvit until he could u-turn.

[richard_smith237]

use UBER..... I do and have had little to do with conventional BKK taxi's since...

Result - A lot less hassle or stress....

I do feel for the honest Taxi's drivers who work hard but who's reputations are tarnished by the bad ones... regardless, I want hassle free travel when I'm not driving - UBER is the simple and convenient answer (*when available).

[alt]

"So, as he exits Soi 2, after taking the left, instead of taking the right after that to go through the 50 baht toll, he goes straight on and takes us on a tour of Bangkok. After a while, I ask him why is he taking us around in circles, and that i'm watching the route on Google Maps. He spouts some cr4p about having to take a U-Turn and once I tell him he didn't need to take one, he quickly gets back on track and bring us on the expressway..."

You owe the taxi driver an apology. If you turn left, as you have to, out of Sukhumvit Soi 2 on to Sukhumvit Road there is no right turn possible on to the Don Muang tollway because you're on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The taxi driver had to continue along Sukhumvit until he could u-turn.

Yes, sorry, you're right about not being able to take a right (I know you can take a right to go on the Easy Pass, but you had to cross the road further up Suk Rd.)

However, he still took us on a tour as he did a lap of a block south of Suk Rd. and also a lap of a block north of Suk Rd, before eventually taking us to the toll

[FireMedic]

Welcome to the new and improved Thailand.....

[siam2007]

 

"So, as he exits Soi 2, after taking the left, instead of taking the right after that to go through the 50 baht toll, he goes straight on and takes us on a tour of Bangkok. After a while, I ask him why is he taking us around in circles, and that i'm watching the route on Google Maps. He spouts some cr4p about having to take a U-Turn and once I tell him he didn't need to take one, he quickly gets back on track and bring us on the expressway..."

You owe the taxi driver an apology. If you turn left, as you have to, out of Sukhumvit Soi 2 on to Sukhumvit Road there is no right turn possible on to the Don Muang tollway because you're on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The taxi driver had to continue along Sukhumvit until he could u-turn.

Yes, sorry, you're right about not being able to take a right (I know you can take a right to go on the Easy Pass, but you had to cross the road further up Suk Rd.)

However, he still took us on a tour as he did a lap of a block south of Suk Rd. and also a lap of a block north of Suk Rd, before eventually taking us to the toll

 

there is no such thing as KO SAN in Bangkok. "KO" means "Island".

taxi drivers smell if their passenger is a clueless or ignorant tourist and they will act accordingly.

My 1000+ Taxi rides in BKK over the past decade did result in not more than 2 or 3 problematic trips (Airport cabs excluded).

Edited January 12, 2015 by siam2007

[smokie36]

I have to wonder where you get your taxis....over 90% of the ones I take are perfectly fine.

[Camelot]

Here's my golden rule.

Always take taxis cruising for a fare. Never take a taxi parked outside a hotel or a major tourist venue. Often they pay a commission to park there and will pass this onto you.

[brewsterbudgen]

Here's my golden rule.

Always take taxis cruising for a fare. Never take a taxi parked outside a hotel or a major tourist venue. Often they pay a commission to park there and will pass this onto you.

Good advice. Follow this and you're unlikely to have problems. Taxis are amazingly good value in Bangkok, even if the price has recently been increased.

[KCM]

Try Uber next time you are in Bangkok. I don't use Bangkok taxis anymore since Uber started here. It's so nice not to deal with the kinds of issues in this post anymore.

[peptidebomber]

Been here nearly 5 years, I get taxi to and from work every day. I reckon only 4-5 times I have had to ask them to turn on meter. The only issue I ever have is them driving to fast on tollway's, scares the crap out of me with no seatbelt.

Gee some people whinge, the price and attitude of cabs in my home city Melbourne is a hundred times worse.