Samui Taxis

[moonshadow99]

Since the NCPO taking charge of affairs, they have made many changes for the better, they have taken the taxi mafia on in Phuket and won, they now use their metres.

Yet on Samui the taxi mafia still rule, demanding high fares for relatively short journeys and intimidating tourist into paying their fares even though all the taxis display a sticker on the side of the vehicle 50 baht to hire and 50 baht for the first kilometre.

These taxi drivers are so thick that they would rather sit around all day in the hope that they will pick up one client that wants a ride up to the airport.

As an ex-taxi driver I know that if the wheels ain't turning I ain't earning and with the weather as it is in Samui at the moment, frequent heavy showers, these dumb asses still sit around.

I have just road all the way along the beach road in Lamai 14:00 local and counted 19 taxis parked up, if they charged fair prices whose taxis would be moving and tourists usually always tip so instead of sitting around on the streets the dumb asses would only have to do half a days work and could be at home with their loved ones for the rest of the day.

Anyway 19 standing still at 14:00 can anyone better that ?

[ryanhull]

I agree somewhat but maybe they have there own reasons which we do not know about, one thing that I have always wondered when I lived in Bangkok is why Taxis do not make a bit of an effort to be friendly... not all taxis but most would just sit in silence and not say a word, generally not being friendly, now I know most of them cannot speak englush but if they just said a few words like 'how are you' etc they would get more tips from tourists, I know in the UK if the driver strikes up a bit of a convo you generally slip him an extra quid or whatever, I think if I was a thai taxi driver id make small talk and I am pretty sure most tourists would tip on that basis, personally I tip anyway unless they drive like a lunatic but usually give a 20 bhat... different subject I know but I agree with what your saying that about sitting around waiting for the big fair.

[Rhys]

a few words of friendship, may help...

[ksamuiguy]

111 report the incident with the Taxi number. It seems they are building a complaint data base, using the Taxi number.

Most taxi drivers on Samui follow the rules and are polite and friendly, lets get rid of the bad ones, it will also help the "Good Guys"

[mikebell]

Stopped going to Phuket because of transport costs. Will put Samui on my Not-to-do list. Koh Tao also but for different reasons.

[moonshadow99]

111 report the incident with the Taxi number. It seems they are building a complaint data base, using the Taxi number.

Most taxi drivers on Samui follow the rules and are polite and friendly, lets get rid of the bad ones, it will also help the "Good Guys"

Thanks good information but you quote a non existent telephone number ?

[ksamuiguy]

Sorry the number is 1111 , all calls are recorder and investigated.

[smokie36]

111 report the incident with the Taxi number. It seems they are building a complaint data base, using the Taxi number.

Most taxi drivers on Samui follow the rules and are polite and friendly, lets get rid of the bad ones, it will also help the "Good Guys"

You mean the rules on using the meter?

Give over man....you will not EVER get a metered taxi on Samui.

[evadgib]

We had to use a songtaew there recently and found the price somewhat different (150%) to the fare published inside the back window.

We haven't used a 'yellow peril' in more than a decade & dont know anyone on Samui that has.

Edited January 14, 2015 by evadgib