Very hard to find a cab that agrees to turn on the meter

[Gentmartin]

This might sound like odd advice, but stand at the nearest bus stop, as if you are waiting for a bus. Cab drivers are always pulling up to bus stops because they know, obviously, that the people there want to go down the road, and they might get a fare. Many Thais get their taxis in this manner.

Thats a top tip mate !!!

[Gentmartin]

'Learn to speak Thai'............great advice; so during the next 12 months whilst on his intense study course he isnt allowed to use a taxi ? lol....

joking apart, as its been pointed out, a few words really help :-)

[KhnomKhnom]

Any foreigner who has the taxi problem repeatedly, ten to one is huge, just does not know how to get along in Thailand.

The trip to Paragon is difficult for taxis due to massive congestion and due to .... if you want to go THERE, you must have money. Choose a site nearby and say you want to go there and change your destination while inside the taxi and near where you want to go.

Never get a taxi outside a hotel or upscale eatery.

Taxi will take you in on meter, but not your chosen destination, SO have him take you to other taxis that WILL go where you want to go or you go to the SkyTrain station. Or, just jump in without telling destination, and once in, say meter and destination, but must be willing to just get out if not... vast majority of taxi drivers feel a fare in his cab is better than waiting for one.... "bird in the hand" works good.

Many other strategies, but overall I find that my laughing and smiling with the driver, me as a co conspirator in the effort to get driver some money.... smile WITH him and show you are not the rube just off the plane from UK.

[Gerrit]

As a frequent visitor to Bangkok I find that the taxi situation became worse. Arriving at Mo Chit bus station before, I could find a taxi willing to use the meter. On my visit 12 January I found that they put up a sign indicating a metered taxi departure area. On arriving there I was approached by a person obviously associated with the taxis and asked my destination. I told him Prince Palace Hotel in the Bobae tower. (this destination is not further than the city centre) Immediately he quoted 800 B where I previously paid 70 B per meter. Nobody uses the meter. Eventually after an hour of searching for a meter taxi I had to accept a quote of 250 B, no meter.

In the six days I spent in Bangkok I found 2 drivers willing to use meters.

Speaking Thai should not be a prerequisite for using a meter. The taxi mafia is well and alive and very active in spite of the "cleanup".

[Gentmartin]

As a frequent visitor to Bangkok I find that the taxi situation became worse. Arriving at Mo Chit bus station before, I could find a taxi willing to use the meter. On my visit 12 January I found that they put up a sign indicating a metered taxi departure area. On arriving there I was approached by a person obviously associated with the taxis and asked my destination. I told him Prince Palace Hotel in the Bobae tower. (this destination is not further than the city centre) Immediately he quoted 800 B where I previously paid 70 B per meter. Nobody uses the meter. Eventually after an hour of searching for a meter taxi I had to accept a quote of 250 B, no meter.

In the six days I spent in Bangkok I found 2 drivers willing to use meters.

Speaking Thai should not be a prerequisite for using a meter. The taxi mafia is well and alive and very active in spite of the "cleanup".

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. The metered taxi area at the arrivals side has been there forever !! Why did you talk to anyone whilst you were stood in the queue at the metered taxi area ?? If you waited for your turn to get into the next cab in line, there is no discussion, just tell him where you want to go and he puts the meter on. All you ever have to do is say no thank you if you're approached there !!!

If you dont want to walk to the official taxi area, walk outside the gates and flag one down (dont talk to the ones parked up there or inside the car park)....

Refuse to use a taxi if it wont use a meter and follow the tips here for reducing your problems finding one.

PS If a stranger approached you anywhere in the world and asked 'where are you going ?' would you tell them ?

Edited January 17, 2015 by Gentmartin

[mike324]

learn some thai and they will be more likely to turn o the meter.

Try saying "Pee Bai" (Mr. go to) the name of destination. Example "Pee Bai Siam Paragon". If they don't respond with a rate, then they will most likely turn on the meter when you hop in.

Alternative to getting a meter taxi around downtown Bangkok is at 4-5 Star hotels, or at taxi queue for department stores - there will be department store person who helps guest get taxi and they all go by the meter, unless taxi driver changes last minute.

[captnhoy]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

[louse1953]

Funny about that,i never have to ask to turn meter on,i repeat never,and i hang around Suk.

[rotary]

Wear a hat that covers that "SUCKER" tattoo on your forehead

[Gentmartin]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

Mate, the official taxi place is at the back of the arrivals part of the bus station, and yes, you get approached by touts even in the queue asking ridiculous money, but ignore them, and just wait in line. No problem. I use Mo Chit twice a month at least for the last 5 years and have never paid a non meter fare....

Apologies if my original response sounded a bit arrogant and harsh, if anyone needs more direct details of the official taxi pick up point then email me and ill try to describe in more detail !!!

but just say NO THANK YOU to the touts and dont tell them where youre going !!!

[louse1953]

If they are parked and waiting = no meter

If the drive upto you and roll down the window = no meter

If avoid both, we never go near a parked taxi, if drive drives up and rolls down the window we just walk away

Why no just take the BTS?

Why not take the BTS?

It depends on the number of you but if the kids are with us it is cheaper and more convenient to grab a cab than to pay 4 times the BTS fare plus bus to the BTS etc , and most cabbies are reasonable to excellent when they see kids with you. The kids can be precocious little shits at times and hold a conversation on the same level (or above) as the cabbie and if you can get the cabbie laughing then you will be okay..

Getting a cab from the airport is totally different - that is why we always book a cabbie that we know to pick us up and we get a reasonable deal. Most of the ones we use we have known for years from the neighbourhood so they will not rip us off.

Must try Uber .

Go to ticket office outside airport,meter everytime.

[gemguy]

Yes...a problem sometimes when you do not speak Thai.

Many of the Taxi Cab drivers have a pirate mentality and they will try to make more than the usual amount from a foreigner that can not speak a word of Thai ....because .....often enough when a foreigner or foreigners hail a cab the cabbie quickly recognizes the "fresh off the boat tourist or tourists" while the driver while say 200 baht for a short ( 50 Baht ) distance while the (suckers ) agree to the price ( for what ever reasons ) while that simply encourages many of the Cab drivers to at least try to make more money by way of quoting a price rather than turning on their meter.

I talk with the cab drivers all the time, as I use them all the time and I have learned that often enough they make some extra money or "bonus money" so to speak, when, for example, some tourist or group of tourists "asks" how much to go here or there and the cabbie quotes them a price and the client(s) agree and happily pay the price, usually because it is relatively small money to the foreigners.

Take me to the airport...How Much?

500 baht.

OK...lets go.

Most of the time I just get in the cab and tell them where I am going and explain the route to them as many of them may not know exactly which is the better time saving route ..so, if I know the route then they will go the way I tell them because it can save them money or less fighting with the traffic.....which they all loathe to a degree.

But even then I still get that 10% that refuse to go for what ever reasons

Sometime they are actually returning the cab and do not want to go in a direction that is taking them away from returning the cab at the end of their shift.

If that is the case, then sometimes I will say: Ok...go your way and I will get out down the road and hail a second cab ..but meantime carry on going the way you are already heading

I get 10 to 20 percent that just drive by me while waving me off..... probably because they think the foreigner can not speak Thai and they do not want to struggle trying to understand where they are told to go.

I also witness taxis cabs parked in front of malls while they refuse one Thai customer after another until the next customer tells them where they want to go and the driver figures that is the best deal so far with the least amount of traffic in that direction and believes this particular fare will be in his favor and more profitable.

After several Thai people being refused I tell the same driver where I want to go and he also refuses or sometimes agrees because my offer ( so to speak ) is more appealing and or more convenient to his agenda...like that.

But over all most of them tell me they will go wherever the client asks them to go and turn on the meter and provide the service they are somewhat obligated to provide.

Cheers

[louse1953]

As a frequent visitor to Bangkok I find that the taxi situation became worse. Arriving at Mo Chit bus station before, I could find a taxi willing to use the meter. On my visit 12 January I found that they put up a sign indicating a metered taxi departure area. On arriving there I was approached by a person obviously associated with the taxis and asked my destination. I told him Prince Palace Hotel in the Bobae tower. (this destination is not further than the city centre) Immediately he quoted 800 B where I previously paid 70 B per meter. Nobody uses the meter. Eventually after an hour of searching for a meter taxi I had to accept a quote of 250 B, no meter.

In the six days I spent in Bangkok I found 2 drivers willing to use meters.

Speaking Thai should not be a prerequisite for using a meter. The taxi mafia is well and alive and very active in spite of the "cleanup".

You gotta be joking mate,frequent visitor or not you never ever go with tout.Haven't you found the taxi moving queue YET!!! Follow the locals to the main road.Meter on without asking every time.

[ToddinChonburi]

First do not get in the cab, be willing to walk , they will always come down in price.

[louse1953]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

Which is it,no taxi queue or a long one you have to wait 5-10 minutes for.Hardly relevant after 7 hours in a bus.How long did you wait at southern bus station?Worst of all you then went in a mini van,madness.

[muffy]

_{This is a cab town , just say NO .}

[SOTIRIOS]

.......officially...the problem does not exist.....

[advancebooking]

they think you've just spent 10k on a cuggi bag. does it surprise you that they dont want to put the meter on. wake up son.

move to KL malaysia. cabbies are 100 times worse

[gandalf12]

Never had a problem with this for at least the last 12 years. I do speak If they didnt put the meter on I would remind him and if he still didnt I would get out and find another taxi

[wowfactor10]

"I dont know whats harder to find here, virgins or honest cab drivers."

Don't know about cab drivers as I live in the sticks, but plenty of virgins round here.

Prime example my wife.

Only had 2 sons from her previous marriage........

Hope for you that u used this valuable inside information regarding your wife in order to negotiate a more attractive sin sot settlement !!

[captnhoy]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

Which is it,no taxi queue or a long one you have to wait 5-10 minutes for.Hardly relevant after 7 hours in a bus.How long did you wait at southern bus station?Worst of all you then went in a mini van,madness.

Good point - there is a queue but it is not where it used to be. The point being that there were very few taxis, nothing like what has been the norm for years. No way it was a 10 minute wait. You write like you were there but you obviously were not because then you'd know. We had a bus to catch at South station, therefore no wait for a taxi and we would have had to overnight in BKK had we not taken that minibus. We made our bus by 10 minutes. I too hate the minibus but at that moment it was the lesser of 2 evils - I wanted to go home.

Edited January 17, 2015 by captnhoy

[captnhoy]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

Which is it,no taxi queue or a long one you have to wait 5-10 minutes for.Hardly relevant after 7 hours in a bus.How long did you wait at southern bus station?Worst of all you then went in a mini van,madness.

What's really worst of all are the TV members like you who know every <deleted> thing even when it was not YOUR experience but the other guy's.

[Sviss Geez]

As a frequent visitor to Bangkok I find that the taxi situation became worse. Arriving at Mo Chit bus station before, I could find a taxi willing to use the meter. On my visit 12 January I found that they put up a sign indicating a metered taxi departure area. On arriving there I was approached by a person obviously associated with the taxis and asked my destination. I told him Prince Palace Hotel in the Bobae tower. (this destination is not further than the city centre) Immediately he quoted 800 B where I previously paid 70 B per meter. Nobody uses the meter. Eventually after an hour of searching for a meter taxi I had to accept a quote of 250 B, no meter.

In the six days I spent in Bangkok I found 2 drivers willing to use meters.

Speaking Thai should not be a prerequisite for using a meter. The taxi mafia is well and alive and very active in spite of the "cleanup".

"In the six days I spent in Bangkok I found 2 drivers willing to use meters."

That's a good hit rate, both times you used a taxi they used their meter.

[MiKT]

Yes, send us a photo of your tatoo and we can use it like a chop for other posts. Open the door tell them where you want to go in pigion Thai (eg bi Siam Square my crap) and if they nod get in. After a couple of mins if the meter is not on say 'meter' if they dont turn it on say 'uit' and 99% will turn it on. For the 1% who don't keep saying stop,+ uit and get out when they do. You may have to wait for a short while to get another cab, especially when wet and you have to bear in mind drivers going off shift who will not want to go a long way. Buy an umbrella and jai yen yen

[Sabot]

No meter, I immediately get out and don't shut the door.

And I shouldn't have to use a taxi service (like Uber) and pay more...may as well just not use a meter.

[IMA_FARANG]

I wouldn't know, because the Paragon is one place I have not gone to in over two years of living in Bangkok.

There's nothing there I want these days.

[kovaltech]

1 out of 10 cabs using the meter is not normal... unless you are only getting in cabs waiting outside tourist attractions or major shopping centers. If you walk 100 metres and hail a passing cab you will have fewer problems.

in nine years Thailand and hundreds of taxi rides, none has ever refused to put on the meter with me.

in some cases i had to point out to switch on the meter, but nobody ever refused..

In any case, i put on my lion face and gently tell them what i want...

[John1thru10]

5 years in Bangkok, I think this has happened for me maybe twice, and was easily solved by politely saying no and finding the next cab.

[Incobart]

Your info on Mo Chit is nonsense. SNIP

I would have agreed with you had I not seen it for myself. You would not recognize that part of MoChit - there is no taxi queue. Well, a very small one with way more passengers than taxis and it's in a different location. We ended up in a minivan to South Bus Station as we could not find a meter or afford to wait our turn in a long queue.

I don't understand that you have to wait 1 hour to find your transport at mo chit ?, its full of buses, skytrains and taxis, if you don't know ask info at skytrain ticket office, they can tell you what train, or bus you have to take. tell your destination to the money collector on the bus, they will tell you where to get off, halt a passingby taxi, get in let hem start driving and say where you have to go. 9/10 he open meter, if not say you want meter KRAB. if he stop just get out. speaking Thai and be soft and polite helps.

[Si Thea01]

Admittedly I have not used a taxi service in the past two years, not since I bought a vehicle but prior to that, when I have been travelling in and out of Thailand and also on domestic routes, where I have had to use taxis, have never experienced any problems with the driver not operating the metre. I have however had the pleasure of being knocked back a couple of times but never worried about it as there are plenty of taxis to choose from.

Anyone who has to worry about a 50 baht fair going to 150 baht, give me a break, are you really that tight. That's from about a $1.20 to about $3.60. The poor B has to make a living, not wonder Thais are the way they are with us so called "rich" farang tourist. Catch taxis in Australia and the flag fall alone is the equivalent to your 150 baht, with an additional surcharge for peak periods being equivalent to about 80.00 baht. If you cannot afford them, catch a bus. No, can't wait, need the convenience, then pay for it.