New low for Samui songthiaws & motorbike taxis

[Mole]

I arranged accommodation for some Canadians backpackers and it was their first time in Samui. From Seatran ferry, they were supposed to go to Da Papa, just beside First Residence.

I told them that the Thai local price is 60, but they told the driver insisted to charge 80. But instead of dropping them at Da Papa, she must have forgotten and instead dropped them near Chabad House where the 1 way ends.

So I went to them and tried haul them a song thiaw back to Da Papa, a 1 km or so ride, but these greedy bastards wanted 50 for this short ride. At first I thought it was for both, but 50 per person, well no way. I told it's only 20 bt for this short ride, come on! But nope, 20 is not possible, so I waved and told him to drive empty then.

The motorbike taxi wanted even more, 100! So I called my regular motorbike taxis from another location and they had no problems with 40bt for this short ride.

After I've sent them on 2 of my regular motorbike taxis, and I was gonna ride home on my motorbike, this pissed off local motorbike taxi stopped me in the middle of the junction and told me I'm not supposed to call any outside motorbike taxis to his turf. I wanted to so badly show him the finger and tell him that's what you deserve for overcharging like that. But I just had to say, OK OK, whatever... and drove away.

It's really bad now, maybe it's low season so not so much income so these bastards will try to milk and fleece as much from tourists as possible.

[Birdman]

From A to B on Chaweng is 40 Baht daytime without bargaining > you stop the songtheaow, you sit, you push the bottom, you give him the money and go away without a word. If you ask, it can be more expensive. Evening time is 50 and late night time 80, you bargain before you enter. That's normal. 20 Baht is not normal.

[evadgib]

Residents at the very least should have 2-3 reliable contacts in their phones for short notice emergencies or airport runs; a service that works two ways.

HTH

Edited May 21, 2015 by evadgib

[Mole]

I beg your pardon, it's you who has been paying the "abnormal" price of 40.

40 will get me to Lamai or Maenam. Within same area, it's 20.

This is the standard price we native Thai pays and it has been like this for years:

60 is maximum, from start of route in Choeng Mon to end in Nathon.

Within same area, it's 20. Such as within Lamai, from Silver Beach all the way to post office, I've paid 20, or Chaweng all the way from Al's Laemson resort to BigC, I've paid 20bt.

From one area to another it's 40. For example Chaweng-Lamai or Chaweng-Maenam, Maenam-Bang Po.

This is regardless of actual distance. For example from Al's Laemson to BigC, the distance is probably more than from for example BigC to Maenam, but the price will be different.

From Lamai-Nathon 60, from Chaweng-Nathon 60. Maenam-Nathon I think it's 50.

In the evening after the regular song thiaws have stopped running, there's no fixed price and one must always negotiate before getting off. But price will go up dramatically. Usually Lamai-Chaweng 100 per person.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Mole

[PoorSucker]

Never paid more than 20 baht daytime in Chaweng.

I just enter, push the button give 20bt and leave, never says a word.

[Mole]

Hmm.. maybe I shouldn't have written about the real price. Now the song thiaws will be even more pissed that Birdman will start only giving 20 bt and go away without a word...

[Birdman]

Don't worry about that. I never use them. Last time must be in the old millennium.

BTW it's 40 on Chaweng, 50 Chaweng - Menam and 60 Chaweng-Nathon. That's what I was sure about since years. I have never ever heard someone payed 20 and I know a great many people on Samui, however nobody without own vehicles.

[impulse]

They spent a few thousand dollars flying over.

I'm sure they'll get over an extra dollar or two to the thieving scum. In fact, I'd gladly cough up an extra 50 or 100 baht on holiday just to have a nicer day with no arguments. I can get all the arguments I want back at the office.

Rather irritating when my host(s) spoil the day by getting into a pissing contest on my behalf- over issues I don't really care about. (Especially when I have to pee so bad my teeth hurt and I just want to get on the fricking way)

[Mole]

These were backpackers who were travelling on shoestring budget! They're gonna save every satang as they can.

I also offer private car to pick my guest at the pier or airport and most of my guests will take this offer because it's less hassle and they can gladly pay. My car service is priced a bit cheaper than airport taxi, so my guests are saving money as well as no hassle of explaining directions.

But some who are travelling low cost will try to save as much as they can.

So, if I was your host, and you prefer to be a cheapscate and use the songthiaw instead of for the private car, then you have yourself to thank for.

Also, these people had never been to Samui and they didn't have a Thai sim card, so they were really unsure how to get there, so me being there to help them out, I'm pretty sure they're quite grateful for that, even if they were about to piss in their pants.

[impulse]

Maybe they are on a budget, but here's the deal.

When I'm old and gray (like I am now), I'm not going to remember how much I spent to get from the airport to a pier (or whatever) that time I went backpacking in Thailand as a flat, dead broke kid.

But I am going to remember whether I enjoyed the trip and I will remember my interaction with the __delightful __thieving (select one) locals.

I'd like to select delightful for my memories. Even if it's not exactly true. Because that's all I have left after the plane lands back home- my memories.

Edited May 21, 2015 by impulse

[Mole]

If you'd like delightful memories, you wouldn't have taken the song thiaw, but taken my nice air conditioned car who will deliver you to your destination hassle free. The moment you've decided to take a song thiaw, then you've already chosen the thieving locals option.

So, it's in the end all your own choice!

[impulse]

Every tourist needs to ride a tuk tuk, a motosai taxi and a song thiaw at least once. (overpaying by a buck or two if that's what it takes) Just to say they did. They can get all the air conditioned comfort they want back home.

Everybody needs to get tricked by a tout and go to a jewelry store once, though nobody needs to buy anything for the story they tell back home.

Nobody needs to get scammed on jet ski or scooter damage. It just costs too much for story value. Though it would be a good story if they could tone down the violence.

[Mole]

These guys has already been 1 week in Chiang Mai, so they're not riding it for the novelty.

The problem I'm highlighting here in this thread is the scamming nature of the songthiaws and motorbike taxi.

If people want to have nice memories and good stories to tell, do not take the darn song thiaws!

If you want nice memories, you pay for a comfy taxi, or have your hotel send you their limo.

I'm pretty sure they're thankful that I came there to assist them after their song thiaw left them in middle of unknown place.

Also, I surely did not expect they would charge such absurd prices, for a 1 km ride, which normally cost 20, they're charging 50, just what the....

So, they just paid 80 each to get all the way to Nathon, then I'm just gonna tell them, OK go ahead and pay 50 each for this last 1 km ride, yeah right.

[Birdman]

If they were my friends, I would have picked them up with my car FOC. If I would not have a car, I would have organized one. If they were customers at my guesthouse, I would have told them the price the driver wants and they would have paid it without thinking twice. And who is she, who had forgotten Da Papa? The driver? Isn't it that everyone has do push the bottom to get out? Why did they not ask where Da Papa is at the place the songtaeow stopped?

[Mole]

I believe they did tell the driver where they wanted to get off, but she forgot to drop them. They don't know where it is, so how the hell would they know where to ring? All they had was my directions and google map location.

They told me they already asked the driver where it was, and she just pointed to the direction they just came from. So that wasn't really helpful.

Also I can arrange them car no problem, but it'll cost money. While I was expecting them to only pay 20 for the short 1 km ride, but instead they demanded 50.

A car would cost at least 100 to arrange, but I thought it would be trivial to just haul a song thiaw for them, tell they're just gonna go to Da Papa, which is 1 km up the road, 20bt, right? No no, 50 bt. 50 for both, right? No no, 50 per person...

So I ended up calling my regular motorbike taxi dude, which can deliver them for 40 per person. Incidentally it's the same dude which would have waited for them at the pier and drive them to Chaweng with his car. He came with another motorbike taxi, so they both got on each motorbike and finally were on their way.

I ALREADY offered them a private car to pick them up in Nathon for 600, but they were on a budget, so decided to take the song thiaw instead.

Since I'm taking care of more and more guests, I won't have time to drive any of them myself all the way from Nathon to Chaweng. I outsource services like this. I only handle the correspondence with guests. Ideally there should be no problems at all and I won't really need to interact much. But this situation required my attention.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Mole

[thrilled]

It's all about the BAHT.If you don't like the price that the songthew tell ya then don't get in.Same with the motorcycle taxi.Sometimes if it's not to far away I walk.Good exercise.

[Absolut]

There's no way a tourist is ever going to get the same pricing as a local for a service like this. Call it what you want but on Samui as well as in many parts of the world a tourist will always be forced to pay more.

I don't agree with it either but I don't really see it as a new low, more so same as always.

[mikebell]

Thank goodness I live in Pattaya!

[Mole]

/note to future self and others

If you're unfamiliar with Samui, save yourself the hassle by taking the minivans instead. They cost 100 per person and will deliver you to your destination. If they are unsure where or unable to understand where you're going, and you have their phone number, the driver will call and ask for directions, so you will be assured to get to your correct destination.

Song thiaws on the other hand, are just looking to fleece you as much as possible and just drop you off. If you're lucky they'll drop you off at the right place, if not, you're on your own.

[impulse]

/note to future self and others

If you're unfamiliar with Samui, save yourself the hassle by taking the minivans instead. They cost 100 per person and will deliver you to your destination. If they are unsure where or unable to understand where you're going, and you have their phone number, the driver will call and ask for directions, so you will be assured to get to your correct destination.

Song thiaws on the other hand, are just looking to fleece you as much as possible and just drop you off. If you're lucky they'll drop you off at the right place, if not, you're on your own.

Good information.

Just out of curiosity, I have given up on minivans from BKK to anywhere, because I got tired of seeing my life flash before my eyes. There are just too many speed demon crazies driving them here in BKK.

On whole, how are the minivan drivers on Samui?

[Birdman]

Where can you find this minivans for 100? Songthaeows are running from Nathon to Chaweng and back the whole daytime. Getting of by pushing the button whereever you want. It is not supposed to drop you somewhere, but sometimes they do that.

The easiest would have been to tell your customers to get of after it turned left from Ring Road and you or some staff would have met them there and walk 2 minutes to Da Papa......

[carmine]

The only surprising thing about this thread is that a new low was actually possible.

[Basil B]

Thank goodness I live in Pattaya!

Samui's Meter Taxis makes Pattaya's Meter Taxi drive look like angels...

Basically... Samui's transport was a rip off from the minute I walked out the airport, well I had not got out the Airport before the first...

Looking for waiting taxis, I did not even get chance to to look outside for waiting taxi's, I was told you buy ticket for taxi, no option it was for a limo, 130B, well that did not seem bad, but had to wait with others for a Limo, seems it was not a limo but a mini bus and I was last drop yet the closest to the Airport, so a journey of less then 2Km and probably less than 10 minutes duration took over half an hour and probably 15Km, for a Bangkok Meter Taxi (using the Meter) I would expect the fare to be no more than 39B.

A few days later I ended up by the Ark Bar and wanted get back to my hotel, I was not exactly sure how far it was and was quoted 200B, I was expecting the driver would have to go some way down the one way system before turning back, but no, I was not aware you could drive up Green Mango and cut through the apartments but seems you can, journey of 600-700m = 200B again In Bangkok that would have been 35B.

I nether got to use a Songthaiw as I was uncertain of the route and already heard they charge a lot, so I did a lot of walking instead, unfortunately nether got to see as much of the Island as I wanted.

And to top it off, asked hotel to book me a taxi to Nathon to catch a Ferry... 700B.

[Mole]

For people who has never been here, "turning left from the ring road" is actually not as easy as it sounds.

Also it's not my business nor the staff at the hotel to go and wait for them in the sun beside the road. These people don't have Thai sim card, so one would never know exactly when they'll arrive. People book an accommodation and it's expected that they should be able to find their way on their own. Especially that they didn't opt for having a private car picking them up.

Actually the fact that I even went my way to take care of them once there were stranded in Chaweng is already a huge bonus. If they booked through agoda or booking.com, they would be totally on their own.

The minivans has already been mentioned before in another thread. Also lots of other comprehensive information regarding song thiaw and minivans there.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/814380-nathon-to-lamai/?p=9269182&hl=%2Bminivan

Turns out my memory is a bit rusty and the vans only cost 80. That's the same price that song thiaw demanded instead of the regular 60.

Also looks like it's not only my memory which is rusty.

Look who's been also replying to that above thread???

To answer your question, I found the minivans right in front of the Seatran pier in Nathon, a bit outside the ferry ticket booth. They only wanted 80bt to drive me to Chaweng, I didn't even needed to haggle, there were also farang and Chinese tourists on the same van as me, but I don't know how much they paid though.

So you yourself are saying you haven't used the songthiaws since last millennium, but still you are writing and arguing with people in here who use these song thiaws on regular basis as if you have recent first hand recent experience. When was the last time you used minivans? Last millennium also perhaps?

Edited May 22, 2015 by Mole

[Birdman]

never, I have own vehicles since before I came to stay on Samui end of the 80s. And I did not know, that there are public minibuses available opp. the Seatran pier, which I have used and passed by countless times (with my own vehicles).

So, I am curious now, are this minibuses there all the time, if ferries arrive? Do they also offer transportation from the beaches to the pier or other places? To which company do they belong? Is this the only place on Samui where public minibuses offer transportation without booking first?

[samuijimmy]

These minivans are at many piers, Seatran in Ban Rak, and Nathon, Lomprayah ferries have their own fleet... definitely in Maenam... Raja ferry too...

Price varies to season, right now I believe 100 baht...( for Mini Vans) more during high season....

Usually a desk at the terminals, that split people up to areas they want to go! Lomprayah one can pre-book on line with ferry ticket... perhaps same with Seatran... ?

This is a songthiaw for those who don't know...

[smokie36]

The only surprising thing about this thread is that a new low was actually possible.

Its not.

Samui would rather you ride a bike drunk and have a crash costing you millions of baht than provide a cost effective alternative.

[springsteen]

It's 50 baht (£1) if your backpacking walk

Edited May 25, 2015 by springsteen

[Mole]

I arrived with the 15:30 Seatran ferry today and had the opportunity to have a chat with the van driver.

You farangs will have to accept as a fact of life that there will be dual pricing for Thais and farangs nowadays.

Minivan price for Thais are:

Maenam: 60

Bo Phut: 70

Chaweng: 80

Farang price (Basically the driver told they're gonna try to get away as much as possible, but the estimates are):

Maenam: 100

Bo Phut: 100

Chaweng: 120-150 200 if you need to be delivered to places in the hills.

[Birdman]

cheap, but a farang could also walk to the Songtaeows and pay 50 to Menam and 60 to Chaweng, daytime of course, if not cheap enough.