Bangkok cabbies the third worst, says UK taxi rating site

[Baerboxer]

This kind of survey is very subjective. Sadly the London cabbie standard has gone down a lot. There is no age limit. The driver of the cab we took on arrival on Euro train from Paris turned out to be a cantankerous octogenarian who hated practically everyone driving on the road! Also the cab drivers do not help you with the luggage (they are not supposed to do so). It's certainly not an "uplifting" transportation experience! Must be pretty bad for the unwary tourists. Maybe it's because traffic is pretty bad in the Westend. The cab drivers around Hampsted Heath are more relaxed and fun to talk with! Surprising that Paris is included in the list. Our experience has always been good. The problem in Paris are waiters not cab drivers!

Variable - as with all things. I made a mistake once and told the cabbie the wrong drop off point. Got out with wife and kids (one disabled) and then realized. Shouted in time to stop him. It was a couple of minutes down the road but difficult to walk. He dropped us off - laughed and wouldn't take any extra. Maybe be rare - don't know as I don't take cabs in London too often, far too expensive and the tube's so easy.

Had to report two taxi drivers in the UK Midlands for being rude to my wife. Both Moslem Asian immigrants. Cabs not so clean and almost demand a tip from you for often going the long way round.

[DaveinAsia]

Saying all that. Yeah, cheap, bla bla bla. It's Thailand innit? Are taxis supposed to be priced like in Belfast or London? Catch yourselves on a bit.

Taxis in this city are in general no good. About 50% will not turn on their meter once they see a white face and that's why this rating site put them 3rd.

A 'gf' once had to fight her way out of the taxi or else she would've been raped and maybe murdered. I was robbed once in the middle of the night and many times had almost fights with the b'tards.

They agree to put on their meter but once you reach your destination their opportunistic minds kick in again and they try to chance a few 100 extra.

The ones that drive around the center 'hunting' for tourist meat will never turn their meters on.

Many times they will not take you where you want to go and just say mai pai.

That they are cheap, yes, I agree, but that's all you can say about them that is positive.

It's funny though how many of you have jumped on the wagon and are protecting them.

If it would've said Bangkok taxis are the best in the world the same crowd would've slagged them off.

Strange bunch, really

[alfredthegreat]

I live in Bangkok, and the last few months I have been travelling by taxi to and from hospital with very good drivers.

I had an operation a week ago whereby I was unable to walk without aid. The taxi driver stood by me, held me until I was safely in his cab.

Then he got in to drive. Did not speed. was very pleasant, and like many tqaxi drivers here, he DID know which way to go.

I have very very rarely had a taxi that has not been cooperative in my 21 years here in Bangkok. And a lot cheaper than taxis in the UK.

[Time Traveller]

Bangkok taxi drivers navigation skills don't extend any further than the nearest place for sexy massage with beautiful thai lady at special price.

Oh, and sometimes they try to sell you drugs.

[changH]

Couldn't be worse than Pattaya! Taximeters are only for show. First time visitors get a shock when they try to get a taxi and hear the price,

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NoshowJones]

who cares what london hacks have to say? most certainly not me.

now, lets see a value for money comaprison

If you don't care, why comment?

Why shouldn't he comment? Isn't it an open forum?

[ThailandGuy]

I cant complain on that. I only had this experience once that the cab-driver dropped me somewhere and said "i cant find it". The worst: he expected me to pay also. Which i did not. It turned out he drove me 30 km the wrong way from the point i started, so i had 60km ahead to get where i wanted. He was rather rude. But for any others i cant say that. It was always perfect and by meter and very polite.

The only thing i would love is that they stop eating that huge amount of garlic..... sometimes you just don't want to talk to them because of the unbearable smell coming towards you...

[Saladin]

I am living in Chiang Mai and recently have been to Bangkok on a couple of occasions. It was difficult to get a cabbie to turn on his meter. The usual situation was to hail 5 or 6 before finding one who would cooperate. However I do have some sympathy for them as I think their metered rates are much too low. A trip that takes more than an hour from Chang Mueang Airport to Sukhumvit costs about 200 baht, whereas a trip from Chiang Mai airport to Nimmenhaemin costs 160 baht and takes no more than 15 minutes. So the Bangkok cabbies aren't nearly as well rewarded as their Northern cousins. Raising the metered rates would go a long way towards resolving the use of the meter problem..

[rametindallas]

Saying all that. Yeah, cheap, bla bla bla. It's Thailand innit? Are taxis supposed to be priced like in Belfast or London? Catch yourselves on a bit.

Taxis in this city are in general no good. About 50% will not turn on their meter once they see a white face and that's why this rating site put them 3rd.

A 'gf' once had to fight her way out of the taxi or else she would've been raped and maybe murdered. I was robbed once in the middle of the night and many times had almost fights with the b'tards.

They agree to put on their meter but once you reach your destination their opportunistic minds kick in again and they try to chance a few 100 extra.

The ones that drive around the center 'hunting' for tourist meat will never turn their meters on.

Many times they will not take you where you want to go and just say mai pai.

That they are cheap, yes, I agree, but that's all you can say about them that is positive.

It's funny though how many of you have jumped on the wagon and are protecting them.

If it would've said Bangkok taxis are the best in the world the same crowd would've slagged them off.

Strange bunch, really

I have a suggestion for you. I tell all the females I know to do this trick, also. As soon as they get in the taxi, call, or pretend to call, a friend and loudly give them the number of the taxi and then tell the friend they will call back in 'X' minutes when they reach their destination. Once the driver knows he has been identified to a third party, they are very less likely to try any 'funny' stuff. You can use the same trick yourself to prevent a robbery.

When you get in, try to give them a big smile, greet them in Thai, and inquire if they are well; their culture demands they respond in kind. At least it's worked for me these last 16 years. I wish you better taxi luck in the future.

.

[NoshowJones]

Bangkok has some of the cheapest taxi fares, for a major city, in the World. http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/

You get what you pay for so I'm very satisfied with the taxi service in Bangkok.

.

Would agree with that- never had a problem fares 200 or 300 baht.

The last taxi I had in London - cost £38 or 1,900 baht

I live 8 kilometers from the international airport in Dallas and it's 80% freeway to my place. Price Bt. 2,000 plus Bt. 200 - 300 tip. The cabs/cabbies in Dallas are not 10 times nicer, either.

.

2000 Bt for 8 ks ride, and you give a tip???? Some mothers do have them.

[Tchooptip]

On this very TV forum last week a member complained for an "outrageous" 50 ฿ asked by a motorcy taxi for "only" a few kilometres

50฿ is 1€33 was he joking, not at all he was convinced it was a serious and justified grumbling

[JAG]

3rd worst maybe, but probably the 3rd cheapest. I can't believe it's still a 35 baht flag-drop fee the same as it was when I first visited Thailand 10 years ago. Look at it this way, you could book a chauffeur-driven Toyota Camry from Bangkok to Pattaya for 1,800baht - how far would that get you in a black cab across London?

Paddington to Liverpool Street last year, I looked on google maps on my phone ' cos I didn't recognise the route and got a mouthfull of abuse from the driver - that was free!

[rametindallas]

Bangkok has some of the cheapest taxi fares, for a major city, in the World. http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/

You get what you pay for so I'm very satisfied with the taxi service in Bangkok.

.

Would agree with that- never had a problem fares 200 or 300 baht.

The last taxi I had in London - cost £38 or 1,900 baht

I live 8 kilometers from the international airport in Dallas and it's 80% freeway to my place. Price Bt. 2,000 plus Bt. 200 - 300 tip. The cabs/cabbies in Dallas are not 10 times nicer, either.

.

2000 Bt for 8 ks ride, and you give a tip???? Some mothers do have them.

Sorry, I left off a '2' it is 28 km or about 18 miles. I tip $6. No need to get snarky.

.

[chilli42]

Why would something like this even get published? All must be well in the world if this is all there is to report. Certainly the taxis in New York should model themselves on Thailand. Nothing wrong with Thai taxis or taxi drivers when compared to many many places.

[siam2007]

I was at Bumrungard today and was trying to get a taxi back to Rat Burana. Normal cost around 140 baht, this guy wanted 400.

there is a Taxi counter at Bumrungrad between the two main buildings where you can easily get a Cab that uses the Meter. The booth is operated by Grabtaxi, and a 20 Baht booking surcharge is applied, but well worth the money.

If the queues are exorbitant, hop on a MOTOCY for 10 Baht back to Sukhimvit and hail down a Cab on the road

[freebyrd]

Before meters and the BTS, every single trip had to be a negotiation over the fare....a complete pain but usually if not always, good natured haggling. It's only in the last 15 or 20 years that the element of menace has crept in.

Ah the good old days before life became frantic, I remember it well, usually good fun. Another faded memory never to return....

[Jimbo1964]

I tend to agree sometimes you get a problematic taxi driver but overall they are ok and very cheap compared to most capital cities around the world. Also now that apps like Grab Taxi are here the service is even better.

If you want a service like a London Black were the driver has 'the knowledge' then you have to expect to pay a whole heap more but saying that if you use the Grab Taxi Car services its like a little limo service anyway and still pretty cheap.

[steven100]

so does this mean tomorrow we will read about the Bangkok taxi driver returning 1,000,000 baht to it's owner ?

[DaveinAsia]

Saying all that. Yeah, cheap, bla bla bla. It's Thailand innit? Are taxis supposed to be priced like in Belfast or London? Catch yourselves on a bit.

Taxis in this city are in general no good. About 50% will not turn on their meter once they see a white face and that's why this rating site put them 3rd.

A 'gf' once had to fight her way out of the taxi or else she would've been raped and maybe murdered. I was robbed once in the middle of the night and many times had almost fights with the b'tards.

They agree to put on their meter but once you reach your destination their opportunistic minds kick in again and they try to chance a few 100 extra.

The ones that drive around the center 'hunting' for tourist meat will never turn their meters on.

Many times they will not take you where you want to go and just say mai pai.

That they are cheap, yes, I agree, but that's all you can say about them that is positive.

It's funny though how many of you have jumped on the wagon and are protecting them.

If it would've said Bangkok taxis are the best in the world the same crowd would've slagged them off.

Strange bunch, really

I have a suggestion for you. I tell all the females I know to do this trick, also. As soon as they get in the taxi, call, or pretend to call, a friend and loudly give them the number of the taxi and then tell the friend they will call back in 'X' minutes when they reach their destination. Once the driver knows he has been identified to a third party, they are very less likely to try any 'funny' stuff. You can use the same trick yourself to prevent a robbery.

When you get in, try to give them a big smile, greet them in Thai, and inquire if they are well; their culture demands they respond in kind. At least it's worked for me these last 16 years. I wish you better taxi luck in the future.

.

LOL. Thanks for the patronizing reply mate! You think I don't know this? I have been here since 98 too, that's 17 years Those stories are from a while ago. These days I drive a car and don't use taxis too much anymore, thank goodness. You keep giving them your big smiles and asking how they feel mate. Do you wai them too? Hahaha... Enjoy your taxi rides

Ps; One more thing before I stop; if one has to be so careful and aware to outsmart the taxi drivers from raping or robbing them is that not by itself evidence that they are no good? Of course I'm only generalizing about the bad ones and not talking about the friendly ones who will even open the door and put your Tesco bags in the boot. Praise and respect to them for being 'real' taxi drivers

[rijit]

Sori messed the post up.

[nithisa78]

incorrect site.

[rijit]

Bangkok has some of the cheapest taxi fares, for a major city, in the World. http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/

You get what you pay for so I'm very satisfied with the taxi service in Bangkok.

.

Would agree with that- never had a problem fares 200 or 300 baht.

The last taxi I had in London - cost £38 or 1,900 baht

I live 8 kilometers from the international airport in Dallas and it's 80% freeway to my place. Price Bt. 2,000 plus Bt. 200 - 300 tip. The cabs/cabbies in Dallas are not 10 times nicer, either.

.

2000 Bt for 8 ks ride, and you give a tip???? Some mothers do have them.

Sorry, I left off a '2' it is 28 km or about 18 miles. I tip $6. No need to get snarky.

.

But americans as a rule of thumb tip irespective of the level of service, thais do as well, but thinking about it, its probably a whole new subject.

rijit

[SunsetT]

..............Not surprising some get lost when any Thom, Thick, or Hurreee can come in from the sticks and rent a cab for the day.

...........Once took a BKK taxi with the missus back to BKK from Ban Phe. The Esaan driver didnt have a clue which roads to take back. Luckily I had lived in Pattaya for a couple of months when I first came to Thailand so I vaguely knew the way to go. It got worse when reaching the metropolis but we managed to find our hotel on Suthisan after stopping twice for directions. Me missus was no better than the driver though she had lived in BKK for 10 yrs.....But it was a good-humoured adventure for us all.

[BusyB]

Most taxis I have taken over the years in Bangkok have been OK.

Not much to complain about.

and as regards these cities quoted in OP:

Paris, New York, Mumbai, Zurich, Cairo, Shanghai and Moscow

paris, new york, zurich, cairo has never been a problem, moscow sometimes a bit problematic, mumbai/shanghai wouldn't know

Agree. Cairo taxi rides were even FUN!

[lildragon]

Most cabbies here are good people just trying to earn a living. There are of course a horrible minority but they normally gravitate towards the obvious places. Just walk a bit further from these places or use a taxi app to avoid them.

[marios]

Bangkok has some of the cheapest taxi fares, for a major city, in the World. http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/

You get what you pay for so I'm very satisfied with the taxi service in Bangkok.

.

In addition, one can, on most occasions, find a taxi at the speed of thought. They are everywhwre and in abundance. They are inexpensive too.

There were instances where I was met with drivers trying to take advantage of the situation. Bad weather, rush hour etc, but overall they take you where you want to go and you pay the meter. Provided they understand what you are telling them then one will expect to be taken to his destination. .

Bottom line: Bangkok taxi drivers get the thumbs up as far as I am concerned and I have been using them since 1986.

[nakhonandy]

Couldn't be worse than Pattaya! Taximeters are only for show. First time visitors get a shock when they try to get a taxi and hear the price,

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Very strange.

I don't use Taxis very often in Pattaya due to the excellent and cheap Baht bus service.

Whenever I have used them the price is reasonable.

[Acharn]

"The best advice is to simply wait for another vehicle if the driver resists using the meter," it said."

Good advice for bkk as well.

Good heavens, I can't even remember the last time that happened to me. When was it they established the current system, anybody remember? Was it under Thaksin? No, wait, it must have been early '90s. It was an astonishing transformation, almost overnight all the taxis switched over. Anyway, I haven't used a BKK taxi since my wife died, so don't know about current situation, but I never had a driver even bring the subject up since they created the taxis with the Taxi-Meter signs on them.

[Fab5BKK]

When comparing with other "major cities" in the world one has to keep in mind the local minimum and/or local average salaries

Bangkok has some of the cheapest taxi fares, for a major city, in the World. http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/

You get what you pay for so I'm very satisfied with the taxi service in Bangkok.

.

[Benmart]

who cares what london hacks have to say? most certainly not me.

now, lets see a value for money comaprison

Some people don't care about weather forecasts.

Some people don't care about value for money comparisons.

Some people don't care about the foreign currency exchange rates.

Some people don't care about many topics and are keen on letting others know about their lack of caring.

I care enough to read and move on.