Phuket Airport Taxi-Meter Rip Off?

[stevenl]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

Was that Honda in town or Honda on Chao Fa West?

[jonaz]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

I wanted to go from Jungceylon to Kalim beach yesterday. I asked for a price from a motorcycle taxi and he said 300 baht. I used to go a similar (if not further) distance from my condo to the BTS in Bangkok for 30 baht. I walked in the end!

[jonaz]

After many recommendations I have decided to try this company below for my taxi to the airport today. They have clear, reasonable prices and a good website. You can also contact them using WhatsApp and Line as well as the usual Telephone and Email which is handy.

http://www.phuketsrctravel.com/transfer_service.php

I'll report back if there are any problems. If you don't hear from me then you can assume it went smoothly

Edited October 13, 2015 by jonaz

[NamKangMan]

After many recommendations I have decided to try this company below for my taxi to the airport today. They have clear, reasonable prices and a good website. You can also contact them using WhatsApp and Line as well as the usual Telephone and Email which is handy.

http://www.phuketsrctravel.com/transfer_service.php

I'll report back if there are any problems. If you don't hear from me then you can assume it went smoothly

I looked at your link.

Airport to Patong - 600 baht all up.

This is the cheapest "legal" taxi price I know of.

Unfortunately, they appear to mainly operate to / from the airport, however they can be booked for "sightseeing" and "shopping."

The problem still remains the shorter one off trips, usually between the beaches, for tourists.

Anyway, thanks for the link and please report back.

Edited October 13, 2015 by NamKangMan

[madmitch]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

Was that Honda in town or Honda on Chao Fa West?

Chao Fa West, hence the option to wait for the songthaew, which I've done before when taking the car for a service. Back on the songthaew at about 2:30 today o pick the car up. This time I'll wait for it.

[grumpyoldman]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

I wanted to go from Jungceylon to Kalim beach yesterday. I asked for a price from a motorcycle taxi and he said 300 baht. I used to go a similar (if not further) distance from my condo to the BTS in Bangkok for 30 baht. I walked in the end!

Wow, now thats a ripoff. 300thb for a trip that probably doesn't even burn 20thb of fuel. I would've done the same, walk straight down Bangla, walk on the beach as far as possible, and you're just about to Kalim anyway, 3kms or so. 300thb on a motorbike, shameful.

Edited October 13, 2015 by grumpyoldman

[LivinginKata]

Was that Honda in town or Honda on Chao Fa West?

Chao Fa West, hence the option to wait for the songthaew, which I've done before when taking the car for a service. Back on the songthaew at about 2:30 today o pick the car up. This time I'll wait for it.

WOW ... what a rip off ... 400 baht from there to Karon. I would have declined and waited for the next bus in 30 minutes (but then I am a true tight arse). Most likely I would have phone wife or friend to come and pick me up.

I thought these meter cabs had to use the meter. There must be some sort of complaint number. So, take the taxi number and complain. It's the only way this will ever be sorted out (maybe).

[NamKangMan]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

I wanted to go from Jungceylon to Kalim beach yesterday. I asked for a price from a motorcycle taxi and he said 300 baht. I used to go a similar (if not further) distance from my condo to the BTS in Bangkok for 30 baht. I walked in the end!

Wow, now thats a ripoff. 300thb for a trip that probably doesn't even burn 20thb of fuel. I would've done the same, walk straight down Bangla, walk on the beach as far as possible, and you're just about to Kalim anyway, 3kms or so. 300thb on a motorbike, shameful.

You mean, you wouldn't have take the moto-taxi for 300 baht, and tipped the rider?

[grumpyoldman]

Glad to see you can make yourself laugh NKM, because not only was that pathetically predictable, it's not close to funny. Keep the day job, comedian is out of the question.

Edited October 13, 2015 by grumpyoldman

[merijn]

a lot cheaper than the UK:

Minimum cost: £2.600

£2.600 for the first 690.000 metres.

Then £0.10 every 69.66 metres.

But we are not in the UK !!!!

[steelepulse]

Mmmm.....

It's been tried before, and failed.

It's the same drivers, charging the same rip off price, in fact, i believe, a little more for using the app.

Mmmm,

Actually not NKM. It's a company trying to introduce their product to new consumers, so they are eating the loss to get new customers on board. I just had a friend take this to the airport for 250 baht using the discount code, all pre booked, with driver name and plate number with an English speaking operator confirming all details.

[jonaz]

So I took the taxi from SRC Travel and everything went smoothly.

I ordered a taxi for 1 for 600 baht. The driver turned up 10 minutes early in a 9 seater brand new minivan.

All in all a professional service.

I would recommend them and will use them again next time. Here is the link again for anyone browsing the thread :

http://www.phuketsrctravel.com/transfer_service.php

[Shot]

So I took the taxi from SRC Travel and everything went smoothly.

I ordered a taxi for 1 for 600 baht. The driver turned up 10 minutes early in a 9 seater brand new minivan.

All in all a professional service.

I would recommend them and will use them again next time. Here is the link again for anyone browsing the thread :

http://www.phuketsrctravel.com/transfer_service.php

Thanks for the link. Airport to Kamala they are 100 Baht less than Phuket Shuttle.

[NamKangMan]

Mmmm.....

It's been tried before, and failed.

It's the same drivers, charging the same rip off price, in fact, i believe, a little more for using the app.

Mmmm,

Actually not NKM. It's a company trying to introduce their product to new consumers, so they are eating the loss to get new customers on board. I just had a friend take this to the airport for 250 baht using the discount code, all pre booked, with driver name and plate number with an English speaking operator confirming all details.

How long before "the drivers" up the price to the company, bringing the "product" inline with Phuket's rip off prices, if not more?

Why do you think this company will succeed, where other similar companies have failed here?

Edited October 18, 2015 by NamKangMan

[grumpyoldman]

Mmmm.....

It's been tried before, and failed.

It's the same drivers, charging the same rip off price, in fact, i believe, a little more for using the app.

Mmmm,

Actually not NKM. It's a company trying to introduce their product to new consumers, so they are eating the loss to get new customers on board. I just had a friend take this to the airport for 250 baht using the discount code, all pre booked, with driver name and plate number with an English speaking operator confirming all details.

How long before "the drivers" up the price to the company, bringing the "product" inline with Phuket's rip off prices, if not more?

Why do you think this company will succeed, where other similar companies have failed here?

Sentence #1 - guess you would need to be able to look into the future, otherwise it's purely speculative, negative conjecture on your part.

Sentence #2 - coming from the guy who beats this drum ad nauseum? Maybe because there is a gap in the market there? Huh guy?

[NamKangMan]

@ grumpyoldman

"Sentence #1 - guess you would need to be able to look into the future, otherwise it's purely speculative, negative conjecture on your part." - hardly. Independent drivers have been assaulted here in the past, causing them to either join "the association" or stop operating. Part of joing the association means you must charge the same rip off price as everyone else.

"Sentence #2 - coming from the guy who beats this drum ad nauseum? Maybe because there is a gap in the market there? Huh guy?" - "a gap in the market" really???? They have a monopoly on the market - you know that. How long would a "baht bus" driver last here, filling "a gap in the market?"

Two companies have tried this before, and failed. Why do you think this one will succeed?

They will not allow free market forces (supply / demand) to dictate the price of transport on Phuket, not to mention refusing to use meters.

The Thai military will not dismantle the transport mafia, so what we have now is here to stay for Phuket.

This means, the tourists will have to change - and they are. Western tourist market declining at 15% year on year, and Chinese tourists in coach buses.

Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket.

[grumpyoldman]

"Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket."

Right, because the whole tourism problem in Phuket is your favorite wa*n*-athon...........pretty dim mate.

[NamKangMan]

"Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket."

Right, because the whole tourism problem in Phuket is your favorite wa*n*-athon...........pretty dim mate.

Yes, transport is Phuket's biggest issue for tourists, and the tourism industry.

Not guns and drugs.

Edited October 21, 2015 by NamKangMan

[grumpyoldman]

"Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket."

Right, because the whole tourism problem in Phuket is your favorite wa*n*-athon...........pretty dim mate.

Yes, transport is Phuket's biggest issue for tourists, and the tourism industry.

Not guns and drugs.

No it's not, it's the strength of the baht against the currencies of all the western groups that used to come in droves.

Why do you continue to use laughing emoticon when you are so not funny?

[NamKangMan]

"Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket."

Right, because the whole tourism problem in Phuket is your favorite wa*n*-athon...........pretty dim mate.

Yes, transport is Phuket's biggest issue for tourists, and the tourism industry.

Not guns and drugs.

No it's not, it's the strength of the baht against the currencies of all the western groups that used to come in droves.

Why do you continue to use laughing emoticon when you are so not funny?

The "strength of the baht" doesn't seem to bother the record amount of Chinese tourists coming to Phuket. Oh, that's right, they have coach buses for transport.

[grumpyoldman]

"Even if this company succeeds, it's not enough to lure the western market back to Phuket."

Right, because the whole tourism problem in Phuket is your favorite wa*n*-athon...........pretty dim mate.

Yes, transport is Phuket's biggest issue for tourists, and the tourism industry.

Not guns and drugs.

No it's not, it's the strength of the baht against the currencies of all the western groups that used to come in droves.

Why do you continue to use laughing emoticon when you are so not funny?

The "strength of the baht" doesn't seem to bother the record amount of Chinese tourists coming to Phuket. Oh, that's right, they have coach buses for transport.

Retracted post, off to the ignore button...............

Edited October 23, 2015 by grumpyoldman

[dageurreotype]

Anyone managed to take a meter taxi anywhere other than the airport yet? Apparently they are available for ad hoc rides.

I'm going to answer my own question.

This morning, having just missed the songthaew after dropping the car at Anuphas Honda, I spotted a meter taxi with its light on so I flagged it down. I only half-expected him to put the meter on and when he started moving without doing so I suggested he might wish to turn it on.

"400 baht" was his reply. And that was it. No meter, no negotiation, just about acceptable price from Honda to Karon (I'd previously been offered 300 baht by a motorbike taxi) but not what should be offered.

Still a long, long way to go!

What's cracking me up are the many obviously bought on finance SUVs and the like with licence stickers stuck to their nice new paintwork crawling around the Rawai Sai Yuan area obviously looking for custom. I've had a couple sidle up calling 'taxi!'. I just keep walking. I'm not contributing to what must cost an arm and a leg monthly loan repayments. Nowhere else on the planet have I seen 'taxis' such as these and so typically Thai. 'Well, we have Big Car suay suay, we can charge more!' Duh. Give me a simple ol' Bangkok cab any day, preferably at Bangkok rates Please

[grumpyoldman]

I've an acquaintance, a guy I've gotten to know over the years who drives one of the Sai Yuan taxis. 900 thb to the airport from my house, same as the taxi meter back, all in no tip.

Now, for Thailand, o.k., expensive, but we're here in the most expensive province so if you don't like the transportation offered here and have to drum on-and-on about it ad nauseum quit your wa*king and go live in Pattaya for your ten baht songthaew, enough already. TV complainers, horrible.

As I mentioned earlier I paid 25$US (900thb) recently while abroad to go 1/4 of the distance of Sai Yuan to the airport. Europe I'm sure the same a whole lot more expensive. Moscow? Stockholm?Dubai?Hong Kong? Where are you from and what do you pay for a taxi whilst there?

Yes, I realize we are not in those other places but as far as "Taxi Meter Ripoff" unless you are Thai, maybe consider having some perspective.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory insulting post has been removed.

[Cylon]

I heard of an Australian couple charged 5,000 baht for a taxi ride from the Airport to Patong last week.

[LivinginKata]

I heard of an Australian couple charged 5,000 baht for a taxi ride from the Airport to Patong last week.

I 'hear' lots of stories.. Care to quote a legitimate source for that ' story' ...

[Jimi007]

I heard of an Australian couple charged 5,000 baht for a taxi ride from the Airport to Patong last week.

I suppose there's still a gullible farang or two that comes here and pays the much.t.. But I really doubt it! The prices are posted! I paid 1,400 Baht for a mini van to transport my wife, and all her crap for her family, my dog, a large flight kennel and me from the airport to Rawai from the desk in the airport…

[NamKangMan]

I've an acquaintance, a guy I've gotten to know over the years who drives one of the Sai Yuan taxis. 900 thb to the airport from my house, same as the taxi meter back, all in no tip.

Now, for Thailand, o.k., expensive, but we're here in the most expensive province so if you don't like the transportation offered here and have to drum on-and-on about it ad nauseum quit your wa*king and go live in Pattaya for your ten baht songthaew, enough already. TV complainers, horrible.

As I mentioned earlier I paid 25$US (900thb) recently while abroad to go 1/4 of the distance of Sai Yuan to the airport. Europe I'm sure the same a whole lot more expensive. Moscow? Stockholm?Dubai?Hong Kong? Where are you from and what do you pay for a taxi whilst there?

Yes, I realize we are not in those other places but as far as "Taxi Meter Ripoff" unless you are Thai, maybe consider having some perspective.

The problem for the tourism industry on Phuket is, yes, as you said, "Now, for Thailand, o.k., expensive" and , yes, "we're here in the most expensive province."

So, what, exactly, does a tourist get for this extra expense by holidaying on Phuket, verus holidaying elsewhere in Thailand, or in the region????

In many cases, they are getting the same product / service. Eg. the bottle Singha beer on Phuket is the exact same bottle of Singha beer elsewhere in Thailand.

Unfortunately, in many cases, they get an inferior product at an very inflated price. Eg. Phuket tuk-tuks versus a Pattaya baht bus.

I would suggest, this is "the perspective" many western tourists are now looking at whe considering a holiday on Phuket, and in recent times, many expats.

Seriously, can you blame people for opting for a 10 baht journey in Pattaya, when the same journey is 300 baht or more, on Phuket?

That's 30 times the cost of a comparible service, within the same country, not Europe, Dubai etc etc.

Little wonder, the only tourists coming here now in numbers are only those with coach buses to transport them around.

[NamKangMan]

I heard of an Australian couple charged 5,000 baht for a taxi ride from the Airport to Patong last week.

I suppose there's still a gullible farang or two that comes here and pays the much.t.. But I really doubt it! The prices are posted! I paid 1,400 Baht for a mini van to transport my wife, and all her crap for her family, my dog, a large flight kennel and me from the airport to Rawai from the desk in the airport…

It wouldn't be so hard for them to overcharge some first timers.

Late night flight arrival, they exit the airport into the pouring rain, a few of them collude and all say "Your hotel far. 5000 baht."

Some tired, disorientated, and inexperienced travelers might pay it.

[Jimi007]

I heard of an Australian couple charged 5,000 baht for a taxi ride from the Airport to Patong last week.

I suppose there's still a gullible farang or two that comes here and pays the much.t.. But I really doubt it! The prices are posted! I paid 1,400 Baht for a mini van to transport my wife, and all her crap for her family, my dog, a large flight kennel and me from the airport to Rawai from the desk in the airport…

It wouldn't be so hard for them to overcharge some first timers.

Late night flight arrival, they exit the airport into the pouring rain, a few of them collude and all say "Your hotel far. 5000 baht."

Some tired, disorientated, and inexperienced travelers might pay it.

I'm sure there are suckers born ever day, but really? 5,000 Baht to Patong. They must be really stupid! My friend arrived late last night, got to his hotel at 2 AM. The first idiot he saw wanted 1,600 Baht from the airport to Rawai. My friend doesn't know Thai, he just said NO! Then it was 1,000 Baht…He said okay. The taxi idiot then wanted a tip! That didn't happen!