Bangkok taxi fares could increase later this year

[webfact]

Bangkok taxi fares could increase later this year

File photo. Source: Internet

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Land Transport has completed its latest study on Bangkok taxis.

The study, which surveyed customers throughout Bangkok, including those using the taxis to and from the city’s two airports, was carried out to get feedback on satisfaction and levels of service.

From the customers surveyed, almost three quarters (71 per cent) said they were satisfied with the service received from Bangkok taxi drivers, revealed department director general Mr Sanit Phromwong.

This was slightly above the 70 percent benchmark set by transport officials, which taxi operators are required to meet.

In return for meeting the satisfaction benchmark, the Department of Land Transport will now consider whether to approve a fair increase of 5 per cent.

Despite increasing fares by 8 per cent in December 2014, Bangkok taxi drivers have been lobbying transport officials to further increase fares, claiming that current fares are not enough for them to support higher running costs and an increase in the cost of living.

The Department of Land Transport will now wait for a report on the survey before deciding on whether to approve the proposed increase in taxi fares.

Source: Daily News

-- 2015-10-12

[lee b]

So are the 71% of (customers) Emm people working as taxi drivers? Seems to me like this figure is far to high, could be wrong and I'm sure i'll be reading comments to this soon telling me I have no idea what I am talking about...lol

[speedtripler]

If the taxis were professional, had mandatory seatbelts, didn't refuse fares and always used the metre I would give them a higher fare...

The way they are at the moment, I would suggest to reduce their wages rather than increase

The mafia mindset has to be removed first, too often there's a line of taxis doing nothing but none of them will use the metre and insist on triple fare etc

[TheFishman1]

Yep no safety belts in back and basically the drivers I have had drive really crazy

[waldroj]

Taxi drivers achieve their 70 percent satisfaction benchmark.

So, DLT will now consider whether to approve a fair increase of 5 per cent - (unless DLT think that amount fair, they probably mean fare increase)!

Meanwhile, the RTP have two suspects in custody from the Erawan Shrine bombing, and I think there are still 15 outstanding arrest warrants. In other words, a “satisfaction benchmark” of less than 12 percent (2 out of 17), yet they have already pocketed a ฿6 million reward for their efforts.

Perhaps the G&S song from The Pirates of Penzance should be changed to “A Cabbie’s Lot Is not a Happy One”?

[seancbk]

Living in Bangkok (on Sukhhumvit) I rarely have any issue with taxis.

It is only in one or two tourist areas that I have had any issue and having learn't where not to try getting a cab I simply make allowances.

I should also note that I absolutely refuse to ever use Motorbike taxis so I am using Cabs exclusively when the BTS isn't suitable for my journey.

People who have problems seem to be :-

Those living out of the way

People who can't at least tell the driver their destination in Thai

Those who try getting cabs in the wrong areas at the wrong time of night/day

[whatproblem]

Fare increase but same quality of service

[lvr181]

It will not stop the meter not being used and refusals and lack of working seat belts

[Baerboxer]

Living in Bangkok (on Sukhhumvit) I rarely have any issue with taxis.

It is only in one or two tourist areas that I have had any issue and having learn't where not to try getting a cab I simply make allowances.

I should also note that I absolutely refuse to ever use Motorbike taxis so I am using Cabs exclusively when the BTS isn't suitable for my journey.

People who have problems seem to be :-

Those living out of the way

People who can't at least tell the driver their destination in Thai

Those who try getting cabs in the wrong areas at the wrong time of night/day

Crap logic.

I don't live particularly out of the way. But unlike you, I don't live on top of the BTS or MRT. My Thai is certainly good enough to tell the drivers where I want to go, and to giver directions. Taxis should cover all destinations when in service, that's the whole point.

Friday night the first 3 refused - only reason being they didn't want to go there, preferring to pick up shorter fairs hovering around the center. This is actually worse than before the crackdown.

[martin81]

I tried getting a taxi to make a short 1.4 km trip 2 days ago near airport at Lad Krabang. The first would only go for 100 b. The next would go for meter fare around 45 B.

Plenty of taxis around there but why would he stop and then refuse to take a normal short trip unless paying double price. And I speak thai so that is not the problem.

So taxi problem has certainly not been solved. But I usually manage to get a taxi after asking a few that will not go on meter fare.

[richard_smith237]

Living in Bangkok (on Sukhhumvit) I rarely have any issue with taxis.

It is only in one or two tourist areas that I have had any issue and having learn't where not to try getting a cab I simply make allowances.

I should also note that I absolutely refuse to ever use Motorbike taxis so I am using Cabs exclusively when the BTS isn't suitable for my journey.

People who have problems seem to be :-

Those living out of the way

People who can't at least tell the driver their destination in Thai

Those who try getting cabs in the wrong areas at the wrong time of night/day

This implies that passengers are in the wrong for having the audacity to attempt to get a taxi in busy areas and at the wrong times... Lets not inconvenience the taxi drivers...

.... I'm sure you don't mean it that way though....

Stepping into realty: Taxi drivers are providing a service. If they don't want to provide a service don't become a taxi driver. If they don't like rush hour drive at a different time, If they don't like a busy area, go to a quieter area....

Simply put 'some' of the taxi drivers are shocking, their sense of entitlement astonishing..

That said, I haven't had many issues with taxi drivers, but that’s because I live here and know where and when I'm potentially going to face issues. I now use UBER as a first choice, GrabTaxi as a second choice... I very rarely flag down a taxi now.

Taxi's in Bangkok do require improvement.. Using the excuse that in other cities and countries Taxi's services are worse is not really a valid excuse. The simple fact is that there 'could' be improvement if improvement was seriously pushed for. Seatbelts would be a good start.

[drronnie]

Living in Bangkok (on Sukhhumvit) I rarely have any issue with taxis.

It is only in one or two tourist areas that I have had any issue and having learn't where not to try getting a cab I simply make allowances.

I should also note that I absolutely refuse to ever use Motorbike taxis so I am using Cabs exclusively when the BTS isn't suitable for my journey.

People who have problems seem to be :-

Those living out of the way

People who can't at least tell the driver their destination in Thai

Those who try getting cabs in the wrong areas at the wrong time of night/day

Crap logic.

I don't live particularly out of the way. But unlike you, I don't live on top of the BTS or MRT. My Thai is certainly good enough to tell the drivers where I want to go, and to giver directions. Taxis should cover all destinations when in service, that's the whole point.

Friday night the first 3 refused - only reason being they didn't want to go there, preferring to pick up shorter fairs hovering around the center. This is actually worse than before the crackdown.

seconded but how could the crackdown be enforced anyway?

[jamiesilver]

not a single taxi would put their meters on at 2am on saturday night - can they please go to sukumvit road and do a survey there and not the airport

[gandalf12]

Living in Bangkok (on Sukhhumvit) I rarely have any issue with taxis.

It is only in one or two tourist areas that I have had any issue and having learn't where not to try getting a cab I simply make allowances.

I should also note that I absolutely refuse to ever use Motorbike taxis so I am using Cabs exclusively when the BTS isn't suitable for my journey.

People who have problems seem to be :-

Those living out of the way

People who can't at least tell the driver their destination in Thai

Those who try getting cabs in the wrong areas at the wrong time of night/day

Crap logic.

I don't live particularly out of the way. But unlike you, I don't live on top of the BTS or MRT. My Thai is certainly good enough to tell the drivers where I want to go, and to giver directions. Taxis should cover all destinations when in service, that's the whole point.

Friday night the first 3 refused - only reason being they didn't want to go there, preferring to pick up shorter fairs hovering around the center. This is actually worse than before the crackdown.

seconded but how could the crackdown be enforced anyway?

I doubt if it could be enforced. However, everyone needs to make a note of the taxi number plus location and time and use it to report him. Before anyone says anything I know mostly nothing would happen to them but with consistently sending in complaints eventually the message will get through

[speedtripler]

not a single taxi would put their meters on at 2am on saturday night - can they please go to sukumvit road and do a survey there and not the airport

Same at silom and surawong at night ...

They are not willing to take fares unless they can dictate the price... At least double or triple the meter and if they work together they can effectively extort people who have no other option

The same as tuk tuk mafia gang around khao san rd

[drronnie]

not a single taxi would put their meters on at 2am on saturday night - can they please go to sukumvit road and do a survey there and not the airport

Same at silom and surawong at night ...

They are not willing to take fares unless they can dictate the price... At least double or triple the meter and if they work together they can effectively extort people who have no other option

The same as tuk tuk mafia gang around khao san rd

I think that private taxi companies and the grab taxi apps will run the unwilling taxi drivers out of business. Thoughts?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

[samjaidee]

Fare increase but same quality of service

So... when the price of a box of cornflakes goes up does something else have to improve to justify the increase? When the cost of a litre of petrol goes up do we get better quality petrol?

Of course not.

How is an increase in fares correlated to an increase in service in any transportation system anywhere else in the world?

[lvr181]

Fare increase but same quality of service

So... when the price of a box of cornflakes goes up does something else have to improve to justify the increase? When the cost of a litre of petrol goes up do we get better quality petrol?

Of course not.

How is an increase in fares correlated to an increase in service in any transportation system anywhere else in the world?

Your analogies are specious.

Am I to understand then that you recognise there are no problems with taxi services? Despite the non use of meters, the failure to provide working seatbelts (both instances against the law) the farcical laziness of drivers not to accept fares. In first world countries these failures are NOT the norm!

So, why shouldn't the paying public expect to get a better and legal service along with the increase in charges?

[cocopops]

Price fixing leads to shortages. One of the few actual facts in the field of enonomics.

The solution to the inavailability of taxis that want to drive across town in peak hour is not to force drivers to do so, it is to create a system that allows passengers to offer a sufficient fare to entice them to do so.

[hawker9000]

"From the customers surveyed, almost three quarters (71 per cent) said they were satisfied with the service received from Bangkok taxi drivers"

Yeah. I'll bet.

[Skeptic7]

Satisfaction rate seems high. Personally, would give them about 40%

Try to use other means, including my feet, but not always an option.

[Cook my sock]

Catch 22. Fares haven't risen properly so the quality dropped. I'm sure quality would be better if the fares were fair

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lvr181]

Price fixing leads to shortages. One of the few actual facts in the field of enonomics.

The solution to the inavailability of taxis that want to drive across town in peak hour is not to force drivers to do so, it is to create a system that allows passengers to offer a sufficient fare to entice them to do so.

"....allows passengers to offer a sufficient fare to entice them to do so." That system is already in place!

[lujanit]

Catch 22. Fares haven't risen properly so the quality dropped. I'm sure quality would be better if the fares were fair

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you actually live here? How many times have you used a taxi here? Generally speaking most taxi drivers decide who they will take somewhere and attempt to dictate the price. Ever tried to get a taxi in Phuket or somewhere down Sukhumvit? Quality of service is something most taxi drivers simply do not understand. The only thing they understand is the mighty baht.

Having said that we have one very good taxi driver who we use especially if going to the airport. Problem is he has become quite well known amongst expats that he is very hard to even pre-book. We tried to pre-book him for a Swampy run for early Monday but he was already in Hua Hin. He was spending the night there as he was booked by another for an airport run the following morning. He charges 1300 baht for Swampy Hua Hin.

So there are some diamonds among the mafia out there. I don't believe the 71% satisfaction rating at all.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Catch 22. Fares haven't risen properly so the quality dropped. I'm sure quality would be better if the fares were fair

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you actually live here? How many times have you used a taxi here? Generally speaking most taxi drivers decide who they will take somewhere and attempt to dictate the price. Ever tried to get a taxi in Phuket or somewhere down Sukhumvit? Quality of service is something most taxi drivers simply do not understand. The only thing they understand is the mighty baht.

Having said that we have one very good taxi driver who we use especially if going to the airport. Problem is he has become quite well known amongst expats that he is very hard to even pre-book. We tried to pre-book him for a Swampy run for early Monday but he was already in Hua Hin. He was spending the night there as he was booked by another for an airport run the following morning. He charges 1300 baht for Swampy Hua Hin.

So there are some diamonds among the mafia out there. I don't believe the 71% satisfaction rating at all.

I take taxi in Bangkok around 100 times a year. Never ever been overcharged and was perhaps refused a ride 5-6 times.

I don't understand this great dissatisfaction with taxis unless most posters are located outside Bangkok or on ksr

[Cook my sock]

Catch 22. Fares haven't risen properly so the quality dropped. I'm sure quality would be better if the fares were fair

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you actually live here? How many times have you used a taxi here? Generally speaking most taxi drivers decide who they will take somewhere and attempt to dictate the price. Ever tried to get a taxi in Phuket or somewhere down Sukhumvit? Quality of service is something most taxi drivers simply do not understand. The only thing they understand is the mighty baht

Poor you, maybe your general attitude is the problem

In the last three years in Bkk maybe I've had 3 or 4 minor issues, two were airport runs

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hawker9000]

Catch 22. Fares haven't risen properly so the quality dropped. I'm sure quality would be better if the fares were fair

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you actually live here? How many times have you used a taxi here? Generally speaking most taxi drivers decide who they will take somewhere and attempt to dictate the price. Ever tried to get a taxi in Phuket or somewhere down Sukhumvit? Quality of service is something most taxi drivers simply do not understand. The only thing they understand is the mighty baht.

Having said that we have one very good taxi driver who we use especially if going to the airport. Problem is he has become quite well known amongst expats that he is very hard to even pre-book. We tried to pre-book him for a Swampy run for early Monday but he was already in Hua Hin. He was spending the night there as he was booked by another for an airport run the following morning. He charges 1300 baht for Swampy Hua Hin.

So there are some diamonds among the mafia out there. I don't believe the 71% satisfaction rating at all.

I take taxi in Bangkok around 100 times a year. Never ever been overcharged and was perhaps refused a ride 5-6 times.

I don't understand this great dissatisfaction with taxis unless most posters are located outside Bangkok or on ksr

Well understand this. Last time I needed a taxi to the arpt, five consecutive drivers refused me the meter. I had to get there so took the sixth at a fixed price. He got NO tip, and he made his displeasure obvious. (There were a couple of

arpt security guys nearby, so he had to stifle himself.)

[h90]

71 % are satisfied?

Shouldn't be a reasonable benchmark that 99% are satisfied?

[BKKdreaming]

Did it ever say how much it would be raised ?

will they go 35b to 45b , or change the price per KM ,

since a big percentage of taxis are company owned (Co-OP ? ) maybe they can check the speedos , seat belts , taxi licence is the guy driving and a few other normal things that a taxi commission needs to check weekly

[lvr181]

Did it ever say how much it would be raised ?

will they go 35b to 45b , or change the price per KM ,

since a big percentage of taxis are company owned (Co-OP ? ) maybe they can check the speedos , seat belts , taxi licence is the guy driving and a few other normal things that a taxi commission needs to check weekly

"...they can check the speedos , seat belts , taxi licence is the guy driving and a few other normal things...." Does a steam roller roll steam?

It ain't gonna happen! The current laws are openly flouted by drivers.