Do you have trouble with Bangkok taxis?

[Thian]

I have a thai friend who lives in the USA. Last month he visited Sweden and the day he wanted to leave the hotel to the airport the shuttle bus was down.

He flagged a taxi, drove to the airport in 20 minutes and had to pay 240 us$ to the muslim taxidriver. He couldn't believe it but he paid.

So it's not only happening in BKK, even Stockholm.

The only problem i have with BKK taxi's is that at night the very crappy taxi's come on the road. Many have wornout shocks, broken exhausts or make strange noises and drive slow. One ride the driver stopped along the road and told me he lost his brakes, the pedal didn't work anymore which was true.

Another taxiride in BKK the engine turned off so we had to stop on the road. The driver went under the hood and did something then it worked again and off we go. Then 5 minutes later again the engine turned off, no ploblem and he again went under the hood to fix it. Then i told him to stop at the fuelstation and i changed taxi.

That's a well known and well publicized problem in Sweden. It's up to the cab driver to charge what they want. Not a scam, it's legal. Buyer beware. We got a cab from the hotel to the airport and it was very reasonable. Some $40 or so. It's terrible they allow this to happen, but it's well known....for most!

I thought Sweden was a well regulated fair country like the rest of N-Europe. I even adviced my friend to claim the hotel for his expensive taxi-ride to the airport. It wasn't his fault the shuttle bus didn't drive that moment.

Well i read many weird story's about Sweden lately, their good name is going down the drain fast lately.

Last week i took a taxi from Swampy and didn't understand how those ticketmachines work. They call them "kiosk" and you have to read a manual how to get a ticket out of them.

Why not make one button on that pole and if you press it you get your ticket?

The taxi i got was fine, the driver even could speak some english.

Seriously?

I got a taxi from the airport today. It's a simple touch screen affair with a single button, which features a large picture of a taxi on it. I can't really see how they could have made it even simpler. There's also an attendant there who'll press the button for you.

The mind boggles as to how you found that in any way challenging.

Well they could have made just one big button with "press here" and then the ticket comes out with your number.

Why do we need a menu and a computer for that and the term "kiosk". Did you see a kiosk at the taxistand??? right.

"Press here" assumes you can read English. The current system with a single button featuring a large picture of a taxi is about as simple as it could possibly be. And even if you can't grasp the concept, there's a friendly employee there to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. How could you possibly get that wrong?

The current system doesn't have a single button dude. It is a process of 4-5 steps a person has to do. One of them is something with a "kiosk" which for me is a small booth where newspapers, chewinggum and drinks are being sold and there is no booth at the taxistand.

But for the rest: have fun trolling man, you do great!

[SoiBiker]

Are you sure you were at the right airport?

Seriously - the current system at suvarabhumi is a touch screen with one option indicated by a large picture of a taxi, accompanied by someone who's entire job is to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. It literally couldn't be simpler.

[Thian]

Are you sure you were at the right airport?

Seriously - the current system at suvarabhumi is a touch screen with one option indicated by a large picture of a taxi, accompanied by someone who's entire job is to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. It literally couldn't be simpler.

Yes it was at Swampy and that assistant wasn;t at his place, he came later when me (and also the people next to me) didn't know how to do it. How should we know that it's a touchscreen?

The menu had 4-5 steps we had to follow to get a ticket. I read step 1 and didn't see a kiosk at all so i wanted to walk to the taxi's myself and then that guy came running to me to help.

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway? And why doesn't he wear an official suit? He looked like a student. How should we know he is from the airport taxistand? And why wasn't he friendly and proffessional? He seemed agitated that i tried to walk to the taxi's, well that's not my fault since i'm a paying customer, dressed well with a lot of luggage who just wants to go home. I have no time for stupid crap like reading menu's who are very confusing, i just want to have a taxi and go.

Soon they will change that system again i can tell allready. It seems too hard for them to organise a taxistand at an airport which everybody can use without help.

[SoiBiker]

Are you sure you were at the right airport?

Seriously - the current system at suvarabhumi is a touch screen with one option indicated by a large picture of a taxi, accompanied by someone who's entire job is to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. It literally couldn't be simpler.

Yes it was at Swampy and that assistant wasn;t at his place, he came later when me (and also the people next to me) didn't know how to do it. How should we know that it's a touchscreen?

The menu had 4-5 steps we had to follow to get a ticket. I read step 1 and didn't see a kiosk at all so i wanted to walk to the taxi's myself and then that guy came running to me to help.

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway? And why doesn't he wear an official suit? He looked like a student. How should we know he is from the airport taxistand? And why wasn't he friendly and proffessional? He seemed agitated that i tried to walk to the taxi's, well that's not my fault since i'm a paying customer, dressed well with a lot of luggage who just wants to go home. I have no time for stupid crap like reading menu's who are very confusing, i just want to have a taxi and go.

Soon they will change that system again i can tell allready. It seems too hard for them to organise a taxistand at an airport which everybody can use without help.

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You should know it was a touchscreen because it's 2015! And 4-5 steps? There's one huge icon with a picture of a taxi - you press it and a ticket comes out. One step.

[kkerry]

Thian, I will save you from having to read the manual.

1. Press the touch screen

2. Take the ticket the machine gives out

3. Walk to the taxi bay displaying the same number as on your ticket.

4. Get in taxi and proceed to destination.

Last week at Suvanabhumi the screens were all working (first time ever ) and everyone seemed able to operate them so things were moving along faster than the old handwritten ticket system.

Hard to believe but true.

Yes they were all working but there was also a person helping the tourists to get a ticket. I wonder though who developed this system and why he had to use the word "kiosk" while it's a machine .

The word 'kiosk' has evolved to mean more than just the traditional covered stall selling newspapers etc.

The self-service kiosks below even run what is known as 'kiosk software'

[kkerry]

Are you sure you were at the right airport?

Seriously - the current system at suvarabhumi is a touch screen with one option indicated by a large picture of a taxi, accompanied by someone who's entire job is to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. It literally couldn't be simpler.

Yes it was at Swampy and that assistant wasn;t at his place, he came later when me (and also the people next to me) didn't know how to do it. How should we know that it's a touchscreen?

The menu had 4-5 steps we had to follow to get a ticket. I read step 1 and didn't see a kiosk at all so i wanted to walk to the taxi's myself and then that guy came running to me to help.

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway? And why doesn't he wear an official suit? He looked like a student. How should we know he is from the airport taxistand? And why wasn't he friendly and proffessional? He seemed agitated that i tried to walk to the taxi's, well that's not my fault since i'm a paying customer, dressed well with a lot of luggage who just wants to go home. I have no time for stupid crap like reading menu's who are very confusing, i just want to have a taxi and go.

Soon they will change that system again i can tell allready. It seems too hard for them to organise a taxistand at an airport which everybody can use without help.

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You should know it was a touchscreen because it's 2015! And 4-5 steps? There's one huge icon with a picture of a taxi - you press it and a ticket comes out. One step.

Same experience for me. No 4-5 step menu, simply press the screen and take your ticket.

[Thian]

Are you sure you were at the right airport?

Seriously - the current system at suvarabhumi is a touch screen with one option indicated by a large picture of a taxi, accompanied by someone who's entire job is to press the button for you and hand you the ticket. It literally couldn't be simpler.

Yes it was at Swampy and that assistant wasn;t at his place, he came later when me (and also the people next to me) didn't know how to do it. How should we know that it's a touchscreen?

The menu had 4-5 steps we had to follow to get a ticket. I read step 1 and didn't see a kiosk at all so i wanted to walk to the taxi's myself and then that guy came running to me to help.

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway? And why doesn't he wear an official suit? He looked like a student. How should we know he is from the airport taxistand? And why wasn't he friendly and proffessional? He seemed agitated that i tried to walk to the taxi's, well that's not my fault since i'm a paying customer, dressed well with a lot of luggage who just wants to go home. I have no time for stupid crap like reading menu's who are very confusing, i just want to have a taxi and go.

Soon they will change that system again i can tell allready. It seems too hard for them to organise a taxistand at an airport which everybody can use without help.

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You should know it was a touchscreen because it's 2015! And 4-5 steps? There's one huge icon with a picture of a taxi - you press it and a ticket comes out. One step.

Same experience for me. No 4-5 step menu, simply press the screen and take your ticket.

Where i come from a kiosk is a small booth, a ticketvending machine is what the name implies. I've never heard of that machine being called a kiosk, even not in one of the 5 languages i can speak.

Step 1: get a ticket from the kiosk.

<deleted>, i don't see a kiosk.

Step 2: press here.

I pressed the screen and nothing happened so i assumed the touchscreen to be broken,

Step 3: Why do we need a step 3? Just gimme my taxi man i'm tired of flying for 17 hours. And also in my plane the touchscreen didn't work properly or very slow (A380).

But the computer is better then the system they used before with the sleeping girl who laid her head on the table so i had to wake her up to get my taxiticket.

That was an even worse disgrace for an international airport.

[Alration]

Yes it was at Swampy and that assistant wasn;t at his place, he came later when me (and also the people next to me) didn't know how to do it. How should we know that it's a touchscreen?

The menu had 4-5 steps we had to follow to get a ticket. I read step 1 and didn't see a kiosk at all so i wanted to walk to the taxi's myself and then that guy came running to me to help.

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway? And why doesn't he wear an official suit? He looked like a student. How should we know he is from the airport taxistand? And why wasn't he friendly and proffessional? He seemed agitated that i tried to walk to the taxi's, well that's not my fault since i'm a paying customer, dressed well with a lot of luggage who just wants to go home. I have no time for stupid crap like reading menu's who are very confusing, i just want to have a taxi and go.

Soon they will change that system again i can tell allready. It seems too hard for them to organise a taxistand at an airport which everybody can use without help.

I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. You should know it was a touchscreen because it's 2015! And 4-5 steps? There's one huge icon with a picture of a taxi - you press it and a ticket comes out. One step.

Same experience for me. No 4-5 step menu, simply press the screen and take your ticket.

Where i come from a kiosk is a small booth, a ticketvending machine is what the name implies. I've never heard of that machine being called a kiosk, even not in one of the 5 languages i can speak.

Step 1: get a ticket from the kiosk.

<deleted>, i don't see a kiosk.

Step 2: press here.

I pressed the screen and nothing happened so i assumed the touchscreen to be broken,

Step 3: Why do we need a step 3? Just gimme my taxi man i'm tired of flying for 17 hours. And also in my plane the touchscreen didn't work properly or very slow (A380).

But the computer is better then the system they used before with the sleeping girl who laid her head on the table so i had to wake her up to get my taxiticket.

That was an even worse disgrace for an international airport.

So only one step (your Step 1 doesn't count as part of the process) not four or five? Can you count in one of those 5 languages?

"Why do we need a step 3?" Yes indeed, why? That's why there wasn't a Step 3.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Alration

[1BADDAT]

Uber in a taxi?

Are you sure you don't mean Grabtaxi or something?

standard SB response. Step 1....don't quote text like a normal person so the poster would know you are replying to them. Step 2....assume the poster is a complete idiot and knows nothing. I'm sure he meant to say grab taxi. That's why he said Uber...

[SoiBiker]

You couldn't figure out my post referred to the one immediately above it?

[SanukDii]

I take a couple of taxi's per day. 90% ok, 5% great, 5% absolute tw#ts.

As others have said, if you're in a tourist area or at one of the big hotels, Uber, Uber or...Uber.

[1BADDAT]

You couldn't figure out my post referred to the one immediately above it?

you couldn't figure out that that posting style can be used to avoid traceability in who or what you are referring to?

[SoiBiker]

You couldn't figure out my post referred to the one immediately above it?

you couldn't figure out that that posting style can be used to avoid traceability in who or what you are referring to?

Do you struggle to follow the flow of conversations in real life too, or just online?

[1BADDAT]

You couldn't figure out my post referred to the one immediately above it?

you couldn't figure out that that posting style can be used to avoid traceability in who or what you are referring to?

Do you struggle to follow the flow of conversations in real life too, or just online?

everywhere. That's why they keep extending my expat contract here. It's a very marketable trait.

[Lancashirelad]

Thian said:

It's a stupid system, why do they need that guy there anyway?

To help people like you who can't figure it out for themselves

[TheSpade]

Generally not any trouble but I don't really go to the obvious trouble areas much (Nana, Asoke, Kowsarn etc) and if I do I'll usually take the BTS home.

Was trying to get one in Siam area after midnight recently and it took 5 or 6 attempts. Only wanted to go to On Nut but most didn't want to go. One quoted 500 baht.

Outside these area never any problems with meter going on. If wanted to go to the otherside of town, say like Chinatown, then might take 2 or 3 taxis before someone is interested and I can't really blame them for that as it's a bit of a trek,

Did have a driver the other night that got so agitated about someone cutting him up on the road that he raced after them and seemed like he was trying to force them off the road then proceeded to commit road rage at the traffic lights.

He was absolutely fine with me personally though and apologized for the incident.

[Happy Grumpy]

^ you see that a lot.

A meeting of rude, ignorant, angry, selfish people with such delicate egos.... in a medium (behind the wheel of a vehicle) where people feel psychologically invisible and protected.

In the West you see people picking their nose in their car, with the odd bit of road rage on the news if someone honks their horn at someone else. Here, so many of them go after each other violently as par for the course.

Such an angry society and people, deep down.

You wonder if the some of the major factors behind it are that they have the smallest penises on the planet, or there abouts according to scientific reports, their society being based on status, power and hierarchy, and that the society and culture is really quite emotionally regressive. The combination can't be healthy in any psychological way.

Anyway, glad that you got to your destination safely, and that he didn't need to bring out his samurai sword and start hacking.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Happy Grumpy