Thai Metred Taxis ....

[tk47]

At the new airport are metered taxis any particular colour? Just to make them easy to spot.

TIA

[Crossy]

They have a sign on top, it says 'Taxi'

At the airport the taxis queue up on the ground level (one down from arrivals), look for the A4 paper signs directing you. Be aware that these cabs no longer actually use the meter, you negotiate a fare with the nice lady in the booth before getting a cab (still pay the driver though).

And no, they are not any particular colour, actually they seem to be just about any colour

You may score in getting a cab at the departure level, not sure how easy it is at the new airport or how keen the security chaps are at stopping you, this chap will likely use the meter.

[tk47]

OK thanks for that..... now I am off to Thailand via Manchester & Abu Dahbi.

Have fun

[bendix]

What utter rubbish. It's disinformation like this which confuses people.

You do NOT negotiate with the lady in the booth. In fact, when I was there last week, they hadnt even built the booth. They use the meter. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

If on the one in 200 times the guy refuses to put his meter on (and I think that's very very unlikely at the airport) simply get out before he drives off, and leave his doors open. There are dozens of taxis behind him.

[Tywais]

You do NOT negotiate with the lady in the booth. In fact, when I was there last week, they hadnt even built the booth. They use the meter. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

That seems to be the experience of a couple of other posters also.

[ashacat]

I walked straight into a taxi upon arrival. Meter turned on with no questions...

As Bendix said: Never negotiate the price for a taxi journey in BKK. Meter or nothing.

Edited October 10, 2006 by ashacat

[percy2]

What utter rubbish. It's disinformation like this which confuses people.

You do NOT negotiate with the lady in the booth. In fact, when I was there last week, they hadnt even built the booth. They use the meter. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

If on the one in 200 times the guy refuses to put his meter on (and I think that's very very unlikely at the airport) simply get out before he drives off, and leave his doors open. There are dozens of taxis behind him.

I was shocked to read that they'd done away with meter taxi's at the airport.

I'm glad to know that this is not true.

I would have posted that I didn't think this was the case when I first read this thread , but not having used the new airport yet I wasn't sure.

Does anybody know if the B50 surcharge still aplies?

[lopburi3]

The color issue. Private taxi (sometimes owner driven - sometimes not) is yellow/green. The old color system of each company having dual colors seems to have been changed to blue/red for all the old players and new players being assigned solid colors. In all cases they have a large "TAXI METER" sign on the roof and a red lit sign in lower passenger side of windshield if empty. All should use meter. The system at old airport was the person in booth wrote down your destination in Thai for driver - she did not negotiate a fee (except perhaps for someone making a mistake and asking for a fixed fee).

[Crossy]

Hmmm, most interesting.

When I arrived on tuesday last week, the booth was there and functioning, directed to the queue by uniformed 'guards, 'no meter' quoted by the little lady (yes I did try the meter only tack, no joy, maybe I should try harder next time ).

Not exactly a problem, price quoted was reasonable for hassle free travel.

So NO, not disinformation sirs, personal experience!!

EDIT Maybe I should just shut the @#$% up.

BTW I don't travel into BKK, the fare to Pathum was 450 (negotiated down from 550) actually around what the meter would be + 50 'airport fee'.

Edited October 10, 2006 by Crossy

[King Dong]

It depends on where your going..

Pattaya = no meter

BKK = meter

Soo, its exactly the same as it used to be.

Edited October 11, 2006 by King Dong

[simcity]

I have one bad experience at the airport once , coming back from chiangmai , after a miss landing at maehonsong ( Thai airway ) have to turn back to chiangmai! waiting 1 hour for refund ticket and decide to fly back to Bangkok as all hotels was full in chiangmai and we already spend 4 days there!

Well after this 8 hours of completely non sense, we are back in Bangkok , we were waiting to get taxi ! got from the boot the 50 baht yellow slip !

I was with my 77 years old mother and my brother ! when the taxi start to drive , I told him to put meter ( in thai ), he sais not working keeping driving , I told him again put meter and he said the same , as soon as the taxi make a stop way back from terminal , I just open the door and my family follow!

The guy was here to rip-off someone ! do not want to call race , but he was not a thai looking guy .

I walk back to the boot , I walk the first and let my mother and my brother walk slowly ! perhaps 600 metre , in the bangok heat, arriving to the booth , I was furious ( but as I live at this time for 5 year I try bit the jai yen ) situation , and I went to talk the lady , my Thai is good enough to say , few word ( mother 77 year old ) but anyway her English was better !

In the main time the taxi come back, trying to look like if he do not understand the situation and yes his meter was working , he did put it one when he was alone !

I explain to her what happen, my mum and my brother confirm what he done !

the guy was history, security got call , the lady to him off , half screaming to him ! everyone waiting taxi was watching ! and he got very strong reprimand by the boot people, she write is number plate and his name .

I did not see what else as they give me a new taxi straight away !

I hope that will show sometime you need for principal to stick to your right !

[bendix]

BTW I don't travel into BKK, the fare to Pathum was 450 (negotiated down from 550) actually around what the meter would be + 50 'airport fee'.

Well, why didnt you say that in the first place. If you're not going into Bangkok, of course they will negotiate a fee with you because it's out of their way and they need to get back into the city.

Your OP gave the impression that everyone has to negotiate for the metered taxis, and that's simply not the case.

[bendix]

[

Does anybody know if the B50 surcharge still aplies?

Yes, same as before.

[Crossy]

Your OP gave the impression that everyone has to negotiate for the metered taxis, and that's simply not the case.

Yeah, we all screw up sometimes, such is life

And our OP now has correct information, all is cool

[tk47]

On my arrival I saw plenty of metred taxis. And Plenty of touts too.

All in all things went very smoothly.

Thanks for the input too. Is - as always - helpful

[percy2]

The color issue. Private taxi (sometimes owner driven - sometimes not) is yellow/green. The old color system of each company having dual colors seems to have been changed to blue/red for all the old players and new players being assigned solid colors. In all cases they have a large "TAXI METER" sign on the roof and a red lit sign in lower passenger side of windshield if empty. All should use meter. The system at old airport was the person in booth wrote down your destination in Thai for driver - she did not negotiate a fee (except perhaps for someone making a mistake and asking for a fixed fee).

It used to be that Green and Yellow and Red and Blue indicated the difference between owner operator and company cars.

I think.

Cheers

[lopburi3]

Originally each company had their own colors - but reportedly a "high official" did not like that clash of colors so make all the commercial owned change to the bland blue and red. With the extension of vehicle longevity we now seem to have the new solid colors for various firms and even some with racing stripes. I, for one, love it. Even with all the colors they are easy to spot with the large signs on top and at night the red sign in windscreen.

[Diablo Bob]

Originally each company had their own colors - but reportedly a "high official" did not like that clash of colors so make all the commercial owned change to the bland blue and red. With the extension of vehicle longevity we now seem to have the new solid colors for various firms and even some with racing stripes. I, for one, love it. Even with all the colors they are easy to spot with the large signs on top and at night the red sign in windscreen.

I myself love the NEW colors of our taxi's in Bangkok. Stop at an intersection and see wild pinks with burnt orange with etc. etc., I think our taxi colors are unique.......

Not to get off topic, but I have some friends from New York City who claim that the saying "Are you yellow" does mean are you scared, but was started by the Checker Cab & Yellow Cab rivalry in NYC. Yellow cab NEVER would take a fare to Harlem or the Bronx because it was unsafe, hense the saying I'm not yellow or I am not scared! I don't know if it is true.......but a good story!

[bkkmadness]

The yellow / taxi thing doesn't sound right to me. I just quickly looked on the net and did find this:

Given the bad rap the color yellow has had over the centuries, it's not surprising that "yellow" has been a popular synonym for "cowardly," a sense that probably derives from yellow's association with both treason and weakness and first appeared in print in 1856 in the memoirs of circus entrepreneur P.T. Barnum.

Seems like the words been used long before New York cabbies appeared on the scene.

The term as well is "yellow bellied" 'isn't it?

[bendix]

I, too, love the colours of the taxis. I also think that we are incredibly lucky in Bangkok to have probably the best quality and cheapest taxi service anywhere in the world. I can't think of another city which has anything better. Over the last two years (since I've been here) we've seen the virtual disappearance of the older cars and just about every cab I get into is pristine.

Compare that to Manila, Jakarta, KL or even Singapore. I used to live in Sydney - the taxis there are awful and the drivers universally have BO.

We can complain about taxi drivers, but overall the experience here is much better than anywhere else I've ever been.