Bangkok Taxis

[alt]

Just back from a month in LOS, had to take a few taxis in BKK.

Only got refused once... at Don Muang I asked to be brought to Mo Chit BTS... 'No'. I turned around the the A1 bus had just pulled up. Cost us 60 baht (2 of us) instead of about 110 baht so no complaints.

Got 4 of us from airport to Khao San Rd for 240 baht (+airport fee + tolls) - gave the guy a nice tip (Think I gave him 400 between us, 110 baht tip) as no nonsense... meter on without asking etc.

[Thainess]

Some Thai people actually take pride in their things.

Is there a problem with that?

Also, if you want to ride in a piece of C, call Uber Bangkok.

What a fool you are. Uber is 10 times better than any standard "official" Bangkok taxi. I would never use a standard Bangkok taxi again because Uber is so much safer, better cars, polite and safe drivers, punctual, gets you where you need to without any fuss, in comfort, without trying to take you to some sleazy pickup joint and without ripping you off on the price or deliberately taking you via the long route to increase the meter. You know nothing.

[malt25]

Wow, why don't you tell us what you really think.

[bkk6060]

Some Thai people actually take pride in their things.

Is there a problem with that?

Also, if you want to ride in a piece of C, call Uber Bangkok.

What a fool you are. Uber is 10 times better than any standard "official" Bangkok taxi. I would never use a standard Bangkok taxi again because Uber is so much safer, better cars, polite and safe drivers, punctual, gets you where you need to without any fuss, in comfort, without trying to take you to some sleazy pickup joint and without ripping you off on the price or deliberately taking you via the long route to increase the meter. You know nothing.

HAHAHA.

I tried Uber twice. They have no idea where they are going.

Good luck having them find you for the pickup.

I will walk to the corner and hop in my taxi and be at my destination, while you are still waiting.

But, maybe you have a lot of time in your hands.

PS: are you an Uber driver?

Edited January 7, 2016 by bkk6060

[SoiBiker]

Maybe you just couldn't figure out how to use the app properly.

[bkk6060]

Maybe you just couldn't figure out how to use the app properly.

Actually, they cannot figure it out.

There are many many experiences similar to mine reported.

But if some people like it, good for them.

[billphillips]

"A few more minutes confirmed that most (2 Toyota Prius) of the taxis were later model Toyota Altis and less than two years old. I was intrigued by this and then started to notice that most of the taxis had aftermarket accessories attached. Some of the ones that didn't have windows blacked out to extreme, proudly displayed brightly coloured seat covers. Others had chrome bits attached around door handles etc. All quite sensible and low cost attempts to extend the life and appearance of paint and trim. Some of the things that weren't quite so sensible were the spoiler and skirts that were displayed. Likewise that a large % were not the base model Altis, far from it actually. The most noticeable item though, without exception, was the wheels. I watched hundreds of magnesium alloy wheels rolling along in front of me, hardly a steel rim went by."

Why would you be intrigued by seeing taxis less than 2 years old, do you think that Bangkok taxis should all be old bangers? Even what are now old wrecks started life as brand new cars.

"Some of the ones that didn't have windows blacked out to extreme..." . "I watched hundreds of magnesium alloy wheels..."

If you saw any taxis with blacked out windows they weren't taxis. Taxis are not allowed by law to have tints so you didn't see any blacked out taxis. (At this point some are going to jump in with shouty "I've seen hundreds of them" comments but unless links to photos of blacked out windows on real taxis are available, don't bother).

It is highly unlikely that you saw any magnesium alloys either, never mind hundreds. What you did see were probably standard Toyota alloy wheels that are a OEM fitment, steel wheels are not available on current Corollas.

So you really hardly saw anything extravagant at all.

As requested by Mr ... ermm .. anyway; real taxis with real tints (it's against the law 5555 55555). And yes Iv seen hundreds, as have most people but perhaps it's a trick of the light or camera for you.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1451726124.380366.jpg

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1451726159.710016.jpg

No magnesium wheels? Really, we tend to call them "alloys", Thais tend to call them "mags". Both part right but the alloy we speak of refers to the fact that they are a mixture of metals, hence magnesium alloy wheels is the correct term, magnesium being the main component.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy_wheel

If an Altis leaves the factory with magnesium alloy wheels it's even more of a mystery why the (presumably) owners fit aftermarket replacements. Thanks for pointing that out. The mystery deepens.

And yes I was surprised to see (1) so many newish cars, and (2) so many driving around without passengers, and (3) virtually all of them modified, and (4) to see any angry posts here about a mundane subject. Thanks!

No, it's a trick of the light for you, none of those pics showed blacked out tinted windows, to quote you, 5555 55555. They showed taxis photographed from a distance, some straight on towards the windscreen not demonstrating blacked out windscreens or any other windows and one through which the road on the far side of the taxi is visible through the windscreen and the driver's side window together. So, no, you have not seen hundreds of Bangkok taxis with blacked out windows, I doubt that you have even seen a single one. (Maybe your were viewing the taxis through the coloured glass of your beer bottle?)

There are not many things automotive that do adhere strictly to the laws in Bangkok but the prohibition of black-out tints on taxis is one area that does. And bearing in mind that taxis drivers need visual contact with prospective fares, and vice versa, it would be a complete nonsense to black out the windows anyway.

As magnesium is not now the main constituent material of alloys wheels, for reasons pointed out in your own link, the correct term is "alloy wheel" not "magnesium alloy wheel". The "mystery", as you describe it, remains remarkably depth-free, Corollas do not leave the factory with magnesium alloys at all, they're not even an option, never have been and never will be.

There is still no reason for you to be surprised to see new taxis, if there weren't any new taxis we'd all still be hailing the original ones that hit the roads 50 years ago.

One reason that so many taxis are unoccupied is an oversupply, there are something in excess of 80,000 metered taxis registered in Bangkok thanks to Thaksin's deregulating the the numbers some years ago.

There aren't any angry posts about your admittedly mundane but imaginative thread, only reasonable observations about what you posted.

Said the angry little man! 5555