Which Colour Taxis Do You Find The Best ?

[Trevor]

I find the blue-and-red and yellow-and-green taxis to have the highest proportion of wrecks on closer inspection. It is especially hard at night to see through the headlight glare what kind of vehicle you are hailing. And it's poor form to wave them on after they stop and you see how bad they really are.

The taxis which are few in number in any particular colour seem to be newer and in better condition. Usually Toyota Corollas.

Since we are paying the same rate it is well worth being picky, especially over longer distances.

[markuk]

I find the blue-and-red and yellow-and-green taxis to have the highest proportion of wrecks on closer inspection. It is especially hard at night to see through the headlight glare what kind of vehicle you are hailing. And it's poor form to wave them on after they stop and you see how bad they really are.

The taxis which are few in number in any particular colour seem to be newer and in better condition. Usually Toyota Corollas.

Since we are paying the same rate it is well worth being picky, especially over longer distances.

yellow and green are the worst, red and blue a little better but i think the orange, pink and blue ones are better.

[bino]

A little tip to help spot a decent taxi at night is to look for one that has a telephone and a radio mic on the rooftop "Taxi-Meter" sign. Radio equipped cars normally seem to be newer / better condition than non-radio cars.

No guarantee of course.... but it does narrow down the chances for getting a clapped out taxi.

And- I concur that the solid blue, pink and yellow / orange (same as the licence plate) taxis are best.

[lopburi3]

The yellow/green (private owned) and blue/red (company owned) are the continuation of the original meter taxis introduced a decade ago. They can thus be both new or old model cars. If you remember the old "taxi" non airconditioned cars before these were introduced you would probably be less likely to call them wrecks. The worst of the lot seem to queue for shopping runs from Lotus/Carrefour stores - but even these seem to get you from point A to point B.

The solid color taxi has only been around for the last year or two so are almost all newer vehicles. Unfortunately they are also often driven by the least knowledgeable drivers and use LPG with an idle speed that stalls at every intersection.

We just take whatever is first to stop.

[bendix]

I always make it a point to avoid the older cars.

First choice any solid colours taxi . . orange, pink, blue, green, yellow etc

Second choice, newer yellow/green mix

Third choice, newer blue / red mix

Hobson's choice . the old ones

[andyashley]

I always make it a point to avoid the older cars.

First choice any solid colours taxi . . orange, pink, blue, green, yellow etc

Second choice, newer yellow/green mix

Third choice, newer blue / red mix

Hobson's choice . the old ones

i always prefer the solid colour ones too..preferable the pink ones..the ac is always nice and cold!

[Nikkijah]

I try to think of my little boy first, it sounds wrong but when we're standing on the street waiting for a decent taxi to come along and my partner tells me to 'just get in the next taxi!' I ask her who the first person to get injured would be if our taxi was to have an accident... I ALWAYS get a new taxi, even if we have to wait a little while longer!

I often feel bad about this because as someone else mentioned, the drivers of the older taxis are more clued-up, older guys who speak soft English but I feel vulnerable in the slow starting, low riding, bad air-conditioned bangers, sorry to the nice guys

[nostrel]

look for the high back end ,as they slow you can see them easy ,then wave them on if its a banger.

lots of bangers around late at night though as they can be spotted less easilly. nothing worse than those bone shaking no aircon heaps with broken grab handles(who yanks them off?) tatty headlining and grim faced photo of the driver !They must be getting less business after the airport move as they are not welcome at SVM

[leisurely]

My husband used to think he had a foolproof way of spotting a decent taxi whatever the colour. He would wait until he saw one with a very bright red light in the bottom of the windscreen (the for hire indicator). he fell flat on his arse more than once with that. His reasoning was new lights= new car, I pointed out the taxi with a boot full of new lights for sale outside Central. He now uses more than this to choose his ride.

I would go with any solid coloured one that I saw, however the rule of daughters mean that we generally have to wait for a pink or purple

[john b good]

My husband used to think he had a foolproof way of spotting a decent taxi whatever the colour. He would wait until he saw one with a very bright red light in the bottom of the windscreen (the for hire indicator). he fell flat on his arse more than once with that. His reasoning was new lights= new car, I pointed out the taxi with a boot full of new lights for sale outside Central. He now uses more than this to choose his ride.

I would go with any solid coloured one that I saw, however the rule of daughters mean that we generally have to wait for a pink or purple

Maybe they should put some big "hello kitty" stickers on them

[Trevor]

The yellow/green (private owned) and blue/red (company owned) are the continuation of the original meter taxis introduced a decade ago. They can thus be both new or old model cars. If you remember the old "taxi" non airconditioned cars before these were introduced you would probably be less likely to call them wrecks. The worst of the lot seem to queue for shopping runs from Lotus/Carrefour stores - but even these seem to get you from point A to point B.

The solid color taxi has only been around for the last year or two so are almost all newer vehicles. Unfortunately they are also often driven by the least knowledgeable drivers and use LPG with an idle speed that stalls at every intersection.

We just take whatever is first to stop.

My memory goes back to 1979 so I well remember the overpriced heaps with museum piece non-functioning meters which passed for taxis. AND we had to bargain for the privilege! Sadly, some of today's vehicles are not much better, and are driven by ignorant Isarn hicks more familiar with rot ee-taens (paddy ploughs) and lao khao (rice alcohol) than Bangkok's road system .

The modern era of working-meter taxis reached Bangkok in 1992 and, amazingly, rates still remain the same as back then. This does not preclude some drivers undergoing calibration with oversized tyres, only to bump up the mileage charged when the proper-sized rubber is re-fitted. Nearly all taxis use LPG instead of petrol, so a minor benefit to the environment.

But all said, a huge improvement over the past, and fantastic value while fares remain at the current level. No need to tip more than a few Baht -- this is one place to have the right change! Now, if only Bangkok could rid itself of those nauseating, rattletrap tuk-tuks ...