Touts, Touts And More Touts

[chiang mai]

I accept the teething problems of the new airport and can live with the aspects of its design that are less than perfect and in a few months it will all seem perfectly normal, to me at least. But what I cannot accept is the serious increase in the number of touts that the arriving passenger is confronted with the second they step into Arrivals. Clearly the they wouldn't all be there unless they thought there was some serious money to be made!

In a separate post I advised on how to beat them by taking the bus to Pattaya instead of using their services. But just look for a moment at the cost picture to see how things have changed in a very short period of time.

Previously one could negotiate a meter taxi from Sukhumvit Soi Nana to Pattaya for around 1,000 baht and a private car from a small hotel was around the same price, tops of 1,200. Today the same cars from the Airport to Pattaya are anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 plus tolls and, ahem, tip! Yet the new airport is considerably closer to Pattaya and is located right next to the elevated tollway and taxi's do not have to contend with traffic congestion in Bangkok. All in all this is a profitable racket for the touts and I suppose this is why there are so many more of them now.

But the biggest drawback to this scenario is that the arriving international traveler disembarks and walks through a nice clean, modern, well lit airport and develops a sense that he/she is arriving in a modern and up to date society and instantly this perception is shattered once they cross the line into the landside of the airport. What a let down and what a shame for Thailand. AOT or someone has to recognize the problem and do something about it. In the meantime, we can all help solve the problem and help all future tourists/residents by not using the services of touts.

[dreimer]

My guess is that most of the touts are AOT limo drivers.

How else could they get privileged parking?

Since the AOT awarded themselves the limo service, that's why they have booths everywhere and only a few handwritten signs for taxis.

[Gary A]

I was surprised that most of the touts are hawking private cars. After a couple of tourists are found robbed with their throats cut the government will eliminate most of those touts.

[leisurely]

We weren't bothered by any more than we used to get at DM. Apart from the usual 'where you stay"? questions, and they weren't excessive. The taxi's we found by asking the tourist police who seem to have a larger presence at Suvarnaboom than at DM where I can't recall ever seeing one.

[ding]

We weren't bothered by any more than we used to get at DM. Apart from the usual 'where you stay"? questions, and they weren't excessive. The taxi's we found by asking the tourist police who seem to have a larger presence at Suvarnaboom than at DM where I can't recall ever seeing one.

TAT is saving somebody's rear end I bet.

[JimsKnight]

We weren't bothered by any more than we used to get at DM. Apart from the usual 'where you stay"? questions, and they weren't excessive. The taxi's we found by asking the tourist police who seem to have a larger presence at Suvarnaboom than at DM where I can't recall ever seeing one.

TAT is saving somebody's rear end I bet.

Getting normal metered non airport taxis from outside the Airport? Is this as easy as the old airport was (ie flag one down from the main highway). I'm having a though its all channeled airport taxis only coming to and fro the place

[leisurely]

Maybe you can flag one down upstairs at departures, we were sent to a queing system where you got a piece of paper with your destination written on it. May try upstairs next time, but with two tired children (three if you count my husband) it was simpler to go with the flow. We only waited for about5 minutes until it was our turn

[bendix]

leisurely, please don't post sensible and rational posts detailing a non-horrific experience at the airport . .. . it upsets the norm.

we only want to hear how an unwiped table at the cafe upset people's whole experience, and similar stories.

or .. even better, how we were outraged to have to walk past touts to get to metered taxis.

many thanks.

[Crushdepth]

I just had my first return trip through Suvarnabhumi a couple of weeks ago. Not one single tout accosted me. I was kind of shocked...pleasantly. I hope they can 'keep it clean'.

[Briggsy]

leisurely, please don't post sensible and rational posts detailing a non-horrific experience at the airport . .. . it upsets the norm.

we only want to hear how an unwiped table at the cafe upset people's whole experience, and similar stories.

or .. even better, how we were outraged to have to walk past touts to get to metered taxis.

many thanks.

very good

[andy1308]

My personal (and first) experience arriving at Suvarnabhumi was that there did seem to be more taxi touts than at DM. For anyone arriving for the first time it can be very bewildering, but that's what they want you to feel so you'll say yes just to get out?

I wonder if the impression of more touts is down to the more confined and, when I arrived at least, congested arrivals area at the new airport?

[salty]

Arrived Wednesday afternoon and assailed by touts. Kept saying no like a well trained parrot. Biggest problem was finding escalator going down to bottom level. Right as I came out Gate C. I went out the main door to the outside, and then came back in to find escalator. No wait for taxi below. Got ticket from table and into one of many waiting taxis. 193 baht to Soi 4 Sukhumvit plus 50 baht and 65 baht tolls. Delighted to have so little hassle. But the touts are definitely a pain in the a..e.

[bubba]

Maybe we should merge these:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=88206