Dept of Land Transport ensures efficient taxi service at Don Mueang International Airport

[tuanku]

Common violations include having expired licenses, refusing passengers, and refusing to charge passengers according to the taxi meter.

This being the norm outside of the airport taxis! You'd think someone would sit up and take notice! Time for some uber competition?

[mick01827]

I called this number to complain about a taxi driver who had ripped me off, the man who took my call just put the phone down on me! Waste of time!

[SOTIRIOS]

...again....???

...why not make cams and GPS compulsory.......

..and actually revoke licenses or press criminal charges against offenders...

[pogal]

Every time a Thai official opens their mouth all I hear is WHITE NOISE!!!!

[Jackin1960]

Again?

[Jonmarleesco]

'... Officials monitored driver behavior as well as the condition of taxi cabs, in order to improve their credibility.' Should be a piece of cake. After all, it's nigh on impossible to be unable to improve from zero.

'... people ... have to walk to ... the departure floor to find taxis. Taxis in these areas are not registered with Don Mueang International Airport and may be in violation of land traffic laws.' Well, taxis being registered with the airport seems to have proved more the problem than the solution. Before the AoT decided that taking a taxi from the departures floor should constitute some kind of violation, it was the one way to avoid being scammed by drivers on the arrivals floor.

[scorecard]

'... Officials monitored driver behavior as well as the condition of taxi cabs, in order to improve their credibility.' Should be a piece of cake. After all, it's nigh on impossible to be unable to improve from zero.

'... people ... have to walk to ... the departure floor to find taxis. Taxis in these areas are not registered with Don Mueang International Airport and may be in violation of land traffic laws.' Well, taxis being registered with the airport seems to have proved more the problem than the solution. Before the AoT decided that taking a taxi from the departures floor should constitute some kind of violation, it was the one way to avoid being scammed by drivers on the arrivals floor.

" .... '... Officials monitored driver behavior as well as the condition of taxi cabs ...."

1. How did they monitor drivers behavior? Does that mean whilst actually transporting passengers or whilst they are waiting to get the card for the next passenger at the airport?

2. '... condition of taxis...' If this is a new activity, why wasn't it being done before?

[Redline]

This could be a first for Thailand to have all taxis legal and following the rules.

It won't happen. They said the taxis not registered at the airport don't follow the rules, but they still operate in BKK?

During peak hours, the number of taxis at the airport has been insufficient to accommodate the large influx of arriving passengers, causing people to have to walk to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road or the departure floor to find taxis. Taxis in these areas are not registered with Don Mueang International Airport and may be in violation of land traffic laws. Common violations include having expired licenses, refusing passengers, and refusing to charge passengers according to the taxi meter.

They can't really fix anything

[geisha]

All transport means in Thailand are a shambles. The day that the authorities get this sorted out, then maybe there will be good reviews from tourists. It is the main complaint , dangerous, expensive, scamming and even life endangering when you add buses and mini vans to the list! There are less and less " quality" tourists.

[gandalf12]

The Airport Taxi situation at Swampy is super painful.... I have only used DM a few times so can't comment much there.

If you follow the rules, it means you have to wait in line, then pay an extra 50Bt, then get led to your "lucky draw" taxi. None of my "lucky draw" cabs at Swampy have ever been less than 5-years old or in clean condition. So now, I ALWAYS go to the departures area and have a quick nasty cigarette while I scope the cabs coming to drop off passengers. I choose the newest taxi I can find with a young driver and always insist on the meter. This strategy is so easy and painless.

I actually think the general quality of taxis in Bangkok is pretty good - lots of new well-maintained ones in the CBD...... but the ones who 'register' at the airports (Swampy at least) just amaze me.... so broken down, old, smelly, unkept, and full of junk glued to various parts of the interior.

So, I just hope that this new initiative somehow limits the 'DM registered' taxis to be recent model cars as this makes a huge difference - fat chance I know though! haha

You must be very unlucky. I have never since ty introduced the auto ticket dispensers had to wait in line. The Baht 50 is added to your fare. Maybe you use a different swampy to the one I use.

[apalink_thailand]

Its the "registered" taxis that are the problem. I walk the bridge to get them on the main road.

[apalink_thailand]

The Airport Taxi situation at Swampy is super painful.... I have only used DM a few times so can't comment much there.

If you follow the rules, it means you have to wait in line, then pay an extra 50Bt, then get led to your "lucky draw" taxi. None of my "lucky draw" cabs at Swampy have ever been less than 5-years old or in clean condition. So now, I ALWAYS go to the departures area and have a quick nasty cigarette while I scope the cabs coming to drop off passengers. I choose the newest taxi I can find with a young driver and always insist on the meter. This strategy is so easy and painless.

I actually think the general quality of taxis in Bangkok is pretty good - lots of new well-maintained ones in the CBD...... but the ones who 'register' at the airports (Swampy at least) just amaze me.... so broken down, old, smelly, unkept, and full of junk glued to various parts of the interior.

So, I just hope that this new initiative somehow limits the 'DM registered' taxis to be recent model cars as this makes a huge difference - fat chance I know though! haha

Strange, I have never had issues at Swampy and I fly in and out every month. Never once had a bad driver but then again, I speak to them in Thai and with civility and respect. Also, I live not too far from the airport so I guess its easy for them to drop me home then spin around back to the queue. Regardless, not one has pissed me about with meters. Don Muang on the other hand...

[tomyummer]

These airport taxis are useless. They need to have a stipend for gasoline or somethings and get rid of the those darn log/ngv tanks that take all the trunk space up. Having to ride with your luggage inside the cab with you should be banned. So unsafe and uncomfortable.

[wvavin]

It's no more news.

[scorecard]

Six months ago there were still hustlers working the tourist trade as middle men. Was so obvious on the way to the taxi booking that I was really surprised.

I think he was asking 700 baht for a 350 baht ride.

I fly regulalrly CM to DM and pretty much every time get approached by 'freelancers' or 'brokers' or whatever in the silly corridors to get to the taxi area. And pretty much always you get the blurb '2 hour wait in taxi Q', etc.

I just ignore them.

Edited July 5, 2016 by scorecard

[HairCutter]

Stood here at DM now. Someone called it further up - they're funnelling people to the official taxi rank. I went up to arrivals and not a single cab would pick up for 15 minutes. Went downstairs to the taxi rank - huge queues, no direction, and unsurprisingly harangued by the very taxi drivers this "tightening" is meant to be targeting. Gave up and jumped on television shuttle bus to the MRT. Total joke.

[HairCutter]

That should read "the shuttle bus" not "television shuttle bus"

[denkiblue555]

The Airport Taxi situation at Swampy is super painful.... I have only used DM a few times so can't comment much there.

If you follow the rules, it means you have to wait in line, then pay an extra 50Bt, then get led to your "lucky draw" taxi. None of my "lucky draw" cabs at Swampy have ever been less than 5-years old or in clean condition. So now, I ALWAYS go to the departures area and have a quick nasty cigarette while I scope the cabs coming to drop off passengers. I choose the newest taxi I can find with a young driver and always insist on the meter. This strategy is so easy and painless.

I actually think the general quality of taxis in Bangkok is pretty good - lots of new well-maintained ones in the CBD...... but the ones who 'register' at the airports (Swampy at least) just amaze me.... so broken down, old, smelly, unkept, and full of junk glued to various parts of the interior.

So, I just hope that this new initiative somehow limits the 'DM registered' taxis to be recent model cars as this makes a huge difference - fat chance I know though! haha

You must be very unlucky. I have never since ty introduced the auto ticket dispensers had to wait in line. The Baht 50 is added to your fare. Maybe you use a different swampy to the one I use.

Fair point, I haven't done the taxi ticket thing since around '09/'10 - obviously they have changed things (also made it harder to get back up to the arrivals door too). Since that time I have always gone up to the arrivals area every time.......I often even have someone hold the turnstile open for me so I can go through it (the wrong way).

And to what another poster mentioned, it's not really the drivers that are the problem - it was just the physical condition of the taxi and occasionally it was the personal hygiene condition of the driver. My Thai is pretty ordinary but fine for taxi trips, so I have no issues telling them where I wanted to go... and I think my record was around 25 mins from picking up my luggage back to Rama 9 one time with little traffic.

Whether I am catching a cab in Asoke, Silom or anywhere really - I choose it... not the other way around. I had so many issues with getting ripped off in the first year I was in BKK that I learnt how to reduce the chance of drama just by choosing a young guy with a recent model car.

But for those who like the taxi lottery - go for it

[Dumbastheycome]

Have never bothered to stand in the long queue at DM. 5 minute walk to the road outside and at maximum another 5 for a passing taxi. Never been refused and always on meter.

[seajae]

normally we go to the departure floor, last time I was in a hurry so I paid extra and got a nice clean modern car with a great driver, got me to swampy with time to spare even though it was peak hour traffic, definitely a better alternative when in a hurry even if it is a bit more

[Bangkok Barry]

All transport means in Thailand are a shambles. The day that the authorities get this sorted out, then maybe there will be good reviews from tourists. It is the main complaint , dangerous, expensive, scamming and even life endangering when you add buses and mini vans to the list! There are less and less " quality" tourists.

It will never get sorted out as the people who should do it never take public transport. They don't care.

[Dumbastheycome]

All transport means in Thailand are a shambles. The day that the authorities get this sorted out, then maybe there will be good reviews from tourists. It is the main complaint , dangerous, expensive, scamming and even life endangering when you add buses and mini vans to the list! There are less and less " quality" tourists.

Hmmmm. Less quality tourists = less quality service? No?

Transport means that move millions plus people a day are a shambles?

ok. Then " Beam me up/on/there" would suffice?

[callaway]

Instead of whining how about just putting your hand deeper into your pocket. Limo from DM to Sukhumvit soi 18 is $20. New Camry, good professional driver and very comfortable. For a 40 minute taxi ride for $20 is still cheap. Costs you that much in Aussie to get outside the gates of the airport. That solves all your problems of old taxis, smelly and bad drivers. So easy. Go on and spoil yourself.

[gyrosman]

This could be a first for Thailand to have all taxis legal and following the rules.

[chainarong]

Hmmm.... never run into as much problems - but then I just take tell them meter....

Maybe they should start a zone based airport shuttle system to hotels which is cheaper than taxi (though a little less convenient)....

Can't wait until the airport link is connected

This is the first time I've had a major although coming in from the Don years ago we stopped and helped a Canadian guy who had gotten thrown out luggage and all into the gutter , because he wouldn't go to a have a massage , Mind you the bird brain I had started as we turned onto Rachadapisek he asked where was I from, OZ , then told me I needed to go to Swampy, I said I was flying to Phitsanulok , I not understand he said , Just do what you are told take me to F@@in Don Mueang and it deteriorated steadily from there, mainly because I was now on my guard, watching this prick.

[recom273]

Maybe they should start a zone based airport shuttle system to hotels which is cheaper than taxi (though a little less convenient)....

Well if your heading into town without too much luggage there is the A1 shuttle bus.

I find it a really good way to get from MoChit to DM - typical Thailand - I think the price is over inflated but it has less stops than a regular bus and they do sit and wait at the BTS.

[Mudcrab]

Instead of whining how about just putting your hand deeper into your pocket. Limo from DM to Sukhumvit soi 18 is $20. New Camry, good professional driver and very comfortable. For a 40 minute taxi ride for $20 is still cheap. Costs you that much in Aussie to get outside the gates of the airport. That solves all your problems of old taxis, smelly and bad drivers. So easy. Go on and spoil yourself.

Thats what i do from both DM and swampy...costs a bit more but is worth it.

[Mudcrab]

Hmmm.... never run into as much problems - but then I just take tell them meter....

Maybe they should start a zone based airport shuttle system to hotels which is cheaper than taxi (though a little less convenient)....

Can't wait until the airport link is connected

This is the first time I've had a major although coming in from the Don years ago we stopped and helped a Canadian guy who had gotten thrown out luggage and all into the gutter , because he wouldn't go to a have a massage , Mind you the bird brain I had started as we turned onto Rachadapisek he asked where was I from, OZ , then told me I needed to go to Swampy, I said I was flying to Phitsanulok , I not understand he said , Just do what you are told take me to F@@in Don Mueang and it deteriorated steadily from there, mainly because I was now on my guard, watching this prick.

You seem to have a lot more issues than most.

[bruceamstutz]

Before BKK airport was opened and I would arrive at DMK if it was during a busy time of the day and Taxi's were limited. I would push my bags to the walk over and walk over to the Amari Hotel. Go downstairs and tell the boy at the entrance I needed a taxi. I would tell him where I wanted to go and in a minute a metered taxi would show up. After giving him a tip got in the taxi and I was off with meter running. Maybe now a days you can't do it this way I don't know, it would need to be investigated.....