UBER is now in.... WHAT ??? Pattaya - Bangsaen - Chonburi ???

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

2 hours ago, 11223344 said:

The police should get a memo about the fact that Thailand is a Buddhist country and prostitution is illegal too!

 

Uber's insurance covers you up to $1 million... you don't need Somchai Ltd ScamSurance cover to be insured in foreign country

So Uber have world wide insurance, even if their operation in a country is illegal?

Try that one in a Thai court.

[11223344]

Yes Uber has worldwide insurance covering all the users

 

Technically there isn't any law preventing Uber

 

Why would I ever need to talk with <deleted> Thai court about Uber's insurance?

[siam2007]

got an sms from UBER this afternoon:

 

70 Baht discount on up to 10 rides until April 2nd, 3 a.m. in Chonburi, Bangsaen, Pattaya.

 

worth a try

 

https://newsroom.uber.com/thailand/byemarptyen/

 

[balo]

Another good promotion and remember only valid between 3 pm - 3 am

[thedemon]

On 3/8/2017 at 7:44 PM, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Since Uber is illegal in Thailand you will be traveling uninsured...

 

What insurance are you counting on when you hire a taxi?

[thedemon]

On 3/24/2017 at 3:08 AM, balo said:

 

Driver ratings: Never experienced a bad driver , except one driver that went in the wrong direction until I told him to  turn  around . That driver I gave 3 stars , all others full score 5 stars. Its a good idea to leave your app open so you can follow the trip to your destinatiion. If the driver is not following the  route , sometimes you will be charged more than you agreed on . 

 

At least in BKK, the drivers are relying on Google maps to calculate the route and although Google does a pretty good considering the chaotic nature of BKK's roads, it is far from perfect.

 

On my first ever Uber hire in BKK, I was going from one side of the city to the other. At the beginning of the trip, the driver took an unnecessary 3-4km loop because Google had not updated a major change at a new bridge. Then later in the trip he went straight into one of the worst intersections it would be possible to choose due to construction.. The driver was quite young and didn't seem very confident so I asked him as gently as I could why on earth he chose that route. He answered that he didn't really know the way and was relying on the Uber/Google app to direct him.

 

Since then I haven't hesitated to offer suggestions on the route, if it isn't obvious, and the drivers always seem quite happy with that. Just like taxi drivers, no driver can always know the best route to take and I would rather the trip cost a bit more to take the fastest but not necessarily the shortest route.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

3 hours ago, thedemon said:

 

What insurance are you counting on when you hire a taxi?

Ha ha, nice point, but they should (?) have cover for passengers.

Uber will have no cover whatsoever.

I don't understand this obsession of making money for internet conglomerates with their "apps" and ignoring the many honest taxi drivers trying to make a living. Unless you live at the bottom of a long dead end soi you can get a taxi pretty easily.

Yes, some are rogue and won't take you to your destination on the meter or not, but just laugh politely and flag the next who most likely will.

Business is business and 10 short rides in town and a possible fare back will make more money than a trip to Nonthaburi.

The airport scam is a different thing.

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

3 hours ago, thedemon said:

At least in BKK, the drivers are relying on Google maps to calculate the route and although Google does a pretty good considering the chaotic nature of BKK's roads, it is far from perfect.

 

On my first ever Uber hire in BKK, I was going from one side of the city to the other. At the beginning of the trip, the driver took an unnecessary 3-4km loop because Google had not updated a major change at a new bridge. Then later in the trip he went straight into one of the worst intersections it would be possible to choose due to construction.. The driver was quite young and didn't seem very confident so I asked him as gently as I could why on earth he chose that route. He answered that he didn't really know the way and was relying on the Uber/Google app to direct him.

 

Since then I haven't hesitated to offer suggestions on the route, if it isn't obvious, and the drivers always seem quite happy with that. Just like taxi drivers, no driver can always know the best route to take and I would rather the trip cost a bit more to take the fastest but not necessarily the shortest route.

I agree, but it is like mini-cabs in London v Black Cabs that have done "The Knowledge". Let's face it, sat-navs are not that good when it comes down to it. In London they are now trying to introduce regulations on mini-cab drivers being able to speak English...

Thais of course will not lose face by telling you they don't know where they are going???

[Jingthing]

So do you think Uber pays the drivers the promotion amounts?

[balo]

Yes that was confirmed by one of our members in Chiang Mai, he asked the driver.  Uber gives them credit when there is a promotion .

Also they pay the fines and maybe that's the reason why most Uber drivers never give up that easily , even if it means being stalked by the taxi mafia . 

 

 

[Jingthing]

I assumed that they did. Otherwise why would they even pick up an 80 baht fare with a 70 baht credit.

Another question. So I entered the promotion code and started to price during promotion hours. But the promotion wasn't shown. This was before I committed to booking. Does the promotion show up later such as at end of ride or perhaps it doesn't apply if your payment method is cash?

[siam2007]

prices drastically increased in PTY in the past few days - like 80-100% ! Any time of the day, so cannot be "surge pricing".

What was 100 Baht a few days ago is now 180.

Both on GRAB CAR as well as UBER. And the fares of the GRAB TAXIS increased accordingly. What was 200 Baht is now 280

Is there a new sort of transport Mafia in the making ? Nobody else noticed this? Not good

[balo]

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Does the promotion show up later such as at end of ride or perhaps it doesn't apply if your payment method is cash?

Never used cash so I don't know.  But the fare you see first on the app is the normal one , I receive a text message from the bank with the promo fare the moment I enter the car.  

 

I think you should just hand over the correct fare to the driver , and show him the promotion from Uber if he does not agree. So if it was a 80 baht trip after 3 pm you hand over just 10 baht. 

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2017 by balo

[tolsti]

42 minutes ago, siam2007 said:

prices drastically increased in PTY in the past few days - like 80-100% ! Any time of the day, so cannot be "surge pricing".

What was 100 Baht a few days ago is now 180.

Both on GRAB CAR as well as UBER. And the fares of the GRAB TAXIS increased accordingly. What was 200 Baht is now 280

Is there a new sort of transport Mafia in the making ? Nobody else noticed this? Not good

I have just checked my Grabtaxi history and the ride I took on Monday this week was exactly what it has always been. I just did a dummy search for the return journey now and it is again exactly the same as it has always been. So, no, I haven't noticed any difference at all.

[siam2007]

24 minutes ago, tolsti said:

I have just checked my Grabtaxi history and the ride I took on Monday this week was exactly what it has always been. I just did a dummy search for the return journey now and it is again exactly the same as it has always been. So, no, I haven't noticed any difference at all.

 

 

Hmmmmm.... strange.... because I did those dummy searches too and got different fares than usual.

From my place to Pattaya North Bus station the fare on grab car was always 108, since a few days it is 180, and even the Grab Taxi fares to there went up from 210 to 280.

Or could it have to do with the fact I checked those fares on a new device ? Those algos can do everything nowadays....

[tolsti]

I go from Soi AR, Central Pattaya to Unixx Condo, Pratumnak at least 3 times a week. 170 Thb every time unless there is a promo on. What does seem to vary is the number of points I get for each ride. 

[Jingthing]

The test fares I've been checking have not changed at all. 

 

[balo]

The test fares I've been checking have not changed at all. 

 

 

Why don't you just take a short trip and find out?

 

Under Payment and Promotions , you can see the promo code you entered.

 

[11223344]

Grab is the same,  but UberX fares increased dramatically in Bangkok with the new pricing

 

Grab is at this moment much cheaper

[wpcoe]

On 3/29/2017 at 11:51 AM, siam2007 said:

prices drastically increased in PTY in the past few days - like 80-100% ! Any time of the day, so cannot be "surge pricing".

What was 100 Baht a few days ago is now 180.

Both on GRAB CAR as well as UBER. And the fares of the GRAB TAXIS increased accordingly. What was 200 Baht is now 280

Is there a new sort of transport Mafia in the making ? Nobody else noticed this? Not good

 

On 3/29/2017 at 0:37 PM, tolsti said:

I have just checked my Grabtaxi history and the ride I took on Monday this week was exactly what it has always been. I just did a dummy search for the return journey now and it is again exactly the same as it has always been. So, no, I haven't noticed any difference at all.

 

On 3/29/2017 at 1:04 PM, siam2007 said:

 

 

Hmmmmm.... strange.... because I did those dummy searches too and got different fares than usual.

From my place to Pattaya North Bus station the fare on grab car was always 108, since a few days it is 180, and even the Grab Taxi fares to there went up from 210 to 280.

Or could it have to do with the fact I checked those fares on a new device ? Those algos can do everything nowadays....

 

Like tolsti, I also just checked a couple of trips from past history, and GrabCar & GrabTaxi are both quoting the same fares right now.  

[Lumbini]

Using Über every day here now and it's a game changer for getting around this area not having to play games anymore trying to get taxi's to turn on meter or rude Baht Bus drivers and limited routes . One of the best things to come to Pattaya / Jomtien in long time and long overdue [emoji106]

[wpcoe]

14 hours ago, Lumbini said:

Using Über every day here now and it's a game changer for getting around this area not having to play games anymore trying to get taxi's to turn on meter or rude Baht Bus drivers and limited routes . One of the best things to come to Pattaya / Jomtien in long time and long overdue

 

When GrabTaxi first came to Pattaya it was a game changer, too.  Then they jacked the prices up.  It started out as metered fare + B50 (+ some other surcharge for long distances.)  Then they stopped using the meter and applied some algorithm and the prices skyrocketed.  Let's hope UberX and GrabCar fares stay around where they are now.

 

I'm no longer an Uber virgin:  I used UberX from Big C Xtra to Jomtien today and the fare (after B70 promo discount applied by app) was B98.28.  I was puzzled by the odd number of satang until I saw the e-mailed receipt:

 

 

That looks similar to a metered-taxi rate in that it starts with a low "flag fall" rate and then adds distance & time rates.  The trip time for my ride was 00:30:24, so it's about B2 per minute.  Had I not done a rush hour ride, the price probably would have been even lower.

 

The ride was uneventful, the car was clean, and the driver was friendly and drove safely.  He mentioned that he's both UberX and GrabCar.  He had two mobile phones on the dashboard -- one with the Uber app and one with the Grab app.  I was an UberX customer for him, but his next customer might be GrabCar.  I thought that was interesting.

[siam2007]

13 hours ago, wpcoe said:

 

When GrabTaxi first came to Pattaya it was a game changer, too.  Then they jacked the prices up.  It started out as metered fare + B50 (+ some other surcharge for long distances.)  Then they stopped using the meter and applied some algorithm and the prices skyrocketed.  Let's hope UberX and GrabCar fares stay around where they are now.

 

 

That is because initially GRAB started as GRAB TAXI here only, and the supposedly "metered" Taxis were those of the transport Mafia. Unsurprisingly, those guys were puzzled that they were expected to use the meter, a scheme unheard to them, and so it did not last long until they boycotted this system. Then GRAB surrendered to the Mafia and (ridiculously high) fixed rates were applied.

Since then, GRAB CAR joined the game and Grab car uses a fixed rate system everywhere in Asia.

 

.

Edited April 1, 2017 by siam2007

[siam2007]

On 29/03/2017 at 1:45 PM, tolsti said:

I go from Soi AR, Central Pattaya to Unixx Condo, Pratumnak at least 3 times a week. 170 Thb every time unless there is a promo on. What does seem to vary is the number of points I get for each ride. 

 

 

which is ridiculously expensive and 200/250% of what folks in BKK or CM would pay, considering the distance

 

 

.

Edited April 1, 2017 by siam2007

[Lumbini]

I have been using Uber all week and again today and always use in the morning or early afternoon so I have not entered the promotion info as I thought the promotion for discount on 10 rides that's been current was from 3pm to 3am ? Is that right ? Or could I have been using it any time of day ?

[wpcoe]

7 hours ago, Lumbini said:

I have been using Uber all week and again today and always use in the morning or early afternoon so I have not entered the promotion info as I thought the promotion for discount on 10 rides that's been current was from 3pm to 3am ? Is that right ? Or could I have been using it any time of day ?

I entered the code once, before my first Uber ride, and since then it is automatically subtracted from the final bill when applicable. I'd say to enter the code on your phone and see if you get the benefit outside of designated hours.  It seems odd to me that the evening rush hour is in the promo period, but I've been happy to use it.

[Jingthing]

I was able to use the recent Uber promotion code for cash rides. The discount showed up automatically on the driver's phone. 

 

Right now Grab has a similar promotion code going on right now. Not sure if it can be used with cash rides. In that case, I think probably not. 

[balo]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I was able to use the recent Uber promotion code for cash rides.

 

So how was your first trip , did the driver turn up in time ? 

 

[Jingthing]

14 hours ago, balo said:

 

So how was your first trip , did the driver turn up in time ? 

 

Multiple trips and yes it's good, but right now Grab appears to also be good with comparable fares. In fact I found the same ride 20 percent cheaper on Grab but that's because the Uber driver took a longer route. 

[wpcoe]

On 4/4/2017 at 1:26 PM, Jingthing said:

 

Right now Grab has a similar promotion code going on right now. Not sure if it can be used with cash rides. In that case, I think probably not. 

 

I've always paid cash using Grab (both Car & Taxi) and have had promotion codes applied.  In fact, I didn't realize you could pay Grab by credit card.

 

One significant difference between GrabCar and UberX is that Grab Car specifies an exact fare before the ride regardless of time elapsed/actual route, whereas UberX suggests a price range and then calculates the final price based on time and distance actually driven.