Metered taxi from lower Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi

[pieceofcake22]

My girlfriend and I are looking to get a cab early (6:00-6:30 AM) on a weekday to Suvarnabhumi airport from lower Sukhumvit. What’s the quickest route via taxi? Should I ask the driver to avoid the route where you pay tolls? What’s a good way to make sure that we get a metered taxi? Should we ask our hotel to arrange it for us or should we hail it outside and away from the hotel? The Airport Rail Link/BTS wouldn’t work for us because we’ll have some luggage which would make it quite convenient.  Any helpful tips would be much appreciated. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've done that trip many times before.

 

At that hour of the morning, it shouldn't be any problem to get a meter taxi ride by flagging a cab down along the main Suk Road and just asking for meter to the airport.

 

If you go thru a hotel, it's likely going to be one of the hotel taxi mafia and a trip bill of something in the range of 800 baht typically -- whereas the actual meter fare for that kind of trip ought to be under 300 baht, depending on the traffic and time involved.

 

From lower Sukhumvit, usually the taxis will get on the expressway off main Suk Road near Soi 1 and go the entire distance to the airport from there. You pay the expressway fare, plus the meter price of the trip.

 

You could also take a meter taxi from lower Sukhumvit to the nearby Makasan ARL station, and then direct to the airport from there. I think ARL is running by 6 am these days. It just depends on how much luggage you're carrying, and whether you think you could manage it via ARL. 

 

When I make that trip it's usually for an international flight, and I have enough large and heavy baggage that I usually just opt for a meter taxi flagged down on main Sukhumvit Road.

 

[buick]

if you want to avoid the fee for the tollway (70 thb ?), tell the driver 'no tollway, go rama 9'. not much traffic at that time of day going out of the city.  generally speaking, rama 9 is the lower level of the elevated tollway.

[chubby]

is this a serious question?  there are only a few hundred colored cabs to choose from, and most would love to 'go airport' , as it's a good fair 400Baht, don't be cheap charlie just take the expressing  'Tang Duan'  in pasa thai  iirc..... grabtaxi used to be good for getting a drivers whom isn't hung over from whiskey or still mao/drunk(which I've had) at that hour., but GT  was not good few months ago and waste of time for this purpose...... I think certain colored taxis are more reliable as they are owned by the owners or such ... i think green

 

tricky part is always aligning yourself on the correct side of the street to get onto expressway.....but you don't need know that in this case, i'm sure.

 

bpai sanam bin  reo reo  55

Edited April 23, 2017 by chubby
foo

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Main road..flag...say meter airport....tollway probably not necessary..but could vary.  People who use the front desk are fools..!even if you have to walk 200 m to main road....ones moving are less likely to be ripoffs...I did it in 2012 at 4am from suk 39 and it was 198...I tipped 40...all good.

Edited April 23, 2017 by KhonKaenKowboy

[nisakiman]

Best taxi service in Bangkok is 'All Thai Taxi', owned by Nakhonchai Air. They use all Toyota Prius (they have a fleet of 500 cars), which have huge boots (trunks) with no gas bottle. The drivers are paid a salary, so no incentive to cheat. All very high-tech, all very efficient. They all have sat-nav. The drivers are all very professional. Meter fare is standard, but if you book a taxi for a certain time and place, there's a 100 Baht surcharge. You can download an app for them.

 

We've used them a few times, and they've been ace every time.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My wife has used All Thai Taxi a couple of times for daytime trips within central Bangkok, and everything went smoothly. Professional and good service.

 

However, she's also tried to arrange trips with them in the early early morning hours for trips to either of the two airports, and was told no taxis available at that time. They don't seem to manage as much after hours coverage as the larger taxi providers.

 

 

 

[Chou Anou]

Boy, the OP must have gotten some sweet deal on the RT plane ticket from their country, if they're so worried about spending 70 baht on tolls...I guess that could blow half your trip budget right there, huh?

[Chou Anou]

But seriously, you won't have any problem flagging a taxi at that time of day, nor will there be much traffic. Just follow one of the basic traveler's rules worldwide: always flag a moving taxi, never get into a parked one, especially in a tourist area...and make it clear that you want them to use the meter.

[shady86]

Just use the app Grab taxi. I've got taxi at early mornings 3-5am without any troubles.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[buick]

if you are on sukhumvit, east of asoke, i think it makes more sense to go east on sukhumvit to ekkamai to rama 9 to airport.  i'm on sukhumvit soi 22 and so many taxis want to take me west on sukhumvit to the tollway.  by the time i get to the tollway and finally head east towards the airport, 10 minutes have passed (and that is with zero traffic).  if headed east right away on sukhumvit, i'm on rama 9 in the same 10 minutes.  the trip time is about the same for both but it doesn't feel right to go the opposite direction of my intended destination.  i'm obviously in the minority as every taxi driver tries to go to the tollway.  it is as if the route going east on sukhumvit doesn't exist.  okay, that is my rant for the day.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Well stated.  When I did it from 39, my date asked if she could get dropped off deep into Ekhami on the way to the airport...and I thought it would cost me a good bit extra...but it was very dire t and still under 200 to the Swamp.  But, after spending three days on Sukhumvit last week, I will not likely be there again for a very long time...just that disappointing.  Would likely visit Pattaya before Sukhumvit...at least they post their beer prices.

[bkk6060]

The sad trouble people will go thru to save 2 bucks.

On 4/24/2017 at 10:09 AM, buick said:

if you are on sukhumvit, east of asoke, i think it makes more sense to go east on sukhumvit to ekkamai to rama 9 to airport.  i'm on sukhumvit soi 22 and so many taxis want to take me west on sukhumvit to the tollway.  by the time i get to the tollway and finally head east towards the airport, 10 minutes have passed (and that is with zero traffic).  if headed east right away on sukhumvit, i'm on rama 9 in the same 10 minutes.  the trip time is about the same for both but it doesn't feel right to go the opposite direction of my intended destination.  i'm obviously in the minority as every taxi driver tries to go to the tollway.  it is as if the route going east on sukhumvit doesn't exist.  okay, that is my rant for the day.

Actually that can be part of the problem.  They don't all go to the tollway especially that time in the morning.

Anyone should plan way ahead on this or make sure that Taxi driver understands to take the tollway.

PS:  If one can get the Airport link it is by far the most efficient way to do this.

Yes it amazes me with flight, hotel, etc, how much trouble people will go thru to save 2 bucks.

[buick]

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Actually that can be part of the problem.

what are you saying here ?

 

the airport link is probably the worst choice for an early morning run to the airport.  by the time you are on the train, you could be on rama 9 in a taxi.  plus when you get to the airport, a taxi drops you right at departures.  unlike the train.  the train is great for times of heavy traffic, which is most of the day !!, but not a good choice for early morning or late night.

 

i'm not sure where you live but i have a rather unique situation being on soi 22.  i can go three ways to the airport.  the no toll option, via rama 9.  tollway at sukhumvit soi 1 or tollway at rama 4.  i've lived here for 10 yrs and made over 100 trips to suvarnabhumi.  every single taxi i've taken has tried to get me to go soi 1 tollway entrance.  sometimes i relent and let them take me that way just so i learn again about what a bad idea it was/is.  it is amazing how many don't even know about the rama 4 entrance and going via bang na.  they look at me like i have three heads when i tell them to go that way and forget about sukhumvit.

 

it has nothing to do with saving the tollway money.  it is all about the time it takes.  and i almost always agree to a flat rate of 300 or 400thb.  i rarely get a taxi willing to use the meter.