In Bangkok if using meter taxies some rules from experience
1)make sure the meter (red LEDs center low on the dash) is
turned on 2)do not get out unless you are sure you are
in the correct place 3)do not get out untill you have ALL
your change. If the driver hassels you tell him to take you
to the tourist police station, this usually helps him find
the correct change. We had one driver leave with a 500B note
on a 75B ride, got out and paid through the window, after
that we dicovered the "no change" problem and solution, and
we were also (fools us) left on the side of the road in the
wrong location (his cab was overheating).
On the other hand the busses and trains were super!
[There are 8 posts - the latest was added on Mon 24 May, 10:01]
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I take it you had this problem a lot??????
err........I've never heard anything like it! Maybe it
could happen once, but you make it sound like a real menace!
JIM.
bangkok taxis are pretty good. you get the occasional
bonehead but generally they just want to get on and make a
living. i use taxis almost every day and in the past three
months can only remember one problem and that was only that
he didn't want to go where i did and i got out. bangkok
drivers had a bad name four or five years ago as the meter
taxis took over from the "haggle-and-rook-the-tourist-
before-you-ride" type. over the past few years especially
with the recession and the amazing thailand campaign they
have shaped up fairly well, so that the horror stories are
the exception. yes make sure the meter is running and if
not shout "stop" and get out. yes always pay from the back
seat, that's what they expect. not from the window - they
don't really trust you. as for getting stuffed on change it
goes back to the old thing about understand the money
within day one. the normal "mistake" thais can make is to
include a 10B not instead of a 20B note - they are the same
size and design but a slightly different colour. so really
i agree with Jim but with added verbosity!!
.
alan whicker
chairman bangkok taxi drivers appreciation society
You got out and handed him a 500 baht note? Sheesh ... the
minimum wage is only 80 baht a day in Bangkok. That's some
temptation you gave him.
Cabbies are the same the world over. If you think Bangkok's
are something, visit New York City and see the real pros at
work.
My usual rule (15 years residence in Bangkok) is to try to
find an older driver. We generally end up swapping stories
in Thai about taxis in the "good old days," which keeps
him happy. It's most likely a young creep new to the
business who'll try to rip you off. And flag down a taxi
that's moving if you can. The ones sitting and waiting,
especially around hotels, are often looking specifically for
tourists. Not necessarily to cheat them, but knowing full
well that tourists usually give them a healthy tip. (Thais
seldom do.)
Never had a problem with "flagged Down" taxis. Be careful
at the Airport, many drivers say the meter does not work, if
they say this just open your door and the meter will start
working all of a sudden. Of course as Lonely Planet says
you can always go upstairs and get a taxi that just dropped
someone off and avoid the hassle and B 50 surcharge.
-Bubba in Bangkok
...and you won┤t have any problems, nowadays. Like
the chairman of the bangkok taxi drivers appreciation
society says.
there's a 35 baht flag fall with all metered taxis in bangkok - but the rate per mile is so ridiculously low,
considering this is air-con travel, that it's hardly likely to break the bank of anyone not on a budget they should n't have started travelling with.
Bangkok taxis are generally quite good and reliable.
Occasionally the meter has been set to run fast (give them
a nominal fare, say metah my dee--meter not good) and leave
the taxi. Giving a taxi driver a 500 baht bill is asking
for trouble because they don't usually have change (or if
they do it's tucked away). Just about the only place you're
sure to be able to break small bills is the ubiquitous 7-11.
x
Probably the worst place for taxi ripoffs is in the
vicinity of the Grand Palace, which is usually the first
place people visit in Bangkok (it's greatly over-rated as a
sight, but that's another thread). Jetlagged, disoriented
people are wonderful prey for all manner of ripoffs. In
that area, the best thing to do is to stroll the couple
blocks to Wat Mahathat (intereting in itself) and catch a
taxi there---where you are much less likely to have
problems.
I was in Bangkok last year in May and had a terrible time
trying to get a taxi to use its meter. I approached no less
than 4 taxis in one day and not one would use their meter
and didn't seem too upset by the loss of patronage. What
did I do wrong, I wasn't aggressive, laughed and joked and
just wanted them to use the meter. I'm heading back in
September and don't want to make the same mistakes. What do
you suggest?????