Pattaya cabbies demand higher minimum charge

[Media1]

Go work in a factory and see What real work is. YOU been robbing people to long. You should be jailed for extortion goose

[dallen52]

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

What sort of Cloud Cuckoo Fantasy land are they living in?

The drivers here do not use the meters!!!!!

It's hard to meter sitting on your backside 8 hours a day, waiting for the unfortunate tourist you are going to slug 300 baht to drive around the corner..

[dallen52]

2 hours ago, Na Fan said:

Just use grab taxi in Pattaya. Less than half of what the "normal" taxis charge. 

 

Interestingly the authorities only seem to care about tourists, but the local Thais are paying the same crazy prices.

Used one of these to Bangkok airport from siam country club area.

1200 all in.

Clean. Polite. Bottled water.

Super efficient...

I hope they succeed.

 

 

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

It's hard to meter sitting on your backside 8 hours a day, waiting for the unfortunate tourist you are going to slug 300 baht to drive around the corner..

I think you hit on a big part of it that I've discussed before. The "taxi drivers" here sit the vast majority of the time. They seem to like it that way. IF they had a Bangkok type system, reasonable fares, requirement to use meters, they would be driving most of the time. Making more money but working a lot more. A choice has been made.

I had an enlightening conversation with a friendly driver about this years back about using the meter and he said they were not ALLOWED to use the meters insinuating really scary consequences if they did. 

 

Some people say don't use the word mafia when describing the transport system here. Got a better word? 

[DefaultName]

Well, I'd happily pay a ฿100 flagfall, if the meter was used.  Until then, it's Grab for me.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, mike324 said:

I wish I could get a taxi that could even use the meter in Pattaya! Heck even my Thai friends have trouble doing it without them asking for ridiculous amounts. Hence folks resort to using the song thaew, they are more reasonable with their pricing even if you hire them privately for a short trip.

You say "even my Thai friends have trouble doing it". That suggests that sometimes they are successful. Are they? I'd be interested in hearing of one success story where a Taxi in Pattaya its meter.

[The manic]

7 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Not unaware. Avoiding talking about it will avoid loss of face by not admitting it.

 

Since metres were introduced in Bangkok over two decades ago  they are always used.  You may need to remind them sometimes. There is no comparison between Bangkok taxis and scoundrels in Pattaya

[The manic]

6 minutes ago, tropo said:

You say "even my Thai friends have trouble doing it". That suggests that sometimes they are successful. Are they? I'd be interested in hearing of one success story where a Taxi in Pattaya its meter.

Correct they never use metres. Its a disgrace.

[Wake Up]

9 hours ago, Get Real said:

First, how can people breaking the law by refusing to use the meter have any demands to consider? First they have to abide the law, after we can discuss a hike.

 

How in the whole wide world can there be one rule on Koh Samui, and not in the rest of the country? Have i missed that the island won their call for independence?

I have a few hi so acquaintances -no real hi so friends - but only business social acquaintances. But from my understanding of Thailand Bangkok does not control all of Thailand. The wealthy families and polciticans of certain areas control their area subject to Bangkok rubber stamp.   And as a group they agree to certain enforcement based on their business needs. A son of a man that owns a lot of chonburi warehouses, port businesses and hertz rental car Thailand went to my college in USA. His father does not have absolute power in his area and I don’t know his father personally but from what I understand his father and a couple others control the chonburi rayong area.  I beleive Koh samui and buriram and Phuket etc...have their controlling families. Khon Kaen has a group of ten or so that runs that region. Rules for one region are not necessarily good for all regions. Some families like the buriram man and Khon Kaen group are actually loved by most of their. people. Not sure that this is unusual in most of the world but more pronounced and less hidden in Thailand. If you ever worked in China you know the Chinese system so the same except now Xi is a dictator after taking out some other influential families. 

 

I am open to someone with better or more knowledge than me telling me where I am mistaken.  

 

 

[Get Real]

3 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

I have a few hi so acquaintances -no real hi so friends - but only business social acquaintances. But from my understanding of Thailand Bangkok does not control all of Thailand. The wealthy families and polciticans of certain areas control their area subject to Bangkok rubber stamp.   And as a group they agree to certain enforcement based on their business needs. A son of a man that owns a lot of chonburi warehouses, port businesses and hertz rental car Thailand went to my college in USA. His father does not have absolute power in his area and I don’t know his father personally but from what I understand his father and a couple others control the chonburi rayong area.  I beleive Koh samui and buriram and Phuket etc...have their controlling families. Khon Kaen has a group of ten or so that runs that region. Rules for one region are not necessarily good for all regions. Some families like the buriram man and Khon Kaen group are actually loved by most of their. people. Not sure that this is unusual in most of the world but more pronounced and less hidden in Thailand. If you ever worked in China you know the Chinese system so the same except now Xi is a dictator after taking out some other influential families. 

 

I am open to someone with better or more knowledge than me telling me where I am mistaken.  

 

 

They have the same court, right? That mean the law must be same too, it´s just that some places enforce one part of the law while others focus on something else.

[FarangFB]

50 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Well, I'd happily pay a ฿100 flagfall, if the meter was used.  Until then, it's Grab for me.

 

Yes, me too. Unlike Bangkok, the taxis in Pattaya are invisible to me, I use them just once every 2-3 years when there is no other choice.

[Wake Up]

22 minutes ago, Get Real said:

They have the same court, right? That mean the law must be same too, it´s just that some places enforce one part of the law while others focus on something else.

I think you are thinking of USA or UK courts. The law is a living breathing thing that is affected by outside sources and subject to human interpretations that are not black and white. First thing you learn in law school. 

[Lemonltr]

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

Well, I'd happily pay a ฿100 flagfall, if the meter was used.  Until then, it's Grab for me.

Don't forget that the vast majority of taxi rides are taken by Thai people who probably would not agree with you.

[Mac98]

How it should work:

a) The flag is dropped and the meter comes on which triggers the light signaling a hired taxi.

b) If an officer stops an occupied taxi without the meter on, the taxi will be towed -- and the officer gets to keep the taxi.

[sambum]

"There had been complaints, including from foreigners, about drivers refusing to use the taxi meter and charging large amounts for short distances,"

 

YAWN!

[Weasel100]

It's very simple really. All those bastards in Pattaya who are refusing to use their taxi meters are breaking the law and they should be in trouble with the authorities. But, this is Thailand we're talking about where any laws can be broken at will with no consequences at all, especuially if small or large amounts on money change hands.

Ever tried calling the 1584? taxi complaints hotline in BKK with a complaint about a taxi or taxi driver? I have tried several times and never had a call answered by anyone at all so it's my conclusion that the 'phone(s) is/are not even monitored for calls.
The complaints "hotline" is very likely a result of some senior Thai official being sent on a junket fact finding tour in the West. He or she has to bring back some idea so he or she settles on a taxi complaints hotline. OK, now we're cooking. Except that this is Thailand where such things cost money, in this case to staff and answer 'phone complaints. We don't really want to pay wages to people for something like that and we don't want to have to deal with complaints so let's just pretend to have a complaints hotline while not actually giving the slightest shit about customer satisfaction or service.
That's the simple fact in Thailand. No-one except expats gives the slightest shit about anything.
"Give me the money: I don't give a shit". It should be Thailand's national motto

[JHolmesJr]

5 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

Pattaya cabbie uses the meter so you tip him 12 baht as a mark of appreciation. What would you have given him if you weren't "stunned"?

If everybody was as sublimely generous as you they'd all be desperate to use the meters.

 

If I had to tip a taxi driver 100b for being honest and using the meter I might as well hail one of the crooked cabs...they calculate the fare and the tip together.

 

The only people I tip in thailand are the clean room ladies...they work bloody hard for a pittance.

[Weasel100]

12 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

If I had to tip a taxi driver 100b for being honest and using the meter I might as well hail one of the crooked cabs...they calculate the fare and the tip together.

 

The only people I tip in thailand are the clean room ladies...they work bloody hard for a pittance.

Yes, I agree with that. And they don't prostitute themselves.

[JonBreadMan]

Best one for me, going with girl back to my condo (Pattaya), not far but was late at night, but wanted to make sure, so talked it over with him, got a price of 200, way over the top, but it was late and wanted to get home, price is about 80, then he knew the way better than me to my own condo, took the wrong road, and would have been faster to walk, but TIT no worry, then I come to pay....he want 400........ I tell him no we said 200, so he say, yes 200 each, cheeky sod. my girl friend paid the other 200, not that I wanted her to.

[brucec64]

Best one for me, going with girl back to my condo (Pattaya), not far but was late at night, but wanted to make sure, so talked it over with him, got a price of 200, way over the top, but it was late and wanted to get home, price is about 80, then he knew the way better than me to my own condo, took the wrong road, and would have been faster to walk, but TIT no worry, then I come to pay....he want 400........ I tell him no we said 200, so he say, yes 200 each, cheeky sod. my girl friend paid the other 200, not that I wanted her to.

The reason things are so bad are that people like you pay these ridiculous demands. Try standing up to this extortion next time - it works - and dont mess it up for the next person.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[notmyself]

21 hours ago, tropo said:

What the rates should be in Pattaya is irrelevant because no taxis use their meters here.

 

If taxis did use their meters, then I believe the price should be higher than Bangkok taxis due to the sparser population of Pattaya's outlying areas compared to Bangkok. Once a taxi has traveled a few kilometers away from the central area, the likelihood of return fares is low, meaning they would be empty for longer and further than Bangkok taxis.

 

Aye. If they need research then they only have to look at Samui for data and it's not pretty. Couple of years back a 50 Baht surcharge was introduced and all taxis told they had to have a meter. To my knowledge all taxis do now have a meter though still none use it and the 50 Baht 'surcharge' was just added to the off meter price that was already insane. Say I want to go to Chaweng which is 15 minutes away to watch a movie and get some shopping. Taxi each way is going to cost 600 Baht but I can rent a car for the day for 1000 Baht or less. That alone tells you there is a problem and that problem is simply down to oversupply. Last I heard there way 571 taxis on the island and what would the effect be if the number was reduced to 300?

 

 

 

 

[tropo]

1 hour ago, notmyself said:

 

Aye. If they need research then they only have to look at Samui for data and it's not pretty. Couple of years back a 50 Baht surcharge was introduced and all taxis told they had to have a meter. To my knowledge all taxis do now have a meter though still none use it and the 50 Baht 'surcharge' was just added to the off meter price that was already insane. Say I want to go to Chaweng which is 15 minutes away to watch a movie and get some shopping. Taxi each way is going to cost 600 Baht but I can rent a car for the day for 1000 Baht or less. That alone tells you there is a problem and that problem is simply down to oversupply. Last I heard there way 571 taxis on the island and what would the effect be if the number was reduced to 300?

3

I can't remember the exact year they introduced these "meter" taxis to Pattaya. We had a very long-running thread about them when they were first introduced. My guess, about 2008. It was rather exciting to see real taxis in Pattaya until we discovered none use their meters. As a result, I haven't even tried to get one over the past 10 years. The damage they did to their own business way back then precedes them.

[The manic]

1 hour ago, Weasel100 said:

Yes, I agree with that. And they don't prostitute themselves.

They are not attractive  enough or young enough to be sex workers. But the sex workers and their clients provide them with jobs. In places such as Pattaya, Germany, new Zealand etc etc the night life business creates thousands of jobs. Prostitution is not just the oldest profession it's also one of the most honest and necessary. 

[wvavin]

Nobody is willing to pay anything to the thugs!

[The manic]

9 minutes ago, tropo said:

I can't remember the exact year they introduced these "meter" taxis to Pattaya. We had a very long-running thread about them when they were first introduced. My guess, about 2008. It was rather exciting to see real taxis in Pattaya until we discovered none use their meters. As a result, I haven't even tried to get one over the past 10 years. The damage they did to their own business way back then precedes them.

When they offer their serservice to me I always smile politely and ask if they have a metre.....

[notmyself]

6 minutes ago, tropo said:

I can't remember the exact year they introduced these "meter" taxis to Pattaya. We had a very long-running thread about them when they were first introduced. My guess, about 2008. It was rather exciting to see real taxis in Pattaya until we discovered none use their meters. As a result, I haven't even tried to get one over the past 10 years. The damage they did to their own business way back then precedes them.

 

Shot themselves in the foot.

 

You guys got a minimum charge up there? It was 500 Baht up until the 50 Baht surcharge and is now (I believe) 300 Baht which will get you around as far as you can walk in 10 minutes.

 

 

[tropo]

10 minutes ago, notmyself said:

 

Shot themselves in the foot.

 

You guys got a minimum charge up there? It was 500 Baht up until the 50 Baht surcharge and is now (I believe) 300 Baht which will get you around as far as you can walk in 10 minutes.

 

 

Problem solved then. Get fit and save money at the same time.

[AlexCanada]

10 hours ago, Na Fan said:

Just use grab taxi in Pattaya. Less than half of what the "normal" taxis charge. 

You must have access to a different Grab app that I have in Pattaya because I find the pricing within 10 percent of the real taxi mafia pricing.  

[AlexCanada]

9 hours ago, darren84310 said:

The problem being that in Bangkok there are so many more fares to be had by the taxi drivers.... they pick-up new passengers while dropping-off the last ones...... not so easy in Pattaya. Part of the reason being because people don't want to argue about fares so a compromise would benefit everyone if the taxi drivers comply to it.

Isn't this a Catch 22 where IF the taxi drivers in Pattaya used meters they would be extremely busy with people using them all over.  

 

[Weasel100]

Look people. It all comes down to two things.
1  the fact that 80 per cent of Thais care nothing for anything but money, and
2 plain old fashioned greed.
There are good cab drivers (just a couple of days ago my Thai wife and I encountered two of then in BKK) but generally they are a greedy avaricious pack of bastards and I use taxis in BKK ONLY if I can't walk or use the MRT/BTS to where I want to go