What is this driver / chauffeur thing here?

[CLW]

It seems almost every Somchai unless he/she is not a simple worker has a driver. Especially for foreign businesses or the government.

Is this just an employment strategy to keep people occupied with work similar to those useless guards everywhere?

 

I had quite a good work position back at home with the opportunity to use company car or any other mode of transport to my request. But if I came up with the idea of a driver my boss would have told me I can go where the sun doesn't shine...

Even the management at our company (family business but 3,000 employees) did drive their cars by themselves.

 

Apart from that I would find it super annoying especially in Thailand that there are almost no reliable, polite and safe drivers. Just look at all the daily accidents and how they are driving.

[CharlieH]

Thought that was called a "Taxi" ....????

[OneMoreFarang]

Here a driver gets probably less than 10% of your salary.

When you sit in the back of a car you should be able to do some productive work or if you like relax or sleep.

If you would drive yourself you would be stressed, you shouldn't drive and look at your phone at the same time, etc.

A driver in Thailand makes a lot of sense and it's cheap.

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Here a driver gets probably less than 10% of your salary.

When you sit in the back of a car you should be able to do some productive work or if you like relax or sleep.

If you would drive yourself you would be stressed, you shouldn't drive and look at your phone at the same time, etc.

A driver in Thailand makes a lot of sense and it's cheap.

A bit like using a visa agent then?

[richard_smith237]

I tried to get a driver in the past for our day to day life and in the evenings when we wanted a drink and my Wife didn't want to go home alone in a Taxi after dinner while I remained out with friends. 

 

Benefits of a driver: 

1) Safety - especially for women

2) Better driving (than a taxi)

3) Reliability

4) Don't have to park

5) Better Vehicle (than a taxi i.e. your own vehicle)

6) Convenience (can leave your stuff it in)

7) don't have to bother with driving yourself

8 ) You have better control over the quality of driving compared to a taxi

9) can keep the Child seat in the car (can't do that in a taxi)

 

 

Last time I mentioned about getting a driver on TV.com a couple of Westerner's PM'd me asking for the job !!! quite amused by that !

 

The traffic at school in the mornings is a nightmare - a driver would permit my wife (or I) to hop out, drop off our son and hop back in. Instead we have to park up and cross the road (over a footbridge), to get stuck in the car park traffic and find a space takes an extra 20mins on drop off and pick up...

 

Thus, a driver offers great convenience and improved security for about THB 15,000 per month - it just depends whether it is with 750 baht (per week) day for that convenience...  I can't justify that, but many can. 

 

From my point of view UBER removed much of the benefit of having your own Driver, Grab is not as good or reliable as UBER but the convenience remains. 

 

 

 

 

 

[CGW]

I have many friends that work in Bangkok, they all have drivers, if you have to make 3 or 4 appointments/meetings a day you could drive yourself - but the problem is when you get where you want to be there is no parking, often their drivers have to park miles away and wait on a call to come and pick them up.

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, CGW said:

I have many friends that work in Bangkok, they all have drivers, if you have to make 3 or 4 appointments/meetings a day you could drive yourself - but the problem is when you get where you want to be there is no parking, often their drivers have to park miles away and wait on a call to come and pick them up.

You definitely have meetings in the wrong places if there is no parking within miles. ????

[CLW]

 

On 8/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Here a driver gets probably less than 10% of your salary.

 

Still to much waste of money IMO

 

On 8/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

When you sit in the back of a car you should be able to do some productive work or if you like relax or sleep.

 

Except top level manager, show me a Thai who does that. Mostly playing with the phone or sleeping because last night less sleep because they either drunk or be on the phone late.

 

On 8/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

If you would drive yourself you would be stressed, you shouldn't drive and look at your phone at the same time, etc.

 

Why stressed? Let those idiots around you kill themselves. Ever heard of hands free sets?

 

On 8/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

A driver in Thailand makes a lot of sense and it's cheap.

 

No thanks, I prefer driving by myself.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

8 minutes ago, CLW said:

>Except top level manager, show me a Thai who does that. Mostly playing with the phone or sleeping because last night less sleep because they either drunk or be on the phone late.

And what's wrong with that?

If they are i.e. two hours a day in the car let them sleep and relax. That makes them fitter for the work for the rest of the day.

[CLW]

And what's wrong with that?
If they are i.e. two hours a day in the car let them sleep and relax. That makes them fitter for the work for the rest of the day.

Have you ever worked with Thai people?

[metisdead]

A troll post has been reported and removed. 

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, CLW said:

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And what's wrong with that?
If they are i.e. two hours a day in the car let them sleep and relax. That makes them fitter for the work for the rest of the day.

Have you ever worked with Thai people?

Yes... they are highly educated, driven and professional... mostly anyway,  at least the ones I've worked with both domestically and internationally, who are well educated and paid well.

 

But if you are comparing someone with whom the average westerner is more readily exposed, i.e. those without an education or performing menial work with someone in a similar position in the UK (or anywhere else) you may find similar traits and ethics towards the job - i.e. spending all day playing candy crush... 

 

[JWRC]

I actually prefer to drive myself most of the time not only local but long distance as well. However I do have 2 excellent drivers for when I have to go to Bangkok because it's a 2 - 3 hour journey depending on the time of day, weather, road accidents and roadworks etc, I like to arrive in Bangkok fresh, I have someone to park the car and pick me up at the door when finished, I am not tired or stressed and will quite often have a snooze on the way home, I make sure I pay them well, normally 1,000 Baht for an average day, more if it's over 8 hours. plus they get a good lunch, as they eat wherever I eat and I buy all the snacks and drinks for the road. They consider they are well looked after and I never have a problem with availability.

This doesn't happen so often these days, but it's handy and I don't have to pay out for a full time driver when I don't need one. And they are quite welcome to have a sleep in the car when they are just waiting around, what else are they supposed to do?

[emptypockets]

34 minutes ago, JWRC said:

I actually prefer to drive myself most of the time not only local but long distance as well. However I do have 2 excellent drivers for when I have to go to Bangkok because it's a 2 - 3 hour journey depending on the time of day, weather, road accidents and roadworks etc, I like to arrive in Bangkok fresh, I have someone to park the car and pick me up at the door when finished, I am not tired or stressed and will quite often have a snooze on the way home, I make sure I pay them well, normally 1,000 Baht for an average day, more if it's over 8 hours. plus they get a good lunch, as they eat wherever I eat and I buy all the snacks and drinks for the road. They consider they are well looked after and I never have a problem with availability.

This doesn't happen so often these days, but it's handy and I don't have to pay out for a full time driver when I don't need one. And they are quite welcome to have a sleep in the car when they are just waiting around, what else are they supposed to do?

How did you find these drivers? Via references from other people? I only ask as I'm sure I could find drivers at half that cost but would not remotely trust them at face value.

[CGW]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You definitely have meetings in the wrong places if there is no parking within miles. ????

When your visiting clients or customers, you don't generally have a lot of choice! sure most places have parking but the average Thai multi storey car parks are some of the worst designed spaces in the world! usually with nowhere near sufficient parking spaces!

[OneMoreFarang]

12 hours ago, CLW said:

Have you ever worked with Thai people?

Yes, and many of them complain that they spend every day hours in the traffic driving their own car.

Most of them would be delighted to have a driver but can't afford one.

[CLW]

Yes, and many of them complain that they spend every day hours in the traffic driving their own car.
Most of them would be delighted to have a driver but can't afford one.

Yes, but what they are going to do then in the car? Playing Candy Crush?

[OneMoreFarang]

7 minutes ago, CLW said:

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, and many of them complain that they spend every day hours in the traffic driving their own car.
Most of them would be delighted to have a driver but can't afford one.

Yes, but what they are going to do then in the car? Playing Candy Crush?

Why does it matter? Almost anything is less stress than driving yourself in Thailand.

[CLW]

Why does it matter? Almost anything is less stress than driving yourself in Thailand.

That is stress created by your own mindset. I enjoy driving in Thailand.

[JWRC]

Well emptypockets, My main driver is a friend  and his main job is driving a mini bus for a resort, he's been driving for me for about 16 years and has never put a foot wrong. The second driver is a neighbour and was a truck driver, he's been driving for me for about 5 years.

 

And yes, I could get them a lot cheaper, they would probably be happy with 400 or 500 per day, but I decided what I would be happy to pay them and I find it is well worth it to me, what goes around comes around. 

[1FinickyOne]

On 8/22/2019 at 5:13 PM, CLW said:

It seems almost every Somchai

do you think they don't pick up on your condescending attitude? 

[elgenon]

All the times I have taken a private taxi between cities or a taxi from the airport to downtown BKK I have never seen an accident.   I know they occur.

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 8/22/2019 at 6:10 PM, CLW said:

Here a driver gets probably less than 10% of your salary.
  >Still to much waste of money IMO
When you sit in the back of a car you should be able to do some productive work or if you like relax or sleep.
  >Except top level manager, show me a Thai who does that. Mostly playing with the phone or sleeping because last night less sleep because they either drunk or be on the phone late.
If you would drive yourself you would be stressed, you shouldn't drive and look at your phone at the same time, etc.
  >Why stressed? Let those idiots around you kill themselves. Ever heard of hands free sets?
A driver in Thailand makes a lot of sense and it's cheap.
   

On 8/22/2019 at 6:22 PM, CLW said:

On 8/22/2019 at 6:21 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

And what's wrong with that?
If they are i.e. two hours a day in the car let them sleep and relax. That makes them fitter for the work for the rest of the day.

Have you ever worked with Thai people?

>No thanks, I prefer driving by myself.

 

On 8/22/2019 at 5:13 PM, CLW said:

"It seems almost every Somchai..."

 

CLW, I knew from the very beginning of your post that you have a disparaging, negative viewpoint about the Thai people. First off, it was your use of the term "Somchai". That's just not a 'polite' term to use for all Thai's.

 

Having come here 1997 working for a midsize petroleum company, it made huge economic sense for them to provide us drivers. Not to mention that we did a lot of business in the cars, taking phone calls, discussing projects and, yes, even sleeping.  It saved the company 100s of 1000s of dollars. Just think of the loss of work time and lawsuits to following if we were involved in an accident.

 

I did not promote myself to personal driving until I'd been here 2 plus years and even then I used a driver during the work week. So you can criticize it all you like, but the replies made by RIchard_Smith and others have more than explained the reasons. Now you know, quit continuing to 'put down' their use.

 

BTW, your comment of hands free telephone...  I'd just prefer you concentrate your mind on the road if you're driving.  An accident happens in the blink of an eye.  If you're talking on the phone you're not concentrating on driving and that scares me.

[CLW]

 
CLW, I knew from the very beginning of your post that you have a disparaging, negative viewpoint about the Thai people. First off, it was your use of the term "Somchai". That's just not a 'polite' term to use for all Thai's.
 
Having come here 1997 working for a midsize petroleum company, it made huge economic sense for them to provide us drivers. Not to mention that we did a lot of business in the cars, taking phone calls, discussing projects and, yes, even sleeping.  It saved the company 100s of 1000s of dollars. Just think of the loss of work time and lawsuits to following if we were involved in an accident.
 
I did not promote myself to personal driving until I'd been here 2 plus years and even then I used a driver during the work week. So you can criticize it all you like, but the replies made by RIchard_Smith and others have more than explained the reasons. Now you know, quit continuing to 'put down' their use.
 
BTW, your comment of hands free telephone...  I'd just prefer you concentrate your mind on the road if you're driving.  An accident happens in the blink of an eye.  If you're talking on the phone you're not concentrating on driving and that scares me.

Don't understand some sarcasm, don't you?

I'm not talking on the phone while driving. This was just a suggestion.

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 8/23/2019 at 9:32 AM, CLW said:

On 8/23/2019 at 8:41 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Why does it matter? Almost anything is less stress than driving yourself in Thailand.

That is stress created by your own mindset. I enjoy driving in Thailand.

I love driving too, but you've really got a bad attitude toward having them and as far as I can see the Thai people. I didn't use a driver for the last 3 years of my work life here, but I had to make sacrifices.  I left for work at 05:45am to beat the traffic. We lived across town (4th employer in Thailand) and although I left work at 4:30pm, it was sometimes 2 hours to get home. If I left after 5pm, it was never less than 1.5 hours (in the morning with light traffic I drove the distance in 40 mins). 

[gamesgplayemail]

Drivers and maid not working for a large company are just problems here. You will never know how to manage them to be reliable.

Japanese and many foreigners working in Thailand have drivers for security reasons, Thailand is an unsafe third world country ????

 

 

[CLW]

Drivers and maid not working for a large company are just problems here. You will never know how to manage them to be reliable.
Japanese and many foreigners working in Thailand have drivers for security reasons, Thailand is an unsafe third world country [emoji846]
 
 

But how to do if actually the driver poses the biggest thread for safety?
I'd rather drive the car by myself with proper driving education than someone who has a joke license without any proper training. And I don't blame the people itself, it's the government who hands out this kindergarten driving license with inappropriate training and no real situation driving lessons.

[timkeen08]

Everyone that drives a car here is called a chauffeur if they are paid or not.  When I drive the car I am the chauffeur.  When my wife's cousin's husband drives the car he is the chauffeur.  If we go on a long drive trip together sometimes I'm asked to help chauffeur.  But my wife's sister pays the village chauffeur to take her to Nong Khai or Tha Bo.

 

I tryed to get my wife to say drive or driver but bless her heart it always starts with a gr sound instead of dr.  So I just go along with chauffeur because that's what most Thais that I  know or have met use. 

 

Before my time, during the last 10 years of her government job she had real chauffeurs from the motor pool.  They drove a big sedan with special license plates that allowed parking just about anywhere and was allowed to park in the doctor's parking lot at the Udon Thani government hospital when she had to take a child from the orphanage or a poor HIV patient to the hospital.  Every Friday and Monday they drove her back and forth between Udon Thani and her village, which is about 68 kilometers up the Mekong from Nong Khai, and all over Issan where she held meetings.  Before her big promotion she just drove her motorcycle back and forth once or twice a month.

 

I had to teach my wife to get her car driver's license here in Thailand.  Now that's a long story and I should have taught her to drive when we were still in America but as I found out the tests in Thailand are so much easier to pass in comparison.  Now she wants me to teach her to chauffeur on our free time.  Free time in Thailand is rare.

[CLW]

I love driving too, but you've really got a bad attitude toward having them and as far as I can see the Thai people. I didn't use a driver for the last 3 years of my work life here, but I had to make sacrifices.  I left for work at 05:45am to beat the traffic. We lived across town (4th employer in Thailand) and although I left work at 4:30pm, it was sometimes 2 hours to get home. If I left after 5pm, it was never less than 1.5 hours (in the morning with light traffic I drove the distance in 40 mins). 

Sorry if it came through this way. Some Thai people are honest, intelligent and hard working people. Well, some others are the complete opposite.

I'm tired of the endless traffic in Bangkok same as you. And of course I don't know your personal situation (wife, children, owning property, etc) but if I were you I would consider moving closer to your workplace. At worst 2 hours total per day is really a waste of precious time. Just a thought. For myself I would hardly ever consider working for a company that doesn't provide housing nearby or is near any reliable public transport (BTS/MRT).

[marin]

On 8/22/2019 at 5:13 PM, CLW said:

It seems almost every Somchai unless he/she is not a simple worker has a driver. Especially for foreign businesses or the government.

Is this just an employment strategy to keep people occupied with work similar to those useless guards everywhere?

 

I had quite a good work position back at home with the opportunity to use company car or any other mode of transport to my request. But if I came up with the idea of a driver my boss would have told me I can go where the sun doesn't shine...

Even the management at our company (family business but 3,000 employees) did drive their cars by themselves.

 

Apart from that I would find it super annoying especially in Thailand that there are almost no reliable, polite and safe drivers. Just look at all the daily accidents and how they are driving.

Why do they eat rice and not bread and potatoes?  Come on different culture different style. I think you will find drivers of executives cars and some of the best drivers in Thailand. Oh yeah do you eat rice with a fork or a spoon?   Give it a break or you will go mental here trying to figure things out.