Tricks of the trade: Why tourists might pay 2,540 baht for a taxi ride in Bangkok!

[sn1per]

2 minutes ago, Basil B said:

 

Suspending their licences is not going to stop them working...

 

Take the taxi off the road for a month, I suspect many drivers share a taxi so they are going to be more careful to who they share a taxi with...

 

Yeah, that would do it, plus an additional fine, with the car compounded until any related fine was paid.

[Lancashireman]

3 hours ago, Brer Fox said:

A bit like the taxis in Beijing during the Olympics when taxis had their meter rigged to the horn and every time they tooted the meter flicked over in quantum jumps. Whoops, perhaps I should not have said that!

Not actually true...but fair comment for digestion.

I know, I was there!

 

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, JohnnyBKK said:

Got one of those too, his meter was very very fast.

Another taxi explained to me that he has 3 speed on his meter and can activate it by pushing a simple button. 

He told me if he feels i'm very rich and not living here he would push the high speed button, but because I looked "cool" he didn't push any of those buttons.

Same thing happened today to me in Hanoi.A mate warned me about fast meters and the corre t price.105,000 dong when correct price is 60,000.Confered with reception about price and gave him 60k.Bit of aggro,but he knew that i knew.

[gemguy]

Yep more Taxi driver shylocks operating out of the airport taxi cue.

After you get into the Taxi Van and off you go you notice there is no meter while they guys with the Taxi vans "claim" they do not use meters

When you ask where is the meter and ask them to turn on the meter then the driver shows you a nice big laminated plastic, price per kilometer, fare rate information sheet that states a minimum of 800 baht posted on the card up to 2500 baht to some destinations.

I told the old guy : "My Ow" ..."Ow Meter"..."Meter You Ny" ? .....

"Prok-Ka-Tee, Song Roy Ha Sip Baht Eng"

The old guy tells me (all) the Taxi vans do not have meters and charge per kilometer or trip.

So I told him I will give him 300 baht for trip because normally it is around 250 to 300 Baht,  if traffic is bad from the airport to were I live......or turn around and go back to the airport terminal.

So he says 400 Baht 400 baht OK price ..Ok ...so I said OK.....and said:  Cap Lot Dee, Dee Noi ( please drive cautiously )

So it turns out if you have a lot of luggage and you want to use a Taxi Van to get all your luggage in, with room to spare, or have too many people and luggage items for a regular taxi then you get the ticket cue number for the Taxi Van sector and cue up for the Taxi Van ...and then load up and off you go, and then, no meter to be seen and then they scam you along the way, especially if you do not talk Thai to them while they are thinking ..."Suckers"

It is worse in the Philippines.

At the Domestic Airport taxi cue, no taxis show up while there are several touts hanging about telling the people waiting for a regular metered  that a Taxi Van is parked, just over there, in the parking lot and can take you to where you want to go .....but the price is 3 times more than a regular metered taxi fare.

At first everyone says no and continues to wait around for a metered taxi, but, 30 minutes later there is still not one taxi cab showing up so people start negotiating a price for the taxi van service.

After you get into the van they do not leave until they fill up the van with other people that have reluctantly agreed to the final fare and that may take 10 to 20 minutes waiting before finally leaving the parking lot.

Later, you learn that part of the scam is by way of having one of "their guys" standing at the entrance of the airport parking lot and dressed in a construction workers outfit (Orange colored safety vest and Hard Hat ) and telling everyone and specifically taxi cabs that there is construction going on so no entry here ..please move on...so that way NO taxi cabs enter into where all the people are cuing up waiting for a taxi ..that is not coming in anyhow.

Supposedly President Duterte ( Too-Dirty ) is going to or has already run off all those scam artists and touts hanging about the Airports making like they are baggage handlers and supposedly working for the Airport ...but they are not employed by the Airport Authorities....rather opportunistic scam artists and

"fllm flam" folks of sorts  ..plain and simple

Cheers

[impulse]

26 minutes ago, gemguy said:

Yep more Taxi driver shylocks operating out of the airport taxi cue.

After you get into the Taxi Van and off you go you notice there is no meter while they guys with the Taxi vans "claim" they do not use meters

When you ask where is the meter and ask them to turn on the meter then the driver shows you a nice big laminated plastic, price per kilometer, fare rate information sheet that states a minimum of 800 baht posted on the card up to 2500 baht to some destinations.

 

In over 100 taxi rides from Swampy over 5 years, I have never once had a taxi without a functioning meter.  Recently. the luck of the draw puts me in the vans quite a bit, and I have never had one of them without a meter.   Nor have I ever had a driver at the airport refuse to turn on the meter.  Some have offered a flat price, but in my first 2 years, I always had them turn on the meter.  None of them ever declined.  Over the past 3 years, I usually offer the driver a flat price to my place and recently, the guys turn their meters on just to leave the airport and then turn them back off when we're on the road- but only because I volunteer a flat price up front.  I doubt they can even get in and out of the airport queue without a meter.

 

I'm sure there are exceptions, but scaring newbies by painting the Swampy taxi experience as a sure-fire scam isn't fair in my book.  My experience says different.  I'm actually a fan.  Cheapest ride home of any major city I've ever lived in.  And rarely more than 5 minutes in line nowadays since they got the queuing machines dialed in- usually less than 2 minutes..

 

[KIWIBATCH]

"Trust us we are Thai"......and..."On the cusp of greatness".... (well scamming thai taxi drivers are for a start)

[4MyEgo]

Maybe the same thing might happen as it did in Sydney and most parts of Australia, people now use Uber as they were sick and tired of being ripped off, or having lazy taxi drivers not wanting to take them on short trip destinations.

 

For those owners of taxis, I am sure the values went south as well, because the government did nothing to stop it, after all, they were the ones who sold the plates in the first place.

[louse1953]

3 hours ago, jacksam said:

I will put another spin on this post. I have only been here 4 yr but travel a LOT.  The number of DUMB travellers never cise to amaze me. Note often young backpackers. Which is surprising as we have a friend called GOOGLE. 

Check out every  detail from ....taxi from airport to wherever....etc etc

The world is full of dumb people

Your right.Just sitting at the entrance to an open air bar in a very busy street in Hanoi.I spotted his phone half hanging out his back pocket.Told him and he said he just had it out and thats whers he normally puts it back home.

[SunsetT]

I meant to post this on the other thread about the lady who left her bag in a taxi dropping her off at the airport.

 

I think it is advisable to ALWAYS take a screenshot of the driver/taxi registration on the left side of the windscreen when you take a Bangkok taxi; just in case any 'issues' arise such as leaving something behind when you disembark . And if you make sure the driver sees you doing it has the added benefit of probably deterring him from trying to rip you off.

[mic59]

I've had guys at the airports and bus stations and random travel agents in Bangkok try to rip me off but in places like Pattaya and Chiang Mai I never seem to have any trouble. My fare from Pattaya to the airport, all tolls paid by the cab was THB800. 

[NoshowJones]

9 hours ago, daveAustin said:

 

Don't give him the chance. Get him behind bars where he belongs.

I refuse to use the taxis and tuk tuks in Bangkok because of all the cheating drivers, ie I use the MRT when going home from central Bangkok, then the bus to Morchit bus terminal for my trip back up north. If I knew I would not be cheated, I would be happy to use the taxi from Central Bangkok to the bus terminal.

[gemguy]

58 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

In over 100 taxi rides from Swampy over 5 years, I have never once had a taxi without a functioning meter.  Recently. the luck of the draw puts me in the vans quite a bit, and I have never had one of them without a meter.   Nor have I ever had a driver at the airport refuse to turn on the meter.  Some have offered a flat price, but in my first 2 years, I always had them turn on the meter.  None of them ever declined.  Over the past 3 years, I usually offer the driver a flat price to my place and recently, the guys turn their meters on just to leave the airport and then turn them back off when we're on the road- but only because I volunteer a flat price up front.  I doubt they can even get in and out of the airport queue without a meter.

 

I'm sure there are exceptions, but scaring newbies by painting the Swampy taxi experience as a sure-fire scam isn't fair in my book.  My experience says different.  I'm actually a fan.  Cheapest ride home of any major city I've ever lived in.  And rarely more than 5 minutes in line nowadays since they got the queuing machines dialed in- usually less than 2 minutes..

 

That was my experience 5 months ago with the new automated ticket cue system while who is to say what happened to me has not been the experience of many others also...because, for 50 years the Don Muang airport and the more recent Swampy airport have always had taxi cab rip off problems .....always...

No matter what the authorities do to try to curb the problems there are all too many taxi cab drivers turning "rip off" creative and clever in the ways they can over charge newly arrived passengers.

It has not happened to you ( yet ) ..but I have no doubt at all it has happened to many others....as in thousands of tourists ( out of the millions of arrivals ) ripped off by clever and sleazy taxi cab drivers while many of them turn very aggressive as part of their perpetrated scam to subdue the vulnerable and unknowing tourists and get their money....while they feel entitled to do so...and argue it is "Just Business"  

Cheers

[chickenslegs]

According to this article http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/crime-crime/2016/09/29/taxi-driver-jailed-stiffing-chinese-tourists/

 

The driver has already been sentenced to 1 month in prison and a 1,000 baht fine.

[Hiyaall]

From the airport, Uber was only 500. Professionally picked me up, safe, no hassle. Uber around The city was a nightmare though. They could never get to me because of the horrid traffic. 

[Eligius]

Get ready for a feel-good 'honest cabby' story next week. It will be reported that a passenger left many thousands of baht in the taxi cab and the driver drove through hell and high water to get that money back to him.

 

'Honest cabby' stories after a spate of disastrous, criminal cabby tales are as regular as clockwork here in Thailand!

[AndrewUIB]

Just look at the meter. Trip time was 13 hours and 35 minutes and the distance was 633.5 km.  2540 baht is pretty cheap price for this trip.

[Jonmarleesco]

'The fare from Suvarnabhumi to that area of town would likely be around 500 - 600 baht.' I doubt it would be that much. 

[Penicillin]

7 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

Behind bars!! Really? A bit harsh in my view. Yes a slap on the wrist and a final warning if he does it again he loses his license,,, and a full apology to the tourists.

 

Don't think he belongs behind bars just yet.

...and what is the threshold Baht amount and number of people he cheated supposed to be , before jail is warranted ?

[Jonmarleesco]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

266 posts? Too many long-term expats have had innumerable problems with taxis, for many years - whether from the airport, to the airport, or simply in the city - for your whittering to have much meaning. So have innumerable Thais, though they tend to complain less, because they are Thai.

 

So don't presume to wax lyrical about something of which you have, to date, no experience, hence no knowledge.

[Jonmarleesco]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

266 posts? Too many long-term expats have had innumerable problems with taxis, for many years - whether from the airport, to the airport, or simply in the city - for your whittering to have much meaning. So have innumerable Thais, though they tend to complain less, because they are Thai.

 

So don't presume to wax lyrical about something of which you have, to date, no experience, hence no knowledge.

[Jonmarleesco]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

266 posts? Too many long-term expats have had innumerable problems with taxis, for many years - whether from the airport, to the airport, or simply in the city - for your wittering to have much meaning. So have innumerable Thais, though they tend to complain less, because they are Thai.

 

So don't presume to wax lyrical about something of which you have, to date, no experience, hence no knowledge.

[Jonmarleesco]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

266 posts? Too many long-term expats have had innumerable problems with taxis, for many years - whether from the airport, to the airport, or simply in the city - for your wittering to have much meaning. So have innumerable Thais, though they tend to complain less, because they are Thai.

 

So don't presume to wax lyrical about something of which you have, to date, no experience, hence no knowledge.

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

 

Really ?... an "I've never had an issue so it doesn't happen" post....  And then insulting all (or most) forum members because their lack of Thai proficiency is to blame ?

 

Issues with Taxi's do happen, they are common and complained about by Thai's on Thai forums such as Panthip in equal if not greater measure than our complaints here on ThaiVisa... 

 

When I have guests visiting, one of the first things I warn them about is the Taxi's... I tell them to use UBER or Grab where ever and whenever they can...

 

As far as I'm concerned... I have very few issues with Taxi's these days - its because I hardly use them and choose UBER or Grab at whenever possible... A little *accountability seems to work wonders in keeping the drivers honest.

 

[*accountability: the drivers are registered and recorded by the App - therefor any issues are readily open to recourse]

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Double Post: Whats going on with this new forum format >> ???

[richard_smith237]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Uber will be okay until the drivers learn to game their system.  Which is already happening, according to some recent threads.  Then Uber will up the system and the drivers will up their workaround.

 

Enjoy it while you can.  Me, I'll take the public taxis at 1/2 or less of the Uber flat rate from Swampy.

 

UBER relies on a rating system...  A good ride = 5 stars... down to 1 star for a terrible journey. 

 

You are asked tick various aspects... Cleanliness, Route, Safety etc... 

 

The drivers must maintain a 4.6 star average, if their service dips below this their performance is brought into question by UBER who may terminate their service. 

 

-------

 

That said: UBER have to accept journeys if they are within the vicinity... IF they don't, their performance will be brought into question by UBER - So, drivers often accept fares, then call up and ask us to cancel them because 'the traffic is too bad to get to us'....

 

This is a weakness in the system - but, there really is no better way around this... when traffic is bad, its just sometimes difficult to secure a journey.....   In which case you can also step up from UBERx to UBER Black, or use Grab Taxi or step up to GrabCar...   

 

In such circumstances of Peak Traffic I've found that IF I can't get an UBER or GRAB then the regular taxi's are rejecting fares or quoting triple flat fare prices anyway !!!... 

[richard_smith237]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Uber will be okay until the drivers learn to game their system.  Which is already happening, according to some recent threads.  Then Uber will up the system and the drivers will up their workaround.

 

Enjoy it while you can.  Me, I'll take the public taxis at 1/2 or less of the Uber flat rate from Swampy.

 

UBER relies on a rating system...  A good ride = 5 stars... down to 1 star for a terrible journey. 

 

You are asked tick various aspects... Cleanliness, Route, Safety etc... 

 

The drivers must maintain a 4.6 star average, if their service dips below this their performance is brought into question by UBER who may terminate their service. 

 

-------

 

That said: UBER have to accept journeys if they are within the vicinity... IF they don't, their performance will be brought into question by UBER - So, drivers often accept fares, then call up and ask us to cancel them because 'the traffic is too bad to get to us'....

 

This is a weakness in the system - but, there really is no better way around this... when traffic is bad, its just sometimes difficult to secure a journey.....   In which case you can also step up from UBERx to UBER Black, or use Grab Taxi or step up to GrabCar...   

 

In such circumstances of Peak Traffic I've found that IF I can't get an UBER or GRAB then the regular taxi's are rejecting fares or quoting triple flat fare prices anyway !!!... 

[MarkmBha]

This is the black side of Thai behavior.

[hawker9000]

14 hours ago, daveAustin said:

 

Don't give him the chance. Get him behind bars where he belongs.

 

Yeah, that's gonna' happen...

[titanio82]

11 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I never have had an issue getting a cab from the airport and having him use the meter. I wish I could see a video of these endless stories of trouble at Swampy with taxi drivers. For some reason I think it has to do with so many long term farang here not able to get around in a cab using only Thai ( and the airport might be one of those places that you are not attached with your umbilical cord to your wife, GF or Mia noi)  If some of you spent as much time learning some Thai that you do on line complaining you may have a lot less to whine about.  Most newbies I know haven't even had a problem. Do you approach them as Mr grumpy grumps?  Maybe that is it. Remember this is los. 

There are good guys and bad guys. Arrived at DMK, had to go to Rama IX, knowing express way is 145 Bt. Gave the guy 200. At the last toolbooth i got 55bt and 3 tickets back. Good guy! 

Arrived at BKK got into taxi and spotted a towel over the meter. Guy did not understand when i asked to see the meter. Discussion while already driving. Finally he took away towel and meter stated 245 bt already. Stop now, or reset meter! Meter was reset. Bad guy. I am so annoyed by BKK taxis that Nowadays i take Citylink 25 bt to Huamak and walk to hotel or take a taxi from there. 

 

Not to speak of all taxis at night riding up and down Soi Nana and refuse to bring you to Patanakan Rd. Take BTS to Ekkamai and easy taxi from there.

[alex8912]

4 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

266 posts? Too many long-term expats have had innumerable problems with taxis, for many years - whether from the airport, to the airport, or simply in the city - for your wittering to have much meaning. So have innumerable Thais, though they tend to complain less, because they are Thai.

 

So don't presume to wax lyrical about something of which you have, to date, no experience, hence no knowledge.

I have tons of experience I just don't habitually post on here  hence 266 posts. Is that how you judge experience in Thailand?  I actually EXPERIENCE Thailand off TVF. Can you fathom that?  I have never had trouble with cabs from the airport in the past 8 years. Ever.  Many posters have said the same thing but whiners post more. That's why some people have 10's of thousands of posts. It does not make them more experienced. Except for Ubon Joe who is the most patient person I have never met and a couple others.