Originally Posted by
Jasper2009
Interesting. I realize that the English skills of many Thai taxi drivers is quite limited, so I figured having the address printed in Thai symbols (sometimes along with a map provided by the hotel for exactly this purpose) would help, but apparently not. Any other ideas on how to effectively communicate where you want to go?
Not intending to be snarky here, and lord knows that tends to happen naturally, but Thai is an alphabetic language; it's not a character nor symbol based one.
You're best bet is to have a street and/or landmark for the driver and hopefully this will key him into the area. If not he'll shake his head and then another taxi will invariable already be stopping behind the first one. Unlike in SG where you get into the cab and tell the driver your destination in thailand you open the front or back door, state your destination and await the driver's response.
When I'm going to the Park Plaza hotel I simply say 'Sukhumvit soi 18'. Anything more is extraneous and bound to cause confusion. When we get close I can tell him, or in the case for many simply indicate, to turn into the soi or not (
kao soi).
In Bangkok many intersections have names and, if you know them, this can also prove very helpful (though this is probably Directions 102). The intersection of Silom and Charoen Krung rds is called Bang Rak (the area is also referred to as this). Sri Ayuthaya and Samsen is called Si Sao Thewet. Ratchadapisek and Sukumvit is Asok. etc etc etc. These are other ways to indicate locale.
Granted the intersections (
yek) are not something you'll know but that's another example of a way to get it across.
I will never, ever, anywhere in Asia show a map to a driver. Nor will I ever give them an address because domiciles are not consecutive but are instead numbered in some fashion which has to do with when the building was planned/finished/thought of/conceived etc.