FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Catching a taxi at BKK and general Thailand taxi discussion
Old Jan 30, 2019, 3:06 am
  #1380  
trueblu
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PEK and BOS
Programs: BA - Blue
Posts: 4,531
Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
Define "ridiculously expensive." You're staying at the IC, hardly a budget property. A Mercedes S class sedan is approximately USD $100. That will probably be large enough, from your description. A van is available for slightly more. While hotel car services are essentially always more expensive than AOT or other options, they're incredibly easy. Driver already knows who you are and where you're going. S/he telephones the hotel just before you get there, and staff is typically awaiting your arrival at the front door. IMO this just enhances the luxury experience of staying at a top place like this. When I arrive at BKK, I always use my hotel's car service if I anticipate that there's a possibility that I may be stressed. After I've been flying for 25 or 30 hours, I want arrival to be as easy and mindless as possible.

And, yes, I've used the hotel car service even on a short flight like arrival from HKT. A couple of kids, a number of bags, easy for a minor burp to escalate. I love having someone waiting for me holding a sign with my name on it as I exit bag claim. Then I know that I can relax, stop thinking, and everything will be taken care of properly. Only you can decide what that's worth to you. For reference, my hotel charges closer to USD $65 for this.
Thanks for the response. Just as an aside, the stay at the IC is an Award Stay. And I would definitely define US$100 as far too much. We don't need an S class merc, just a relatively hassle-free experience. It seems that a regular taxi would be about $20, so that's a lot, lot more. I'd be willing to pay twice the taxi price for less hassle. It's not that I'm averse 100% to a hotel car: in fact we got one from HKT airport to our current hotel (Holiday Inn Mai Khao), because the absolute differential was relatively small (in $ terms) and again, I wasn't sure we could fit into a regular taxi and didn't know if vans would be available.

Moving back to car service options from DMK: any information if the equivalent of AOT is available from DMK?

tb
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