Originally Posted by TJQuill
I would swear that it's much easier to find an English speaking taxi driver in Jakarta than Bangkok. I second your thought that both cities are much safer than than most large US cities.
you're right, most taxis in Bangkok (and there are thousands) are not proficient in English at all...however, my rudimentary Thai is now good enough to survive...
I felt very safe in Jakarta, but I just got the impression that the infrastructure set-up was just not as user-friendly or convenient for casual tourists (unlike KUL or BKK which are very much on the beaten track)....