wco81

OK, but the fare calculated by the app. would still be valid, even at the end of the ride?

Lets say there was a delay because of traffic or something, could the fare go up?

arcticflier

Hopefully someone will correct me but I think the Grab fare is an estimate only and not a guarantee. Even if a traffic incident occurs that requires a new route or traffic jam, then its only going to amount to $1-$3 USD.

Here is a common practice if you do not use Grab from the airport and instead rely on a taxi. You walk outside and go to an automated voucher machine. The voucher will direct you to a numbered stall with a taxi parked in that stall. The meter will be reset. You will load your belongings in the trunk and the driver will depart the taxi staging area. As soon as he gets 100 meters away, he will tell you he will not use the meter and will quote you a very high flat rate. You can bicker with him but its not possible to get out of the cab at this point so in a respectful tone you will bargain with him briefly. You should not have to pay more than 500 Baht most anywhere in the tourist areas including Sathorn or the River. Part of your negotiation can be who pays the tolls—you or driver.

Grab Private Driver is the best way for the unitiated to get from airport to hotel even if the final fare is slighly higher than Grab quote because it will save you from taxi cab gouging.

And one other thing, the cabs are charged 50 Baht to exit the airport. This is a valid charge.

transpac

IME, GrabTaxi results in a metered taxi, for which the quote is an estimate. It can go higher based on traffic/routing. The meter is used. And you pay according to the meter.

GrabCar is a firm quote. I think JustGrab is a firm quote as well. (I've gotten a metered taxi using JustGrab, but the meter is not used.)

Pay at the end of the trip.

People take GrabCar from the airport(s) here. There is a slight risk, but I haven't seen any reports of confrontations at the airport recently. The embedded messaging app, with translation, seems to work for arranging a pick-up spot.

The "authorities" (Transport MInistry) seem on a track towards accommodating Grab. One political party (Bhumjai Thai) made inroads running on this, and other modern proposals, but dragging Thailand forward into the future is still a slog.

wco81

Are GrabTaxi and JustGrab separate apps. from GrabCar or different modes within the same GrabCar app?

I've had GrabCar app. for a long time now but have never actually used it.

Yeah I've heard about taxi mafias in various Asian cities.

They said Grab doesn't offer any particular advantages in Phuket, whereas it is okay in Chiang Mai and maybe better in some instances in Bangkok in case you run into taxis where they don't want to use the meter.

transpac

This one.

Options for vehicle type, payment, and other services (food delivery, package delivery, motorbike taxi, etc) all contained within the one, single app.

Diplomatico

There is one Grab app. Within the Grab app, you can choose from a variety of options: JustGrab, GrabCar, GrabTaxi, GrabSUV, GrabVan, GrabCarPlus, GrabBike, etc.

GrabTaxi is the only option with variable pricing, to my knowledge. Everything else is a fixed price quote upfront, less any promo codes you might have. I've been using GrabSUV a lot here in Chiang Mai because the promo code results in a lower fare quote than a regular car. (I don't ever use GrabTaxi since I don't see the point of paying Grab to call a metered taxi for me.)

Grab is a great option in Chiang Mai where taxis refuse to use the meter and songthaew/tuk tuk drivers regularly inflate prices to rip-off visitors.

estnet

I think the 50 baht charge is only if u use the taxi que on the bottom floor - I've never paid or seen it collected when I get a taxi on the departures floor that has just dropped off a customer (altho I did have one driver tell me there was that charge - the the 20 or so others I've taken who agree to use the meter never mentioned it)

arcticflier

True, Taxis on the Departure level do not result in the 50 Baht charge but this is officially not an approved practice, right? Drivers always seem to look around nervously as they quickly confirm.

Here is the official Grab Help page on tolls and fixed fares:
https://help.grab.com/passenger/en-m...,-and-GrabTaxi

hijiji

Any recent updates about using Grab in Bangkok? Is it still a good way to use taxis?
How about the rent a car and driver by the hour service in the ap? 2 hours for 500 baht. Anyone used it recently?

estnet

every time I check Grab it is more expensive (usually by a lot) than a cab would be. YMMV
Bolt is sometimes cheaper but when I request they can't find a car

ftrichard

I continue to use it when I'm in Bangkok - which is at least once a month these days - but the service levels have deteriorated since before the Great Plague. Mostly I'm calling cars from Silom or Sukhumvit areas.

Cars now seem to take longer to confirm the ride. They take longer to arrive (with more frequent scenarios where the car is dropping someone off nearby first). It is more often a taxi that turns up - though the pricing and charging is still done through the Grab app. But I still prefer to use Grab compared to flagging down a taxi and getting involved in all that.

I've used Bolt and InDrive in Phuket successfully when Grab was coming up with nonsense. Of course, none of this works effectively in Samui any more where - on the very rare occasion a taxi picks up your request on Grab following the demise of Navigo - you will be charged the extortionate regular taxi fare for your short journey.

Diplomatico

Grab is ridiculously overpriced in Bangkok now.

Bolt or InDrive is the way to go.

TPACjv

Grab is decent to ok most of the time. It's recovered significantly from the immediate post pandemic near complete lack of drivers. Now, most times I call a car I need to wait 5-10 mins. Prices are a lot higher than because the driver pool is still small and supply gets used up fast during the day.

Bolt is better for price but getting a driver in a reasonable amount of time is near impossible. Oftentimes, I've already got a cab off the street and the bolt app is still searching.

Nearly all of my trips start near victory monument and end either in promphong or sathorn areas.