It's only 30 pages on my view.

Maybe go for a specific post count?

Still it's all part of the experience of Thailand, navigating the taxi system.

You must have a different number of posts per page ;)

Yours is the first post on page 80 :eek:

The thread count must be a tad alarming for the first-time visitor looking for simple information :eek:

After all, catching a taxi at Bangkok airport isn't particularly difficult, fares are cheap and even the occasional scams are mostly in the (very)annoying-but-mild category.

The thread's a fun read, but I wonder if a leading Wiki would be a good idea, giving the bare-bones of a successful taxi transfer.

+1

I guess part of the issue is that taxi service in BKK is inconsistent.

You´ll usually get to your destination (eventually), but there´s a reasonable chance that:

(1) the driver will try to scam you (but usually not more than 50-100THB)
(2) there´s one seat belt max. (often only in the front seat)
(3) the driver doesn´t really know where the hotel is, but will eventually get there

If you don´t mind the chance to experiencing this "unique service" there´s really nothing to worry about.:p

+1
Since I have been a regular traveller to BKK, for some reason I have always got taxis which didnt try to scam me.. maybe it was my confidence while trying to catch a taxi since I knew where to go, whats the approx fare and also to pronounce my address in thai ;)
But recently , I have seen newbies coming to BKK and coming to my address, having meters showing more than double what it should.. ofcourse i hv informed the pax what to do..

Basically, at max the scam may rob us of a few hundred bhat but like u said will mostly get us to our place and with our luggage ( atleast till now) :)

Never yet had a major problem from the airport. My frequency of visits no more than 6 times a year: I've yet to need to give a meter reminder, and fares have been in the ball-park arena.

I speak no taxi-useful words of Thai, so I accept that I am blessed :D

And in writing this I'm resigned to a mega-scam on my next arrival.

Getting back to the airport has often inolved arguments about meters and fixed rates. But if the fixed is around the figure I have in mind, I prefer to keep the atmosphere happy, and i'll take the fixed rate and relax.

Journeys in-town from hotels have ended in serious tears. My internal rule, learned the hard way and applied whenever convenient, is to move well away from hotels and wave down a taxi.

Let's improve this thread for the newbies!
 

Love this thread, but it is ridiculous and unhelpful for those trying to just check the basics. On FlyerTalk it's possible to "pin" information so it appears at the top of every page in a thread, so a newbie may find their FAQ answered immediately.

Want to help write it? Answer these questions and I'll gather them together and ask a mod to pin the info. I included example answers - please correct them! :)

I land in Bangkok soon and I'm not sure how the taxi stuff works... what do I do? Help!

BKK Terminal Map:
http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/u...l_inter_en.jpg
Source: http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/e...rnation-flight

1. Arrival gates on level 2
2. Immigration
3. Bags
4. Customs
5. Head for the exit
6. On level 1 (ground), escape in a taxi

How do I get a cab? Follow the signs for Taxi, and register at the little info desk outside near the cabs. They speak English, will ask your destination hotel, and will write down instructions for the taxi driver. They can explain some costs ahead of time.

How much will it cost...
...to Sathorn?
...to Sukhumvit near Asoke? around 200Bt + tolls + the 50 Bt airport fee
...to the Palace?
...to DMK airport for a connection?

Should I get my hotel's airport transfer instead of a cab? Probably not - the cost is usually double what you'd pay a taxi driver. But it can be helpful if you know you have many people + bags, or want an extra measure of confidence in what's going on after your late arrival.

Should we take the toll roads? Late at night, don't bother with the expressway (toll road) from the airport as it's faster/shorter without it due to where the non-toll highway exit is. But if your driver takes that route, the cost is only an extra 170 baht at most.

What might the taxi driver do to rip me off? Not use the meter, or take a more-expensive route with tolls even though traffic is fine on the free roads. They might try to negotiate a flat fee, which is never in the passenger's interest. If the driver refuses to use the meter, you can just get out and take another taxi, but don't make a scene or raise your voice, it's not worth it, and that's not how things are done in Thailand. They won't kidnap and kill you or anything, so if it's your first visit you can safely relax and enjoy the sights after your long flight.

Even the driver does scam me, how much money are we talking about here? Worst case scenario is probably a couple hundred baht. 100 baht is about $3.05 USD.

I think I still have other questions. Then just hit the Reply button below and chat with frequent flyers who are in Bangkok regularly!

GREAT IDEA... why don't you start a new thread, and we can close and archive this one.

This thread was started after the previous one got too long and muddled. These threads tend to evolve as this one has, and serve a good purpose, but I agree that it must be frustrating for the traveller looking for facts.

Or, just create that sticky and we continue on a usual in this thread.

or they can just add a wiki post to this thread.

He's asking for help filling the taxi costs, 1 baht, 2 baht, etc are placeholders. And some other things in there you could probably answer.

Taxi to SGS or WGS (Sukhumvit near Asoke) I believe is around 200Bt + tolls + the 50 Bt airport fee. Late at night, don't bother with the expressway (toll road) from the airport as it's faster/shorter without it due to where the non-toll highway exit is.

No idea how much a taxi is from BKK to DMK but AOT operates a free bus between BKK and DMK.
http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/e...umi-don-muaeng

Under the "What might the taxi diver do" category, he might try to negotiate a flat fee, which is never in the passengers interest. If the driver refuses to use the meter, you can just get out and take another taxi, but don't make a scene or raise your voice, it's not worth it, and that's not how things are done in Thailand. The other common thing is that he might have a hot meter. A hot meter charges the increment amount more frequently than it should. I've never had the problem. Some drivers have asked if I wanted a flat fare and I just said no and asked them to use the meter and I generally round up the fare a bit. I"ve never had a real problem at the airport end, and I do tend to try to use the departures level when I'm traveling solo just because it's easier. I have had to get out of a taxi or two that didn't want to use the meter when going to the airport. Typically it's pretty rare and you can enlist the help of the bellman at your hotel before you get in if necessary.

-David

I'll wait for more votes before doing anything, but will edit my post above to include new information as replies come in. Thanks both!

Creating a wiki is definitely the best way to address the issue.

Very busy at immigration tonight about 1am so I just took the AOT limo BMW still 2,200 baht into central BKK-Sathorn. But no lines for booking it, the dude actually came and pushed my cart through green customs, cars lined up and waiting, knew exactly where to go, tolls were included, stopped to grab a cold beer for the ride before going to the car, super easy. Just to say the AOT is expensive and there are less expensive choices, but if you just want easy and no lines and are able/willing to spend the extra baht without trying to get the deal of the week, it's pretty painless. A nice way to get into the city. (At least after a long international flight...I tend to take the taxi when coming in from Phuket with less luggage, etc.). But whether you choose that option or not, at least (tips not included) you know the max price for framing the costs!

Great idea for the "wiki" at the top of the page.

Suggest using the term "Arrival gates" instead of "land" for #1 on the map.
To me, "land" implies land-side...not the plane landing.

There are signs, in English, everywhere but...

Flying into BKK, Arrivals are on Level 2, so after clearing arriving Immigration, gathering up any checked bags, clearing Customs, one is on Level 2.

The official metered taxi queue is on Level 1, what some might call the "ground level", so you'll need to take an elevator/escalator/travelator down one level.

This may be the trickiest part of the process, at least for those who can't read the signs.

Tens of thousands of people successfully take a taxi from BKK daily, without incident.

There are gazillions of web-sites and mobile apps that can be used to approximate the cost of a taxi journey, but there is a lot of variability based on time of day, traffic-jam surcharge, weird routing required due to one-way streets, so maybe best to have a range of fares for the destinations, rather than an exact figure?

Agreed on all points - if you suggest some of those sites we can include them of course.