Thai-Kiwi

Me too.

Additionally, if I have have been impressed by good driving (slowly in the rain, or sensible speed for eg) I also add a wee bit and explain why (usually in Thai).

billp

The background to the flat-fare scam was explained by a poster to the Thai Visa Forum: More here.

soinokkao

I arrive at Suvharnabumi about 2-3 times per month and use the taxis at 4th level departures. I find only two small problems with this 1) the condition of the taxi: some of the taxis at 4th level departures are in a real sorry state, even unsafe in my opinion - you need to be adamant and say no even if the driver is in the middle of filling the trunk with your luggage, and 2) about a third of the time my driver will stop for gas on the way out of the airport - this probably only adds 10 minutes or so to the trip but is a big frustration when you want to get home to see your little girl!!

PaulKarl

I put that into the "it's Thailand" category. Yeah, the driver should be re-fueling his car on his own dime, not with the meter running, but the gas station that the drivers tend to patronize is right off the highway, so I never got the sense it was costing me much.

jonslow

I'll add one more true BKK taxi story. Going to the airport at 10pm from the Shangri-la my wife and I stood in the cab line. We were 3rd in line. Ahead of us was a Thai couple. When it was their turn they spoke to the cab driver who had pulled up and then smiled graciously at us and indicated we should take the cab. What a mistake! We got in and I soon realized the driver was not en route to the airport, at least not by the usual route. The bellman had told him to take us the airport; we couldn't really speak each other's language, but my agitation was obvious. Finally, he pointed in triumph to an airport sign and made the appropriate turn. I was sitting on the edge of the back seat looking for further signs. The driver wore thick glasses. I could see him peering for further signs. I don't think his vision was very good because I had to point out a few airport signs and there seemed to be a lag between when I saw the signs and pointed and when he saw them and moved into the appropriate lane.
My read of this situation is that the driver was new in BKK or on the job and that the Thai couple ahead of us in the taxi lane gave up on him when they told him where they wanted to go and he asked how to get there. The total fare wasn't out of line with other car rides between the hotel and airport but it was a disconcerting experience. I can see where many luxury hotel guests would rather pay a few hundred extra baht and take a limo with a driver hired by the hotel.

transpac

Not exactly. The custom here is to open the door, state your destination, wait for confirmation and only then enter the cab. The driver did not want to take the Thai couple for any number of reasons (destination/traffic and approaching shift-changes are the most likely reasons under normal circumstances) but likely said no to them, or feigned confusion, in hopes of getting your fare to the airport.

Because of the street layout (one-way, divided road) you may have to go 1 or 2 km out of your way (circle, u-turn, etc.) to get on the proper road going in the right direction. This is doubly challenging when trying to get to a toll-way entrance.

SimonsMiles

Well, I'm glad I read this thread. After a wonderful flight in (first class with Thai, wonderful service including fast track out of the airport and a porter to carry our bags), we just got in a taxi. Here is our story...

• The porter from Thai tried to push us into the limousines, with things like "first class passengers don't take taxi", and was very pushy about it. When we got past the limo people on the right, they came up to grab our bags until he quietly shook his head and walked on. He forfeited the tip I was going to give him.
• We got to the taxi stand and the guy took our destination, then called over a specific driver from a ways away, clearly a good friend of his.
• The driver packed our bags in, we got in and he didn't turn on the meter.
• I said "meter", and he refused. He said "Conrad fixed fee, four hundred Bhatt". I said "no", he said "yes". I told him to stop and we would take another taxi, and he reluctantly turned on the meter.
• I said "highway", he said "highway bad for meter" and "highway busy". I insisted on the highway (which was empty).
• At the toll road, he said "100 bhatt toll". I gave him a 100 bhatt note, and said "change please". He said "toll 100 bhatt", I said "no, toll 65 bhatt". He gave me 35 bhatt change (he paid 25 bhatt for the first toll and 40 bhatt for the second toll).
• The guy drove like a nutter - 140km/h was probably the average speed.
• Final cost on the meter was 187 bhatt.

Thoroughly unhappy. In the end I gave him 250 bhatt (it's not a lot of money to me and I know it probably is for him), but I was upset that it had to be this hard :-( Caveat Visitor!

-simon

billp

Personally, I would have counted it out to the last baht and not given him a single satang in tip. Or ceremoniously presented the b**rd with a single baht. Such behaviour is not to be encouraged.

SimonsMiles

I know, I agree, but I was tired. I did say "next time don't try to cheat and you might get a good tip", but I'm sure that won't sink in :-)

-simon

moocherx

It won't sink in, in the easy-come-easy-go attitude of the Thai taxi drivers.

Last week I arrived in Bangkok, took a taxi from the rank, spoke Thai with the driver (my Thai skills are fairly good) to remind him where I wanted to go.

About 500m outside the airport, he turns and says "400 baht". I don't reply. Again, "400 baht" ...I don't reply. After his 5th attempt, I just say "NO" and he switched on the meter.

The only thing it got him? Zero tip. Which is a shame for him, as I usually hand over a 500baht note for a 180baht drive from the airport, if the guy has just kept quiet, and chosen a good route.

But for sure, it's not going to stop him trying the exact same thing next time.

holtju2

I just hate when there are huge banners of "warning" people by the carousels to not take unofficial taxis. Then there is the taxi company that tries to charge 1000THB for a ride downtown when the going rate is about a third of that.

Last time the lady was very hard trying to selling their service when I was waiting for my luggage to arrive. I have had absolutely zero problems with regular metered taxes from/to airport in Bangkok.

SaigonCyclo

You gave him a tip of 63 baht. That's more than he normally gets and much more than he deserved.

Grace B

In the last couple of weeks I have taken one taxi from the airport to Huamark and two taxis back to the airport.

The first two journeys (one at 11 pm) were fine. No hassles, meter turned on without asking, direct route taken and meter was approx 150 bt. The third journey, however, was not so hassle-free. I took this taxi from my hotel in Huamark at 4.15 am (it was summoned by the porter).

Once we were under way, the driver asked me what I thought the fare should be (he hadn't turned on the meter at this stage). As I had just done this journey a couple of times, I knew exactly what the cost should be, so I told him and he didn't seem very happy that I knew the correct fare, as I guess he was preparing to try and rip me off.

I then insisted that he turn the meter on, which he did after a bit of muttering, and we proceeded to BKK airport. When we arrived, the meter was showing 148 bt, which was very reasonable, plus I owed another 20 bt for the "hotel taxi fee", which I had no problems with. So I handed him 2 x 100 bt notes and requested 30 bt in change. At first he didn't want to give me any change at all, but after a fairly animated exchange, he handed over a 20 bt note, which I accepted and got out of the cab. I know it's not a lot of money, but it's the principle of the thing.

In fact I took quite a few cabs in and around Bangkok over the last couple of weeks and only had this one hassle. FWIW, this was a green/yellow painted cab, the others were all painted pink. In future, I will attempt to give my business to pink cabs, and avoid the others like the plague.

On a slightly related topic, I had a bit of time to spare when arriving at BKK one morning at 10 am, so I decided I would try the express public bus No 552 from the airport bus station (get the free shuttle) to On Nut Skytrain station. This turned out to be a good hassle-free experience, took about 40 mins and cost 32 bt. It's a good way to get away from the airport if you only have a carry-on, IMHO.

rolcouz

The Green/Yellow painted taxis are privately owned, often owner operated, so they tend to be more trouble. Other colours, e.g. the Pink ones, belong to various firms, so often more amenable (but not always!).

seanthepilot

Flew in and out of Don Muang this week.

Caught taxi on departures level saved the 50 Thb.
Taxi to Asia hotel was 137 Baht. No tollway taken to or from the airport this round. From baggage claim to destnation, 30 minutes!

I didn't time it on the way back, but meter wasn't much more.