The hotel is right off the highway at Silom. No, rates haven't gone up, it was a hot meter. The normal rate, sans traffic, should be closer to 250.

i don't remeber how much I've payed in 2011 from BKK to Sanam Pao BTS, can someone help me reporting approximatively the cost?
If i correctly remember i negotiated 500THB return + tip, picking up the taxi at BKK departure lane.
Which is the normal fare for that itin. (one way)?
thanks

A negotiated fare should never be further tipped. You're already paying a premium.

A metered fare would probably run around 200THB +/- 25THB plus tolls if applicable.

No, the fares have not gone up. Should have been about 225.

According to Flyertalkers on this board, you should just suck it up and pay the overcharge. At least they would.

Beats getting hacked to death.

Maybe better to just note the taxi registration, look left/right just below the windows, two letters (Thai and English equivalents) and four numbers, or look at the dispatch form, and report it?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1466707.html



There are countless web and mobile apps. which allow one to estimate the fare.

This one indicates 241 baht, we know we must be exact here, for Suvarnabhumi to the Fenix (320 Silom Road).

http://bkktaximeter.appspot.com/en

http://aroimakmak.com/2013/04/bangkok-taxi-meter/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...?id=tt.m&hl=en


There have been some recent public discussions, May, 2013 re: raising taxi rates, be it flag-fall, distance or traffic jam, but any actions were shelved for three months.


http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/...ng-cost-rises/

I like this one because it shows a map of the route the fare was calculated on, which is sometimes quite different than the route my regular driver would follow.

This link takes you straight to the free web-based calculator: Taxi Auto Fare

Amazing, really.

A plane crashes and 3 people die but nobody says "don't fly".

One (1) person dies from a spat with a taxi driver and all of a sudden we should just cower and pay up.

Lovely.

thanks. I've done this journey maybe 50 times (to a hotel close by) and it's always been in that ball park of around 250.

this was a fellow FTer and good friend of mine who was texting as he was in the taxi (first time to bangkok) and I was surprised at the final fare of 401.

he has the slip of paper issued by the taxi rank at the airport.

he asked the staff at the hotel on arrival (as they opened the taxi door) and the staff confirmed the 400 was about right.

I know it's only usd10 but it's not nice to be ripped off like that.

I still think for a few $ it isn't worth it, but also there must be an element of gauging what the taxi driver looks like, etc. if it is worth it to make a few comments but pay up, or to actually make the point and pay less.

On another note, I took the BMW again, 2,200 baht + 100b tip, it is a very pleasant ride home from the airport, even during rush hour. Seats recline way back but it would be nice if it had a little minibar I think the driver was burning spa therapy incense or something, totally relaxing, no stress.

Two of my colleagues arrived this week in BKK. Both were asked for the slip from the taxi operator and never had it returned. They both got into taxis with a pink price chart on the back fo the seat. After seeing that the prices were quite high they accepted the driver's suggestions. One paid 1500 to the Millennium Hilton. The other paid 700 to the WGS. I should have warned them.

This is outrageous.

That it was two different cabs operating in the same manner is even more troublesome.

Based on the figures you shared it sounds like the amount ripped off was closer to usd5 (401 baht paid, less 250 baht expected metered fare equals 150 baht, or about $5 USD.

I'm guessing that this was a proposed/agreed to fixed price? Or was the meter "rigged" to display these amounts?




It seems like people are having a lot of issues with general taxi procedures and "rigged" meters.

I would recommend that if using the the official taxi queue that you state your requirement for using the meter several times, maybe first to the dispatcher when giving your destination, then to the driver and dispatcher as they walk up to the dispatcher to hand off the slip, and to the driver as you walk to the taxi. And maybe one final time as the driver pulls away from the curb. Maybe make note of the taxi registration number and always keep the dispatcher's slip.

If you think the meter reading is say more than 15% what you expect then consider reporting the driver/cab to the DLT. I would add the 15% cushion given the nature of the roads here, which sometimes require odd routings due to one-way streets. Returning from the airport to my home is at least 10% farther than traveling from my home to the airport, assuming we do not drive the wrong way down a few one-way streets. There are also additional charges when the taxi travels below a certain speed. Maybe they rig the meter to impose the traffic jam surcharge for the entire duration of the trip?


In thousands of taxi journeys over ~ 10 years I think I've had ~ five questionable meter readings, none of these were to/from the airport, and none warranted a show-down.

+1

Correct. They were shows this price list and then offered a "deal" of a cheaper price. This only after they gave the slip the dispatcher had provided. My solution is to simply put the slip in your pocket upon receipt.

The colleague staying at the Millenium Hilton also had several trips back to the hotel from Asoke where the driver took them by way of Hua Hun. Ok, not Hua Hin, but a roundabout way where the meter was in the area THB 300 with no traffic.

I take the taxi all the time. They generally will go off meter for 400 Baht. From the airport it can be anywhere from 300 Baht to 400 Baht depending on traffic. To the airport I've done it from as low as 225 Baht (in the middle of the AM). As such I never go 'off meter. Anything more than 400 Baht is absurd. But a meter close to it (or 401) probably isn't a scam. Just a long trafficy ride.