Blog - BKK #06: Taxis

BKK #06: Taxis

Taxis are certainly one of the most useful ways to get around Bangkok. Not only they can take you to many places not reached by the BTS SkyTrain (which only has two lines) and MRT (newly started metro/subway, with only one line), but if you're two people or more it's often even cheaper than the trains. The meter (when used... read on) starts at 35฿ (less than $1USD) and goes up slowly by tiny steps of 2฿.

The thing with taxis is that although most drivers are good, there are some not-so-good ones, and there are some assholes. One thing that we didn't care enough about but that may be good to check is whether the taxi has its number signs and the driver's ID card, and displayed fare charts, many taxis have some or all of these removed, and this seems to indicate whether they can be trusted or not. I think a good rule of thumb would be to avoid any taxi with its numbers removed.

Some drivers sometimes refuse to turn on their meter and instead suggest you a fixed fare, which is never at your advantage (you'd end up paying twice or more than the regular price). If the meter is off, ask for it to be turned on first before even explaining where you're going. If they don't want to use their meter, then just catch the next taxi instead of wasting your time.

The worse taxi experience we had was on our way to the airport at the very end of our trip. We asked the hotel's porter called a taxi for us (which was probably a mistake to begin with), and when the taxi arrived the porter first put our bags in the taxi and then explained our destination to the driver. So far so good but the driver then said "350฿". Knowing that with the meter it would cost only about 100฿, I asked to please turn on the meter and he refused babbling that he needs to pay for his gas and such crap (like the meter's price can't afford his gas).
I ended up offering 200฿ and he said 250฿ and we agreed. Sure 250฿ is still less than $7USD so it's not so much of a rip-off to a foreign tourist, but why pay over twice the price to this jerk?
Anyway, it being early morning at 5am, having to catch our plane was at 7:30, plus our luggage already being loaded, and the dumb porter giving us a "hey that's the way it is" shrug through the window (probably also being promised his share of the fare in a language we can't understand), so we just went with it. That wasn't the end of it though cause when we got to the airport I gave 250฿ to the driver and he looked back all upset and said "what? 350฿!" so I argued "but you said 250฿!" but he just kept saying "NOOO! 350฿! 350฿!" and getting all excited. Fu&$'#!n moron. So I ended up giving him 300฿. What a jerk.

That gave a slightly bitter ending to our trip, and that's when I realized that I should have strictly followed that rule of thumb above in the first place (that last taxi had all numbers and fare charts removed, and the driver's ID card had the photo missing)... It's not the money that upsets but the tourist abuse.

Another thing to be careful with taxis is traffic jams, which sometimes do make it easier and cheaper to simply take the train. Once we wasted maybe 20 minutes and 70฿ just to turn around on the street in front of our hotel, when we decided to go take the MRT instead.

A workmate who's more used to Bangkok says that there was a time when yellow/green taxis (most taxis have two colors) were generally to be avoided, but he can't tell whether that's still true.

The bottom line is that taxis are very useful but to still be careful.

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Posted on September 20, 2004 at 15:36 | Tweet |

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