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Bangkok Taxi's


Mekong

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I have often said that Taxi's in Bangkok offer the best value in the world and there are a couple of things I have noticed over the past few months. I admit I must use Taxi's at least six times a day at present so maybe my exposure to them is slightly intense.

 

The first thing I have noticed is that now many Taxi's are Automatic as opposed to stick shift, after the 97 economic crash the authorities changed the rules and allowed vehicles up to 12 years old to be used as private hire but now I am seeing many new Taxi's on the road and they are all Automatic, even I would not consider a manual stick shift in Bangkok and I don't drive 12 hours per day.

 

Secondly I have noticed a higher proportion of female drivers, even 2-3 years ago I would be surprised to get a woman driver once or twice a year, where as now it seems that 5% of Taxi drivers are women, plus a few tuk tuk drivers as well. OK I don't use cabs in Sukhumvit Ghetto etc but I think my observations are a true representation of Bangkok as a whole.

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yup good observations.

as part of the value i find most drivers very knowledgeable to find most usual or unusual destinations around town / understand english / poor thai :)

rate still 35bt & ALL (legal) taxi companies use the same rate!

sure touts still abound at the usual taxi 'park places', but it's SO EASY to get a metered ride always.

next up: metered tuk tuks or ST/LT in tuk tuks!!

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More taxis seem to be privately owned these days, and not just the yellow/green ones. Many of the women drivers will be family members of the owner, a wife, sister or even daughter. My driver the other day was a moonlighting Army sergeant major. I've also encountered civil servants who bought a taxi and use it to go to work, then drive a few hours in the evening. Everyone seems to be driving a taxi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Only seen one lady taxi driver....

My main gripe lately is the reluctance of the drivers not to take you where you want ..if the traffic is a little heavy ...or between 3pm and 4pm is the worst this week for us ...luckily we can just get out and use the BTS to our Condo..

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Between 3pm and 4pm it is always a pain getting a taxi. The reason is that most drivers have to return the taxi to the co-op they rented it from around this time. They face a stiff fine, if they are late - enough to eat up almost all the money they'd made that day.

 

The same can happen around 8am, which is extremely frustrating when one is trying to get to work! :angryfire:

 

 

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I never understood the reasoning behind having the taxi back at a certain time, or at least why they all seem to use the same time, Typical Thai militarism mania.

 

Certainly the showing of the 'for hire' light and then refusing a fare because it's either out of the way or too slow is wrong in my opinion and annoying. I know it's illegal also but since when would that ever matter here. If I need a taxi I always open the back door and ask for my destination, if the driver then refuses I walk off, leaving the door open.

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