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Bangkok Taxi's


Mekong

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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.

 

So that the next guy that is renting it can take it out.

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So that the next guy that is renting it can take it out.

 

I sort of get that, but it just seems messed up. Okay if it is one person renting out one taxi though I suspect most set ups here are more than that, so just take the next one that comes back in. I have to think it wouldn't be a big job to work out a system that didn't involve 90% of city taxi drivers all needing to be somewhere at two specific times of the day.

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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.

 

Same, same in New York by the way. Almost all cabs leave Manhattan during the same hour, I think around 3-4pm, for to change the driver.

 

Not all annoying things in LOS are exlusively Thai. nono.gif

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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..

 

I think I've seen two women taxi drivers in 13 years coming to Thailand. One woman tuk tuk driver (in Ayuthaya), and of course more women motorcycle taxi drivers than I can count...

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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.

 

If I had to choose between automatic or stick; I would take the stick.

 

Ever tried starting a car when the battery is dead on an automatic?

 

No problem with a stick.

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Auto transmissions have improved enormously over the years.I remember the 3 speed Borg-Warner auto on an old Jag I had in the early 80`s - unresponsive and awfull :confused: whereas the latest auto boxes are in a totally different class .

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