shotover Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 How often is the taxi driver the same person as the photo ID shown in every taxi? More often a different person than the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magician Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 My personal feeling is that one should always tip a good driver. A good driver being one who knows where the hell that he is going, is responsive to directions, does not attempt to coerce you into patronizing a massage parlor, and who immediately and without preamble engages the meter as he enters traffic. I have met some genuinely fine folks driving taxis, people who represented the best of Thailand, in my opinion. I have also met some scammers. I would rather walk than patronize them. Just my personal opinion on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex7777 Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 The other day I was in a Bangkok meter cab. The guy spent a lot of time taking me where I wanted to go, including a lot of time sitting around in traffic. When I got where I was going, the final bill was 67 baht. I gave him 100 baht and told him to keep the change. I don't know how they maker any money using the meter system. Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 They make money on the shorter trips -- the quick ones for 35 baht to 40 baht. Still, there are too many taxis these days and any fare is better than none. Cabbies have told me there are days when they don't even get enough customers to break even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 If I'm in BKK I usually walk over to Pratanum market from Suk soi 11 then get a cab back. If they go straight down to Suk and plow through the traffic they get the fare exactly, if they turn off Soi 3 and go down the back way, shorter but quicker, they get 100B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Tel Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 For a close up, no shit look at the taxi mafia, the "real" taxi mafia, just try to get a taxi to use the meter at the Asoke end of Soi Cowboy. Just wait for the lights to turn red at Asoke and jump into a taxi caught at the lights. Simple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Works for hotels maybe, but not for expats. A lot of drivers simply don't want to go where I live. It's too far from the tourist areas. I always have to ask several to find one who will go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Spare a thought for the poor driver. I drive a taxi in London and I can tell you penny pinching passengers, especially tourists are the worse. As a matter of fact I wont take them. 30 KM for 300 baht. That job probably takes the driver 3.5 hours from picking you up dropping you off and collecting a new fare. Lets have a look at his costs, 500 baht for cab rental for 12 hours. 200 baht for fuel. He is barely covering his costs taking you out to the factory. There seems something unpleasant about rich people from the west screwing down taxis to the last penny and moaning when they try and organise to protect their income. Granted thuggery etc is wrong, but you cant be expected to be taken across a city for 100 baht. Taxi mafia exists in all cities, the decent London hotels are mainly sown up with established drivers that the concerge knows. eg The fare from the West end of London to Heathrow is about 70 pounds. The concerge will quote about 90 to a would be passenge. The driver will tip him 10 to 15 pounds depending on how long they have been waiting. It would be nigh on impossible for a newbie to pitch up outside the Hilton on Park Lane. They all know each other and will keep changing the ranking order until you realise you are not going to get anywhere and move off. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojis Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Spirit brings some good input, taxis are dirt cheap in Thailand, and you can get long rides for way below the meter cost. Service sure is erratic and I feel the need to push a driver under the traffic regulary. But mostly it's a decent experience. The fuel cost is wrong though as they're mostly using gas nowadays and it cost way less than fuel. In Paris you have similar taxi connections with hotels that would call specific taxis that only do long rides and tip them, one of the reasons you'd never get a ride if the hotel is calling a regular company for a short ride as the company might have blacklisted this number. Cabs are cheap in Paris but way too far and few between...irritating and one good reason to use unlicensed taxis... Which brings us back to London which despite the steep fares I prefer when it comes to cab - at least you're sure you won't get a black or arab moody driver listening to Hip Hop or African radio channels , the service is more consistent and it's fairly easy to flag one down... You just need to get used to be adressed as "mate" and somehow since Arsenal became colonised and so succesful we usually find a neutral ground... Well... talk about disgression... Spirit... if a london cabdriver ever adresses me as "Sir" as it happened last time, should I consider he means "asshole" the guy was very courteous as usual in London but the "Sir" was so odd from a driver mouth I wonder... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 The "rich" people from the west don't set the taxi meter rate. The reason for the meters were all the taxi scams against tourists AND locals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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