Taxi situation

[fudgyMcPacker]

I was reading on the Lonely Planet Thorntree that there have been several cases of taxi's fixing their meters so that the km's go quicker than the km's really go. Anyone run into this?

[Flashermac]

I did just one time about 10 years ago. I noticed the young driver would pump the accelerator every now and then when stopped at a red light. Sure enough the meter would click over another 2 baht. I did a quick calculation in my head and figured the guy might run up another 10 baht or so before I got to my destination. Since I generally tip about that much, I just kept my mouth shut and didn't tip he at the end. Thus he got no more from me then he would have otherwise. A colleague told me he had run into the same thing - quite likely the same guy from his description of the driver.

 

This is a BIG no-no, if the cops catch you. Taxis buy their meter from the authorities and it has a lead seal so it cannot be fiddled with. Doing so means they had opened the official seal illegally and changed the settings. It is a criminal offence to tamper with the meters.

 

My colleague and I both had taken taxis to Soi Cowboy when we encountered this. That sounds like if it is being done, it will be in the taxis catering mainly to tourists. A Thai passenger would quickly realise what is happening, note the taxi's number and file a police complaint!

 

 

[colorwolf]

Haven’t been to Thailand since March 2008, but coming back soon have they improved the Taxi situation at the new Airport.

I heard they were trying to push out the rip-off taxi drivers, not so bad coming in the day time but at 11.30pm. Anyone tried the girls who hold the sign real taxis only going to Suk Soi 19.

taxis are still recognizable by the "taxi-meter" sign and their off-color scheme.

taxis will turn on their meter unless you tell them not to while you're offering them an outrageous price.

walk up to the departures lounge to pick a cab you like; has served me well for 10+ years. that way you'll avoid the clunkers and bad-breath drivers you may well encounter at the official stand.

[cavanami]

One time in the say, past ten years, I had a taxi with the meter rigged. I ended up paying like 100 Baht more, so not worth any hassle with the BiB.

[whitelotuslane]

When I fly into the airport' date=' I always go up to the top level and grab a cab that has just dropped someone off.[/quote']

 

Yeah, but what about taking care of the guys who have done the right thing and waited downstairs for a legitimate fare?

 

The above implies that taxi drivers are doing something wrong by dropping their previous customer at Departures? They're not doing anything wrong; they're there, as am I, and I want a taxi without waiting.

 

The one time I had a problem with a taxi from the airport it was the one time I tried the official queue. This was several years ago, but I never bothered with it again.

 

airport train could have been useful/valuable, but having only an express servicve every hour is a lame joke

 

I'm sure the frequency will go up; and, that's for the express train; the regular trains are perhaps more interesting because they don't cost so much. What's the point of paying 2 x 150 baht when you travel with someone.. Taxi would be cheaper in that case because the train won't take you all the way to your destination's door.

 

So.. Having more regular trains compared to express is probably a Good Thing.

 

The people who end up taking it from/to the airport, I predict, will be mostly backpackers and cheap charlie sex tourists, haha. Most of the rest of us will still take cabs.

 

Also there's quite a lot of people working at the airport and surrounding offices last time I checked. The same thing will happen as with the Skytrain route; a lot of businesses will want to open up near it.

 

 

[The_Munchmaster]

The one time I had a problem with a taxi from the airport it was the one time I tried the official queue..

You must have been poncing around in those stupid trousers of yours. The ones that you posted a picture of on the board coz you thought they made you look macho, but didn't.

[allistar]

Actually, the above implies that there is something wrong with dropping off your passengers at departure and then picking up a passenger, instead of waiting for your turn at arrivals , like every other taxi driver. Of course, given the opportunity, every taxi driver would try to avoid waiting (for however long that is) in arrivals and accept the offer to take someone who wants to save 5-10 minutes by going to departures.

[The_Munchmaster]

Whitelotuslanes gay trousers imply all that?! Wow!!

[whitelotuslane]

People in silly trousers also want the meter turned on youknow.

[Tyfon]

I came through Swampy on Saturday and did my usual 'up two escalators and out' routine to get a taxi at departures. Never had any taxi problems that I could pin down as a scam, before I even get close to the driver I shout "Ow bpai Taxi-meter XXXX Soi YY?" If they reply with a price I move on to the next one, but I don't usually have to: worst case I had three consecutive prices before a taxi-meter, the whole process took under a minute.

 

If there's a problem it's usually to do with their mistaking my 'Soi ZZ-sip-et' for 'Soi ZZ-sip-baeht' (odd and even numbers being way out of synch on this road) and I end up taking the 'long route'. If I am quoted a price it's usually 300 baht; actual fare this time was 160 baht, mid-afternoon, no waiting, no tollways.

 

I think all the security guards moving empty taxis on from departures are a good thing because while they don't prevent fares being picked up, they limit the amount of time the drivers have to argue, it's either agree to taxi-meter or nothing.

 

I NEVER take a taxi from either end of SC, always walk up to Suk, with or without company, and stop a taxi-meter. Another rule I have is not to take a taxi from near my/a hotel, less argument from a passing taxi-meter than the more tourist-targetting hangers-around of hotels.

 

One thing that worries me is what are the potential insurance consequences if you are involved in an accident (or tea-money if stopped by police) in a taxi-meter that is not running its meter? Just a thought.

 

As I understand it the stopping trains will be more frequent, if slower. The question is will it be worth the effort of hauling your own luggage from the hotel to a station, likely involving a taxi anyway, and up to platform level to take the train to Swampy and again man-handle your own luggage to check-in when you can take a taxi door-to-door? As a beginning-and-end expense of maybe a month-long holiday the extra money is trivial.