BANGKOK DRIVER--RATT
 

used ratt yesterday for one full day---13 hours....she arrived about on time...her toyota corolla is comfortable and decently roomy...she is very pleasant and has good english...we enjoyed our very long day...rates 220 B per hour outside of town and 1 B per kilometer...our 13 hour day was about 3000B plus tip---all told about $100 with a huge tip....

she also has a 9 passenger van available for smaller groups at a higher rate...

her e addres is available on this forum via a rat or ratt search on thailand...

we do reccommend her...

i will write more upon my return to the usa next week...

rk

Good to hear that Ratt worked out so well. We have taken the plunge as well and have been in contact with Ratt and will use her services for 2 days in mid November.
I review these boards regularly and have learned so much. Our world wind tour of China/Asia/Japan will be a better one for the information shared on this site...

I just contacted Ratt this weekend for our trip to Bangkok leaving on June 26.
We will use her for a couple of days.

rhkkmk - where did you go for your day trip with Ratt? We are thinking about doing the Floating Market and River Kwai area for a day trip. Hope I can see your comments when you get back before we leave.

Hope Ratt is more reliable with all you new users-she arrived 4 hours late for our appointment and really stuffed up the short time we had available. Good luck!!!

I just booked Ratt for December but will be VERY unhappy if she is frequently late. Can other people chime in who have used her.

Thanks
Gloria

gloria...i used her last month and she was just fine...she was about 5-10 minutes late for our 6:30AM pick-up for a day in the country...no problem...

be very specific with her as to what you want to do and what you expect and she will work out fine...

we were pleased with our day with her and will use her again...

i had asked her about some airport pick-ups but she did not seem interested in them...there were about 6 or 8 of them..

We used Ratt during our April trip to BKK. We used her for several days just in the mornings about 2-4 hours each day. Then we used her for one evening to take us to the night market. She was on time each day - she is reliable.

Has anyone used her sister in Chiang Mai?

Gloria

We just returned from a trip to Thailand and Siem Reap. We used Rat for 3 days in Bangkok. She was never late and we enjoyed our time with her. When I contacted her she was not available for the first day, but set us up with another driver she works with, nice young man named Nop. He drove us to Chatuchak market and went around the market with us. Then Rat took over for the other days. She was always on time and we really enjoyed the time spent with her, talking to her and learning about Thailand from someone who lives there. She drove us to the Grand Palace and arranged a guide for us also, we felt it was worth the extra money. I don't think we would have seen all the things we did without her. Since this was our first time in Bangkok we really appreciated having someone to drive and the A/C car and cold water she supplies. We also did a day trip to River Kwai area, stopping at the Floating Market on the way, if she suggests someplace to go that you don't want to see just tell her and it is fine. This is a business for her and if she can spend more time with you that means more money for her. In talking with her we mentioned that we liked Phad Thai, so she said I will take you the best place. It was a little storefront place on the street, they cook out on the sidewalk, it was great and fun to watch them cook. We would use her again.

The commissions she receives from the places she recommends must make life easy for her. Those that think this does not happen don't know Thailand!

Regarding commissions- Ratt took us, at our request, to the Nara Phand store and she used her card to get us a discount on everything we bought. If you know what you want to do tell her, otherwise she will make recommendations-its up to you whether you want to take her up on her suggestions. At the rate she charges I do not begrudge her for making any commissions from some of the shops.

I have no problem if she gets commissions from places she takes us as long as she doesn't force those places on us. I've been to Bangkok 18 times and will be showing it to a friend who has never been there so I have some pretty good ideas of what I want to see and do but I will certainly be happy to hear of some other off the beaten path places that might show more of Thai life. I have found her very responsive to my emails.

One question -- do you tip her as well asn do you pay for her lunch when you stop?

Gloria

I do tip her but that is up to you. While we were with her we did not stop to eat so i am not able to answer that qusetion but Bob can.

i gave her a sizable tip, more than i would usually give...she did not join us for lunch...i asked her and she declined...

We also gave her a tip every day we used her services and we also asked her to join us for lunch but she declined. When we went to the Phad Thai noodle shop for dinner she did order the food and eat with us, we paid the bill. I think it was only about 650 baht for 4 of us. After she went to the sidewalk vendors and bought us several Thai desserts to try. We had a great time.

Thanks. I've always tipped guides and drivers in the past and have always offered to pay for meals. Just wanted to make sure I wouldn't offend her -- got in trouble in Japan because I forgot and tipped someone who got quite upset.

I'm looking forward to meeting her.

Thanks for all your input.

Gloria

How does one contact Ratt in Bangkok? Should it be done 2-3 days before arrival? I need more info on her sister in Chang Mai?

In Bangkok will she go well outtside major tourist areas since we have toured the city 3 times in 9 years?

rat's addrress is: [email protected]

she will go anywhere you want to go from bkk....she does not go up country...i know she goes to pattaya, hua hin, floating market, river kwai plus all of the bkk city stuff...

i would contact her far in advance....she is very busy i think and has lots of customers

I emailed her a week ago for dates in December and she was already booked for one of the days we wanted her. So I'd book early. She does have assistants and a husband who drive overflow -- has anyone had any of them?

Gloria

glorialf, we had Ratt's husband (wish I could remember his name) back in February for our trip to the floating market and then on to Hua Hin. He was right on time at our hotel in BKK, he spoke broken English but enough to get by and was a very pleasant man - no complaints at all.