Ratt- Waiting Time, Touring and Dining?
 

We are using Ratt for 3 1/2 days.
While we want to go to the floating market and the River Bridge we do not want a 12-13 hour day.Maybe 10 hours RT tops from Penn leaving at 7:30AM-5:30. Is the trip to the Bridge beautiful or just a road with some lush bushes? We are not steeped into history but if we can get magnificant views along the way it would be worth it to us.
If we used her for a day and then wanted to rest for 2 hours and then go to dinner(1 1/2 hrs.)and have her go with us to a market for an 1-1/2hours do we pay for waiting time at the resturant. We plan to do this on 2 or 3 nights.I just want to know proper etiquite.
Since tipping is not really the custom in Bangkok is a 5% or 10% appropriate of the trip and does that include the gas cost outside the city if she goes where we want to go and gives us some insight/history of sights and not where she thinks we should go?
We are using Poon for 3 days so if you have experience with her as well please share that as well.Thanks.

Thanks!

If you're not interested in history skip the River Kwai. I had her take me back to the hotel and then pick me up again in the evening. I did not pay waiting time. She lives in Chinatown so was only about 20 minutes from the Oriental. But her business has changed so I would ask just to make sure.

I'm with Gloria again- skip the River Kwai unless you are into WWII history. Ratt usually books full days or if you arrange it ahead of time maybe half days - so yes you probably pay for the waiting time- best to check with her. I should think 5-10%tip is fine.

A year ago she wanted to make sure she got the full amount for the day but at least with me she didn't care if it was broken up. Now if she waits while you eat somewhere while traveling she will charge for that. But if she takes you back to the hotel and she can go home for 4 hours and then take you out at night that should be fine -- provided, of course, she does not have other plans or other work in the evening. That's why you need to discuss it in advance. I tipped way more than 5-10%1rip

it took us 12-13 hours but we made about 4 stops all told and did not hurryt either, although we probably were at the market less time than most, as we had been there before..

i would skip river kwai...it is a reconstruction and not original...its a longs ways to look at a bridge and dirty water...

paying...not sure how she would do that...i think she will look for 8-10 hours of pay for a full day...i tipped her over 20% as have others....her gas is in addition to her regular fee---i paid 1 B per kilometer outside of town...it adds up...my whole day was $100 give or take and it was worth $1000.

she will do anything that you want, but you must expect to compensate her properly....

i would tip her according to how i think she did for me...

At the very low rate, (just over $7/hr.) Ratt charges, and the oustanding service she provides, I would not wurry about paying her for a few hours down time. To me, she is worth that and a lot more. Have a great trip.
Cheers,
Andy

Thanks to All. I just want to treat her very fairly.
Is it worth having her go with us 2 or 3 nights for 1-1 1/2 hours through different markets as well?
Can we avoid the masses at the big Sat. market if we leave the Peninsula with Ratt at 8:45-9AM or is that too late?

i like to go to the markets myself, but she undoubtable knows many of the vendors for certain products, thus saving you time....maybe have her one nite??

i cannot imagine beeting any crowds at the weekend market unless you go at 3AM....do you have to go there??

that's "beating", althought i do love beets with lots of butter..

Ratt's cheer squad strikes again.

Why not give her a $US100 bill & just ask her to drive you to where she obtains the most commission?

The cheers continue because it seems that all of us except Lyndie have had very positive experiences with Ratt. I do think that it is important for all of us to recognize that our experience with a guide or a hotel or a restaurant is just one experience and should be stated as such rather than making blanket statements. I'm sure there has been at least one time in her life when even Lyndie has been "unreliable" or made a mistake.

And, I for one, see absolutely nothing wrong if someone wants to help someone out by giving them money. I think it's something to applaud -- not condemn. Someone just gave a client at my office and anonymous cashier check for $68,000 to cover her mortgage. She is a senior citizen whose husband died after a long and expensive illness. She remortgaged her home and ended up with a predatory loan which she couldn't pay. She was being foreclosed. The donor is someone who had had bad luck in his life and then got a windfall. Decided he wanted to help others because that's what the Bible said you should do. He found her name on the foreclosure list. I respect someone like him a lot more than someone who worries about how much to tip a hard working woman.

Gloria, I totally agree with you.

I do not know what to believe, probably Lyndie had a really very bad experience with Ratt... However, as I know Ratt, I can not imagine something like this.

I suppose that we, in this forum could better understand Lyndie if she can explain what was the problem.

If not, we can also suppose that she takes commission from two blondes !!!???

Lyndie has posted frequently that Ratt didn't show up as scheduled. They waited for 3 hours for her so it threw them off schedule. I am certainly not condoning that. I have asked why Lyndie didn't call ratt (I would have called when she was one minute late and, if possible, would have called the night before to confirm) but Lyndie said she did not have any contact information for her. I would urge anyone booking any guide or driver to have contact information so you can contact them to confirm and/or make changes etc. When I booked Ratt I got her home phone, cell phone and her husband's cell phone. That's just good travel sense. Anyway Ratt was definitely at fault but to the best of my knowledge that's a rare experience and should be stated as such.

By the way, Lyndie. ratt got no commissions from any stores from me. We didn't go to any except the JT Outlet. Nor did she push any. In my world you're bordering on libel by implying that she takes tourists where she will get the biggest commission.

And when we had Ratt she took us to the nNra Phand Governemt craft store and got us a 5% discount!!!!!!
We had no problems with Ratt- so it seems only one person had a bad experience, everyone else had a good experience.

in fairness to lyndie, there was one other person who posted problems with ratt about a year and 1/2 ago...seems like a pretty good record to me...

when i hired her i watched for her arrival on day one...she was late...5 minutes...but who cares about that...she was outside we were inside...failure to communicate properly....

she is excellent...i do appreciate the warnings however as with any vendor, there can be problems....even the ROS has service problems---hard to believe..

gloriaalf-what a lovely story you tell!
Bought tears to my eyes. But it's not a story about Ratt.

People here should get the two sides to Ratt's story, not some rose coloured view that Ratt is a Saint!

She caused us major disruptions to our trip. We missed out on several attractions because she did not pick us up, as confirmed several times by email. She just ignored us. The Shangri-La could not supply us with a car & driver at such short notice so we were stranded. Ratt rang our hotel 4 hours after our agreed pick-up time and left a garbled message about having other clients to pick up. In my book, when you run a business, you have responsibilities. This discussion is about Ratt, not me. She failed us dismally and she is unreliable. I'd go so far as to say she ruined our first trip to Bangkok and coloured our opinion of Thai people, for a short time. Many of you raved on here about how wonderful she was and I believed you. Instead, she let us down. That's why I will continue to present the other side of Ratt's story.

And, in my world, one would accept commmissions are a accepted business practice in Thailand.

I'm assuming that Craig's comment was meant as a joke, but the bottom line is, there is NO excuse for blowing someone off other than a real emergency. I can understand how Lyndie feels, similar to how I feel about Air Asia. If you're the one who had the bad experience, it tends to color your perceprion of that person, airline, hotel, etc. Lyndie should not be chastised for giving her point of view. Apparently many here love Ratt but that doesn't make Lyndie's complaint any less valid. It's good to present both sides so people can make an informed decision. I've never used Ratt so I don't have an opinion but I welcome all opinions, good and bad. Give Lyndie a break.

I am sorry I asked a simply question that caused World War 111. I just wanted to know proper etiquitte based on experience that travelers who had used her, and Poons services once or twice in the past 4-5 years.
I have all the info I need and I thank you for your feedback.

tks laurieco, for your understanding. And apologies to Stan but I can't help but tell the facts, as they occurred, to us.

Let's agree to disagree. I'm not into personal attacks.

I have not detected any kind of attitude on Lyndie's part. I think that many times when you read something as opposed to hearing someone say the same thing, especially not knowing a person, it's easy to read a comment in a way it wasn't meant. I find Lyndie to be humourous and a breath of fresh air. Also, having traveled to Australia many times and having Aussie friends, maybe I see it differently. I guess I'm just getting a little discouraged that lately this forum has taken a turn to the mean and nasty. People seem to be less civil in their comments. Maybe I'm guilty of this too, I hope not. I understand that Ratt is beloved by many here but it seems that if anyone has a different opinion, they get pounced on. When did this forum become a dictatorship?

Craig, this isn't meant as a diatribe against anything you said so please don't take it that way. It's just the attitude in general these days in some posts. And, I'm having a bad day and feeling down so maybe I'm being overly sensitive.

laurie, you are a kind person & I want to say thanks again for defending me. I know I'm a loooong way from perfect!

Aussies are renowned for being, some would say, a little too forthright & sometimes too honest & too direct. You know what I mean. We are an egalitarian society and we treat everyone as equals or many of us do, or try to!

I'm sending you lots of hugs and every good wish that your day turns into a joyful one.

Let's all lighten up and thank our lucky stars we live where we do and we have what we have.

on a completely different note but still about Ratt

we've booked a car/driver for four days December 27-30 to drive us from bangkok to Sukhothai to Lampang to Chiang Mai.

It won't be Ratt as she is already busy herself but someone who works for her. Do you know are her other drivers/guides usually good?

Also does the fee include all the necessary car insurances?

thanks

Could someone supply Ratt and Poon's email address or website address

www.ratservice.com
[email protected]

I've hired Ratt for Monday, 19 December.

I'll let you all know what I think of her service when I return from my trip to Bangkok.

brussels:
Here is part of an email I recently received from Ratt explaining her drivers:
Please accept me to show you our rate:-



Our rates in Bangkok are:-



The driver with experience service with Taxi car rate 2,200 Baht / 10 hours, Half day 1,500 Baht, for O/T 220 Baht. Out off city charges more for gasoline. Hour rate is 400 Baht. For 4 people Asia size



For better English than the first group with car rate 2,500 Baht/10 hours, O/T 250 Baht per hour. Half day 1,800 Baht, for 4 people Asia size around the city. Out off city charges more for gasoline. For hour rate 400 Baht.



The English license guide with his car rate 3,000 Baht / 10 hours. Half day 2,000 Baht. For 4 people. Over time 300 Baht. Out off city charges more for gasoline.



The English license guide with his van rate 3,000 Baht / 8 hours. Half day 2,000 Baht. For 8 people. Over time 300 Baht, out off city charge more for gasoline.



The driver with experience service with The Mercedes Benz Van rate 3,000 Baht/ 8 hours 10 people, O/T 200 Baht per hour. Half day 2,000 Baht around the city, out off city charge more for gasoline. My father will be the driver.



The driver with experience service with New Toyota van can not speak English 3,000 Baht / 10 hours. For 12 people. O/T 200 Baht per hour, half day 2,000 Baht, out off city charge more for gasoline.



This price will not include parking and express way.



Airport picks up or drop not goes anywhere else will be 500 Baht for small car and 1,000 Baht for a van

hope this helps
Aloha!

thanks for sharring this....her prices are slightly more than 2 years ago but still a bargain overall...if you can get her as your driver, you have hit the jack pot...

she has obviously branched out and found some good associates to work with her....as we say it is the american way...entrpeuneural

She's really grown her business. Last December/January it was just her and her husband! Obviously word of mouth is working for her.

hank you Hawaii those are the same prices we got (english speaking guide for 10 hours a day at 3000) except as we are travelling from BKK to Chiang Mai over a four day period we also pay the guide's board and lodging 1000 per day and some additional cost for the gasoline all of which is understandable...

For RHKKMH: we are getting a driver/guide called (Ms) Kaew. I'll let you know what she's like

bye

I do not seem to be able to get a reply from Ratt at the Yahoo email address or the contact email on her web site, does anybody know any other email address ?