Taxi in Bangkok
Aug 4th, 2003, 08:09 AM
#2
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My experience includes taxis and tuk tuks in BKK. (tuk tuks are a fun but hair raising ride sometimes) Negotiate the price before getting in. Ask first for "taxi meter" (in English is ok) to see if the driver will turn the meter on. Be very careful of a cheap deal that sounds too good to be true, because once you are in the taxi/on the tuk tuk, the driver may try to take you to a jeweler or tailor where he gets commission. In that case, GET OUT. You can always find another driver.
If possible, I would avoid street traffic and take the sky train. Routes are limited but you can walk to many of the most popular places from along the routes.
As far as speaking English, I've found very few taxi/tuk tuk drivers who do. Your hotel doorman can help you get a good taxi and he can also explain to the driver where you are going. You will want your hotel's business card to help your next driver get you back there when you are through sight-seeing or shopping.
I have no idea how many taxi companies there are. Taxis are very plentiful!
If possible, I would avoid street traffic and take the sky train. Routes are limited but you can walk to many of the most popular places from along the routes.
As far as speaking English, I've found very few taxi/tuk tuk drivers who do. Your hotel doorman can help you get a good taxi and he can also explain to the driver where you are going. You will want your hotel's business card to help your next driver get you back there when you are through sight-seeing or shopping.
I have no idea how many taxi companies there are. Taxis are very plentiful!
Aug 4th, 2003, 08:26 AM
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This is my first week back from BKK after a month there. Depending on where you are staying, getting a taxi and communicating with the driver is usually easy but can be trying. The base charge is 35 bht and the rate after that adds up very very slowly. The most we ever paid in cab fare was for an hour ride to the airport in rush hour which came to 160 bht ($4) . If you do go to the airport, make sure to tell the driver to take the expressway. You will need to give them the 70 bht as you approach the toll booths, but the saving him time will be enormous. Sitting in traffic will be your worst problem since there is little if anything you or they can do. Hence, whenever possible take the Skytrain - also very reasonable- but not the motorcycle taxis which are very dangerous and uninsured. Private Tuk Tuks can be an option but be careful to negotiate your price before you get in.
Generally speaking, we had no problem with taxis, whereever we went as long as we made sure each time that unless we were going to a major temple or landmark that we had either a business card or map written in Thai with the place we were going to AND a card from our hotel to get back. If your hotel offers it, get them to summon the cab and tell the driver where you want to go. That way you at least know that they understand or know where you want to go.
After a while we learned enough Thai to communicate where we wanted to go and how to get back, whether by taxi or skytrain. Don't be bothered by a driver refusing to take you- he has that right and usually because the traffic will be horrible there. By the same token, lots of the drivers speak some english and can be pretty helpful and fun. We met one driver just before we were leaving for Chiang Mai and learned that he lives there most of the time and rides his motorcycle back and forth each week. He gave us some great places to eat and tips on things to do.
Have a great time and don't forget to tip. dyw
Generally speaking, we had no problem with taxis, whereever we went as long as we made sure each time that unless we were going to a major temple or landmark that we had either a business card or map written in Thai with the place we were going to AND a card from our hotel to get back. If your hotel offers it, get them to summon the cab and tell the driver where you want to go. That way you at least know that they understand or know where you want to go.
After a while we learned enough Thai to communicate where we wanted to go and how to get back, whether by taxi or skytrain. Don't be bothered by a driver refusing to take you- he has that right and usually because the traffic will be horrible there. By the same token, lots of the drivers speak some english and can be pretty helpful and fun. We met one driver just before we were leaving for Chiang Mai and learned that he lives there most of the time and rides his motorcycle back and forth each week. He gave us some great places to eat and tips on things to do.
Have a great time and don't forget to tip. dyw
Aug 4th, 2003, 09:45 AM
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i have had repeated trouble with the red and blue taxis---these are "rented" taxis...the drivers never speak endlish and have navigational problems and often the meters are rigged to cheat you...i never take them if i can help it and if i do i watch everything they do and watch the meter....you should be able to ride quite a ways without the meter changing or sit for quite a while without a price change...otherwise the meter has been fooled with
the yellow and green tqxis on the other hand are a pleasure...they are generally diriver owned, newer and in better shape, cleaner, better a/c, etc, etc...i have never had a problem with them...english is a crap shoot with drivers no matter what company although i find that i have better english luck with the yellow and green ...
in short if a red and blue is next in line or approaches you i do not get in, and i take the next cab or wait a few minutes for a yellow and green...
have your hotel write your destination on a card for you to give the driver and keep a card with you for your return trip to the hotel...have them also write other destinations you will go to that day....
i take the sky train to as near a destination as i can and then take a cab...that is if the sky train is nearby to where i am starting from....traffic is horrible most of the time in bkk...i also get out of cabs in mid ride if i do not like something or if i am stuck in traffic and am near the sky train...the drivers are very nice about this and you just pay them with a small tip...they sometimes overshoot a destination so you have to watch and tell them stop here---i use hand signals pointing to the curb and they get it and stop....
the yellow and green tqxis on the other hand are a pleasure...they are generally diriver owned, newer and in better shape, cleaner, better a/c, etc, etc...i have never had a problem with them...english is a crap shoot with drivers no matter what company although i find that i have better english luck with the yellow and green ...
in short if a red and blue is next in line or approaches you i do not get in, and i take the next cab or wait a few minutes for a yellow and green...
have your hotel write your destination on a card for you to give the driver and keep a card with you for your return trip to the hotel...have them also write other destinations you will go to that day....
i take the sky train to as near a destination as i can and then take a cab...that is if the sky train is nearby to where i am starting from....traffic is horrible most of the time in bkk...i also get out of cabs in mid ride if i do not like something or if i am stuck in traffic and am near the sky train...the drivers are very nice about this and you just pay them with a small tip...they sometimes overshoot a destination so you have to watch and tell them stop here---i use hand signals pointing to the curb and they get it and stop....
Aug 4th, 2003, 11:19 AM
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There have been references to "tips"! What is considered a decent tip for a taxi driver? Are tips the norm in other venues i.e. concierge, hotel bell hops, waiter/waitress etc? I read somewhere that tips are not the general rule in Thailand - similar to Tahiti where tips are actually frowned upon. Please set me straight!
Aug 4th, 2003, 12:58 PM
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This was a regular source of speculation between my wife and I. Generally, for a taxi, I'd tip the difference between whatever the meter was and the next increment of 20 baht. If it was pouring rain and the driver was nice, I'd tip 20 more. That said, my wife maintained that tips in the form of coins were insulting, and so only bills were given resulting in a huge pile of coins back in our room. The only safe place to use them appeared to be the skytrain, for a soda, or to donate to a needy person.
Tips in general appeared not to be expected, but were greatly appreciated most everywhere we went, but only for when manual labor or extra effort were involved. The norm for us was 50 bht, 100 if lots of luggage was involved. If the restaurant bill included a service charge, which most did, I cut back on the tip but generally left 100 bht . For lots of things that were free, such as the tuk tuk service from our hotel, I generally always tipped 20. In fact, by the second day, I got in the habbit of using my shirt pocket exclusively for tip and taxi money rather than digging into my wallet.
So did it help or make a difference? I only know that the tuk tuk was always ready as soon as possible and that when we were getting ready to leave the staff really went out of their way to find boxes for our load of souveniers, cushions and extra clothes to cart home. Even after we had checked out, they immediately let us have our room back, stay two extra days, and sent an english-speaking staff person to help us get through the process of bringing back a dog. On a train to Chiang Mai, a small tip ensured that we got our beds made and food delivered first, unlike a family we were traveling with who didn't bother.
So in the end, while it may have made things easier, we finally concluded that Thai people really work hard for their money and that what is small change here can and really make a difference to them. With that in mind, we consider it essential to show that we do appreciate their efforts regardless if it is expected or not. dyw
Tips in general appeared not to be expected, but were greatly appreciated most everywhere we went, but only for when manual labor or extra effort were involved. The norm for us was 50 bht, 100 if lots of luggage was involved. If the restaurant bill included a service charge, which most did, I cut back on the tip but generally left 100 bht . For lots of things that were free, such as the tuk tuk service from our hotel, I generally always tipped 20. In fact, by the second day, I got in the habbit of using my shirt pocket exclusively for tip and taxi money rather than digging into my wallet.
So did it help or make a difference? I only know that the tuk tuk was always ready as soon as possible and that when we were getting ready to leave the staff really went out of their way to find boxes for our load of souveniers, cushions and extra clothes to cart home. Even after we had checked out, they immediately let us have our room back, stay two extra days, and sent an english-speaking staff person to help us get through the process of bringing back a dog. On a train to Chiang Mai, a small tip ensured that we got our beds made and food delivered first, unlike a family we were traveling with who didn't bother.
So in the end, while it may have made things easier, we finally concluded that Thai people really work hard for their money and that what is small change here can and really make a difference to them. With that in mind, we consider it essential to show that we do appreciate their efforts regardless if it is expected or not. dyw
