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Operation OF The Taxi Service In Bangkok

By antonabe, Created on: 21/10/2008, Last updated on: 10/05/2009

» I wish to share my experience of the Taxi service in Bangkok.The service from the Airport to the Hotels is excellent and is no cause for concern.However if one to get about in Bangkok from the Hotels to the different shopping molls etc the Taxi driver refuse to oprate the Meter although they have...

• J_as commented : It is true that Bkk taxi drivers tend to avoid using meter... however everything comes at a price. If you see that you would only pay a bit of extra without using a meter then what the hell? And you can always find a taxi that WILL use a meter. Its not like there is a shortage of taxis in Bkk. Cheating on taxi customers is not a problem of Thailand, it is a problem of ALL developing countries from China and Malaysia to Bulgaria and Romania. Overall I think Bangkok has got one of the best and indeed best value taxi services in the world (although Singapore being not too far behind, considering the top-notch service quality). And if you take just a few tips into account (asking for meter, if not, then asking price in advance and making sure it's not over the top, simply getting onto another taxi, being polite... simple as 1,2,3) you'll have a great taxi experience. I have never had problems with rudeness or anything (something that is so common in many countries). And I can also share two of my recent experiences: 1: Perhaps my worst experience with Bkk taxi. I asked the taxi driver to get me to Poseidon massage place in Ratchadaphisek rd.. I specifically pointed the location on the map and he said ok. Every taxi driver knows it anyway. Then he took me to another place in a completely different location. I explained him that I didn't want to go there and if he could take me to where I asked. He refused (perhaps he had a deal with that massage place to bring all foreigners to them no matter what massage parlor they ask to go to). I paid him 50 baht (i.e. what the meter showed) and just left the car because I didn't want to get into a conflict and realized that I would end up being on the loosing side anyway. 2: I was traveling from Siam to a location in Din Daeng and the driver seemed young and very inexperienced. He wasn't sure where exactly to go and seemingly made a wrong turn at some intersection which meant he had to do a big circle before turning back. He asked some passers by and we finally got to our destination. The meter was showing 86 baht and I was prepared to give him 90. He, however, refused to take it and have me back 40 baht and explained that it was his fault that we had to drive so long. So even the taxi drivers are not all who only look at you as a walking ATM, no matter how strange that would be.

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