Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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Big Boy
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Big Boy »

There was no point - he was trying to rip us off. However, yes, I've drilled it into Mrs BB that no meter means rip off, so she asked nicely when we got in, which is why he was trying to negotiate no meter.

Completely different this morning - taxi to Tanya Park - fare 200 Baht, Mrs BB gave him 300 (too much in my opinion). However, Bangkok taxis are cheap, and 200 or 300 Baht for a 50 minute ride - nobody is compaining.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Pleng »

There was a point. Yes he may have been trying to rip you off, but to jump straight in with an ultimatum when all he's done at first is offer you a fixed fare would have been a bit of an over reaction.

Sometimes I'm offered a fixed price in airport taxis. Usually all it takes is a "no thanks, turn the meter on please" and the drivers usually oblige. Seems like you got a bad egg in this particular ride, though.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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An interesting point Pleng, so just what purpose other than wanting to rip passengers off does not using the meter serve? Surely the driver isn't offering you a discount.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Bristolian »

Big Boy wrote:An interesting point Pleng, so just what purpose other than wanting to rip passengers off does not using the meter serve? Surely the driver isn't offering you a discount.
Actually in some cases they are offering you a discount. By going off-meter the charge is not shown to the taxi company and goes straight into the driver's pocket. I regularly use a taxi to get to the office, each day, and some of the taxi drivers will go off meter and offer me a lower price.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by PeteC »

I found the below through Google. Assume they are up to date. Pete :cheers:

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 35.00 ฿
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 7.00 ฿
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 120.00 ฿
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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OK, point taken, but this was a fare that we've done a couple of times, so knew what was fair and what was rip off. Obviously tying to rip his boss off as well.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Pleng »

Big Boy wrote:An interesting point Pleng, so just what purpose other than wanting to rip passengers off does not using the meter serve? Surely the driver isn't offering you a discount.
Well you could argue that some people like to know in advance how much they are going to pay for any given service.

But that wasn't really the point. The point was that there's no point in getting angry just because you've been offered a fixed fare. We all know that taxi drivers, and pretty much anybody who's offering any kind of service, will try it on from time to time. So getting angry at the offer and making threats to leave the vehicle without even first just asking for the meter to be turned on would have been, in my view, an over reaction. It would have probably involved some loss of face, too, I guess. If a polite request has already been turned down, then that (in my mind) is a completely different story.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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No, you've got it wrong. I said Mrs BB does these things i.e. I stated above, "so she asked nicely when we got in, which is why he was trying to negotiate no meter". At my insistence, the first thing she always does when we get a taxi is insist that it will be meter. She is not a nasty woman, so I assume she is asking nicely. The guy then started the journey without the meter, and started to negotiate a price - it had to stop there and then, before we'd got too far into the journey.

The meter, unless tampered with, will always give you the correct price - no need to barter. I hadn't even considered Bristolian's point that it is done to rip off the taxi company.

The journey was one we've done a few times before, so we knew the cost, and knew he was trying to rip us off with his 'bargain' all in price, which would include tolls etc.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Pleng »

Big Boy wrote:No, you've got it wrong. I said Mrs BB does these things i.e. I stated above, "so she asked nicely when we got in, which is why he was trying to negotiate no meter".
Yes I get that, now. that's why I said "... without even first just asking for the meter to be turned on would have been..." instead of was. It wasn't that clear in your original post, though. Which is why I asked.

The meter, unless tampered with, will always give you the correct price - no need to barter.
Of course it will.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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Just an amusing aside, whilst on the subject of taxis. Our last taxi driver today took us through 2 police checks on our way back to the airport.

Just to prove that it's not only Farangs that fall victim to Bangkok's BIB scammers. He told the story of when he was late taking a Farang client to the airport. He never had time to shave that morning. When stopped, the BIB demanded 100 Baht for driving unshaven. :D
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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Not an airport taxi, but probably as good a thread as any.................

I had a strange experience in Bangkok yesterday. We flagged down a Bangkok taxi, and asked him to take us to the railway station. We loaded the taxi and were on our way. He asks where we're travelling to by train - Hua Hin. He says I'll do it for 1,600 Baht. I said no thank you, we're travelling by train. He asked 2 more times, with the same answer. He then stopped his taxi quite suddenly, and ordered us out of his cab. He didn't have his photo in the front for me take a photo a report him.

OK, this was Bangkok, the rain had stopped, and we knew there would be another one along within seconds.

Mrs BB flagged a taxi down, and 2 stopped :? . Told the first one where we were going - not interested. The second one accepted the fare, which turned out to be 100 Baht. There was one minor delay en-route. When we arrived he pulled up at the taxi rank where there were 3 army officers waiting and used him immediately. Obviously the 2nd cab anticipated the 1st cab refusing the fare.

I said a strange experience - what I mean is that these are Bangkok Taxis, driving around looking for fares in a city where there is a decent public transport network and 1000's of cabs. How many people are going to flag them down and agree to a 1,600 Baht fare anyway? Why dump us? He was earning money. Why did the next taxi turn us down, and carry on empty? With thousands of Bangkok taxis driving around at any time, what is the chance of being stopped to pick up that dream fare? I honestly don't know where they are coming from. At least the Hua Hin Tuk Tuks wait in one place for their next fare. These guys are driving around one of the world's most congested cities.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Nereus »

Not an airport taxi, but probably as good a thread as any.................
I no longer use taxis if I can avoid it, but this type of thing, and refusing a fare, used to be the order of the day.
Smart phone with a camera,(number plate) AFTER you have been refused, or alighted, and send the photo to the control board.

They have tightened up big time on these rouge drivers the last year or so, and most of them have been pulled into line.
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

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I looked for the photo at the front, but was probably a little stunned to think of taking a photo of the number plate.

What about the guy who simply refused the fare - what was that all about - he was driving around looking for fares, if not why did he have his light on, and stop? The guy that picked us up had 2 consecutive fares, while the other guy continued driving aimlessly with the other 999 empty cabs in the area.

I know its Thai logic, but I'm afraid that I don't understand it. If he wasn't going to pick up fares, why did he bother getting out of bed?
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by oakdale160 »

The thing that grabs me is that a farang with a Thai wife could be ripped off. I thought that was one of the advantages of having a Thai lady, that you would be protected from this sort of thing
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Re: Airport surcharges, taxi fares to rise soon

Post by Pleng »

Big Boy wrote: What about the guy who simply refused the fare - what was that all about - he was driving around looking for fares, if not why did he have his light on, and stop?
Well that's not exclusive to Thailand, drivers refusing fares is a big problem for private hire firms in England, too.

The reasons he might have refused the fare... maybe he's on his way somewhere and only wants to pick up customers who are heading to the same general area. Or maybe he's aware that traffic is particularly bad at the destination or en route, and doesn't want to deal with it.
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