buksida wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 7:50 am
I don't think the Hua Hin taxi/tuk tuk drivers can complain when they're blatantly preying on and ripping off tourists (as they have always done). Bolt and Grab have put them in their place by threatening their cash cow which is a good thing for the consumer IMO. Likewise in Bangkok, how many times do those bandits refuse to put the meter on, quote a stupid price because they think you're a stupid farang, or just don't want to go to where you do and drive away ... its time they had their arses kicked.
Considering the lack of traffic usually experienced in Hua Hin, I am amazed at the fares the normal taxis get away with charging. Okay, I live a little further out, but I really think some sort of regulation is long overdue. I can drive the same distance in a normal taxi in traffic bound Bkk, taking twice as long, and still pay half the price, or less. Now, the argument would be that in Bkk, at journey's end, a taxi can find another fare, whereas in Hua Hin they can't, but I still regard the fares as excesssive.
The thing in Bkk when using grab, and I assume Bolt, who have yet to find me a ride, is that you pay more when using their service compared to a normal taxi. Okay, you have the convenience of being picked up where you choose, and not having to spend time searching for a cab in the first place, but you pay for it. And it's no longer a surprise, when using Grab, how often I am picked up in a regular Bkk taxi.