Bangkok Taxi Negotiations

uploaded by tigerfarm November 5, 2007 at 06:45 am
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After landing at the new Bangkok
airport, I walked to the arrival area to get a taxi. In the arrival
area, there are drivers that approached me offering to take me
downtown for 500 baht. I choose to go to the official taxi area. I
tell them the hotel I'm going to and they assign me a driver and
given a fixed price which was 550 baht. The money difference is
minor, the assigned drivers have been waiting in a queue for a fare,
where as the drivers that approached me are trying to get a quicker
fare, jump the line for a discounted price. You can choose whichever
you like. Which ever you choose, remember to make it clear that they
are to pay the express highway toll. The driver took me to my hotel,
the Grand Sukhumvit between soi 4 and soi 6, a very nice hotel which
has a short walk to the Skytrain (BTS). On the way to the hotel,
because I am man traveling alone, the driver offered to take me to a
place I could pickup a woman, I declined.

Some Bangkok taxi rules:

Get a fixed price or confirm they
use the meter. Don't let them start driving before knowing the price
or that they are using the meter.
It is common to have a fixed price
from the airport, and meter around town.
In Bangkok, BE SURE this driver
knows where to go. It is a big complex city. You may find him
driving in circles when you get close to the destination, not
because he is getting the fare up, but because he is unsure where to
go. If he goes in circles, talk to him, he may stop the meter while
he finds the location.
When leaving the hotel, bring a
hotel card with the address in the local language, Thai, and
English. This may help on the return trip.
Tips are are by task, not a
percentage of the fare. For short trips, no tip is required; I often
round up and not worry about a few baht. 20 or 40 baht is OK for a
tip. On long trips or day trips, a larger tip is optional because
you have set a fix price. Consider buying the driver lunch or drinks
(soda, coffee).
Tuk tuks are good for short trips, and when traffic is heavy,
they move in and out of traffic easier than a car. They are slightly
more expensive. From a tourist stop, such as the Suan Lum night
market near the Lumpini MRT station, expect inflated prices. I
offered a price, stood firm, and talked to a few drivers, I was
ready to walk away, when one of the drivers made a reasonable
counter offer and I accepted. I took the Skytrain to the MRT
(subway) to the market, then a tuk tuk on the return.

It is also a regular practice to hire a
driver to drive to other cities from Bangkok such as Ayutthaya or
Pattaya. The drivers all have fixed prices for common destinations;
ask a few drivers. When I selected my driver, I choose him because
his car is in nice shape, he is dressed nice, he is polite, and the
price reasonable, not the cheapest be I prefer to pay a little more
for a nicer ride. I had meet him during a short ride, and asked for
his card so that I could call him later. Since it is long distances,
I negotiate prior to leaving. I suggest you ask the driver in person,
not over the phone, unless you speak Thai, or the driver has good at
English (unlikely), it is difficult to discuss your travel plans and
get a clear understanding. You may get help from a hotel attendant to
help translate. Here is an example:

I wanted to go to Ancient
City and then to Chonburi. Because I could not pronounce Chonburi
properly, I need to use a map to get the point across. Because of
time, i only went to Ancient City; the price was 1,500 baht. I left
at 11:30am, returning at 6:00pm to Bangkok. At Ancient City, the
driver suggested I rent the electric car (golf cart) to drive around
Ancient City. This would save him driving, I declined, and he drove.
One good reason is that it was very hot, I needed the car's aircon to
cool me off during the day. Since it was a long trip, I bought him a
couple sodas; he was reasonable and polite, and so I was reasonable
and polite in return. When we returned to Bangkok, he asked to take
me to a government-run store that had a very large area for gems, and
smaller area for our cultural products. This store gives the taxi
driver a coupon, you can look around, and buy or not buy. I had been
to this same place on a prior bus tour, I like it, I wish I can
remember the name. Feel free to go or not, and do not feel you need
to buy. I liked just looking at the all the items, and there are some
low cost, under a 1,000 baht items.