Bangkok is probably the only city in Thailand where real very convenient to use a taxi. It is also cheap if compare with Moscow and St. Petersburg prices. Yes, there is a taxi resorts, but there is usually such a price they tear up, that it’s easier to rent a bike or a car and not depend on anyone. In the capital of Thailand just went out, waved his hand, and after a while you sit in the air-conditioned cabin, looking like slowly spinning counter.
We lived in Bangkok for 2 months and fully appreciated this opportunity. With fairly frequent movements (3-5 trips to week), the total cost of a taxi for the month came about 3,000 baht, which is less than if we rented a car, and even less than if we rented a bike! Why ask, spend too much think about parking, give a security deposit for an indefinite term when there is a taxi? Well, and those who want to save more, you need use the metro and buses, as well as more walk on foot.
The content of the article
- 1 General Taxi Information in Bangkok
- 1.1 Taxi colors
- 1.2 Free taxi
- 1.3 Taxi fare in Bangkok
- 1.4 Toll road
- 1.5 Divorces
- 2 How to explain where to go
- 2.1 Destination Address
- 2.2 Hotel Card or Voucher
- 2.3 Case Study
- 3 How to drive over the counter
- 4 Taxis from Bangkok Airport
Contents
General Taxi Information in Bangkok
For those who live long in Thailand or Bangkok, I am not America I will open it. Perhaps I myself do not know enough, but I know my knowledge quite enough, and in conjunction with the GPS any lack of them I I do not feel.
Taxi colors
As soon as you find yourself in Bangkok and go outside, you have “zapestrit” in the eyes of a large number of taxis of different colors. Taxis can be: yellow, pink, green-yellow, green, orange, blue. This only means belonging to a particular company. I did not notice any other differences. Only thing to me it seemed that green-yellow more, because we are more often on them just moved, and even on the pink.
Multicolored Taxi in Bangkok
Free taxi
If the taxi is free, then in the lower right corner (from catching a taxi), the Thai red cracker will burn. Waving hand and stop. In the dark, you can see perfectly in bright sunny day so-so.
The “free” icon is lit in the lower corner.
Taxi fare in Bangkok
You can take a taxi by the meter or at a fixed price. But everything is much easier than in Vietnam, where you need to be burned a traveler so that you will not be deceived and know the volume instructions for using a taxi. Counters in Tae don’t wind up, so if you drove over the counter, you can relax.
For landing in a taxi you pay 35 baht. It is from this figure the counter starts. Further mileage and downtime will be considered. (two small numbers on the counter). Therefore, sometimes you can “insist” in a traffic jam a good amount, almost not moving forward. But even with considering taxi jams in Bangkok is cheap: we went to the hospital repeatedly (3 km) paid somewhere 60-80 baht depending on road congestion. Ha two, it turns out like on the subway.
Detailed layout of the cost of the meter
The fixed price is usually 1.5-2 times higher than the one that will be to the counter. I try to drive only on the counter, you just need to know as. Although in rare cases, you have to take a ride at a fixed price. Yes, note that the meter is valid only in the city, in Pattaya, Hua Hin and td, you will go only at a fixed price.
Toll road
The passenger pays for the toll road if to the counter. In the case of a fixed price, sometimes it enters immediately indicated amount. Prices are 25-30 baht (per passenger car), so do not worry, but you can get there quickly. Toll road looks like any other toll road, with turnpikes and booths payment
Divorces
In fact, I only met with two types of divorces: fixed price and route with a hook.
The first case is the most common. As far as I understand, taxi drivers should ideally only carry over the counter. And here is a simple Exit: I do not like fixed price – do not drive. On the sign Taxi-Meter, flaunting on the roof, do not pay attention, it is on each taxi and nothing depends on it.
The second divorce is that the taxi driver may not be lucky the shortest way, or specially a hook will do. Fight with it You can, either knowing the city, or having a GPS with a built route. Just learn, a taxi driver can drive around traffic jams, don’t need him for nothing to scold. In any case, about his mistake, you need to talk more softly and with smile, if at all to say, because hardly change anything, and in money you will lose a little. Confronted this recently so as a taxi driver, obviously with a big hook. And I’m talking to him, dude us the other way, let’s turn, and he only nods “Okay, okay” and passes the next turn. In general, there is only exit it was possible from a taxi, but we were late, so we decided to go further. As a result, overpaid somewhere on 30 baht more, and lost extra 10-15 minutes of time.
How to explain where to go
Destination Address
You need to know the destination address and this is worth it. take care in advance. Only the addresses here are not quite the same as ours. You need to know the street and the lane (soi) where the object is located. Sometimes it is desirable to say the location of the dislocation or some famous object near. Note, your pronunciation of Thai titles will be very different, so if you don’t know how it is pronounced it is best to have it all written on paper and preferably in Thai. Although some areas taxi drivers will be able to understand in any pronunciation, because, or pronounced like, or, because the areas are too touristy. For example, Khaosan road), where 50% or more foreigners travel, it is difficult to distort.
Hotel card or voucher
If you need a hotel, then know its name, sometimes will be enough, especially if he is famous. Also print hotel voucher (enough screenshots on the phone), or have it with you business card hotel. There will be listed all the necessary data and phone, where the taxi driver will call if something is not clear to him. So until the hotel is easy to get to. Again, GPS is useful when the hotel is unknown and is located on an incomprehensible jay at the entrance help the taxi driver navigate. Or just get out of the car and trample a couple of hundred meters to the right place. By the way, if you want find a hotel in Bangkok in advance on the Internet, choose a comfortable accommodation on RoomGuru, is a service where you can compare prices for hotels in different booking systems.
Specific example
We live in a condominium that is located on the street. Ratchaparop. But the street is long, and the lane of our house does not have titles. Therefore, I always call the nearby lane Rang Nam Soi, to mark the location. That is, I stop a taxi and say: Rachaparop, Ran Nam soy. And I speak in turn when the taxi driver understood the first name, I say the second. Sometimes I repeat 3 times, for my pronunciation is lame. Next, when approaching Rang Nam Soi, I I indicate where to go next.
A center for training with Egor, we go on a different scheme. I asked center staff to write in Thai where it is located and just immediately show this description on the phone display to the driver. Perhaps there could have been done with the previous scheme, but there they are muddy place are.
How to ride the counter
First, I’ll write the easiest way – this application Grabtaxi. Put it on your smartphone, register by phone number (better indicate local Thai, as taxi drivers will call it) and then order a taxi over the counter. For using the application you will need to pay an extra 50 baht, so for short travel is not entirely relevant. The downside of the app is that it knows not all addresses, but an arbitrary point cannot be chosen. True in Bangkok is not a problem, you can simply select the nearest point, there a lot of things. Also, when ordering, you can specify the point destination, then there will be fewer problems to explain to the taxi driver where must go. Another of the nuances – when the taxi driver calls you, I will be in path to you, you can tell him “GPS”, and most will understand that You need to go at the point specified in the application. Because otherwise It will be difficult to explain the language barrier.
Another basic and more traditional way: stop taxi, call the address, if the taxi driver agrees, show on counter and speak mater (meter). Further, if he says ok, then sit down and drive. If he refuses and calls some fixed price, then just close the door and catch the following Taxi. Sometimes all this can take time, and sometimes even have to agree on a fixed price.
In a non-tourist area, the first taxi is likely to be lucky. you on the counter, and in the tourist 5th in a row. Also need Be aware that during rush hour, taxi drivers are reluctant to carry over the counter. But this is mainly the case when you need to go through traffic jams, that is, in the center of Bangkok.
Rush Hour in the center of Bangkok
“Stop the taxi,” I wrote for good reason, because stop. Those taxi drivers that are parked are not lucky you on the counter. Together with the tuk-tukers, they are waiting for those who will go on a fixed price. And they will be convinced that traffic jams Fix price is cheap, and so on. Therefore, I immediately ignore them, say “No” and in the controversy do not enter, and just silently catch passing Taxi. By the way, a taxi on the counter almost always turns out cheaper than knock knock.
As an option, if you want to quarrel, you can, nothing without asking, just leave the taxi immediately get in, call address and turn away through the window, they say, do not care, carry. Next can to be different things, a taxi driver or lucky, or pretend that does not understand where and does not speak a word in English at all, but maybe something else will come up, like a taxi broke. In the bottom the left corner of the windshield has a sign with his name and number phone. There you can call and complain that such and such, was driving around the city with the “free” icon, but taking you over the counter is not wants.
Taxi from Bangkok Airport
At Suvarnabhumi Airport, where most arrive travelers, taking a taxi over the counter is very easy. Get down to the first floor (it is the second in a row, because the lower one is ground or zero) and look for the Public Taxi index. Go out on the street This sign and approach the terminal with the inscription Public Taxi. By in large, you can exit any exit on this floor and just look around, the terminals can not be overlooked impossible. There there may be a small queue, but usually not long to wait.
Just in case, I remind you if you need a ticket to intercity bus or train, then you can buy them in advance via the Internet on the site 12go.asia. This is now the only service. for buying tickets online. Payment by credit card or PayPal. Site checked, I recommend!
Public Taxi at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Recently, the queue made electronic, you come to the terminal, press the button, you are given a voucher with a parking number. Further in go to the parking with this number (it burns on a board over each parking space), give the coupon to the driver, say where go and leave.
For landing in a taxi, you pay a standard 35 baht, but there is still a separate airport tax of 50 baht, it is paid by plus to the amount of the counter at the end of the trip. Also, the taxi driver can go on a paid the road, then another 30-50 baht, paid around the money collecting booth for paid travel.
From the airport to the city center, we usually reach the counter somewhere for 300-500 baht with all fees. If you go a little further or on traffic jams, it can work and 600 baht. But no more should, though depends where you are going. Back to the airport a taxi will want to guide you. at a fixed price. Bargain, for 300-400 baht it is quite possible leave from the city center.
Life hacking 1 – how to buy a good insurance
Choosing insurance is now unrealistically difficult, therefore, to help everyone travelers, I make a rating. To do this, constantly monitor forums, I study insurance contracts and use insurance by myself.
Insurance Rating
Life hacking 2 – how to find a hotel 20% cheaper
First, choose a hotel on Booking. They have a good base offers, but the prices are NOT the best! The same hotel is often possible find 20% cheaper in other systems through the RoomGuru service.
Discount hotels
