5 Essential Tips To Take a Taxi in Thailand

Taxi is everywhere on the streets in Thailand. Taking advantage of this kind of transportation is another story. Therefore, it is necessary to know about tips when using a taxi. The article includes 5 essential tips to take a taxi in Thailand. Hope that it is helpful for your trip to this beautiful country. 

Taxi is one of the most convenient & popular ways to travel around Thailand. It is cheap, easy, available everywhere. However, you can find something challenging to catch a taxi in Thailand. Below are 5 essential tips which can help you to avoid unexpected problems using this service. Hope you travel safely and happily in Thailand!

Taking a taxi at the airport

Tip number one: Know your exact destination

The number one tip for taking a taxi in Thailand is knowing the exact destination. Bear in mind that there are few drivers in Thailand who can speak English. It is highly recommended to take a map with you or have the name of the place you want to reach written in Thai. You can also ask the bellhop, security guard, or your Thai friend to tell your driver where you want to go. Google Maps can help you to find the fastest way and avoid tricky taxi drivers who use a longer route to get a higher rate.

Tip number two: Choose reliable taxi brands

One way to avoid tricky taxi drivers is to use reliable taxi brands. You may be wondering which ones you can trust in. The information below can help:
Reliable taxi brands in Bangkok
• Peter Bangkok Taxi: Hotline +66 88 664 0111
• Enjoy Taxi Bangkok: Hotline +66 87 675 1434
• Tommy Taxi Bangkok: Hotline +66 85 990 9995
Reliable taxi brands in Chiang Mai:
• Chiang Mai Taxi Mr. Wee: Hotline +66 87 179 3135
• TAXI SERVICE CHIANG MAI: Hotline +66 95 674 8877
• Taxi-Empire Chiang Mai Thailand: Hotline +66 93 140 9528
Reliable taxi brands in Chiang Rai:
• Taxi Chiang Rai: Hotline +66 93 381 3157
• Chiang Rai Taxi Booking service: Hotline +66 88 589 2513
Reliable taxi brands in Phuket:
• Deedee Phuket Car/ Taxi Booking Service:
• Private Phuket Airport transfer by Sunny Elephant: Hotline +66 82 419 9386

The rate normally starts at Bath 35 and adds up every Bath 5.5/km and Bath 2 min in traffic

Tip number three: Insist on the taxi meter

Do not forget to ask the drivers to turn on the meter before you use their service. If the drivers refuse to use a meter and try to give you the fixed price, step away, and flag down another taxi. Drivers are not allowed to offer non-meter fares, but they always try to do that to get higher rates. Even if you feel like it is a reasonable price in your home currency, it can be twice as much as the metered fare. Thai taxi fare can be calculated based on the time, not the distance when a taxi drives slowly in rush hours. The rate starts at Bath 35 and adds up every Bath 5.5/km and Bath 2 per min in traffic

Taximeter on the street in Bangkok

Tip number four: Be careful of taxi scams

While most taxi drivers are doing their good job, others try to make more money from customers with their scams. Below are a few scams you should pay attention when you are using taxi services in Thailand
- Claiming a place is closed and sending you to “recommended” places (usually low-quality places) where he gets a commission
- Recommending a seafood restaurant or a massage parlor… because they may receive commissions from them, including gas coupons for bringing in customers.
- Adding a fee (e.g. luggage, booking)
- Not using a meter or driving a longer route to get a higher rate.

Tip number five: Use transportation apps

If you do not want to haggle a price, hail a taxi during the busy time, or insist on a meter you can use transportation apps. There are few apps for calling taxis in Thailand:
Uber:
You definitely have heard of Uber. It is one of the most popular & cheapest taxi calling apps in Thailand. To register as a member, you need to have a phone number in Thailand. With Uber, you can see an estimated price of the ride you just booked. Rates start at Bath 25 on top of a meter rate of Bath 4.5/km and Bath 1.5/min in traffic.

Uber

Grab Taxi
Grab Taxi is one of the original taxi calling apps in Bangkok. To be a grab driver, the taxi driver needs to pass some examinations, therefore a grab driver can be more skillful than others. There is a great number of taxis in the app, so you will not have to wait too long for a taxi. Rate starts Bath 35 plus Bath 5.5/km and Bath 2/min in traffic

Grab Taxi

All Thai Taxi
It is a less known taxi app but earns great reviews from customers. The highlight of this app is that they all use eco-friendly Toyota PRUIS loaded with GPS and camera. Lady taxi where the drivers are female is available for you to choose.

All Thai Taxi

Having those tips in hand, you will be soon familiarized with taking a taxi in Thailand. Just grab a cab, get over your destination, and enjoy Thailand.

Jenny Tran
(Image Source: Internet)