Apart from the BTS and MRT , which are unfortunately very limited in terms of city coverage at the moment, taxis remain the easiest and most convenient way to get around in and around Bangkok.
Taxis are mostly recent cars, Toyota sedans (mainly) a minimum of space and in addition to the traditional yellow and green or blue and red taxis (the latter which I see less and less it seems to me), these come in a multitude of colors among the most visible, pink but also blue, yellow, orange, etc. Brightening up the streets of Bangkok a little.
Finding a taxi is easy as there are so many of them (around 100, or about 000 taxi for every 1 inhabitants!), especially since there will always be one near hotels, shopping malls and other tourist spots.
Never mind, I have rarely understood the real interest in taking a tuk tuk apart from the "fun" side. Because in a taxi, it is a guarantee of regulated prices (if with a meter, see below in the advice), there is air conditioning and we are less exposed to pollution so what more could you ask for...
Take a cab
As such, it is very basic, taxis are hailed with the arm, directly. No need to position yourself in specific areas, although, out of respect for other users, avoid stopping a taxi at an intersection.
If you see the red light, at the corner of the windshield, it means that the taxi is already occupied, if it is green, it means that it is free (it is written in Thai "wang", which means free). Knowing that they have a meter, there is therefore no need to negotiate since the cost of the trip simply depends on the distance (see explanations below).
Depending on the area of the city, it can be difficult to find an honest taxi… In my experience, it is practically impossible to find a taxi with a meter around Khao San and the main temples. To overcome this, note that there is a metro in this area (Sanam Chai station, behind Wat Pho) and otherwise there are tuk tuks, it will not be cheaper but at least they are negotiable, so it remains in the order of things.
How much does a taxi cost in Bangkok?
The initial fare is 40 Baht; this is the figure you should see when the driver starts the meter. The meter remains fixed for the first kilometer, after which the fare increases as follows:
- For the distance from 1 km to 10 km, the taximeter fare is set at ฿6,50 per km.
- When the distance exceeds 10 km, up to 20 km, you will pay 7,00฿ per km
- The distance from 20 km to 40 km has a fixed rate of 8,00 Baht per km
- From 40 km to 60 km – 8,50 ฿ per km
- From 60 km to 80 km – 9,00 ฿ per km
- And finally, beyond 80 km – the fare rises to 10,50 ฿ per km
You will see that the fare is incremented by 2 Baht each time, this will happen more or less quickly depending on the distance traveled.
Note that if the taxi drives less than 6 km/h (traffic jams!!), then an hourly rate of 3 ฿ /min applies.
The fare quoted is normally up to date. There was a fare increase recently, increasing the average fare by 10%. In their defense, taxi fares had not changed for a long time, the starting price, previously 35 baht, had remained unchanged for 30 years!
Bonus: a really well-designed website to estimate the cost of your taxi ride in Bangkok! Taxi Fare in Bangkok
Typically, a taxi ride of a few kilometers will cost between 60 and 120 baht. A trip to/from Survanabhumi International Airport will generally cost between 350 and 450 baht depending on the location of your hotel, not including highway tolls which you must pay separately as well as the 50 baht airport tax.
Example of price
To give a concrete example: let's say you're staying near Khao San Road (just a guess…) and want to go to the Khlong Lat Mayom floating market , that's a distance of 15 km.
According to the calculation system, the ride should cost you 40 ฿ starting (representing 1km) + (next 11km x 6,50 ฿) + (last 3 km x 7 ฿) = 132,5 Baht (compared to 106,5 ฿ with the old pricing for comparison).
The city that never sleeps is never short of taxis, they are cheap (if honest) and available 24/24. The few exceptions being if you are far from a main artery, even more so if it is night or raining (taxis are, at that time, generally more popular).
Knowing that being a taxi driver must not be easy every day, if the driver has been polite and careful, a small tip or at least rounding up the fare is welcome and will be appreciated.
On the other hand, if a driver starts to confuse you with "it will cost 200 or 300 ฿", forget it, demand the meter and move on if he refuses. There is no shortage of taxis. The problem with accepting, even though many will tend to think that it is still cheap, is to fuel this phenomenon which exasperates the authorities as much as the locals.
Because what is hidden behind it is that with this apparent easy money, under the cover of "oh poor people, it gives them a helping hand", which in reality, some people gorge themselves on, and above all, they will tend to prefer foreign passengers, even refusing to take charge of locals.
Baggage supplement
Information passed discreetly and recently (end of 2020), it is official since published in the Royal Gazette. Taxis are now entitled to ask for a luggage supplement. The amount, varying from 20 to 100 baht, and will depend on the size of your belongings.
This surcharge does not apply to small personal items such as handbags, laptop bags or even backpacks, as long as they do not exceed the limit values (see below) and this, up to two bags possible, the 3rd will be payable in any case. This obviously does not apply to wheelchairs and other aids for disabled people, the elderly and hospital patients.
The tax will be 20 ฿ if the baggage dimensions exceed 66 cm (26 inches) and valid up to 125 cm (49 inches). For larger items, such as surfboards, bicycles, general sports equipment and musical instruments, for example, whose size exceeds 127 cm (50 inches), the tax in question increases to 100 baht.
10 Tips for Taking a Taxi in Bangkok
- A taxi is vacant if the red light is on (side opposite the driver normally)
- There is no need to negotiate the price of a taxi ride, all taxis in Bangkok are equipped with meters, which is normally MANDATORY! If a driver refuses to put the meter and insists on getting a fixed price instead of the meter then move on. After all, there is no shortage of taxis. Generally those waiting in front of hotels and very touristy places (Khao San, around the main temples) are often suspect... The best in this case is to move away from the place a little.
- Don't be surprised if a taxi driver refuses to take you to your destination., if it is now possible to report the said taxi to the police because it is now reprehensible, the simplest thing as a tourist remains to ask the next taxi, there is no shortage of them. It can happen, if your destination is particularly far away or in a place prone to traffic jams, that you will be refused several times before finding the right one.
- You can also take a taxi at the bus stop levels but expect to be honked at if a bus arrives...
- Just like tuk tuks, Beware of "friendly" drivers who want to take you to “good places”, to put it simply, run away from them!
- Don't expect the taxi driver to know the city like the back of his hand. and since GPS is rarely included, it is always better to have a map, a name with an address (if possible even in Thai), this is particularly valid for your hotel, because for other places I assume that they will often be tourist spots therefore known to taxis.
- Be careful when you get out of the taxi to check that a motorbike is not coming. between the taxi and the sidewalk! This is a "classic" case that unfortunately happens frequently, I'll let you imagine the state of the door but potentially of you and the driver of the motorcycle if this happened...
- It is common to round the price. at the closest to 5 or 10 bahts (like paying 85 or 90 when the taxi displays 83 Bahts), the working conditions of the driver not always being easy because it is rather easy to imagine how driving around Bangkok all day can be tiring, but it is not obligatory. It is quite common for drivers not to have much change, Always carry small denomination notes and coins with you.
- Yet obvious, before going out, check that you don't forget anything, if there are regularly honest taxis struggling to bring a property back to its owner, not all of them take this trouble!
- Last point, trust your instinct! If a taxi driver seems suspicious in any way when you share your destination, change your mind and choose another one.
Finally, it's worth noting that apps like Grab and Bolt now offer an alternative to taxis. From my personal experience, even though I rarely take taxis since I have my own car, I've never had any problems, apart from being refused service. But to avoid any unpleasant surprises, I often use Grab in those situations. It makes ordering a taxi easy, which is convenient for specific times in areas with limited public transport (where I live, it's a small street where taxis do sometimes pass, but they're not as frequent as on the main roads).
I hope that with these few tips you will avoid unpleasant surprises and inconveniences.
I still regularly hear people who take taxis at the airport, even though they are official, and who end up paying 600-800 baht if not more... Knowing that at the airport, a coupon is given to you, you MUST KEEP IT! If the driver takes it and does not give it back to you, demand that he gives it back and be sure that he puts the meter on!
And you, what is your experience with taxis in Bangkok?
