A Guide to Taxis in Thailand – Tips and Advice

Although it has to be said that like many things in Thailand, the use of taxi services can sometimes be a little less than straightforward. There are a multitude of somewhat complex reasons for this, as we shall see, with the most obvious issue for visitors being the language barrier.

Admittedly Thailand’s taxis (and particularly those in Bangkok), have done much to earn themselves a less than favourable reputation over the years. The most obvious reasons for this include overcharging, bad driving, or simply having no clue of a logical route. There are also continuous reports of much more serious misdemeanours than that.

And yet— armed with the right knowledge and a few decent pointers regarding what to expect from taxis in Thailand, this could be one of those issues that can be more easily-managed. And this is why this post will hopefully prove invaluable on a number of levels for anyone considering a trip to Thailand.  

Types of Taxi Services in Thailand 

The services on offer may vary somewhat from place to place outside of the capitol. We know Bangkok is chock-full of more taxis than you can shake a stick at with the regular metre service. In places like Phuket and Chiang Mai you find the majority of services are likely to be the pre-booked, tour type which is largely necessary to get around those types of places anyway.

The downside of transportation in these kinds of areas focused heavily on tourism is that prices will be comparably higher and there is often little alternative. Grab and Bolt are becoming increasingly used in these areas, much to the consternation of regular local operators.

The main types of taxi services available in Thailand then are:

• Pre-arranged transfer services from airports
•  Airport taxi ranks
•  A hailed taxi
• Taxis via transportation apps.

Pre-Arranged Airport Transfers Taxi Ranks 

Anyone who has pre-booked accommodation is usually offered the option of an airport pick-up, paid or otherwise, according to the residence involved. It’s possible that you may be paying above what is a standard taxi fee for the distance involved, but it does add peace of mind and a little more comfort.

The taxi ranks in the airports include the issuing of a ticket which places you in a queue or a specific lane from which you access your taxi. It is worth noting as well that although minimal, a surcharge of 50 baht or so is applied by airport taxis.

(It is NOT recommended that you take any other taxi from an airport, especially the ones waiting in predatory spots looking for clueless-looking new arrivals.)

Hailing a Taxi in Thailand 

This is usually done locally with a beckoning hand motion (with the hand facing down). Although you’ll be forgiven for not having that particular style down, not using it will only identify you as an outsider and potentially leave you open to the worst type of taxi driver on the road.

Taxis in Thailand (and again particularly in Bangkok) are notorious for refusing customers if they want to get home early, avoid traffic, or want a longer fare. Strict rules have been put in place regarding this although typically they are hardly enforced and little has changed.

If you are feeling brave the best advice would be to simply open the door, jump in, state your destination (even better if you have an address in Thai from the residence or wherever else you are heading), then put your head down and start checking your phone while waiting for him to get going.

Remember knowledge is power when travelling and it’s worth considering that most taxis looking out for tourists are still largely unaware that they are now much more clued-up.

The fact of the matter is that they are breaking the law if they refuse to take you—so you are well within your rights to take a photo of his ID (on the dashboard) and make any relevant reports. The only problem is, the photo ID on the dashboard is likely to feature a different person to the one actually doing the driving!

Transport Applications 

In our humble opinion based on years of experience, this is the hands-down best way to go anywhere in Thailand and the antidote to the rogue Thai taxi driver.

Uber operated for a while in the country before being edged out by Grab and the latest addition to the fold is Bolt. These apps make travelling in Thailand super-easy compared to trying to negotiate with an uneducated driver from the sticks with no English (or any other) language skills to speak of.  

These apps will also prove life savers when travelling around more remote places including islands. Grab offers various options and different types of transport like car, taxi, or bike. The only other option in a strictly tourist destination are the predatory local types with fixed fares that are at least double any average rates.

These apps are fairly easy to use and allow both the pick-up and drop-off locations to be determined beforehand, as well as the fare. It cuts out any need for verbal communication at all, and cashless payment is also offered.  Anyone coming to Thailand and NOT using these apps is clearly out for a challenge which could include any or all of the previously mentioned negative issues likely to occur when using taxis in Thailand.

Some of the Challenges Related to the Thailand Taxi Experience 

You may be starting to get some ideas about this anyway, and as we have already mentioned you simply cannot be coming to an ‘undeveloped’ country like Thailand (even though the proportion of millionaires in Bangkok alone is somewhat staggering) and not expect to run into a few issues here.

There will always be a variety of complex reasons for these challenges that visitors face, and here are the main ones to look out for.

Over-Charging or not Using/Turning on a Meter 

Let’s get straight on this one first—taxis, unless under private day-hire or some other non-standard arrangement, are metered in Thailand.

This means if you are hailing a cab the first thing you must check upon entering is the meter being on. You must point out the fact that it isn’t on before you start moving, or you may be privy to a rather dumb attempt at extorting an inflated fare from you.

Always try to make anyone who is potentially dodgy aware of the fact that you have the full use of a phone that takes pictures and records audio and video. That said, avoid conflict or seeming rudeness, being polite yet stoic in your approach.

Many seasoned travellers in this country are doing likewise as they have simply had enough of this nonsense. This is 2022 after all, not the 1970s.

Taking the Long Route Home 

This is another rather obvious one and again a method most likely employed with anyone who looks like they aren’t familiar with the area. Always look like you know what is what and limit the chances of this happening. You have Google Maps, right?

Not Giving Change 

The rather presumptuous nature of many drivers towards foreigners means they likely think you are:

A. Loaded with cash and don’t care about small change

B.  Super-kind and only came here to help under-privileged, low-earning taxi drivers

Thus if you get, for instance, a178baht fare and pay 200, there is every chance that the driver either won’t have any change, or won’t even offer any. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that is an issue or not but it does happen.

Getting Stuck in Stationary Traffic then Demanding an Extra Surcharge 

This is one of those ‘Bangkok taxi moments’ typical of the Thai capitol. Yes, Bangkok has traffic jams—some of the worst in the world as it turns out. But that is not your problem, more the driver’s.  

And if any taxi driver starts trying to indicate that you will need to pay an extra whatever to cover his time after poor navigation you should perhaps consider settling what’s on the taximeter and getting out.

Without making any deliberate attempt to paint taxi drivers in Thailand in a negative light, it is also worth keeping in mind that there have been numerous reports (and arrests) over the years involving various crimes committed by taxi drivers in Thailand.

This includes rape and other types of sexual assault on women, robbery, and murder. There was a famous incident more than a decade back when an annoyed foreigner threw his coffee over a driver who was trying to extort him. The driver subsequently got his machete from under his driving seat and hacked the passenger to death. In the centre of the city during busy hours. Whoa.  

 

The Most Logical Options for Taxi Use in Thailand

When all is said and done, the introduction of transport applications like Grab has gone a long way towards cancelling many of the existing issues with regular taxi drivers. It may not be completely without issues, but hey that’s the fun of travelling in another country, right?

Still it really is a much better option when it comes to finding, booking, and using transportation in Thailand.  

The other possibility of a positive experience may come when you find a reliable taxi service that also offers private hire for the whole day or special tours, etc. This type of driver may have either a taxi vehicle or a regular car, and will provide his services for the whole day for a pre-negotiated fee.

The main benefit of this type of driver is that he will wait if you are sightseeing or visiting any special places, and the accommodation that you are staying in will usually have someone just like this to hand that they can call on.

You can also find companies offering services like limos and other more upmarket options that may suit some travellers who want more comfort for sightseeing purposes.

Top Thailand Taxi Tips

• Use transport applications
• Pre-book any trips where possible
• Avoid hailing taxis, especially on busy roads with high volumes of traffic
• Avoid travelling during rush hours if in the city (between 8am and 9.30am in the morning and 5pm and 7pm at night.
• Don’t get into an argument with a driver
• Avoid any cabs without taximeters

The Bottom Line 

At the end of the day, using taxis in Thailand needn’t be the nightmare that it is on occasion for many unwitting travellers. Don’t be that guy if you are heading for the land of smiles, and arm yourself with all the necessary knowledge.

The transport applications that can be used in Thailand have not only become hugely popular with locals but they have also largely done away with many of the previous taxi issues. This means that going from A to B has become a much more hassle-free experience in Thailand.

And even though Bangkok and other parts of Thailand have become more expensive in recent years for both visitors and locals alike, when you consider the prices of taxis here compared to those in Western countries they are still super-cheap. Yes, using transportation in Thailand comes with challenges, but it is better now than it has ever been before and much more user-friendly as long as potential travellers are clued-up before travelling.