h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This was an amusing post and you are likely to encounter most of these scenarios (and more) at some time or other - though not all the time of course. Most taxi drivers would quickly differentiate between an experienced farang living in Bangkok and a green tourist . I have found lately that metered taxis do usually tend to use the meter, though I usually have my thai partner with me so this probably makes a difference. You frequently find that "too far" means just that - they dont want to go too far away into the traffic nightmare and unfamiliar streets - but of course if you offer enough!!!

There is one other kind of hotel taxi that you need to watch out for and these are the ones that simply sit inside the hotel compounds(having paid to park there) where they are not (I think) governed by any legal requirement to use the meter. Some of these will even be unmarked private cars presumably operating without any kind of license or passenger insurance. I have used them on occasions but only after serious haggling by my b/f in Thai. I would suggest however that inexperienced travellers stay well away from these. These are the ones (marked and unmarked) that will try to take you somewhere else first. However if you are not in a rush being taken somewhere to look at something is not all bad - you can get a cheaper fare because the driver is rewarded with petrol vouchers - I have had a TUK TUK ride for 10 baht like this!

Starting to walk away is a good last resort for a negotiated fare BUT dont expect to negotiate a fare lower than the meter price for a local journey (even my b/f cant do that!)and anyway you should remember that these guys have family's to feed! Where this can work is at the airport where I have negotiated the fixed fee to Ratchadpiesek district down from over 1000 baht first asked to around 400 including the expressway tolls ! To be honest the taxi driver that agrees to this and helps with your bags deserves a good tip after. After all they have to pay a fee to AOT to bring their taxi onto the airport.

TUK TUKs are quite a different matter - if I negotiate a ride from one district to another I find that 200 - 300 baht is where it stops but if my b/f does it then the price drops to about 70 or 80 - the TUK TUK comes into its own cruising the narrower streets or whenever you want to dangerously overload your transportation and yes they are fun - they know that they are a tourist attraction and charge accordingly

Cant comment on motorcycle taxi's as I am terrified of motorcycles lol

This is an excellent reply, thank you!

Having come back to this article I can safely say I've amused some people, whilst others are decidedly "not amused!"

I have been to Bangkok several times, but always as a tourist, travelling to and from touristy areas and doing touristy things. I suspect this is the reason why I have a jaded view of the average Bangkok taxi driver - as a "green tourist" I'm used to being persecuted! However, I did use my initial experiences to help prevent these things, and that's why I wrote the article.

I can't imagine any reason for using an unmarked taxi, esp in Bangkok (where Taxis abound), so I think it's excellent advice to stay away from these.

Tipping is for tourists. I wasn't suggesting that non-tourists felt obliged to do this.

Perhaps I should have made clearer that the article was for tourists as I seem to have annoyed some people!

Still, I did put it in a hitch-hikers guide, you'd think that'd mean SOMETHING...!