Motorbike taxis getting like tuktuks..

[LivinLOS]

I think the whole problem is spreading like an infection..

The other night my GF came in the house in near tears.. A motorbike taxi had dropped her and wanted 100 baht for a cross town ride (this is a bike taxi not a tuktuk and to a Thai) when she said no way (it was 40 only a little while ago) and would pay 60 he started to become threatening and she thought he was going to beat her up.. I cant remember if she paid him 80 or 100 but as she walked in she was in near tears and by the time I heard the story and got outside he was long gone.

My brothers GF just walked in hot etc.. She just took a motocy from Mae Ubol market to our house, when he got the bottom of sun hill (where I live up behind) he refused to go up the hill for the agreed 40 baht.. was 60 to go up the hill.. again this is a journey of a few 100m and Thai on Thai.. She told him on your bike and he then drove off for 40 baht shouting shit at her and she walked up the hill..

Now just to put this in perspective (its not about the small baht) when I came here it was almost always 20 baht from my old house into town and usually 20 bak (if you spoke thai) sometimes 40.. Same price if 2 people on the bike also I would point out.. To go from 20 baht to 100 baht is a 500% increase in a couple of years.

Secondly while the tuktuks have always been a small problem thats got worse the bike guys have usually been good as gold.. I have always got on with them and used them and apart from the odd one being drunk while riding never ever given attitude or been nasty.. In fact I used to have a good rapport with them. Now it seems like the tuktuk vibe is moving to them too..

[LivinLOS]

Just realized this reads like simply another whinging thread.. That wasnt my intent..

I mean this more in the way that if they push too hard they will in the end cut thier own throats.. Its even less about the price than the fact that theres no service to it the concept of a fair price for a fair task is moving to one of gouge as hard as you can at every opportunity (thai on thai)..

Lets face it a motorbike taxi is not really a skilled profession, doesnt have a lot of capital costs, yet 60 - 100 baht fares for a kilometer or two repeated through the day is a large Thai wage. Consider how far 100 baht gets in a BKK meter taxi.

[floppy]

doesnt sound like a whinging thread your just saying what happened..I can still remember the good old days where 20bht would take you anywhere you wanted in patong on the back of a scooter..last october!

[TanMan]

Just in the last few weeks:

For 200 baht, I had a tuk-tuk that took me to Thumdee (off Nanai Road) where I said I wanted to go from Bangla, but then at the bottom of the hill he says that he wants an extra 50 baht to go up the hill.

Also from Bangla one night, I negotiated 50 baht with a motosai. Get to the top of the same hill, and he wants 50 baht per person (or 100 baht).

Agree, it's not really the money, but some are starting to put you in an awkward position/situation these days to squeak more money out of you. I paid in both cases BTW.

[MajorTom]

Not a whining thread, its the truth.

They push their prices all the time now.

Best thing to do i found out, is dont negotiate(for short rides in Patong).

Just give them 20B, turn around and walk away. Works everytime.

[wylos]

ye mate...i noticed from my time in patong last year the moto taxis were upping it.but then again they always try it with a falang
standard was 20b,being falang 30 was ok.
LIL and your right about,speaking thai or being a familiar face to them,then both u and them know the score.
as i got familiar with the guys outside my loom,no questions were asked;toa rai etc.....standard rate.
but then using other guys,say on my way back,u would presume even to where i stayed that i knew the going rate......no no,had one guy drop me and demand 80 baht from soi ski inn to muntipulcity area.i flared up telling what i thought,talking money was probably all he understood of what i sayed,probabaly better for me,i just threw the dough at him,not worth getting into thistycuffs over a few baht,but i let him know i wasnt happy.
but from then i would ask how much,and the guys would take the deal with a bit of bahtering.
but thai on thai is a bad sign,feck what r we gonna end up paying.

LIL. the old tuks tuks dont like that hill either,i set a price with the guy up to yours(,only from sai namyen)as soon as he seen the hill or the gaff he tried it with the money,i sent him rolling back down with the agreed fee .

[Nautilus]

Have not taken a motorbike teksi before, how do i recognise them?

[midnightsun1]

Not whining to me... Just total BS... Same thing happen to my TG 2 months ago when staying on Nanai. Prick jacked her around from 20 baht to 40 baht. The only way to handle is not pay these guys and not use them. Tell them f*** off and keep walking to another one comes by. If most people start doing this they will have to change. Same similar scenerio in BKK with the taxis that don't want to use the meter. F off and look for another one. The supply out does the demand for their use. The downfall is LLOS that most are here on a holiday and will just except it. For the others living here it stinks. Just has many other BS things happening in tourism area. Eventually Phuket will lose out in the long run. Word of mouth is more powerful then any advertising can do to bring people back.

Its gouging and hopefully it will cut there own throats.

I won't pay it. And hope others will follow suit.

[Dodger]

Green or Blue Vests on and yellow number plates if registered. Don't worry, walk along ratuthid road and they will soon find you!!!

[Nautilus]

Originally Posted by Dodger

Green or Blue Vests on and yellow number plates if registered. Don't worry, walk along ratuthid road and they will soon find you!!!

Oo ic ic. Thank you for the information. I cant ride a bike, but have sat on some before as a passenger. Dont know if i should try them or not next time.

[LivinLOS]

I must admit I wouldnt blink between the 20 or 40 baht things.. by 60 I guess I get to feel like its a piss take..

But when they are getting physical or acting like they are going to be violent (or make out like they are to a woman) to my GF while at the same time bullying money that doesnt seem normal I start to feel like this is almost a theft type situation not a fair transaction. This is Thai on Thai so even farang price guage isnt a possible excuse. Its the cowboy attitude that is not cool..

Where I used to live we knew the guys so well they would literally say pay next time if you didnt have change or go get our takeaway meals (trusted with all the money) if we asked.. They would help if you needed a hand (moving furniture, going and doing tasks) I always had the number of a couple in my phone to do odd jobs.. These days I dont have any or know any.. Maybe thats a result of the perception issue of living in the big house these days ??

[IRISH JONNY]

Ill Walk Before I Support Them Mb Taxis.......one Day They Looked For 50 Baht From The Beach Road To Orchid Guest Gouse........i Just Told Him To Fcuk Off And Walked Instead.......
Its A Pity That Patong Couldnt Do Something Like The Baht Buses In Patts.....10 Baht Wherever You Go !!!!!!!!

Ij

[sledge038]

or the w@nkers give you a lame excuse at the end of the night, have no change for a 100b.
absolute bull sh#t.

[wylos]

yep songtaws/baht buses are the way forward.
hop on hop off,great.
just be sure not to flag a empty one,if yer going the stanadard route,could end up paying a lot more.

especially with the one way routes are still going(ive never seen them TBH)i could imagine this method of baht buses would work a treat.

but really, could u see this ever happening in patong.

[IRISH JONNY]

Originally Posted by wylos

yep songtaws/baht buses are the way forward.
hop on hop off,great.
just be sure not to flag a empty one,if yer going the stanadard route,could end up paying a lot more.

especially with the one way routes are still going(ive never seen them TBH)i could imagine this method of baht buses would work a treat.

but really, could u see this ever happening in patong.

NO

[marc26]

i know all the motorbike guys near my gf's soi in patong
all nice guys and seem to treat my gf and her friends well

last time, guy took me from behind fire station to tai pan, i only had 40baht and then thouand bills

i gave him 40baht and he wanted 60baht and this guy knows my face, knows my gf well
and he still wanted to start something, yelling and screaming

[faultytowers]

This is from the latest "Asia Bugle" , seems to be a hot topic at the moment.

TAXI AND TUK TUKS WOES

Yet again the main tourist complaints are aimed at the poor taxi service from the airport and the piratical attitude of some Tuk Tuk drivers. Several times a day a group of planes land within an hour of each other and the passengers then find that there is a long wait for a taxi. In some cases people are waiting for more than one hour and this should not be happening at any International Airport . Why cannot the taxi companies co ordinate with flight arrivals to have the maximum amount of taxis there on site? This is done every else in Asia so why can't Phuket get it right? If this is too big a problem then perhaps they should open the airport to all taxis and scrap the monopoly. I encourage all tourists to take the time to fill out the customer comments on the taxi receipt.
Tuk Tuks are the other main complaint. Only last year a set price system was debated and the Tuk Tuk Organisation agreed to it. Less that a few months later they were back to charging random fares above the prices agreed upon. This means that you still have to haggle to find out exactly what your journey will cost. Tourists do not like this - especially when the driver looks like an extra from a Johnny Depp pirate gang. The drivers have also introduced price hikes for all sorts of excuses ranging from "late at night" to "big hills to cross". Be sure that if you are using a Tuk Tuk you confirm the exact fare before getting in it.

Phuket.baronbonk.com: New rents make agogos gogo in Soi Sea Dragon

[hyku1147]

Does all this price gouging stop in the low season?

[nelsonone]

perhaps too much competition or not enough business.....hence the Thai way of upping prices rather than do more work.....

Things are getting pretty bad when they are bullying their own gals.......I've normally found them very respectful of the gals.........especially the older guys.......

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by hyku1147

Does all this price gouging stop in the low season?

It used to be cyclical and I fully expect it to back off a little.. But it would appear as though the impression is that Phuket is gouge city.. Secondly the Thai way is when not having enough customers to put up thier prices so they make the same amount of money, not to improve or increase service (I am convinced that why some farang run places do so well, simple service attitudes)..

As an expat I can avoid many of these things, I can ride my own transport, I can go to the spots out of town that give better deals.. Take these comments in context also, its certainly not all doom and gloom (otherwise the ever increasing numbers wouldnt be happening) but its not a good trend put it that way.

[dizbuster]

Originally Posted by wylos

yep songtaws/baht buses are the way forward.
hop on hop off,great.
just be sure not to flag a empty one,if yer going the stanadard route,could end up paying a lot more...

The baht bus drivers are licensed for alternate days and even if the bus is empty you still only pay 10baht - provided that "today" is one of his days at work.

Confused ?

They have different stickers in their windscreen which tell which days they are "working" and which days they are "freelancing". If they are "working" then they must stick to their route and are only supposed to charge 10 baht fare (5 baht for locals) so don't pay any more. If they are "freelancing" on one of the non-working days, then by flagging them down you have effectively "hired the baht bus for private use" and pay a lot more for that priviledge !

Best rule of thumb, is to just stand at the side of the road and the "working" baht buses will stop and let you on board. The "freelancers" are not allowed to do this (and usually don't) but will stop if you flag them down.

Still confused ?

OK, if the driver allows you to just board without trying to set a price, then this means he is "working" and it's 10 baht. If you try and board and he asks where you are going and then tries to agree a fare, then he is a "freelancer" on his day off.

Hope this helps

If only Patong had them as well

[hyku1147]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

It used to be cyclical and I fully expect it to back off a little.. But it would appear as though the impression is that Phuket is gouge city.. Secondly the Thai way is when not having enough customers to put up thier prices so they make the same amount of money, not to improve or increase service (I am convinced that why some farang run places do so well, simple service attitudes)..

As an expat I can avoid many of these things, I can ride my own transport, I can go to the spots out of town that give better deals.. Take these comments in context also, its certainly not all doom and gloom (otherwise the ever increasing numbers wouldnt be happening) but its not a good trend put it that way.

I spent my last two trips in Karon and Kata. I had established a pretty good little massage and BG trapline. It fit in perfectly with my habit of taking long walks along the coast line, but now I am seriously considering a stay at the Baantonsai Garden Resort- they gave me great long stay rate (April-May).

So, I guess that I have to find the best trapline for Patong, and I was wondering if a guy could do okay on Nanai road, and if you had any good tips for that part of town?

Thanks.

[LivinLOS]

I like Nanai Rd area and its expat community feeling.. Honestly getting into Bangla is happening less and less for me..

However the bike rates to and from are often where the problem lies..