Bangkok Taxi Service

Most Bangkok taxis are metered. When you wish to use their service, stand along the road and wave your hand with your palm facing down. If the driver sees you, he will pull over and then you tell him your desired destination. The driver will nod his head if he is able to take you where you wish to go.

Bangkok taxis are very inexpensive compared to western countries. The fare starts at 35 baht increases slowly based on distance and time. Typical taxi fares in central Bangkok for a short trip of a few kilometers run around 50 baht. When traffic is bad, then the timer becomes more significant than the distance.

Foreigners may find it difficult to communicate with their Bangkok taxi driver since the majority of them do not speak or read English. However, there are many English speaking persons which use Bangkok taxis everyday without any difficulty. Most taxi drivers will usually recognize the names of places if your pronounciation is close, but be careful that they don't misunderstand you and take you somewhere else. If possible, have someone write the name of your destination on a slip of paper in Thai. This is just a safeguard.

If you take the expressway, then give the taxi driver the expressway fare before he enters the booth. For a car, the fare will be the top one posted on the front of the toll booth. When you reach your destination, pay the driver the fare shown on the meter. The taxi driver keeps the entire fare paid by the customer, therefore, tips are not required.

Bangkok taxis are an excellent way to get around Bangkok while on holiday in the "city of angels." They are still prone to delays due to the infamous traffic jams during rush. But most of the cars are clean and cool which make for a comfortable ride through the streets of Thailand's capital city.

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