Posted 2007-12-05 17:54:11
 CosmicSurfer, on 2007-12-05 12:22:18, said:
One more Thing....
WAKE UP PEOPLE - THE Only ones that will benefit from a fare hike are the Taxi Fleet owners and their Mafia Partners.
Do you REALLY believe that the drivers will get to keep a fare raise? I can assure you that if the fares are raised, so will the Rental fees. The owners will cry about their increased overhead and upkeep costs, etc. The Drivers will get to keep NOTHING!!
If Drivers really wanted to increase their take-home income, then all they need to do is increase their Customer Service.. TIPS.. TIPS... TIPS. That is how to generate income that they can actually benefit from..
They Benefit.. We Benefit.. EVERYBODY BENEFITS... Win/Win
CS
Wow, if u got this much to say about taxis, I guess you have a lot of other problems in your daily life. Well, do like me, buy yourself a car. Then u don't have to deal with this mafia. You can be stuck in traffic anywhere you like, at any time of the day 
And yes, taxis are CHEAP in BKK. They deserve a hike in the price!
Posted 2007-12-05 18:03:17
Sorry to say but why so much news of price rises on the kings birthday.
Taxis and 7-11 to name but 2
Did they think no one would notice with all the wonderfull good spirt and celebration.
Posted 2007-12-05 18:30:56
taxis in bkk...
a book could be written about them. good and bad points.
In Melbourne at 11PM the flag fall is like 5.20$. waiting at a light can be another 1+$. rush hour - and for the most time unless he's not Ocker he has to pull the Melways ( map) out .... I know thats there..don't want to talk about it 
I always round the fare up here in Bkk. 55 baht I give 100. I don't sucumb to over pricing , but I know the taxi driver gets it all and I know they have not had a rise in fare since inception and in the current oil climate... so I think most deserve it. It’s the “fair Go” in me. I will say that MOST of the taxis I use, the driver is affable and often we have a good laugh about something. But there are the others.
Most people 1st involvement with taxis is at airport, and can be a bad experience.$$
The other day a friend came to visit, 1st time BKK so I sent him the ropes to get here (SUK) for no more than 350 baht, INSIST on meter I said. He did- driver says OK, he got in.. no meter. He said meter, driver said broken. At the exit on Sukhumvit (phloen chit BTS stop) taxi said 5000 baht. < no kidding the worse story I've heard> he refused and gave him 600 baht and got out of taxi. ( got the driver another 200 baht) Most unaware get charged about 700-900 with 1500 baht rare but not unheard of.
Try getting a taxi from pat pong at 3Am to use the meter,  
But find a good one here in Bkk and it’s fair to say he's one of the overall best in the world.( If you don’t count the driving ar ar ar )
How would You classify a TAXI driver If after a good conversation, him doing a Top Job and feeling yourself somewhat jovial, you offered for him to keep the meter running and to stop and have a drink with you in a local. and he says Yes.
ur in the Kingdom
There’s good and bad practices in all professions.
CosmicSurfer makes a valid point. a bit dramatically so. Spurred by an expertise in his front line, behind the counter, knowledge of the industry ( what I accept as Educated). Point being that the owners and their partners will be the only ones that benefit.
My past actions with BKK Taxi drivers or any service industry is that TIPS Are accumulated at a greater rate with increased Customer Service. Thus driving up the service standard
Tips??/// I was always told it was an acronym = To Insure Proper Service.
BTW CosmicS, "NUT" does mean The Rent. It originates from the Old circuses and shows that traveled the states each having to pay a rent for their position to the show owner. If the rent was not paid the show owner would remove this all important Nut that held the wheel to the axle so that the wagon could only be moved with his knowledge until it was paid or to be left behind unable to follow the show.
I just like the connection of both Taxis and wagons having the common thread of having to pay a NUT to keep moving. It was a FITTING word 
LLTK
Lodesafun
Edited by lodesafun, 2007-12-05 18:40:03.
Posted 2007-12-05 19:17:03
lodesafun, on 2007-12-05 18:30:56, said: BTW CosmicS, "NUT" does mean The Rent. It originates from the Old circuses and shows that traveled the states each having to pay a rent for their position to the show owner. If the rent was not paid the show owner would remove this all important Nut that held the wheel to the axle so that the wagon could only be moved with his knowledge until it was paid or to be left behind unable to follow the show.
I just like the connection of both Taxis and wagons having the common thread of having to pay a NUT to keep moving. It was a FITTING word
LLTK
Lodesafun
Lodesafun... In Taxi speak "Nut" would be equivalent of break-even for the day = Rent + Fuel (+ Food)
Thanks for your support
CS
Posted 2007-12-05 22:04:31
dantilley, on 2007-12-04 19:16:36, said: lazeeboy, on 2007-12-04 18:06:24, said: Florin, on 2007-12-04 15:12:40, said: This is a reasonable increase given the price changes of the past decade...definitely better than reaching a point where taxis wouldn't bother using the meter anymore.
most dont anyway.
Actually, taxis just about always use the meter.
Funny how 7 -11 put up the price of red bull energy drink and the taxis raise the fares.
Posted 2007-12-05 22:06:39
Funny how it is that 7 - 11 put up the price of red bull energy drink and taxi fares have to follow.
Posted 2007-12-05 22:16:27
you guys take taxis. thats lo-so.
Posted 2007-12-06 00:39:17
Some news on the specific nature of the two proposed modest raises...
Taxi fares to rise
Metered taxi fares are likely to rise soon as the Department of Land Transportation is to ask the Cabinet to approve a higher tariff. Department Deputy Director Chairat Sa-nguansue said there were two alternatives.
The first was to retain the starting price at Bt35 for the first two kilometres, and increase the fare from Bt4.50 per km to Bt5 for each additional kilometre.
The second option, he said, was to increase the starting price to Bt40 for the first kilometre, and from the second kilometre, the charge would be Bt4.50 per kilometre.
- The Nation
Edited by sriracha john, 2007-12-06 00:41:16.
Posted 2007-12-06 08:15:10
freitag1, on 2007-12-04 18:25:30, said: Oh my god 8 Baht !?!
I will take the bus from now on...
I was bored one visit when arriving early at Suvarnaswampi, just after it first opened.
Thought, why not get the bus and have a cooks tour.
It took about 20 mins longer to get to Asoke, but the fare was 32 Baht.
WOW, I bin using the buses ever since, both ways, extra time no big deal, but 400 Baht saved, is big deal.
Last trip August, I had to be at airport early, 0500 hrs.
Took taxi and said NO FREEWAYS etc.
175 Baht........ $NZ7.00.....wheeeeeeee.
That trip would have cost me about $NZ40.00 at home......... over 1000 Baht.
DONT KNOCK BANGERS TAXIS
Edited by Zpete, 2007-12-06 08:17:26.
Posted 2007-12-06 09:15:19
sriracha john, on 2007-12-06 00:39:17, said: Some news on the specific nature of the two proposed modest raises...
Taxi fares to rise
Metered taxi fares are likely to rise soon as the Department of Land Transportation is to ask the Cabinet to approve a higher tariff. Department Deputy Director Chairat Sa-nguansue said there were two alternatives.
The first was to retain the starting price at Bt35 for the first two kilometres, and increase the fare from Bt4.50 per km to Bt5 for each additional kilometre.
The second option, he said, was to increase the starting price to Bt40 for the first kilometre, and from the second kilometre, the charge would be Bt4.50 per kilometre.
- The Nation
As Usual.. They got it wrong... Obviously No knowledgeable people who really understand the problems in the Taxi Industry
A much better option would be to leave the DROP at 35 Baht... and RAISE the "WAITING TIME".. The amount the meter calculates when the car is NOT moving (AS in sitting at traffic lights for 15 minutes)...
This would have multiple positive effects...
1) Drivers would not lose as much Money waiting in Traffic Jams, and therefore won't be so reluctant to go into busy areas, therefore less Trip Refusals.
2) More Fuel is burned (and pollution caused) by idling cars than by moving cars (Somethings that the Traffic police never think about)... Therefore a Waiting rate hike will directly be tied to the area where fuel cost kicks-in the highest.
3) Drivers would be more amenable to waiting for you when you ask them to stop and wait for someone (waiting for your wife to leave work) or something (Running into 7/11 for a phone card), without them arguing that they want to re-start the meter.
4) I'm sure there are others, but I'm a little rushed now.. .. ahhh Maybe it would increase Customer service ???
I'm sure I'll have more later,
CS
Posted 2007-12-06 13:44:24
sriracha john, on 2007-12-06 00:39:17, said: The first was to retain the starting price at Bt35 for the first two kilometres, and increase the fare from Bt4.50 per km to Bt5 for each additional kilometre.
The second option, he said, was to increase the starting price to Bt40 for the first kilometre, and from the second kilometre, the charge would be Bt4.50 per kilometre.
- The Nation
As usual, another totally different report in Bangkok Post !
Obviously, Nation is wrong....
"It is expected to propose two alternatives for the Transport Ministry to consider. The first is to maintain the 35 baht fare for the first two kilometres and charge 5 baht instead of 4.5 baht for every two kilometres after that.
The second alternative is to increase the fare for the first two kilometres to 40 baht and adjust the rate of 4.5 baht for every 1 kilometre instead of 2 kilometres after that."
First case : +10 %
Second solution : +50 % !
Edited by cclub75, 2007-12-06 13:44:42.
Posted 2007-12-06 15:56:01
Department of Land Transportation to Increase Taxi Fares
The Department of Land Transportation planned to increase fares for metered taxi, as it also asked the Cabinet to approve a higher tariff.
Earlier in the week, the Transport Ministry announced that the ministry is preparing to increase taxi fares following recent rises in liquefied petroleum gas prices. The ministry said the current taxi fares would be increased by eight to ten baht per trip.
According to the Department of Land Transportation Director-General Chairat Sanguansue, the committee which is made up of representatives from taxi cooperatives and consumer groups has been established to examine the need of a taxi fare hike.
Prior to the panel’s set up, groups of taxi operators had been complaining about the existing fares, claiming that fares have not increased for more than ten years, though operating costs continued to rise amid increases of oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices.
However, Chairat proposed two alternatives in meeting the demands of taxi operators.
The first alternative was to maintain the starting fare at 35 baht for the first two kilometers, while fares for each additional kilometer would be increased from 4.50 baht a kilometer to 5 baht.
The second option was to increase the starting fare to 40 baht for the first kilometer and retain the additional kilometer fare at 4.50 baht per kilometer, said Chairat.
On a related development, the department is planning to increase the usage of natural gas (NGV) among taxi operators, claiming that currently only 20% of taxis in Bangkok used NGV, while the remaining all used LPG.
In order to help alleviate the burden from the recent LPG price hike, the government expects to subsidize the cost of engine conversations from using regular petrol to NGV.
The department concluded that the government has already announced that all new taxis in operation must now be NGV compatible.
- Thailand Outlook
Posted 2007-12-06 18:04:00
How much is the price of LPG or NGV?
How much was it 5 years ago?
Posted 2007-12-07 02:48:16
Okay folks, now we get a third version.
It's becoming like a game : you need to find the differences.
NATION 6 DECEMBER
The first was to retain the starting price at Bt35 for the first two kilometres, and increase the fare from Bt4.50 per km to Bt5 for each additional kilometre.
The second option, he said, was to increase the starting price to Bt40 for the first kilometre, and from the second kilometre, the charge would be Bt4.50 per kilometre.
BANGKOK POST 6 DECEMBER
"It is expected to propose two alternatives for the Transport Ministry to consider. The first is to maintain the 35 baht fare for the first two kilometres and charge 5 baht instead of 4.5 baht for every two kilometres after that.
The second alternative is to increase the fare for the first two kilometres to 40 baht and adjust the rate of 4.5 baht for every 1 kilometre instead of 2 kilometres after that."
BANGKOK POST 7 DECEMBER (the new one, here)
Two scenarios are proposed in the study: retain the 35 baht flagfall, which includes the first two kilometres travelled, followed by five baht per kilometre, up from 4.50 baht; or a 40 baht flagfall and then 4.50 baht per kilometre after the first two kilometres.
I'm waiting now for the fourth. Maybe tomorrow ?
Posted 2007-12-07 06:45:53
Before ANY change, you'll have to wait until next year.... 
Next government to decide on fare hike
The Surayud government is likely to pass the issue of a taxi fare hike on to the next elected government, a source at the Transport Ministry said yesterday. The source said it was not possible that the interim government, with a limited time left in its tenure, would make a decision on an increase that would have such a huge impact on the public. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongchaum declined to comment on the issue, saying he had to talk with Land Transport Department Chief Silpachai Jarukasemratana first. Chairat Sanguansue, Transport Department Deputy Chief, said his agency had completed a study on the new fare rates and would submit it to the ministry today. The study was in response to demands for a fare increase by taxi operators three months ago. ''Taxi fares haven't been increased in more than a decade. Most importantly, the cost of living has risen in the past few years. Even if taxis switch to using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas for vehicles (NGV), the floating of LPG prices has a heavy impact on them,'' he said. Any adjustment would not take take effect until after the New Year, he said.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpo...2007_news16.php
Edited by sriracha john, 2007-12-07 06:47:56.
Posted 2007-12-10 22:02:45
Sorry. Just have to add my 2 baht here.
My brother in law was a taxi driver for a while. Trust me, those guys are well paid for what they do. Ask any of them if they would like to do construction work for a while, since taxi drivers are so underpaid. No? Gee, why not?
Answer....driving a taxi is a pitifully easy job and requires no real skill. A monkey could do it. There is a reason there are thousands of them on the Bangkok streets, and its sure not because these people have no options. They just have no options that pay that highly for relatively easy work. If anything the fares should come down, not up.
There is no need to raise fares. This is a scam. A program to help subsidize the cost of NGV conversions is enough and wouldn't penalize the public.
This ridiculous scheme is being done for one reason and one reason only. What is it? Politics. They need the taxi drivers to talk good about the current government. Look how great these people are. They care about our plight. They're going to give us an extra 3000 baht per month for doing nothing. They don't even actually have to increase the fare this year to get the effect. They just have to talk about increasing it.
Well of course. Now we understand. All is well and good now. We don't need anything to change. Let's just keep the status quo and live together in peace and harmony. Remember, many taxi drivers are huge supporters of THE OTHER GUY. No better way to take the bite off of the upcoming election than a promise of a few more baht.
Please...all the apologists here for the Bangkok Wealthy Taxi Drivers Association are certainly welcome to their opinion, but there are real Thais doing real work who deserve your attention alot more.
I don't tip the taxi drivers. I know how well off they are. I urge everyone to do the same. If you really feel the need to help the poor of Thailand, donate to a charity. Taxi drivers as a rule don't need it.
And no, if you are wondering, I don't ride taxis usually. The bus works just fine for most things, thank you very much, and I drive myself when it won't. So I don't really consider myself personally affected by this. I probably only took 3 taxis this whole year. I just hate seeing people give good money away when there are so many more worthy causes.
Posted 2007-12-13 02:19:05
The article indicated that the Government would subsidize the cost of conversion to NVG. Anyone have an idea what the cost would be?
DMC
Posted 2007-12-13 15:41:44
Public fuming after taxi fare increased
Many people are disgruntled as taxi operators have raised the fare for the first two kilometers to 40 baht and adjusted the rate of 4.5 baht for each kilometer instead of two kilometers after that. The taxi operators have adjusted the fare following the government’s approval to float the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) price.
Numerous commuters are complaining that the taxi fare adjustment is too much, adding that the previous rate, starting at 35 baht, was already high. However, public members view that the government should ensure that taxi fare is reasonably raised.
- ThaiNews
Posted 2008-01-09 13:12:09
Taxi Owners who have Converted to LPG
have a saving of Fuel Costs about 70%
So it is wrong to say that they have had no increase to their
net incomes in the past so many years
Conversion costs about Bht 26,000 for a basic arrangement
There are other more expensive options
A Taxi Owner friend tells me he had the Basic Conversion
carried out Free of Charge early 2007 courtesy Khun Taxsin
Bill
Posted 2008-01-09 18:42:47
I have yet to ride a 40baht taxi thou'...are they all hiding around tourist-areas now?
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