The first day you enter Bangkok, you will notice that this huge metropolis is crowded with taxis. Taxi here vary in color depending on the company owning the cab fleet, and there are dozens of them on every street, transporting tourists and locals through the bustling city. This way of transportation is very popular in Bangkok.
BANGKOK TAXI COMPANIES
In Thailand, it is a widespread scheme to give one’s service a certain color. Just as financial institutions such as banks wear their corporate colors, taxis are also painted in their corporate colors – green-yellow, red-blue, pink, etc.
The pink one is operated by Sahamitr Taxi Cooperative. A red-blue one belongs to a certain taxi garage. Another popular taxi in Bangkok is green-yellow. Every green-yellow cab is owned by an individual. Yellow cabs are owned by Nakhonchai Air Co.
BANGKOK TAXI FARE
All official taxis in Bangkok are equipped with meters. Under current law, a passenger’s fare can only be calculated on the basis of a taximeter reading. If the driver insists on a fixed fare rather than using a meter, it is better to find another cab. For example, a trip from Khao San Road to MBK will cost you not more than 100 baht by taximeter but some drivers will insist on 300 baht if going under a fixed rate. Don’t get fooled. You can check the approximate fare on the World Taximeter website beforehand.
The starting fare for a ride in Bangkok is 35 baht. You will see it at the beginning of the trip on the taximeter. For this price, you can travel 1km. The fare rises depending on the length of the trip.
- 1km to 10km – 5.50 baht per km. The fare changes by 2 baht, at this rate the meter will go up every 0.36-0.37 km.
- 10km up to 20km the price will be 6,50 baht/km with every 0,30-0,31km the meter will go up by 2 baht.
- 20km to 40km – 7.50 baht per km,
- 40km to 60km – 8.00 baht per km,
- 60km to 80km – 9.00 baht per km,
- over 80km – 10.50 baht per km.
The meter will increase by 2 baht, but the longer the distance, the quicker it will be.
If you get into a traffic jam and the taxi can’t go faster than 6 km per hour, the taximeter will charge you an extra 2 baht per minute.
Bangkok also has a taxi service for traveling with pets. Prices are higher, but the car is specially equipped to carry pets. Visit Bangkok Pet Taxi website for their fares and contact details.
BANGKOK TAXI APP
There are several taxi apps in Bangkok. They can help you if there are no taxis nearby or if, for example, you need to go far away and regular taxis refuse to take you. We recommend using 2 apps that work very reliably.
Ordering a taxi through the app is simple: you open the app, choose your destination and wait for the driver. Here are the three best apps for hailing a taxi in Bangkok. These apps are Grab and Bolt. Bolt is mostly cheaper but the quality is the same. Remember that none of them provide a baby seat.
MONEY CHANGE AND TIPPING
Taxi drivers may pretend they don’t have change, so make sure you have some change with you. Tip is not necessary, if you want, you can just round up the price by 5-10 baht.
STEPPING OUT OF THE TAXI
Before you open the car door, make sure there is no other vehicle approaching the car. Sometimes passengers open the door without watching and a motorcycle crashes into it. This can result in serious injuries.
SCAMS
If the driver persistently offers you to drive to “good places,” do not expect the price of the trip will be cheaper, you just pay for a long ride around the city, which is beneficial to the driver. For sightseeing trips, it is better to buy ready-made tours, where all costs, including travel and tickets are already included in the price.
BANGKOK TAXI GARDEN (GRAVEYARD)
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many taxis were left without customers as the flow of tourists dried up.
The Ratchapruk Taxi Garage company has found a very peculiar way out. About 200 cabs left without work were turned into flowerbeds with vegetables and mini-ponds with frogs. The mini-garden project helps feed out-of-work drivers and their families.
You might be interested in reading the articles if you are looking for a transfer from Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airport to Bangkok or between these two airports.