Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

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Gaybutton
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Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Gaybutton »

I hope this will help the taxi drivers, but they'll still have to compete with apps such as BOLT.
________________________________________________________________________________

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) on Wednesday gave the green light for a draft of new Bangkok taxi fares to put them in line with the current economic situation. The last adjustment was in 2014.

By The Nation

November 11, 2022

The move to adjust the fares was jointly proposed by the Thai Public Taxi Association, the Suvarnabhumi Taxi Coordination Association, the Public Taxi Drivers Association and the Electric Vehicle Taxi Association.

The DLT’s panel to consider the proposal comprises representatives from the Transport Ministry, the Thailand Development Research Institute and the Consumer Protection Board.

• 35 baht for the first kilometre for taxis with 1,600-1,800cc engines (no change from the current rate)

• 40 baht for the first kilometre for taxis with over 2,000cc engines (currently 35 baht)

• 6.5 baht per km for the 2nd-10th km for all taxis (currently 5.5 baht/km)

• 7 baht per km for the 11th-20th km for all taxis (currently 6.5 baht/km)

• 8 baht per km for the 21st-40th km for all taxis (currently 7.5 baht/km)

• 8.5 baht per km for the 41st-60th km for all taxis (currently 8 baht/km)

• 3 baht per minute in case of traffic congestion when the vehicle travels less than 6km/hour (currently 2 baht/minute).

Jirut said the panel would present the draft to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob for approval in 1-2 weeks.

Once the new fares are approved and announced in the ministerial regulations, taxi drivers in Bangkok will need to “re-tune” their meters at DLT branch offices according to the new rates, Jirut added.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand ... l/40021896
Jun

Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Jun »

They can charge whatever they like as far as I'm concerned. If I want to go somewhere, I open google maps and it tells me which buses to use.
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Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

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Jun wrote: Fri Nov 11, 2022 3:33 pm I open google maps and it tells me which buses to use.
I've never tried Bangkok buses. I have no idea how it works, how to pay, whether you must have exact change, etc. I need "How to Ride Bangkok Buses" lessons . . .

In Bangkok I prefer the BTS, MRT, and motorbike taxis. Depending on where I want to go and what I expect traffic to be like, sometimes I do my own driving, but I don't like driving in Bangkok if I can avoid it, but sometimes I do if I know traffic will be light - and that I'll have place to park when I reach my destination.
Jun

Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:29 pm I've never tried Bangkok buses. I have no idea how it works, how to pay, whether you must have exact change, etc. I need "How to Ride Bangkok Buses" lessons . . .
You get on and the ticket collector comes to you. You tell them where you are going and they tell you the fare. It's typically in the 8~12 baht range for the trips I do. Aircon buses are more expensive than non aircon. I get on whichever comes along first.

They give change, but I wouldn't want to test that with a 1000 baht note. As far as I know, I've always been charged correctly.

This is the kind of system Pattaya should have.
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Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

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Jun wrote: Fri Nov 11, 2022 5:55 pm This is the kind of system Pattaya should have.
Several years ago they did try city buses in Pattaya. It was a complete failure. You can still see some of the bus stop signs around town.

Can you imagine what Pattaya would be like with a fleet of city buses and all the Chinese tour buses?

Pattaya is simply the wrong place for large buses such as city buses and tour buses. The buses are the cause of far too many problems. They need to find another way to move all these people around, but I don't presume to have any idea how that can be accomplished, especially any time soon.
Jun

Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Nov 11, 2022 8:17 pmCan you imagine what Pattaya would be like with a fleet of city buses and all the Chinese tour buses?
I'm imagining Pattaya with buses replacing the baht buses on the main routes. So instead of a constant stream of pick ups belching out fumes, we would have buses, with perhaps one bus for every 4 baht buses.
They would stop at defined stops, just like in Bangkok and have the use of dedicated bus lanes, policed with cameras.
So that's an immediate reduction in the number of vehicles and pollution.

This might be news to some, but the idea of buses is for one large bus to replace a far larger number of small vehicles. Therefore reducing pollution and congestion. That works in many cities. It even works in Bangkok and would work much better if they had measures to discourage cars.

The Pattaya baht buses can be shipped off up north to replace those in some impoverished town with an older fleet. Those in Lampang must be about 30~40 years old, so that's one candidate destination.
Also, some of them can start running quieter routes. One oddity of the Pattaya system is they have all these small vehicles running the same routes. There would undoubtedly be demand for baht buses on quieter routes, at a lower frequency.

I would have a separate range of measures for Chinese tour buses. Ban them from idling. Have the army run emissions checks, since the police can't be trusted to enforce the law without taking a bribe.
Finally charge them for using the streets of Pattaya, to discourage half empty buses.

None of this will happen, due to lack of management talent in Pattaya.
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Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

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Jun wrote: Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:23 pm None of this will happen, due to lack of management talent in Pattaya.
I agree with that part, but disagree with some of the other things you wrote because I believe Pattaya's streets are just not wide enough to support all the buses and Pattaya's lack of practical alternative routes. Then there is the never ending street construction that constantly adds to the traffic problems.

But as you said, I doubt either one of us are going to have to worry about who's right - none of this will happen.

As for Pattaya's tram, which I believe could solve many of the problems - not a single shovelful of dirt has been turned to start the project.
Jun

Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:39 am I agree with that part, but disagree with some of the other things you wrote because I believe Pattaya's streets are just not wide enough to support all the buses and Pattaya's lack of practical alternative routes. Then there is the never ending street construction that constantly adds to the traffic problems.

But as you said, I doubt either one of us are going to have to worry about who's right - none of this will happen.

As for Pattaya's tram, which I believe could solve many of the problems - not a single shovelful of dirt has been turned to start the project.
With the possible exception of Soi Bukhao, all of the routes in Pattaya that take baht buses are easily wide enough to take full size buses. Even that could take small buses, accompanied with a ban on other vehicles.

They could solve a lot of the traffic problems by charging vehicles to drive around in Pattaya. Then spend the money on buses and trams. In case anyone thinks that's too difficult, I first learnt of the successful implementation of electronic charging for road use in a Geography lesson at school. In another ASEAN country. You might deduce that this is a long time ago, but the authorities in Thailand are slow learners.

So I'll continue to get around Pattaya with a combination of walking, baht buses and perhaps the odd Grab taxi.

In Bangkok, the public transport system good enough that I haven't used a taxi for about 7 years.
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Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

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Jun wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:04 pm With the possible exception of Soi Bukhao, all of the routes in Pattaya that take baht buses are easily wide enough to take full size buses.
You don't drive in Pattaya. I do. A few sois are wide enough, but most are nowhere near wide enough and that causes traffic jams. Try driving. Then you'll see.

I have mixed feelings about charging to drive in Pattaya. I agree that would cut down on traffic, but I also don't want to have to pay to drive in my own city.

In any case, I already said city buses were tried - and utterly failed. I can't imagine they will try it again.
Jun

Re: Bangkok taxi fares set to rise

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:12 pm You don't drive in Pattaya. I do. A few sois are wide enough, but most are nowhere near wide enough and that causes traffic jams. Try driving. Then you'll see.
1 The main baht bus routes are two or 3 lanes wide. These already take tourist buses and could easily take regular buses. Preferably with a lane reserved for buses, so they don't have to queue.
2 Even some of the smaller sois could take a medium sized bus. There are plenty of other cities around the world that run buses on narrow roads & Pattaya doesn't have to be any different. Some of them may need a few parking restrictions, but this is the kind of thing city authorities are supposed to organize.

Gaybutton wrote: Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:12 pmIn any case, I already said city buses were tried - and utterly failed. I can't imagine they will try it again.
I imagine incompetence and corruption has a lot to do with it.

Still, it's better than Chiang Mai. There they seem to run ancient baht buses, with a 30 baht fare. There is also a service with full size buses, except these run every 45 minutes or so and the fare is again 30 baht.
The major Thai cities ought to be like Bankgok, with frequent buses and fares in the 8~13 baht range.
Then once that's up and running, start charging cars to drive into the city centre.

Even Yangon in Myanmar manages to run a slick and cheap bus service, complete with a very effective app to tell people to which bus to take.
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