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Thailand questions: visa/exchanging money/taxi fare
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R-Seoul



Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Location: your place

PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Answer me this one question; Why should I tip in situations where most Thai's don't tip?

I usually always give the exact change for a taxi ride, I've never had a taxi driver complain or even seem surprised. Anybody who gives a bt 20 tip for a taxi ride is a mug.
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Tobias



Joined: 02 Jun 2008

PostPosted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:18 pm    Post subject: Imagine that Reply with quote

Tip a reasonable amount. Don't be a tightwad bastard like Mr. Pink, fellas. My 30-baht tip out in the sticks of Thailand will buy the guy at least one meal. If I have to pinch my pennies, won, or baht so hard a dollar tip is something I have to worry about, it'd mean I myself am at fault. Should have tried planning. Should have stayed away from the 100-dollar-a-night pubs.

Some will pay 5 bucks for a beer, yet get all pissy over a dollar tip to a taxi driver. And those same fuckers will blow thousands at pubs over the course of a year, yet get bent out of shape over being 'cheated' out of 50 bucks by their bosses.
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hogwonguy1979



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den

PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

on the way into town, go outside to the public taxi line, you tell the person at the desk where, they write a ticket, you hand it to the driver, off you go with the meter on + 50 baht, to get to ksr via the tollway its 65 baht.

on the way back, if you have a cell phone or a phone in your hotel room dial 1681, tell them your phone # the time you want a taxi and where, they will call you back with a taxi # and wait outside for him to show up. to the airport at 8am this past mon it cost 325 baht with tolls and a 20 baht phone fee from bangmanpu. our hotel wanted 800 baht for the same trip.

tuk-tuk drivers in ksr should be shot for what they want to charge you. when they quote a fare come back with 1/4th the amount, they'll come down. best bet for getting around bangkok is flagging down a cab on the street, they are more likely to use the meter

DONT TIP!!!!!!! it only makes them more likely to overcharge farangs
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R-Seoul



Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Location: your place

PostPosted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pro-tip 1: Never take a taxi that is waiting for custom, always flag one down. This is especially true of KSR.

Pro-tip 2: Never take a tuk-tuk in BKK, they are hot, dirty, unsafe and no quicker than a taxi. You will also end up paying 2-3 times over what a metered taxi will cost.

Pro-tip 3: Always have small notes and enough small change, pay the exact fare on the meter.
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Capo



Joined: 09 Sep 2007

PostPosted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Drew345 wrote:
Many countries, including most English speaking countries, do not require a visa for Thailand for less than 30 days. The immigration officer will give you a 30 stamp "visa exempt" upon arrival at the airport. Only problem is if you are flying one-way into Thailand your airline may not let you board the plane. What country is your passport? If you have round trip ticket for less than 30 days, your are probably fine depending on your passport.

Won to Baht? Not sure, I always brought dollars. Someone else needs to chime in on that.

At Suvarnibhumi airport, follow signs to "public taxi queue". As you exit, it will probably be to your right side (always has been for me). It will be OUTSIDE. If anyone approaches you inside, give them the cold shoulder. Find the "public taxi queue" outside. Easy to recognize; line of taxis, line of people.
Price is meter + 50 bt (airport queue charge) + tollway + tip
meter will be about 200 - 250 Bt (I think fares just went up?)
tollway, not sure if it is required to go to sukumwit. If your driver gets on the tollway, give him 40 Bt (or 100 and get change) just before you enter the gate.
tip - if he is cool and used the meter no problem, a 30 or 40 bt tip is nice from the airport. These guys make very little, though I think meter fares did just go up.
Total is usually about 300 Bt but may be 400 Bt with new fares.
no the best thing to do is walk up to the departures area and get a taxi where someone else has just been dropped off, this means no air port queue charge plus no queue! Always insist on putting the meter on in any taxi and make sure they do when you get in otherwise be prepared to get out right away.

Try not to take taxis around during the day in bangkok, its expensive and very slow cheapest way is to go by boat on the canals 20baht will pay for you to get from sumkumvit to the palace compared to 150baht in the taxi and it will take half the time. There is also the skytrain although it doesn't cover everywhere.
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losing_touch



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!

PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Living in Bangkok, I see Thais tip every single day. As Spliff says, it isn't much. Thais will round the taxi fare up to the nearest 10 baht or so. My wife, Thai, tips a small amount at restaurants as well. It is common to simply leave the coins that come back and pocket the cash.
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