June 12th, 2006, 18:37
Last night I made my monthly trek from BKK International Airport to Jomtien.
Up until a few months ago (maybe January?) there was a sign taped to the counter of the taxi queue outside the arrivals level at BKK airport with a fixed fare of B1500 to Pattaya, including highway fare.
Then the fare was raised to B1600, including highway fare, "due to gasoline price increases". (Never mind that the taxis don't use gasoline....)
Last night there was a new sign with a fare of B1200 to Pattaya, and B1350 to Jomtien, NOT including highway fares. The highway fare using Highway 7 is B145, so it's now a total of B1350 to Pattaya and B1495 to Jomtien. I'm not sure, but I think the highware fares via the Bang Na route might be a little less? And, of course, Cheap Charlies can badger the taxi driver to not use the toll roads.
The new sign also has prices to other places like Rayong, Sattahip, etc, but I don't recall them.
In the past I always paid the B1500/B1600 Pattaya fare to Jomtien. I wonder if I was cheating? I hadn't realized the fare to Jomtien would be more than to Pattaya, until last night. Oops.
Up until a few months ago (maybe January?) there was a sign taped to the counter of the taxi queue outside the arrivals level at BKK airport with a fixed fare of B1500 to Pattaya, including highway fare.
Then the fare was raised to B1600, including highway fare, "due to gasoline price increases". (Never mind that the taxis don't use gasoline....)
Last night there was a new sign with a fare of B1200 to Pattaya, and B1350 to Jomtien, NOT including highway fares. The highway fare using Highway 7 is B145, so it's now a total of B1350 to Pattaya and B1495 to Jomtien. I'm not sure, but I think the highware fares via the Bang Na route might be a little less? And, of course, Cheap Charlies can badger the taxi driver to not use the toll roads.
The new sign also has prices to other places like Rayong, Sattahip, etc, but I don't recall them.
In the past I always paid the B1500/B1600 Pattaya fare to Jomtien. I wonder if I was cheating? I hadn't realized the fare to Jomtien would be more than to Pattaya, until last night. Oops.