BOLT taxi, what gives?

[Marc K]

Last time in Pattaya (last fall) I used BOLT (car) taxi a lot -- nice cars, often handsome drivers (ahem!), courteous service, low price (usually about half of Grab prices). Ever since I've been reading stories of confrontations between BOLT moto-cy drivers and the street mafia.

When I checked the BOLT website it no longer lists Pattaya as a city it serves in Thailand.

Oliver, noted a fair of about 80B from Jomtien to Pattaya in a recent post. (Thanks, Oliver, for your always useful posts!) So what is the real story? Is BOLT still fighting for marketshare there? What is going on? Pattaya Mail in an article said BOLT had been "banned" for some reasons which were never really clear.

Can anybody clear up this situation?

[Gaybutton]

Bolt is operating normally in Pattaya. Only yesterday a Thai friend used Bolt twice without any problems or delays. I just checked myself. The app gave me the choice of motorbike or car, showed the price, and showed how long it would take for my ride to arrive. Both car and motorbike - 2 minutes.

There have been a few, very few, reports about Bolt and taxi drivers fighting, but again, very few. I have never seen any news or anything else to indicate Bolt is banned in Pattaya. As far as I can tell, that's just nonsense.

So, I believe whatever you've heard about Bolt in Pattaya is simply wrong.

[Marc K]

Bolt is operating normally in Pattaya. ... I believe whatever you've heard about Bolt in Pattaya is simply wrong.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-motorbike-taxi-drivers-plead-for-help-stopping-competition-from-bolt-429062

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-dragnet-laid-for-illegal-bolt-drivers-424056

Pattaya Mail has run at least 3 stories about this issue in recent months. Very confusing. Thanks GB for your input.

[Gaybutton]

Very confusing.

There is nothing confusing. Bolt is operating normally. You asked "What gives?" That's what gives.

[francois]

The problem is between Bolt motorbike drivers and the Win drivers (the traditional jacketed drivers). And yes, there is a great deal of animosity between the two groups; don't let anyone refute that. The latest "resolution" was the Bolt drivers should not operate within 100 meters of a Win stand. Bolt car service is operating normally.

[christianpfc]

I used Bolt in Pattaya in Feb and can speak positively about prices and services. Long may it continue!
From memory, these cars are not marked, they appear just like private cars. Only from their app do you know it's bolt. If a car picks up someone on the curbside, you wouldn't know if it's Bolt or friends/family.

[francois]

I used Bolt in Pattaya in Feb and can speak positively about prices and services. Long may it continue!
From memory, these cars are not marked, they appear just like private cars. Only from their app do you know it's bolt. If a car picks up someone on the curbside, you wouldn't know if it's Bolt or friends/family.

Although many of the Bolt cars do appear as private vehicles, others may also appear as typical Taxi cars in yellow/blue or yellow/green colors. They are even listed as Taxis on the Bolt app.
Pricing is similar.

[Marc K]

Although many of the Bolt cars do appear as private vehicles, others may also appear as typical Taxi cars in yellow/blue or yellow/green colors...
Pricing is similar.

Obviously there is a HUGE difference in price between hailing down a metered ("I won't use the meter!") yellow/blue or yellow/green taxi and booking a BOLT "taxi" through the app, just to be clear. The last time I tried to hail a taxi at Central to take me to Jomtien I was quoted a laughable 300B fare (and ended up taking a 20-baht song taew instead). A BOLT fare on that route is usually about 100-120B. Big difference indeed!

[francois]

Obviously there is a HUGE difference in price between hailing down a metered ("I won't use the meter!") yellow/blue or yellow/green taxi and booking a BOLT "taxi" through the app, just to be clear. The last time I tried to hail a taxi at Central to take me to Jomtien I was quoted a laughable 300B fare (and ended up taking a 20-baht song taew instead). A BOLT fare on that route is usually about 100-120B. Big difference indeed!

I was referring to the price listed on Bolt app, between a Taxi and an Economy vehicle. The Taxi is a bit higher than an Economy but similar; much depends on demand and other factors.

[gerefan2]

I regularly travel from Jomtien to Boyztown using Bolt and the fare is always around 75 baht.
Motor bike taxis ask for anything between 65 and 100 baht.
No contest…except the bike can sometimes be quicker.

[bkkguy]

do many of the Bolt drivers accept PromptPay or scan QR code?

[Marc K]

The problem is between Bolt motorbike drivers and the Win drivers (the traditional jacketed drivers). And yes, there is a great deal of animosity between the two groups; don't let anyone refute that. The latest "resolution" was the Bolt drivers still should not operate within 100 meters of a Win stand. Bolt car service is operating normally.

Hi Francois,
I see hostility has broken out again between Bolt and regular motocy drivers once again according to a story on this morning's Pattaya Mail.
Being back in Pattaya now, I have used both Grab and Bolt cars with great results. But now there is a new wrinkle: Grab accepts my credit card for payment. On Bolt-Thailand you use cash only. Now the prices for the two services seem to be about equal (with Bolt now beginning to charge its "booking fee") so there is really no price advantage to using Bolt over Grab.
Does anybody have any perspectives on this situation?
Hugs to all, Marc