Taxi clampdown at airport?

When flying overseas I usually book a "taxi" through a well known local travel agent. The prices seem reasonable, and I have never been let down.

However, this time when I get back I am met as usual by a driver with name placard, but he asks me to follow him, not offering as they usually to help with luggage. He walks fast, leaving me trailing along behind.

Once we get to the car he explains that there is a clampdown on "taxis" at the airport, and yesterday he was fined 2000Bht whilst going back to the parking garage with the farang.

The car looks like a normal private car, by the way.

Anyone else had this experience?

When flying overseas I usually book a "taxi" through a well known local travel agent. The prices seem reasonable, and I have never been let down.

However, this time when I get back I am met as usual by a driver with name placard, but he asks me to follow him, not offering as they usually to help with luggage. He walks fast, leaving me trailing along behind.

Once we get to the car he explains that there is a clampdown on "taxis" at the airport, and yesterday he was fined 2000Bht whilst going back to the parking garage with the farang.

The car looks like a normal private car, by the way.

Anyone else had this experience?


Yes,

They must be extremely careful or they are accused of touting and you are not supposed to book private cars for pick ups.

I have the same problem with my driver, who now communicates to us by phone and tells us where he is and what level of the car park.

[TrongpaiExpat]

It's OK for the Official AOT taxi service to rip you off but they don't want anyone else in on the action.

There was something in either the Post or Nation about a crackdown last week with taxis/drivers not having what they called "black tags" or some permit to pick up passengers. I guess that's issued by AOT.

Public taxi stands on the ground floor, very small sign if not being blocked by AOT touts.

I don't know where you going, I guess we are expected to just assume Pattaya?

... basically what you are saying is that if we order a cab from a hotel we are staying at, it is illegal and they shouldnt be picking us up - I find that a little far fetched as some hotels in Btown have their own drivers and uniforms and if they are seen picking up a legitimate customer from the airport they are then fined. Let me know.

It's OK for the Official AOT taxi service to rip you off but they don't want anyone else in on the action.

There was something in either the Post or Nation about a crackdown last week with taxis/drivers not having what they called "black tags" or some permit to pick up passengers. I guess that's issued by AOT.

Public taxi stands on the ground floor, very small sign if not being blocked by AOT touts.

I don't know where you going, I guess we are expected to just assume Pattaya?

No.

"Black tags" are what regular passenger cars have. They are NOT licensed to operate as taxis.

The big problem at the airport is people being approached by "taxi, taxi" touts, and being led to a regular passenger car with black-on-white license plates.

There is therefore a crackdown against these unlicensed "taxis". Sorry if your favorite transport falls into this category.

... basically what you are saying is that if we order a cab from a hotel we are staying at, it is illegal and they shouldnt be picking us up - I find that a little far fetched as some hotels in Btown have their own drivers and uniforms and if they are seen picking up a legitimate customer from the airport they are then fined. Let me know.

That is effectively what i am saying, yes.

... basically what you are saying is that if we order a cab from a hotel we are staying at, it is illegal and they shouldnt be picking us up - I find that a little far fetched as some hotels in Btown have their own drivers and uniforms and if they are seen picking up a legitimate customer from the airport they are then fined. Let me know.

Whitedesire,

I think you will find I am correct, but will take it back if I am wrong.

Both Main Hotels in Boyztown provide uniformed drivers, that does not make them acceptable at the airport.

The airport has its own rules and regulations about who can and cannot pick up, these people have a contract with the Airports Authority.

You have a uniform provided by a Hotel and they pay a percentage to the said Hotel, using their own car, their own insurance etc.

I use a guy,all the time. for years in fact, from Pattayaland Soi 2, the Soi adjacent to Boyztown and that is the state of play.

Many of these guys have a uniform and full insurance but not a licence to "ply for hire" for bookings private or public, and the Airport has become particularly strict due to the Mafia tactics being displayed up there by unscrupulous touts.

It is a paid for concession by companies which is a contract with the airport.

I still use my man from Pattayaland Soi 2, even though its not strictly legal. He has in the past waved me off from giving him the fee when he has thought he was being watched.so in effect, they can't stop your friend dropping you off for free.

He is no different to a driver in uniform using their own car and insurance.

He does not draw attention by wearing a uniform and I would always argue the point , he was a friend / boyfriend/ extended family etc.

We have avoided this, when they are being O.T.T. at the airport by meeting on a level of the car park.

It tends to become an issue on pick up rather than drop off.

Whitedesire, you know the complexities of Thailand!

[dont101-old]

I have found a driver that i am confident and comfortable with to drive on the chaotic road system here.
He has told me the same thing about the licensing issues for private cars not being licensed as a taxi service.
His solution is to have the customer pay before arrival at the airport so that no money is seen changing hands at the airport. In other words he is just a friend picking you up or dropping you off at the airport.
Seems they should be looking into how better to serve the traveler inside the airport, IE lack of signage, toilets, air conditioning, blocked access, etc. rather than how one arrives at the airport.

Will it all get sorted out when AOT gets a new chief? Will he get by on only 900,000 baht a month?

AVIATION / STATE ENTERPRISES

Ten candidates apply to become AoT chief
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA - Bangkok Post
Two Air Force generals, a banker, state enterprise executives and private sector businessmen are among the 10 candidates seeking to be the next chief executive of the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT). Among those who beat the May 29 deadline to apply for the job, which comes with a monthly salary of up to 900,000 baht, are Air Vice-Marshal Chana Yoostaporn and Air Vice-Marshal Apisak Boonpuen, according to sources.
Others are AoT vice-president Sanae Chaosurin; Opas Petmunee, former acting director of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA); Natasin Chongsanguan, the brother of Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Prapat Chongsanguan; Ratchaburi Holding Plc board director Atchada Kasornsuk; Chanin Yensukjai of the Paolo Hospital group; Chirawat Pichaisrisawat, who used to oversee bids for the government's online lottery project; Thanachart Bank chief operating officer Sumas Wongsunoparat; and Smithpong Ariyawat.
Sources said the number of applicants was larger than expected. It was widely speculated that only a couple of people would apply for the job, which comes with many headaches, particularly the troubled Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Full article http://www.bangkokpost.com/020607_Busin ... _biz24.php (http://www.bangkokpost.com/020607_Business/02Jun2007_biz24.php)

[jimnbkk]

Just arrived last night on United's 837 out of Narita. Arrived at about 2245 at the new airport. They reopened Don Muang because of the teething problems at the new airport which should have relieved some of the aircraft congestion. But, we still had to park out in the boonies and take a bus to the terminal. troubled airport indeed.

The road between the airport and Pattaya has grown progressively worse as they 'improve' it over the past year, especially at night and when it is raining as it was last night. It took nearly two hours to get to Pattaya. Sometimes slowing to 30 km/h for what seemed a long stretch. Not sure how the road is in the other direction (Pattaya to Airport) but if it's anything like the reverse, you should allow some extra time if you're going to catch a flight there. A word to the wise.

Would you believe that some airlines actually REQUEST bus gates in order to save money? Look around, and you would have seen that the skyway gates were nowhere near being full. Talk to United about it.

[Bob]

Would you believe that some airlines actually REQUEST bus gates in order to save money? Look around, and you would have seen that the skyway gates were nowhere near being full. Talk to United about it.

Absolutely correct, BG. When I last flew from Chiangmai to BKK, they (Nok Air) did the bus routine although I counted
27 open chutes (bus gates or whatever you call them). Quite a pain in the ass. And, of course, depending on how far they park the plane from the terminal, it delays the luggage also.

But Nok isn't the only one to do that. Once, on a Thai flight - and a full load on a friggin' 747 - they did the bus routine although there were chutes open. Hell, if Thai, the national carrier, chooses to do that with a 747, they're being really cheap and they pissed off about 400 passengers on that flight.

[jimnbkk]

Would you believe that some airlines actually REQUEST bus gates in order to save money? Look around, and you would have seen that the skyway gates were nowhere near being full. Talk to United about it.

Actually, having had a day to reflect on what BG says, it wasn't much of a big deal to take a bus to the terminal after all. The only 'outside' exposure was the short few feet to the bus from the bottom of the stairs at the airplane door. The ride was relative short, and the place where we were let into the terminal was a short walk to the Immigration lines. If we had used one of the skyway gates, who knows how long a walk it would have been?

I would have hoped this had changed with the new airport (but maybe some gates are still unusable due to crumbling tarmac?) but at Don Muang *all* international flights arriving after a certain hour (9pm or 10pm ... I forget now?) and not departing within a few hours were *all* relegated to remote parking. The "rush hour" of international flights around midnight dictated parceling out the relatively few gates to those flights doing "quick turns".

So, the UA flight arriving late at night, as well as any TG (or any other carrier) flight arriving around that time, would automatically be assigned remote parking. TG had no priority in that matter. Only occasionally if a flight scheduled late at night with a quick turn would cancel, would the UA or other late night arrivals "luck out" and get a gate. Also, if a late night arrival flight were delayed significantly so that it landed after the rush hour, it could get a gate at the terminal.

FWIW, of the five times I've arrived on the UA flight since Suvarnabhumi opened, four times we got a terminal gate, and one time we had a remote gate.

My bf and I arrived from Nagoya yesterday. My regular taxi person met us and escorted us outside and told us to wait while he got his car. When he arrived, after we had put away the luggage, both he and my bf were accosted by what I assume was an AOT security person asking for ID's. I asked what the problem was and to see his ID, which he showed me. Apparently he was checking to ensure that my bf was not a guide and that my taxi friend was not mafia. We were on our way after 5 minutes, but next time I will do as Kevin suggests and meet in the car park.

I was at the airport last night, too. No taxi touts in sight. The terminal is much roomier without them!