Grab Taxi...Chiang Mai is Cheap fares

[travelerjim]

My Thai bf, his Papa and I spent 4 nights in Chiang Mai.
During the visit, I enjoyed several opportunities to relax while Bf and Papa visited the many Temples and night markets.

I discovered that the Grab taxi fares were cheap...usually quoted 56-66-88 Thai baht for taxi...as compared to the Grab Taxi fares of 200-330 Thai baht in Pattaya.

Just download the Grab Taxi App...
No prepay ...just pay the driver.
The cars were newer and very good drivers.

BTW...we all had a great time

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[Manforallseasons]

I discovered that the Grab taxi fares were cheap...usually quoted 56-66-88 Thai baht for taxi...as compared to the Grab Taxi fares of 200-330 Thai baht in Pattaya.

Just download the Grab Taxi App...
No prepay ...just pay the driver.
The cars were newer and very good drivers.

BTW...we all had a great time

BTW Grab taxis are very cheap and available on Pattaya.

[travelerjim]

Grab Taxi used to be reasonable fares in Pattaya. I used to use them 80-110 Thai baht from SoPattaya to Tukcom or Sunee. Now always quoting 180-300 Thai baht. So I do not use them anymore. Only for emergency.

[gerefan2]

Do you mean from South Pattaya to Tukcom..300? If so I don’t blame you for not using them. Even 110 isn’t that cheap. You can walk it in 10 minutes.

[dinagam]

My recent experience with Grab taxi was on a trip from Sathorn (Malaysia hotel) to Ekamai bus station. Grab car quoted 170b, whereas by Grab taxi the reading on the meter was 71b, with a 20b surcharge for the online booking. Waiting time was approximately 12 minutes. The Toyota taxi was good, the driver was polite and could have been rather cute in his younger years.

[latintopxxx]

I often take a regular taxi from the ibis across the road to ekamai, never costs me more than 120, i just hail the first empty one going past. I prefer to use my apps for arse.

[BonTong]

Grab (and their predecessor Uber) have made a big big difference to getting around Chiang Mai. The Tuk-Tuk and Songtheaw cartel have held the public to ransom for years. Even the newer "Meter Taxis" only have a meter for decoration.

Not only is grab much cheaper (and Uber were even cheaper) but it is functional. In places where getting transport is hard later at night (e.g. around Adam's Apple and other go-go bars), you can usually find a grab car in a matter of minutes. You also don't have the hassle of explaining where you want to go, or haggling the price. And places that have Tuk-tuks waiting for you, e.g. the Night Bazaar, you know the price will be exorbitant, whereas Grab will come right to the door of the bar/restaurant and the price is OK. Only issue with grab is its technically illegal (but then so is prostitution ), In CM be careful not to get a grab pickup somewhere where there are tuk-tuks or songthaews waiting, it could lead to a nasty confrontation. Same to a lesser extent with drop offs, especially at the bus station or airports. At such places pay the driver before you arrive to reduce the risk of any mafia incident.

Chiang Mai also now has a functional bus service, at last. In theory there was one before, but no buses ever run! This time they have nice new air conditioned buses that provide good coverage - see the website for route map. With this and Grab the Songthaew mafia aren't happy bunnies right now.

[a447]

I relied heavily on Grab in CM last year.

They were a godsend, as I was staying opposite Adams Apple on the outskirts of town. As mentioned above, transport to and from that area is difficult, especially at night. Downtown you are at the mercy of the tuk-tuk drivers when it's time to go back.

The trip cost less than 100 baht, as opposed to the 200~250 baht demanded by the tuk-tuk mafia. The car was new and clean and the drivers were all very polite and helpful.

The trip sometimes took longer than a tuk-tuk, but that's because the drivers used the back roads to avoid the traffic.

I also heard stories about how Grab drivers are often attacked and so had them drop me off in a small soi away from my destination.

[Manforallseasons]

My first trip to Chiangmai Mai was many years ago when there were no taxis in Chiangmai Mai and I stayed at Lotus and then was always a tuk tuk parked next door by a small convience store and was about 80 baht to go to the Night Bazaar. Back then it was the original Adam Apple and it was in my opinion the best go go in Thailand but as so many things in Thailand have changed Chiangmai Mai is off my list as is Bangkok.

[ceejay]

Yes, Grab are relatively cheap in Chiang Mai (especially for more than one person). For the reasons Bon Tong gives (coverage and not needing to explain where you want to go) it is probably the best option for occasional visitors. The price will often be better than a red cab for 2 or more people.
But, I don't get, and never have, the hostility that some people have to red cab drivers. OK, I've not been here as long as Bon Tong, but I have lived here 5 years now and have very rarely had a problem with them. The price is 30 baht now and that is, in my opinion, not bad for being taken to where you want to go (it's not a fixed route system.) It's horses for courses - I visit a local hospital every week and take a Grab out (because I would have to walk 100m to a main road for a red cab) and a red cab back (because I can tell them where to go)

A few tips and comments

For new visitors to the city look for sign boards near to the entrances of the big shopping malls (they all have them) offering special discounts to them.
Also check your "Notifications" in Grab. You may get offered a promotion when the software detects you are in the city.

Did you know you can use Google Maps (which is much more accurate than the map in Grab) to book Grab taxis (you still need the Grab app installed)
-Open Google Maps
-Pick a destination and drop a pin on it
-hit the "Directions" button in Maps
It will, if you have Grab installed, offer you the option of opening the Grab App and booking a car for that journey. It's useful to drop a pin on your hotel and save it as a favourite. You can get back from anywhere like that. It is also the best way to go to, for example, a street corner that is not specifically listed as a named place by the Grab app.

Finally @ Traveller Jim - don't give up on Pattaya Grab. Grab pricing is dynamic. It will maybe go down again in the low season.