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To start off it is good to understand what kind of
transport you can get in Bangkok.
There are numerous different types of public
transport, but the usual visitor or resident uses
only 7 of these: Meter Taxis, Tuk Tuks, buses,
canal boats, river taxis, motorbikes, and Taxis
(with no meter).
Lets begin with Tuk Tuks. Aren't they cute,
those little three wheeled taxis, colorfully
painted and featured so much on anything to do
with Thailand.
They are very cute until you get stuck in the
traffic, behind the number 36 bus at about 2 in
the afternoon and suck down a multitude of fumes
in 10 minutes than the average smoker does in a
life time... you'll say to the kids, isn't this
fun....while your kids bury their heads in their
Dad's armpit because it smells fresh compared to
the air around them.
Okay Try a Tuku Tuk once, don't go too far and
then give them up as a bad idea. Out of Bangkok
they're much more fun. Tuk Tuk drivers should be
haggled with, the price fixed in advance and
generally you'll always get ripped off, take a
taxi.
Taxis (with 4 wheels) come in two flavours,
metered and no meter, although a few non meters
actually have a meter concealed behind a panel in
the dash board below the radio.... Taxis are
great, sit back in air conditioned luxury and
watch the Smiths die of carbon monoxide poisoning
in a Tuk Tuk. If the driver of a Taxi objects to
use his meter then tell him to take a hike, get
out, do not be suckered.
Check where you are standing, if it's outside a
nice big hotel , then walk up the road a bit and
wave down a taxi. Unlike the US or Europe taxi
drivers have to pass NO TESTS to become a taxi
driver, within a few days of being inb Bangkok you
will know Bangkok better than many Taxi
drivers.... again if the driver seems to not know
where it is you are going, get out....one other
thing, make sure you know where you are going and
have a rough idea of the route, else a less honest
cabby will take you o a tour of the backroads "the
short cuts". If you're going a long way, take the
toll way, it costs between 20 and 40 Baht, (you
pay) and will save you hours of travel time.
Calling a taxi by phone costs ab extra 20 Baht,
Taxis at the airport cost an extra 50 Baht. And
yes there is a REGULATED taxi stand at the airport
outside the main meeting zone. Don't be suckered
by taxi and limo touts.
Oh yes then there are the taxis with no
meter.... well if you want to use one feel
free....it'll cost about the same as a Tuk Tuk but
at least you'll get Air Con....possibly.
Buses, once upon a time there were red buses,
blue buses, green buses and Air Con buses, then
came micro buses and then came deregulation and
now there are so many buses that I really don't
know what they all are...anyway if you are going
to use a bus GET A BUS MAP. Then always use Air
Con buses unless where you are going is not on one
of their routes or your on such a tight budget
that 8 to 15 Baht per person may cause you to have
to go without food. Other buses vary from 3 Baht
up to 20 Baht. Don't bother asking the conductor
about where you want to get off, to them you are a
lower lifeform (all passengers are) ask another
passenger. A word about getting on and off buses.
Do it FAST, buses on occasions don't stop at the
bus stop they "slow" in the middle of the road and
let off a stream of potential roadkill in the
middle of the traffic, okay I exagerate a little
but when you get your stop make sure you are
already near the door and can sprint for it. Don't
expect the people getting on to make way, that
kind of common sense tends to fail people using
the buses, their objective is to get on fast and
get a seat before anyone else...which brings up
seats.... don't be fooled into thinking that being
a "gentleman" will get you thanks...oh no, you'll
see pregnant ladies standing up while young school
brats take up the seats, you'll see old ladies
burdened by shopping standing while teen
sweathearts hog the seats...it's a first come dog
eat dog world on the buses and if you take one of
the non air con buses you'll eventually see some
poor person pass out....then they get a seat.
Motobikes. Yeah.... want to get somewhere fast,
take a motorbike taxi, married with kids...get
life insurance and a damn good helmet.
The majority of MB taxi drivers will make it
their sole intent to scare you to death, to see if
they can squeeze their bike through a gap that is
obviously closing up faster than they are moving
and to see how fast they can go on an open stretch
of road...they have no fear (or sanity).... your
life is in their hands and you'll soon wish it
wasn't.
It is the law in Thailand that all bike riders
MUST wear a crash helmet.... some of the helmets
you see wouldn't project a toddler falling off a 3
wheeler.
Thai law says you have to wear a helmet, but as
far as the law is concerned...it can be made out
of paper.
if you intend to use MB Taxis a lot then get a
helmet...I did, it saved my face when the
inevitable eventually happened and I slide across
the road after beeing side swipped by a pick up
truck.
If you can avoid MB taxis, then do. If you are
in Bangkok for long enough you may eventually get
to learn which MB Taxi Teams (yes they work in
teams) are safer than others (or luckier than
others).
Check out the bikes they are driving, a
scratched up wreck will be a good hint that the
driver has kissed the tarmac a few times, a brand
new bike , a green horn still waiting for his
first brush with death.... if you're on a bike and
the driver is driving like a nut, tell him to stop
and get off.
I have to admit I have very little experience
with boat transport in Bangkok, but from what I am
told, if you can take a canal or river taxi, then
do, they are fast, generally clean, less polution
and of course there are less vehicles to hit.
Prices vary depending on how far you are going.
In summary I would suggest that if you plan to
travel in Bangkok that you :- get a map, take
meter.
About The Author
Jonathan Semenick maintains and manages the
Thailand-X website at
http://www.thailand-x.com
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