Motorcycle Taxis at the Bus Stops

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Jun

Motorcycle Taxis at the Bus Stops

Post by Jun »

I was on the bus from the airport.

The bus stops in North Pattaya & someone looking quite official in his blue vest announces North Pattaya and then reels off a long list of hotels that can be reached from here. I'm not really paying attention initially, but only after this goes on slightly too long do I notice he is one of the motorcycle taxi mob.

About 6 people ask him advice and he tells all 6 to get off here.

From a probability standpoint, the seems unlikely to be the case, unless of course all 6 already had a fair idea they should get off here.

As Warren Buffet would say, don't ask your barber if you need a haircut.

Whilst there are an awful lot of helpful people in Thailand, I wouldn't be trusting a barker working with taxi drivers.
pong
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Re: Motorcycle Taxis at the Bus Stops

Post by pong »

Same happened my trip to Myanmar/Burma-bus passes Bago where like 1-2 KMs before we enter town a motosy or maybe local tukx2, with the help of the bus-staff, told to get off there for that HTL-which we passed some 10 mins later on. Not me-I went further on. A simple look in a guidebook would have shown it.

Still-here in this area of BKK about the only tukx2 one sees-except for the exception with always very old drivers for fixed customers early at the market, are prying for farang quoting 200 bt fares (at least) and simply ignoring Thai (but then Thai will know they better go elsewhere for konsong)
Jun

Re: Motorcycle Taxis at the Bus Stops

Post by Jun »

Google maps is good for such things. If I am not expecting to have data, I just make sure the phone has an offline map before arriving somewhere new.

However, in some cases, getting screwed is unavoidable. Arriving in Pakse on a bus from the north, the bus stops at a bus station 7km North of the town, Everyone gets off, including locals. Many are collected, but the remainder have to get on a large baht bus which costs 200,000 kip (73 baht).
No competition. They drop you off outside their travel office. This pick up made over $50 from the cartel on that one run.

Of course it is no big deal for me at that price, but it still sucks and it's screwing the local people who cannot be collected as well. Too much corruption there. Another bent communist regime screwing over the citizens.

The "VIP" bus terminal in the town centre could easily handle the few buses that arrive there.
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