I know that Thailand has a pretty bad reputation for taxi scams which I admit it’s true because it happened to me a few times. So the foreigners must face the scam much more often than locals because you don’t know the routes well.

There are a few common scams when you hop in a taxi.

1. Charging high flat fare instead of using the meter

This one is so common, especially around tourist attractions. We can just say NO and keep hailing other taxis that are willing to use the meter.

So make sure you ask the taxis to turn the meter on before you get in.

I used to hail more than 10 taxis in a row in front of MBK Center at night because they want a fixed price, but some refused a ride because they just don’t want to go, probably want to get foreigners more than Thais. But now the police monitor this area better than before because of the bad traffic on the MBK junction.

However, of course, other places still have this kind of scam, so taking Grab Taxi could be a good choice, but Grab is about 30% more expensive than a metered taxi.

2. Taking a detour

It happened to me a long time ago when I was young, and I didn’t know the route. Taxi like to take a longer route that has light traffic and might take unnecessary tolls without prior notice so that he can inflate the fare.

The best way for foreigners to avoid this scam is to show the driver your destination on Google Maps. So he can see that you’re tracking the direction. Don’t forget to tell him in the first place that you want to take tollways or not.

However, sometimes, taking a slight detour may be necessary to avoid jams. Bangkok taxis are pro in finding a way to avoid traffic. They might go through a small soi (alley), so as long as you have Google Maps on, you will be fine.

3. Charging a higher tollway (highway) price

It never happened to me because I know the rate. Typically, the price range is about 25 – 50 baht for each toll, except the Donmueng Airport tollway that costs 80 baht for the 1st toll and 35 baht for the 2nd toll (115 baht in total).

I normally hand cash to the driver just a moment before we get through the toll, then hand for the change (if any).

Google Maps is your best option to check if it’ll be worth using the tollways. Generally, from 10 PM to 10 AM, you don’t need to take tollways but always check Google Maps first. Traffic in Bangkok can surprise you! You know, whenever I go to my girlfriend’s house, I use Google Maps because I hate the surprise that getting stuck in the traffic for hours.

The really bad traffic hours are from 7 AM to 9 AM (especially when heading to the city center) and from 5 PM to 8 PM (especially when heading out of the city)

4. Manipulated meters

As I know, there are two types of manipulation. First, the meter that is set to run at a higher rate than a standard constantly.

I experienced once when I was in Chulalongkorn University. I normally took a taxi from Phaya Thai to the university. It always cost around 41 – 45 baht all the time in normal traffic.  But there was a time that meter went over 60 baht, so I was so sure that taxi cheating me. However, I just paid and didn’t dare to say anything…

Second, a taxi with a hidden button to rig the meter. I never get the experience myself. The driver will press on the button when you don’t pay attention, and the meter goes up rapidly.

I think the chance of being cheated on your fare from manipulated taxi meters is not high but if you are unlucky enough and you don’t prepare, you can easily get ripped off.

If you think you get cheated, tell the driver to pull over and get off. However, DO NOT ARGUE with the driver, SAFETY COMES FIRST. Just pay the current price on the meter, and walk away.