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Metered-taxi operators want unsanctioned cabs curbed
in drive for customers
Phasakorn Channgam
The two companies officially licensed to operate metered
taxis in Pattaya want government officials to crack down on unsanctioned
competitors to help boost the image of public transport in the city.
Tawat
Puekboon-nark, president of the Pattaya Transport Cooperative.
Udomdath Transport Ltd. Part. and Pattaya Taxi
Cooperative Ltd. which operate the yellow-and-blue taxis licensed by the
Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, say the green-and-yellow, pink and
yellow vehicles soliciting customers are operating without the blessing of
city hall. They are calling the Chonburi Land Transport Department to work
with the Pattaya Police to crack down on the rogue companies.
It is estimated that there is a daily turnover of 150-200
taxis from out of town bringing in passengers to Pattaya and neighboring
towns, who ply the streets of Pattaya looking for fares, before returning to
Bangkok.
Metered-taxi service came to Pattaya in 2008 but has been
virtually ignored by Thais and used only marginally by tourists and expats.
The abundance of cheap baht buses suffices for most people and the
reluctance of metered-taxi drivers to actually use their meters has scared
off many others.
Still, the transport cooperative says it’s working hard
to make the air-conditioned compacts a safe, affordable and viable option
for travelers.
Pattaya Taxi Cooperative President Tawat Puekboon-nark
(tel. 081 983 8716, (you can call for a taxi at this number too) said his
organization now has nearly 100 metered taxis under its jurisdiction. All
are equipped with global positioning system transponders, so cars can be
monitored to ensure the safety of passengers. However, he said, passengers
should still note the taxi’s number and driver’s name, just in case.
Meters should also eliminate disputes over fares, Tawat
said. All the cars use the same meters that are installed and used reliably
in Bangkok cabs. However, he admitted, many drivers prefer not to use meters
and instead negotiate a flat-rate fare for destinations in the Pattaya area.
Many don’t realize that can result in extremely
overpriced fares.
Metered
taxis line up to wait for customers.
A typical negotiated price for a ride from Pattaya Beach
Road to Jomtien’s Royal Cliff Beach Resort can cost 150-300 baht. On the
meter, however, a base fare of 35 baht is charged with a per-kilometer fee
of 2 baht for the first two kilometers, 4.5 baht for the third kilometer and
seven baht for each successive kilometer.
Thus, for a trip from North Pattaya Beach to the Royal
Cliff, using the meter would cost only about 50 baht.
The fare from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport is 1200
baht inclusive toll fees.
Passengers who still want flat rates are urged to agree
to the price in advance. In case of fare disputes, passengers can call the
Pattaya Transport Cooperative at 038-423-554 or 038-362-113. Taxis can also
be booked at these numbers. Tawat said drivers found in violation of
cooperative rules can have their licenses seized or suspended and be
subjected to fines.
Suworn Udondej (tel. 081 590 2250, which can also be used
to call for a taxi, along with the company phone number 038 713 537), owner
of Udomdath Transport Ltd. Part., said he currently operates 18 taxis and
has plans to expand to 60 within four months.
He said the company works hard to ensure its drivers are
safe and reliable. All drivers must take refresher driver-training courses
every two months and a full resume is taken so the driver’s background can
be checked, he said.
Suworn advised passengers to avoid the unsanctioned cabs
as drivers may not even be from Pattaya - and hence get lost - and because
disgruntled passengers would have nowhere to turn to voice complaints.
He said he hopes the city cracks down on the rogue taxis
to improve the image of public transport in Pattaya.
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Learn to negotiate better
Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg welcomed everyone to
the regular Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club on February 13, 2011
at Amari Resort’s Tavern by the Sea. After the usual opening announcements, he
introduced Bobby Covic, our guest speaker and author of the book Everything’s
Negotiable - How to Bargain Better to Get What You Want. Bobby was formerly
a nationally recognized speaker on the subject of negotiating with the US
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He is now a “rapidly retiring” tax litigation
consultant and soon to be full-time Pattaya resident.
Master of
Ceremonies Richard Silverberg introduces Bobby Covic, our guest speaker and
author of the book Everything’s Negotiable – How to Bargain Better to Get What
You Want.
Bobby said he has given many presentations on negotiating and
during his presentation, he would try to bring in a few pointers on negotiating
with Thais. He started by asking, “Who is apt to negotiate?” The answer was
“Everybody.” He pointed out that there is one person that you must negotiate
with all the time; you yourself. Often you have to argue (negotiate) with
yourself about something you may want to do or not do; something you may want to
buy, but think about what you might be giving up if you do, and so forth. The
next question is “What do you negotiate?” The answer was “Everything.” This was
followed with “When do you negotiate?” The answer was “Almost always.”
A general rule of negotiating is the first person to mention
a number, loses. Bobby said that professional negotiators can go on for days
discussing everything but a number because they know that the first one that
mentions one will lose. Bobby pointed out that Thais will often not state a
number, instead they often say “Up to you” or “How much you want to pay?” This,
Bobby says, is a trap, trying to get you to state a number. Instead, he suggests
you answer their question with a question such as, “How much do you want?” The
one that asks the most questions, most often prevails. Bobby remarked that most
Thais like to bargain and it is expected. It is not adversarial, it is fun.
Bobby makes
a point about negotiating with locals - including the famous phrase ‘up to you’.
Bobby said to remember the A, R, C triangle. The “A” is for
affinity - a liking and care for each other. The “R” is for reality - making an
agreement that two people will realistically be expected to make. The “C” is for
communication - you have to keep communicating. He emphasized that if one of
these three “legs” falls out; you need to emphasize the other two until you get
things back on track. When negotiating, don’t approach it as a one time thing.
Instead, approach it with the viewpoint that you will be negotiating with this
person again in the future.
Another thing to have is knowledge. You need to know who you
are negotiating with and have some idea of the value of the item you are
negotiating about is to them. For example, if negotiating over the price of a
hotel room, you should know that a corporation can be in a much better position
to substantially reduce their asking price. But, if you are negotiating with
some little old lady in the street that needs to make some money in order to
live, you need to expect that they may not be able to discount their wares much
without adversely impacting on their livelihood.
Bobby continued with several insights and suggestions on
negotiating techniques and concluded with the admonishment that negotiation is
fun; remember to smile, be polite, show respect, even joke, and be aware of any
cultural differences. In Thailand, Bobby strongly believes that the ability to
speak some of the language is important if you really want to be on a better
footing when negotiating with Thais. If nothing else, he said at least learn the
Thai words for numbers.
After Bobby answered many questions from the audience,
Richard Silverberg updated everyone on upcoming events and called on David
Meador to conduct the always informative and sometimes humorous Open Forum,
where questions about living in Thailand and Pattaya in particular are asked and
answered.
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Pattaya society turns out for Rommel’s
70th birthday
Jan Olav
Aamlid presents Max Rommel with a volume of “Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”
newspaper issues from his birth year.
Elfi Seitz
Longtime expats and Rotarians helped collector and
historian Max Rommel celebrate his 70th birthday at the Montien Hotel.
A founding member of the Pattaya Expats Club and past
president of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, Rommel welcomed 59 friends
and relatives to the hotel Jan. 15.
Fellow Rotarian Jan Olav Aamlid, an avid coin collector
and historian, surprised Max with a volume of “Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”
newspaper issues from his birth year. It came from a Norwegian University
which has a complete collection of German newspapers from before World War
II.
Honorary Consul form Italy Paolo Battaglino next bestowed
Rommel with a certificate of merit for his work on setting up a sister-city
relationship between municipalities in Germany and Italy, as well as a
collection of 10,000 German-Italian books.
Videos and music rounded out the evening.
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Diana Garden Resort throws
couples’ party for Valentine’s Day
Happy
Valentine’s Day to one and all.
Manoon Makpol
On February 14, 2011 at the Diana Garden Resort in Pattaya,
Diana Group managing director, Sopin Thappajug, along with manager, Komsan
Sisam, hotel staff and guests celebrated the most romantic event on the Western
calendar.
The Diana Garden Resort catered to couples for Valentine’s
Day, hosting a lover’s day party with games, music, photos and prizes.
Various food booths dotted the party area with a main stage
hosting musical performances and games. Other booths offered heart-shaped
photos.
Hotel staff performed rock dances and emceed games such as a
hula hoop competition. People also got to choose colored golf balls and won
prizes for getting the lucky color. Five couples also won a free bottle of
champagne.
Of course, there were also food and drink specials and the
event was capped with a “sexy show” put on by hotel staffers who generated much
laughter.
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