Bangkok: Ministry OKs increase in taxi flagfall

[Moose]

Gotta love that clear water!

[farmerfloyd]

I love the river and always stay near pier 13 , backpackers area and lots to see.
My favorite transporation in the big city. Nice thread. Wish I was there now.

[Mister Fixit]

If you were Thai, then you could get the free train from Thonburi train station to Kanchanaburi and beyond; quite a decent trip, for 3 baht...

And if you're a farang, it's 100 baht.

State-sponsored racism ...

And why has my post got that pic of a temple attached?

[tuferguson]

These looked quite nice and were soaking in some sauce that even a farang could probably eat

one of the things i miss the most - assorted meat on a stick with sauces.

[DJ Pat]

Imagine, all of a sudden, that the hi-so folk decided that they wanted to use the canals to sail their yachts along.

Would the government rush to get them cleaned up? ie. clear water?

They never will, as only lo-so folk use the river/canal boats

[StrontiumDog]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tran...-cng-hike-woes

Taxi drivers warn of CNG hike woes

• Published: 17/08/2012 at 01:59 AM
• Newspaper section: Business

Taxi operators yesterday repeated their calls for the government to come up with measures to offset their plight if the price of compressed natural gas for the transport sector is increased to reflect the market price.

"We are asking for help if the gas price really needs to be raised [by the government]," said Witoon Naewpanich, chairman of the Transportation Service Cooperative Federation of Thailand (TSCF).

Among the federation's proposals are extending the maximum number of years a taxi can be on the road to 12 years old from the current nine.

They are also calling for a hike in fares and easing taxi specifications for smaller engines or eco-cars.

In addition, the government is being asked to set up a foundation dedicated to the welfare of taxi drivers.

Mr Witoon yesterday met with representatives from the Ministry of Transport, the Pollution Control Department and the Foundation for Consumers to find ways to address problems arising from the planned CNG price increase.

The meeting agreed to set up a special panel to study conditions and proposals they are going to ask for in exchange for the government's CNG price increase.
The panel's study will be finalised within a month.

According to the TSCF's report, a taxi driver earns an average of 1,400 baht per 12-hour shift. Their daily expenses are about 1,100 baht (600 baht for daily rental, 400 baht for gas and 100 baht for food and drinks). This excludes about 500 baht a month per person for under-the-table payments to the police.

The government decided to gradually raise the price of CNG by 50 satang a kilogramme every month for 12 months starting on Jan 16 until the price reaches 14.50 baht.

The price was allowed to increase until May when it was frozen at 10.55 baht per kilo due to protests by taxi and transportation operators.

The government is now awaiting a study by Chulalongkorn University's Energy Research Institute on an appropriate price of CNG the government should implement for the remainder of the year.

Energy Minister Arak Chonlatanon said he will discuss the establishment of a welfare fund for taxi drivers with PTT Plc, the country's sole seller of compressed natural gas.

The Transport Ministry estimated that there are 100,000 taxis, 200,000 motorcycle taxis and over 20,000 tuk-tuks and vans in Greater Bangkok.

[Thetyim]

Their daily expenses are about 1,100 baht (600 baht for daily rental, 400 baht for gas and 100 baht for food and drinks).

If they are spending 400 baht a day on CNG (3 tankfuls) then they would be earning more than 1400 baht in fares.

100 baht a day for food and drinks, wtf ?
Everyone has to eat and drink whether they are working or not.

[klong toey]

The problem is the drivers never want to do short 50 baht trips,the amount of taxis that will not take us from Sukhumvit to Klong Toey is ridiculous i understand the traffic issues but they can make 50 baht in 3 minutes nearly always pick up another fare as we get out .
But they just want to do the airport run.

[dirtydog]

DING DING, next stop Tha Chang Pier and off to Wat Pho, or Wat Po, one of Thailands most famous Temples albeit for the massage school rather than the Temple itself, although that has a pretty big reclining Buddha so probably worth a visit.

Entrance fee to the Temple grounds is free for Thai people and 100baht for nasty white and black back packer types, but you do get a bottle of water for that money.

Here you can get massaged, 260baht per hour, or even learn how to give massages, no happy endings though, this is the real thing.

Packed solid today with both farangs and Thais, so probably even busier over the weekends, but hell, it is famous



Body bits kept in these.

[dirtydog]

Noticed some small change in the change jar so decided it was time to treat everyone to another cheap Chao Phraya River Boat tour, so off we went, next stop Wat Rakhang Temple.

Easy to get to, just get off at Wat Rakung Pier, sounds suspiciously familiar doesn't it, the Temple Wat Rakhang is on the banks of the river so start walking, nice oldish Temple, named after the big bell they found there, now has loads of bells that supposedly will bring you good luck if you ring them all, probably get a clip round the ear from some hungover farang is more likely.

King Taksin upgraded it to a Royal Temple and things have gone on from there.

[dirtydog]

Noticed a few more coins rattling round in the old coin jar so off it was to Memorial Bridge Pier and visit one of Bangkoks Catholic Churches, these boats are cheap, quick and no rip offs, got to be the way for farangs, especially tourists to travel.

It is quite a nice looking church and certainly stands out against the what I now consider the boring Thai temples, so here it is in all its glory.



Whilst there we went onto Memorial Bridge to get a photo of the white chedi on Wat Prayoon.

Wat Prayoon (Bangkok Temple Wat Prayoon).

[Norton]

They never will, as only lo-so folk use the river/canal boats

Indeed. The Lo so's are stupid. Idiots take a boat to go across the entire city in minutes. Those clever Hi so's sit alone in their air con Fortunas for hours to go the same distance.

[dirtydog]

There are many floating markets in Bangkok, the most famous of which isn't even in Bangkok and you set out from Bangkok by minibus at 5am in the morning, when I start shopping at Foodland at 5am I shall consider visiting that market, until then 5am doesn't exist in my books.

So we are hitting the money jar a bit harder than 3baht per trip, but we are still talking nothing money for these river boats, and off to Taling Chan Floating Market it was today, this is held every weekend, sells everything from market produce to what you might want for dinner that evening, off we get at Taling Chan Pier and there it is, also has a nice flower and orchid selection here.

There are several private boat operators here, these use the long tail boats, you can do a shared trip taking 3 hours visiting different attractions such as orchid farms for an all in boat price of 1,000 baht, or rent a speedboat at 99 baht each, I believe the max is 6 people per boat, so thats only 33 baht per hour, we are keeping those prices down to third world prices

Shall do a separate thread on the Floating Markets as I quite like them, got lots more photos also.

Looks suspiciously like Somtam to me she is making, should imagine they can just scoop dead crabs out of the Chao Phraya for that Although she also has carrot, apple and pineapple so could make some nice not too spicy ones.



I really don't think this market sells catfish, just scoop the ones you want out of the river, should mention that Taling Floating Market is actually on the Chak Phra Canal.

Fancy a bit of fishing Somchai? Get the dynamite out then and lets get dinner.



Bangkok Floating Market Taling Chan.

[Mid]

Boat operator wants fare increase
26 May 2013

The Chao Phraya Express Boat Co Ltd is pressing the government's Marine Department to quickly approve its plan to raise fares for all types of boat services by two baht.

Parinya Ruckwatin, managing director of Chao Phraya Express, said on Sunday that the Transport Ministry's boat committee on Feb 12 decided to study the fares and the operating costs of running the boat services for 90 days.

"The time is over. If the plan is not approved the company will suffer 16 million baht in losses each year.

"I hope that the Marine Department will invite the boat committee for a meeting in June and announce that the new fares will be effective in mid July," Cmdr Parinya said.


File photo

bangkokpost.com