For nearly two years, Pattaya area officials have pledged to reorganize the city’s motorcycle taxis and force them to charge legal rates. With zero enforcement of such announcements, the pledge on rates has been only hot air.
With publication of new, nationwide motorcycle taxi rates in the Royal Gazette March 24, Pattaya officials are claiming they again will try to bring down motorcycle taxi fares in Pattaya, which run at least twice the price of Bangkok, where the majority of service providers charge legal rates.
Motorcycle taxi drivers on Thepprasit Road show willingness to charge legal fares.
According to the Transport Ministry, a fare is 5 baht per kilometer for the first five kilometers. That would put a taxi ride from one end of Beach Road to the other at 15-20 baht.
Pattaya drivers, however, refuse to go anywhere for less than 40 baht and would demand a fare of 60 baht from the Dusit Thani Hotel to Walking Street.
Legally, the fares after the first five kilometers are capped at 10 baht for kilometer. Only after 15 kilometers does a fare become negotiable.
One driver in the Thepprasit Road area claims he has been negatively impacted by the new rates. He said he normally earned 300-500 baht per day.
He complained about the cost of gasoline – which is lower than it has been in years – and other cost of living expenses and argued that tourists and locals should be aware of his hardship and consider that when paying his fare.
