Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob have approved the terms to increase fares for taxis, including distance rates, airport surcharges and the rate for taxis not moving while stuck in traffic.
Saksaym said the new rates would come into effect in a month’s time, after the new taxi application has been developed.
Taxi drivers have been requesting for a fare increase due to the rising costs of living and high fuel prices for quite some time now.
Saksayam said the Land Transport Department has come up with fare rates that are acceptable to both taxi drivers and the government.
Here are the new fare rates:
- The fare would remain at Baht 35 for the first kilometer traveled, while for the 2nd to 10th kilometres, the fare would be Baht 6.5 per km (an increase of Baht 0.5 per km).
- Between 11th km to 20th km, the fare would be Baht 7 per km (an increase of Baht 0.5 per km)
- Between the 21st km to 40th km, a rise of Baht 0.5 per km.
- Between the 41st km to 60th km would be Baht 8.5 per km, and Baht 9 per km for the 61st km to 80th km.
- Trips beyond 80 kms fare would be charged at Baht 10.50 per km.
Saksayam said currently there are two classes of taxis – normal and VIP taxis. Up until now only taxis owned by companies or cooperatives could be registered for VIP services but the Transport Ministry will allow individually owned taxis to be registered as VIP taxis as well if they meet certain requirements.
The ministry allows VIP taxis to charge an immobile rate of Baht 3 per minute and normal taxis Baht 2 per minute. Under the new rules, both types of taxis will charge passengers Baht 3 per minute when not moving or crawling at a speed of no more than 6 kms per hour.
He said the ministry also gave an approval for taxis to increase airport surcharge rates from Baht 50 to Baht 70 for normal size taxis and from Baht 70 to Baht 90 for large size taxis.
Moreover, the Land Transport Department would allow taxis to charge passengers Baht 20 per bag for the third bag and more while the first two bags would be carried free of charge.
The Land Transport Department would coordinate with the Airports of Thailand to announce and enforcing the new rates soon.
Saksayam added that the Land Transport Department also agreed with the call to allow taxis to be in service for 12 years instead of the present 9, but the vehicles would have to undergo a complete check every three months.
The ministry also agreed to stop using the Taxi OK app and system that requires new taxis to install GPS before registering and pay a monthly fee of Baht 400.
He said the Land Transport Department had been instructed to develop a new app that would allow taxi drivers to use just their smartphones without having to install GPS.
Once the new app is developed and in use, the new fare rates would be enforced and the new app would make taxi fare system transparent to passengers, Saksayam added. He said the new app would bring all public transport operations to the same standard and taxi drivers would no longer be allowed to reject passengers as they would be monitored by the new app.
