TALES FROM THE TAXI

One of the first phrases I learned after arrving in Bangkok was 'Rot Tit' which translates to 'traffic stuck'. It's an inevitable part of life here that you will, at some time during the day, get stuck in a jam.
The way the charging works is pretty simple. There is a flat rate of 35 baht (50p in UK money) for the first two kms. After that it works out at about 5 baht per km. If your cab gets stuck then you also pay - 1.25 baht if the speed is under 6km per hour. If you call a cab in advance then you pay an additional 20 baht, and if you hire one at the airport it's an extra 50 baht (although some reports are that it has increased to 150 baht at the new airport). By Western standards it is a cheap way of getting around.
The standard of driving does leave a lot to be desired. There are some good ones, but the majority are pretty heavy on the brakes and throttle. You don't actually need to pass an exams to be a taxi driver here, which is probably why we end up giving them directions (or in my case, pointing) to get where we want to go. And as I have said before, not all drivers will take you where you want to go anyway.
When you are on the road in Thailand, or in the back of a cab in Bangkok, you just have to leave all your Western upbringing and attitudes behind and remember you are in 'Amazing Thailand'.