Traveling to Thailand with more peace of mind: Bangkok Airport tightens taxi passenger regulations

▲ The Airport of Thailand (AOT) set up a gate on the 4th floor departure hall of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport in November to prevent tourists from seeking unlicensed private taxis. (Photo / Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Many people traveling abroad prefer to take taxis to their destinations for comfort, even if it means spending a bit more. However, issues such as overcharging, price gouging, and even crimes often arise in many countries due to unfamiliar surroundings and language barriers. To address these problems and enhance the safety of tourists visiting Thailand, the Airport of Thailand (AOT) has, starting November 1, strengthened controls over taxis transporting passengers to and from Bangkok’s international airport.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok has a public taxi registration desk on the 1st floor arrival hall to facilitate passengers traveling to the city. After clearing immigration, travelers can register at the designated counter, receive a trip voucher from airport staff, and then board a registered taxi to reach their destination safely. However, this service requires a registration fee of 50 Thai baht (about NT$47), with fares calculated based on the meter.

%Jiawei Ye Zhan Cai Sha? Shi? "Floor arrival hall inside the public taxi registration and boarding point, Thai authorities urge passengers to use it more to ensure personal safety. (Photo / TAZI Images / AP)

However, many tourists familiar with Bangkok choose to save on this service fee by heading outside the 4th floor departure hall to look for “return taxis.” These are mostly unregistered, privately operated taxis that, after dropping off passengers returning abroad, stay in place to pick up new travelers heading into the city. AOT Director Rawewan Netrakavesn pointed out that these taxis are not only unregistered, but the airport authorities also have no information on them, leading to frequent incidents where tourists encounter drivers who refuse to use the meter, overcharge, or even have criminal intentions.

To improve tourist safety and reduce traffic congestion at the airport, starting in November, AOT has installed gates outside the departure hall of Suvarnabhumi International Airport to prevent arriving passengers from boarding unregistered taxis. Only registered taxis with vehicles less than two years old are permitted to operate here.

Rawewan Netrakavesn also stated that in the future, AOT plans to further develop license plate machines, allowing passengers to input their desired destination and taxi size without queuing, and then wait for their number to be called to reach their destination with ease.