This applies especially around the back of Soi Rambuttri near Khao San Road. Every morning I go for my muesli and a group of travellers will be haggling for a trip to the railway station. They're just standing there, looking like they've been just standing there for quite some time and in the interlocution I can just make out "100 baht each" or something ridiculous. For me this isn't a great way to start the day!

These drivers are time-wasters, not interested in using the meter, very interested in taking you for more than just a ride (definitely in the case of the tuk tuks), and getting in the damned way and making nuisances of themselves.

If you want to take a taxi:

1) Haul your bags over to the main road. For our group above that would be either Chakrapong or Phra Athit. Perhaps 50 metres. Yes, the hardships.

2) Flag down a taxi. This is easy, they're coming down the road in a constant procession.

3) Open the door, get in, tell him where you're going.

4) He'll switch the meter on.

5) Get to your destination, pay the fare, get out. (If you need to, you can wait a few seconds for your change. They offer change to the nearest five baht these days.)

While all this is happening your counterparts over at Soi Rambuttri will still be standing around engaging in useless banter with a dead-beat scam merchant who is not interested in turning on the ignition for anything less than a 500% markup.

For your information the trip to the railway station costs 50-60B - that's for the *car* not per person - taxis never charge per person.

That's the drill for taxis now...

If you want to take a tuk tuk:

1) Don't

They're filthy and they spew noxious pollution. That's the drivers I'm talking about. There's no need to take one in Bangkok for any kind of journey. The taxi will always win in terms of price, safety, speed and comfort. Do the locals a favour and help to consign these evil menaces to the scrap heap.

Back to taxis: I find the yellow ones to be a lot nicer than the blue ones. The purple ones are good too.

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