Bangkok taxis can be a comfortable way to get around the city, as there's a huge number of brightly colored taxi cars riding on the streets of the Thai capital. If using local public transport seems to be too complicated for you, discover a detailed guide to Bangkok taxi service with all the different Bangkok taxi fare rates for using the taxi in the city and for long-distance journeys.
Bangkok Taxi Cars
The most common colors of Bangkok taxi cars are yellow/green and pink. However, you can expect to see a wide variety of colors, such as bright blue, green, red, yellow, orange, or pink/white. There are also white EV taxis in Bangkok.
There is no difference which color of Bangkok taxi you will choose, as the meters on all of the sedan taxis run by the same metered fare. To get a fair price, you should make sure that the taxi meter is on.
Bangkok Taxi Fare Rate
Bangkok taxi fare according to the distance is often displayed in the taxi, but not all drivers have it.
Bangkok Taxi Meter Price per KM
35 THB is a starting taxi fare in Bangkok, so you should see it on the meter at the start of your journey, and for this price you can travel up to 1 km.
For the distance from 1 km to 10 km, the taxi meter price is set at 6.50 THB per km (was 5.50 THB/km). The Bangkok taxi meter rate changes by 2 THB, so the meter will go up every 0.30-0.31 km at this rate.
The longer the distance of your trip by Bangkok taxi, the higher the taxi meter rate is.
When the distance gets over 10 km, up to 20 km, you will be paying 7.00 THB per km (was 6.50 THB/km), and the meter will go up by 2 THB every 0.28-0.29 km.
The distance from 20 km to 40 km has a set meter rate of 8.00 THB per km (was 7.50 THB/km), from 40 km to 60 km - 8.50 THB per km (was 8.00 THB/km), from 60 km to 80 km – 9.00 THB per km (stays the same), and over 80 km - 10.50 THB per km (stays the same). The taxi meter will still go up by 2 THB, but the farther you go, the faster it will be happening.
In addition to the distance covered, for all the time the taxi cannot move at more than 6 km/h speed, the taxi meter adds an extra fare of 3 THB per minute.
Other Bangkok Taxi Fare Rates
The Bangkok taxi price per km displayed above is for the regular sedan-type vehicle, which is the type of the absolute majority of taxis you will see in Bangkok.
Bangkok taxi fare for the larger SUV or MPV type vehicle is slightly higher, and the starting fare for the first kilometer on this type of Bangkok taxi is 40 THB instead of 35 THB.
There is also a limited supply of VIP taxis in Bangkok that are even more expensive - one of them is exclusively using electric vehicles, and the other one (CABB Taxi) offers a ride on London-style taxi vehicles. Bangkok VIP taxis are mainly available at the airports and at some luxury shopping malls.
Bangkok Taxi Surcharges
If you decide to take a taxi at the Bangkok Airport taxi stand in one of the city’s airports (Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Mueang Airport), there will be an additional airport surcharge of 50 THB to the metered fare.
Passengers are also required to pay any road tolls on top of any metered taxi fare.
There is also a 20 THB surcharge for hiring the taxi through the radio communication center. While you most probably won’t use the radio communication center, the same 20 THB surcharge is applied if you book a Bangkok taxi by using the Grab application (vehicle option Grab Taxi).
Long-Distance Journey Taxi Fares
Recommended long-distance journey taxi fares from Bangkok are:
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Pattaya – 1,700 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Trat (ferries to Koh Chang) – 3,800 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Rayong (ferries to Koh Samet) – 2,700 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi – 2,000 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Ayutthaya – 1,300 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom – 1,000 THB
Taxi fare from Bangkok to Lopburi – 2,200 THB
However, the price for a long-distance journey should always be negotiated before the journey.
You can actually get a similar or even better price than the recommended Bangkok taxi fare for long-distance journeys seen above by booking a transfer online here: Transfers between Bangkok and Pattaya, Ayutthaya, Hua Hin & more.
Bangkok Airport Transfers
To avoid dealing with local taxi drivers and escape possible scams at the airport, book a private transfer online, and the driver will be waiting for you at the airport holding a sign with your name on it. It's definitely the most comfortable way to reach the city and not to get lost in Bangkok on the first day of your trip.
Private transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Central Bangkok can be booked online here: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Transfers.
Private transfer from Don Mueang Airport to Central Bangkok can be booked online here: Bangkok Don Muang Airport (DMK) Transfers.