High Season Hassles in Pattaya

It annoys me in high season when even your friendly local motorbike taxi gang start taking liberties, and haggling what are absolutely standard fares for the other 50 weeks of the year.

One of the honest ones

I use my local lot a few times every week on the same or similar journey into Pattaya.

Cost 40 baht.

And I ALWAYS repeat it to them, just to be sure, every time I get on the motorbike.

Today one of them took me, and at the journey's end, I handed him the 40 baht and he demanded another TWENTY! I walked off in total disgust, and he got the message.

Similarly, last night I took a motorbike taxi from the North Pattaya bus terminal.

It usually costs me 80 baht after negotiation, but I always give them a 20 baht tip anyway, making it 100 baht in total at the end.

But last night, as it was late, I agreed to the fare of 100 baht at the start of the journey, as I didn’t want a long-winded negotiation to save 20 baht at that time of night.

Shortly before we arrived, the driver started to engage me in barely audible conversation, what with the wind, the traffic and us both having helmets on.

By the time we arrived he was all full of cheer: “I wish you a merry Christmas. Happy New Year to you and your family. Good luck for you, Sir. Thank you, thank you. Happy New Year etc etc”.

I handed him the 100 baht and he examined each note carefully, and looked totally crestfallen not to see some gigantic tip in there, presumably for his having buttered me up so professionally.

I rolled my eyes and went on my way, looking forward to low season service being resumed as soon as possible in not so Fun Town.
Especially on the motocys.