Bangkok Taxi Fare 2026 – Meter Rates, Airport Surcharge & Scams

Metered taxis start at 35 THB. A 5 km ride is roughly 60 THB and 10 km about 95 THB in good traffic. Late at night, drivers who refuse the meter are the main problem.

2026 meter rates

Bangkok taxi meter rates 2026
Item	Rate (THB)
Flag fall (first 1 km)	35 (40 for larger taxis)
1–10 km	6.50 per km
10–20 km	7.00 per km
20–40 km	8.00 per km
Stuck in traffic (under 6 km/h)	3 per minute
Booked by phone or app	20 service fee
Airport taxi stand surcharge	50
Expressway tolls	Paid by the passenger, on top

These are the rates set in January 2023 (Government Public Relations Department, Bangkok Post) and still in use in October 2026. Most taxis also show a rate card inside. They change. Confirm before you pay.

What a ride costs on the meter

The meter is mostly distance plus traffic time. In free-flowing traffic the distance part works out as below. Each slow minute adds 3 THB, so 20 minutes of jam on Sukhumvit adds about 60 THB.

Meter fare by distance, no traffic time (THB)
Distance	Meter
2 km	about 42
5 km	about 61
10 km	about 94
15 km	about 129
20 km	about 164

Most nights out inside Sukhumvit, Silom and Thonglor are under 10 km. If a driver quotes a flat price several times these figures, the meter is the cheaper option.

Typical night-out fares

Nana ↔ Thonglor: usually under 150 THB by meter outside rush hour.
Sukhumvit → RCA: roughly 100–200 THB.
Sukhumvit → Rajadamnern stadium: roughly 150–250 THB, more with traffic.
Grab and Bolt show a fixed price upfront; after midnight they’re often similar to or slightly above the meter.

Hailing a taxi

A red light in the windscreen means the taxi is free. Wave it down from the kerb.
Say the destination before you get in. Drivers can and do say no; just wait for the next car.
Ask for the meter (“meter, khrap/kha”) and check it starts at 35 or 40 THB as the car moves.
Carry small notes. A driver may not have change for 1,000 THB at night.
Outside nightlife strips and big hotels, cars that wait in a line are the ones most likely to quote a flat price. Walk to the main road and flag a moving taxi.

Grab, Bolt or a street taxi

The apps fix the price before you ride, take cards, and record the car and driver. That matters most late at night, when meter refusals peak. A metered taxi booked through an app adds the 20 THB service fee. A street taxi on the meter is usually the cheapest option in light traffic; in a jam, the app’s fixed price can come out lower.

Common scams

“No meter, 300 baht”: flat high prices outside bars and hotels. Walk on, or use the app.
Meter “broken”: get out before the car moves.
Long way round: follow on your own map.
Tuk-tuk detours: “the palace is closed today”, then a gem or tailor shop.

More: scams · getting around.

Reporting a driver

The Department of Land Transport takes taxi complaints on the 1584 hotline. Note the plate number, the time and the place. Refusing a passenger and refusing the meter are both offences, and drivers can be fined. A photo of the plate and the route on your phone is enough to start a report.