Grab car VS Taxi in Bangkok – which is best?

Want to know how Grab cars vs Taxi in Bangkok compare?

Grab for Bangkok is the equivalent of Uber for most western countries. It’s a ride hailing app that only requires a few taps on the phone app and you’ll have a car on its way to you up.

Uber was also an option in Bangkok. But in 2018 Grab took over the ride hailing market completely wiping out Uber. Now, with minor competition from other ride hailing services such as Bolt and In-drive, Grab dominates this market.

It’s biggest competitor is Bangkok’s taxis. They come in a rainbow of colors. From yellow to orange and blue, green, purple, there is no shortage of taxis in Bangkok. Over the years taxis in Bangkok have gained a reputation for over pricing and not using meters. It’s something that happens all over the world and one of the reasons why people often feel more comfortable using a ride hailing app as there is no cheating since the price is shown in advance.

But how do Grab car vs taxi in Bangkok compare? In short, both are reliable solution to get you from here to there. But as anything, both have their drawbacks

Grab Cars in Bangkok

Grab cars in Bangkok are basically the answer to Uber for most western countries. It’s an app based “taxi” where the ride is ordered from a phone after downloading the app. Before ordering the ride, there is an option to choose the type of car. From ordinary cars to luxury cars or even multi seater minivans. The price changes drastically depending on the ride with multi seaters and luxury cars being the most expensive.

Besides giving peace of mind by knowing the price in advance, Grab is also convenient. In certain situations and locations maybe there won’t be any passing by taxis so a Grab can be ordered. Or maybe you have an early morning flight, in that case a ride can be ordered in advance.

Grab prices

Grab is relatively affordable in Bangkok. I have taken Grab from and to Suvarnabhumi airport various times. It’s around 1 hour drive from Bangkok city centre and the ride usually costs between ฿650 ($18) and ฿900 ($25) depending on traffic. In comparison, shorter rides tend to be more expensive. On average a 4km ride in normal traffic conditions costs ฿110 ($3). Prices are obviously cheap if compared to western prices. However this is Thailand and when compared to a metered taxi ride, these prices are quite high.

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Taxis in Bangkok

Taxis in Bangkok are convenient and easy to find. The most common taxis are green and yellow. But there are various taxi companies operating in Bangkok and each have their own color including green, blue, yellow, pink and orange. The advantage of using a taxi in Bangkok is that you’ll be on your way immediately, as long as there are taxis in the area. Unlike Grab where some waiting time is always required until the ride arrives.

While taxis in Bangkok have built a reputation of not using the meter and instead giving expensive fixed prices, this isn’t accurate. We found that most drivers accepted the ride by meter which is always at least 50% cheaper than taking the fixed price option.

Also, don’t worry about getting ripped off when taking a taxi from Suvarnabhumi airport or Don Mueang airport. The taxis there are regulated and required to use the meter or risk being banned from operating at the airport.

There are a few exceptions however when finding a metered taxi may prove more challenging. Taxis waiting in line near high traffic areas such tourist spots like the Grand Palace, Chatuchak market, the malls in Siam and nighttime venues near Khaosan road and Nana plaza, in general taxis in high traffic areas often refuse taking metered rides. The reason is simply because of the high demand and drivers know that eventually someone will accept their ‘high’ fixed prices.

Bangkok taxi fare prices

The metered taxi fares in Bangkok start at ฿35 for the first kilometer and increase for each additional kilometer traveled. While there are various taxi companies operating in Bangkok, all fares are similar. Below is a chart detailing the fares.

Grab car vs metered taxi in Bangkok

So is Grab car better than metered taxi in Bangkok, or vice versa? While taxis are cheaper than Grab cars in Bangkok, the price isn’t the only thing to consider. There are many other factors such as convenience to consider, and also peace of mind.

Grab cars offer peace of mind by showing the price in advance. In certain areas metered taxis may be harder to find so ordering a Grab car may be the only only option. Also, finding taxis in the middle of the night may be more challenging. So if you have an early flight, Grab is convenient because rides can be ordered in advance and you’ll have a driver waiting for you at the time you need it.

Metered taxis on the other hand are cheaper and still widely available. You can always wave down a passing taxi and be on your way immediately. This isn’t always the case with Grab. Unless the driver accepting the ride is already nearby, 10 minutes waiting time is expected.

The bottom line

Whether you use Grab cars or taxis in Bangkok is up to you. Personally I use a combination of both, depending on the situation. If taxis are available I will always wave one down and ask for a metered ride. But if I’m somewhere away from the main areas where taxis aren’t common, I order a Grab.

I hope this article helps you make the best of your time in Bangkok and plan your trip accordingly. If you have further questions leave a comment below, I always respond.

Getting around Bangkok

If you’re planning your trip to Bangkok, you may also want to know more about how to get around the city. Bangkok is big and suffers from some awful traffic. Fortunately Bangkok has one of the best public transport networks in the world. Popular areas such as Sukhumvit, Siam, Silom and Sathorn are all connected via the BTS skytrain and the MRT underground train. Using these to get around the majority of the city is far more convenient and faster than using either Grab or a taxi.

You may want to read these articles⤵

→ Bangkok MRT – Getting around Bangkok

→ Bangkok BTS skytrain – How to use it?

→ How to get around Bangkok easily

For your Thailand trip ⤵

Thailand is a big country with popular tourist destinations to the North and tropical islands with gorgeous beaches to south.

It’s good to know available options to move around in order to easily plan your trip. The 12Go platform allows you to search for routes easily. Just enter your origin and destination and view a list of available options.

Even complicated routes such as traveling to islands are made easy thanks to the bus+ferry joint tickets. But make sure to book in advance (especially during peak season and holidays) as the best options often sell out.

Planning Itinerary

Planning a Thailand itinerary can be overwhelming. It’s a big country with loads of destinations and even more interesting things to do. As a result, deciding what things to do and where to stay (hotels) can often feel like an impossible task.

Thankfully there are many ways to simplify the process and avoid turning what should be a fun holiday into a whole lot of stress.

I use a combination of platforms to plan trips which ultimately give me ideas for things to do and other platforms allow me to find the best prices when booking and accommodation such as hotels.

VIATOR – My travel planning always begins by researching things to do. This helps me narrow down the list of places I want to visit. To do this I use Viator, it’s platform to book tours. While I don’t do everything with a tour, browsing through the activities give me an overview for interesting activities in specific destinations. If I like anything and can’t be bothered to research everything myself, then I book it as a tour.

View activities in popular Thailand destinations ⤵

→ Things to do in Bangkok

→ Activities in Koh Samui

→ Things to do in Phuket

Booking.com – For the widest selection and best hotel prices (often with huge saving) I use booking.com. It’s the best hotel booking platform with a number of features that allow me to find the best hotel for my budget and taste. I often use the map feature in order to get a sense of orientation of the hotel location and can easily visualize anything of interest such as restaurants, bars or tourist spots nearby.

→ Book hotels in Bangkok

→ Book hotels in Koh Samui

→ Book hotels in Phuket