The default way to get around the island, and the source of most visitor trouble.
Cost: 200–350 THB per day
Watch outOperators holding your passport as deposit then charging for pre-existing damage. Pay a cash deposit and photograph the bike from every angle.
Fixed-price ranks at the main beaches, with rates well above metered fares.
Watch outPhuket's taxi ranks have long operated as informal cartels with posted prices far above the mainland norm. Ride-hailing apps are cheaper where drivers accept.
The traditional way to reach beaches with no road access.
Watch outAgree the return pickup time and price before landing. Being left on a beach and quoted a second fare is a recurring pattern.
Booking apps in Thailand
Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the
journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page —
lookalike apps are themselves a scam.
The dominant ride-hailing app across Southeast Asia, covering cars, motorbike taxis, food and parcels.
Coverage: Nationwide in Thailand, strongest in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.
European ride-hailing operator, usually priced below Grab where it operates.
Coverage: Bangkok and a handful of larger cities; patchy elsewhere.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.
