I have long wanted to use the transfer from the Kiwitaxi service, to which I sometimes link on the blog, to get personal experience, so to speak. Therefore, I ordered it for myself on the route Phuket Airport - Patong. Now I will tell you how everything went, from online shopping on the website to the transfer itself. Let this be some kind of instruction and review based on my experience.
The content of the article
- one Buying a transfer on the Kiwitaxi website
- 2 How was the transfer Phuket Airport - Patong
- 3 Pros and cons
Buying a transfer on the Kiwitaxi website
Fill out the form fields, the service knows many locations. Usually they indicate either the city, or the airport, or the beach. In my case it was Phuket Airport> Patong. By the way, it makes sense to iterate over different names, sometimes prices differ slightly.
Next, see which cars you get in the results and choose. In Thailand, it is enough to choose the very first option, despite the fact that it is called Micro. It will be an ordinary sedan, where an ordinary family with 1-2 children can easily fit. Actually, I chose Micro.
After that, fill in all the data, including the flight number (so that in case of a delay, the transfer will be rescheduled), and pay by credit card (payment in rubles).
There are two options: prepayment and full payment. The last option, I think, is the most convenient, because when you arrive, you do not have local cash and you can not change the currency at the airport. You can safely go to the hotel, settle down, relax, and then look for an exchanger or ATM.
After payment, a confirmation is sent by mail and the dispatcher's phone number, where to call, if that. Thai number. Later, some time after paying from this number, they also wrote to me in Whatsup that we are waiting for you, such a flight, they sent me a photo of the exit where they will wait. The messages were all in Russian. I was thinking, is it possible that the driver will be Russian? But looking ahead, I will say that the Thai turned out to be. Apparently it is the dispatcher (count technical support) who controls the Thai direction.
How was the transfer Phuket Airport - Patong
Upon arrival, I was indeed greeted with a sign with my name at the very exit where they had promised. A girl (not the driver himself) was sitting near the sign, who immediately called the driver when I appeared. That is, I stood and waited for another 10 minutes until the car itself came. But at that time there was a kipish at the Phuket airport, a new terminal was opened, everything was partitioned off, so a traffic jam was created..
«Micro» in fact, it turned out to be Toyota Altis, which is expected, because in Tae only sedans are used for transportation. We reached Patong in an hour. The driver did not ask for money, since I paid for everything in advance. But I am specifically focusing on this now, because it was interesting to see how well everything works. You know, I had it somehow, I arrived at a hotel paid for through Booking, and they want money, they say, we don't know anything, there was no payment.
At the Phuket airport they were waiting for me with a sign
The driver and our car, type Micro
We go to Patong
So there is nothing to find fault with. They warned me with letters, wrote in Votsap, met me without any problems, and took me to the hotel. Transfer, as a transfer, everything is as it should be.
Of course, there are travelers who have been to Thailand many times and traveled by taxi in Phuket or Bangkok, knows that there is a taxi with a meter and a fixed one, already has experience in how to get taken by the meter, knows about the Grabtaxi application, in which Thai SIM card is desirable for registration. Travelers with Kiwitaxi experience don't really need it, I agree. But for beginners, it can be difficult to understand the nuances right away and the transfer can make life easier..
So, if you want to know everything and there is a need to save money, you will have to spend time preparing for the trip, or be ready to resolve all issues on the spot..
Pros and cons
Finally, a few pros and cons. I initially did not consider the option of delivering myself from the airport to the hotel by public transport, so I will only compare with a local taxi.
Pros:
- You do not need to read anything in advance about what types of taxis are and how to use them. And, accordingly, you do not need to look for anything upon arrival in an unfamiliar place, you do not need to bargain with taxi drivers.
- There are no problems with the language barrier, as there is no need to talk to the driver, everything is known in advance.
- Online shopping on the site, no need to change / withdraw currency at the airport to pay.
- Relevant for parents with children! You can order in advance a child seat, which is never found in regular taxis.
Minuses:
- The price for many destinations in Thailand is more expensive than taking a taxi on the spot.
- You need to book a transfer in advance, and when choosing an airport as a departure point, you need to indicate a flight.
As a summary:
P.S. Specifically by directions «Phuket Airport - Kata Beach», «Phuket - Krabi» or «Bangkok - Pattaya», a transfer from Kiwitaxi costs the same as a regular taxi.
