Bolt Is Much Cheaper Than Grab

[Pdoggg]

Bolt has launched in Pattaya and Bangkok. The price is significantly cheaper than Grab. 

There is a very low minimum. On their app it shows the fare from TJ's to Emmy's as only just 65 baht.  If riding alone, I can't justify paying the Grab price but if it is raining cats and dogs I can see myself using Bolt occasionally.

You can download from the Playstore or the Apple Store.

[Pdoggg]

Took Bolt for the first time tonight. Reliable driver and car at at bargain prices especially for short trips.

Emmy's to Swampy is 1021 baht, a very good price but not extraordinary.  But the 30 baht minimum really works well for short hops such as New Bar to Delirious which is about 32 baht.

[RandiUno2]

What happened to riding on the back of moped, or taking a baht bus.  You guys have too much spare money!

[seven]

On 10/13/2020 at 5:57 PM, Pdoggg said:

New Bar to Delirious

Even I would walk that! 

[Pulci Gorgon]

8 hours ago, RandiUno2 said:

What happened to riding on the back of moped, or taking a baht bus.  You guys have too much spare money!

They're growing old and forgetting the time they loved Thailand as a country where you could get anything for hardly no money. It's sad to become old in one's mind. 

[ozzie]

13 hours ago, RandiUno2 said:

What happened to riding on the back of moped, or taking a baht bus.  You guys have too much spare money!

Wow if you are in Thailand and you can't afford to spend 32 baht then maybe you should not be there?

[RandiUno2]

Yeah, i guess I'm a cheap charlie...or maybe just enjoyed the feeling of being on the back of a moped or riding with the locals on a baht bus. as opposed to what I ride in in the states

One of the most enjoyable things I ever did was taking a back of the moped food tour through HCM city in Saigon with my daughter on my last trip.

Sheesh, some people can't take a joke.

[ozzie]

6 hours ago, RandiUno2 said:

Yeah, i guess I'm a cheap charlie...or maybe just enjoyed the feeling of being on the back of a moped or riding with the locals on a baht bus. as opposed to what I ride in in the states

One of the most enjoyable things I ever did was taking a back of the moped food tour through HCM city in Saigon with my daughter on my last trip.

Sheesh, some people can't take a joke.

Maybe people would know it was a joke if you used some emojis to portray that? Otherwise I am sorry we can't read your mind!

[RandiUno2]

 

On 10/15/2020 at 6:13 PM, ozzie said:

Maybe people would know it was a joke if you used some emojis to portray that? Otherwise I am sorry we can't read your mind!

Enjoy your next trip to Thailand.

[Pdoggg]

There is another app I discovered, InDriver, which has both cars and motobikes.   What makes this app unique is that you set the price which can be accepted or rejected.  But the Bolt prices are so low, that I would feel uncomfortable offering something lower than Bolt, even for a motobike.  If Bolt didn't exist I'd give InDriver a shot since Grab is a bit rich for my 500 baht a day expat budget.  Perhaps InDriver might be useful for guys who are willing to pay more than the going rate if they need a car at a peak time.   

Note, the pricing/value of Bolt, Grab, and InDriver might vary quite a bit by country/city.

[stoolpusher]

I have never used the delivery companies when in Thailand , I prefer to go for a walk and see what is available for dinner. I do have places I go regularly in Pattaya for different meals depending on what I feel like. If it happens to be pissing down when I feel hungry then I just wait a while .

  As far as a motorbike taxi or baht buss I use who ever comes past .  

[ozzie]

1 hour ago, RandiUno2 said:

 

Enjoy your next trip to Thailand.

I live in Bangkok but thanks anyway.

[RandiUno2]

On 10/17/2020 at 4:15 AM, ozzie said:

I live in Bangkok but thanks anyway.

Good for you. I would think about living there, but I love my children and parents too much to move over seas, and I have a great life here in the States.  

Enjoy your life.

[RandiUno2]

On 10/17/2020 at 2:36 AM, Pdoggg said:

There is another app I discovered, InDriver, which has both cars and motobikes.   What makes this app unique is that you set the price which can be accepted or rejected.  But the Bolt prices are so low, that I would feel uncomfortable offering something lower than Bolt, even for a motobike.  If Bolt didn't exist I'd give InDriver a shot since Grab is a bit rich for my 500 baht a day expat budget.  Perhaps InDriver might be useful for guys who are willing to pay more than the going rate if they need a car at a peak time.   

Note, the pricing/value of Bolt, Grab, and InDriver might vary quite a bit by country/city.

Pdoggg,

You have given people  like me on this site so much useful and helpful for info. It has been a goldmine of tips, tools and tricks for navigating Southeast Asia and the world of ladyboys.  Whenever an acquaintance mentions an interest in Thailand and ladyboys, I always direct them to your site for information and tips. 

 I will always remember the sage advice you and bumblebee, and others gave me on my first trip to Asia a few years ago. 

Just thought I would give you some props for all you do here.

RandiUno

[Woodie]

On 10/17/2020 at 8:36 PM, Pdoggg said:

There is another app I discovered, InDriver, which has both cars and motobikes.   What makes this app unique is that you set the price which can be accepted or rejected.  But the Bolt prices are so low, that I would feel uncomfortable offering something lower than Bolt, even for a motobike.  If Bolt didn't exist I'd give InDriver a shot since Grab is a bit rich for my 500 baht a day expat budget.  Perhaps InDriver might be useful for guys who are willing to pay more than the going rate if they need a car at a peak time.   

Note, the pricing/value of Bolt, Grab, and InDriver might vary quite a bit by country/city.

I am sure the guy from Ridez for kicks would try and beat the Bolt driver down!!!.

[Pdoggg]

So far have had only good experiences with Bolt but the baht bus is still my preferred mode of transport.   I haven't figured out how to store more than two locations yet.   I have my Home location stored and stored Emmy Bar with the Work label but would like to store more frequently used locations. Maybe there is a way' maybe not.  Btw, Emmy's is listed as Emmy's Ladyboy Bar.  

Saw a price list at a Soi Diana mototaxi stand and the Bolt prices for a car are cheaper than the mototaxi bike prices.  If you have ever used Grab, I'd suggest that you download Bolt from the Play Store or Apple store.

[ChesterH]

On 10/25/2020 at 9:47 PM, Pdoggg said:

So far have had only good experiences with Bolt but the baht bus is still my preferred mode of transport.   I haven't figured out how to store more than two locations yet.   I have my Home location stored and stored Emmy Bar with the Work label but would like to store more frequently used locations. Maybe there is a way' maybe not.  Btw, Emmy's is listed as Emmy's Ladyboy Bar.  

Saw a price list at a Soi Diana mototaxi stand and the Bolt prices for a car are cheaper than the mototaxi bike prices.  If you have ever used Grab, I'd suggest that you download Bolt from the Play Store or Apple store.

Only issue I have had is the wait times in the past week have gone from 1-3 mins to 3-5mins. Not really an issue.
Had one useless driver when I wanted Bali Hai to Jomtien he ended up waaaay down near sukhumvit and took 25mins for pickup...didn't apologise then when on the journey had no idea where to go as he touched his google map and decentred the map.. 
Otherwise she's all roses

[Pdoggg]

13 hours ago, ChesterH said:

Only issue I have had is the wait times in the past week have gone from 1-3 mins to 3-5mins. Not really an issue.
Had one useless driver when I wanted Bali Hai to Jomtien he ended up waaaay down near sukhumvit and took 25mins for pickup...didn't apologise then when on the journey had no idea where to go as he touched his google map and decentred the map.. 
Otherwise she's all roses

More than one guy has told me that I'm some sort of evangelist for Bolt.  Hope it saves you guys money.  But don't thank me: instead thank Chester as he's the guy who turned me onto Bolt.  

[ozzie]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:02 PM, ChesterH said:

Only issue I have had is the wait times in the past week have gone from 1-3 mins to 3-5mins. Not really an issue.
Had one useless driver when I wanted Bali Hai to Jomtien he ended up waaaay down near sukhumvit and took 25mins for pickup...didn't apologise then when on the journey had no idea where to go as he touched his google map and decentred the map.. 
Otherwise she's all roses

I had a similar problem when going out to see @Pdoggg

App said 1 minute then went up to 3 minutes then back down and back up about 6 times. Ended up waiting nearly 20 minutes. However prices are very good based on the trips I have taken so far.

[Pdoggg]

Lucas is now on the Bolt Bandwagon.

 

[Pdoggg]

Unclear if these new regulations will increase Bolt fares or not.

Legalized ride-hailing taxi services, which start next month, will offer more choices, but both consumer satisfaction and drivers’ welfare are dependent on many variable factors in the post-COVID-19 scenario.

Technology disruption, consumer complaints about taxi services, and some confrontations between unregulated private taxi drivers and public taxi drivers have forced the Transport Ministry to come up with regulations.

The new rules are in line with the Cabinet resolution adopted in May allowing the use of personal cars for ride-hailing taxi services via apps, with seating limited to seven.

Early this month, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob announced a set of new regulations designed to regulate ride-hailing taxi services via apps.

The operators have to register with the ministry this month. So far, five or six operators have already applied, Saksayam said.

The service is expected to begin in November, he said.

Once the app operators get the license they can recruit drivers, but a driver can use only one car.

They must have a public-car driver license and pass a criminal record check by the National Police.

Among other requirements, the operator’s car must not be more than nine years old and car insurance must cover third-party liability.

The licensed cars will be provided plastic tags to be placed on the windshield and rear-view mirror, as proof of the car being registered for lawful ride-hailing service.

QR code is mandatory in a car in order to allow customers to review the quality of services.

Priority for public taxis

Public taxi drivers can register with ride-hailing apps as well as stop to pick up passengers. Personal car operators can only serve passengers who make bookings via internet-based apps.

App operators are required to give public taxis priority in getting passengers, followed by electric cars and personal cars.

Passengers have to pay a Bt20 fee for calling cabs. The fare starts at Bt40-150 depending on the type of vehicle, up from the current minimum Bt35 for public taxis.

The service cost is Bt6-16 per kilometer, plus Bt2 per kilometer during traffic jams.

Regulations for delivery services

The Transport Ministry also plans to regulate delivery services, especially those who use motorcycles.

Sumet Ongkittikul, research director specializing in transportation and logistics policy at Thailand Development Research Institute, expressed his support for the government move.

“We have been faced with the problem of unregulated ride-hailing for a while. It is time to make it clear that ordinary car owners can also provide taxi service,” he said.

It is not likely to cause any trouble in Bangkok, but there could be some confrontation between new entries and local taxi services, he predicted.

Influential taxi operators in provinces may not be happy with private car services, he said.

Nae Fuagnlikhit, who had joined a ride-hailing app and used his own car to provide taxi service before the COVID-19 outbreak, explained that previously there were two groups of private taxi services: drivers who worked full time, and those who worked only on weekends for additional income.

“If there are strict regulations and a lot of paperwork involved, I think the second group may choose to end their part-time driving,” he added.

Value for money?

“In general, new services offer consumers more choices but I am not sure if it would lead to value for money,” Sumet said. High competition may not ensure competitive prices. That also depends on how much app operators charge drivers.

Many consumers do not have a good experience with food delivery services. Having more operators was supposed to make prices competitive, but consumers sometimes complain about the high food-delivery cost, said Sumet.

Many taxi drivers have exited the business due to lockdowns, people staying at home or avoiding taxis due to fear of infection.

“Many uncertain factors would affect the welfare of the drivers. Will the economic situation post-COVID-19 improve? And will foreign tourists return to Thailand in large numbers as earlier?” Sumet posed.

Key players in Thailand

The main players who operated in the Thai market before the regulations were framed were: Grab, Line Man and Estonia’s Bolt, True Ryde, Taxi OK, HaHa taxi, Taxi-Beam, and Smart Taxi.

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/ride-hailing-services-enter-uncharted-territory-after-new-regulations-take-effect/

[Pdoggg]

Giving this a bump as some guys showed interest in a recent thread.

 

[Quietguy]

https://www.thepattayanews.com/2022/11/25/dozens-of-pattaya-bolt-drivers-arrested-for-not-having-public-transport-driving-licenses/

[JustSumGai]

what would stop a taxi driver from using Bolt to get customers?

[Pdoggg]

3 hours ago, JustSumGai said:

what would stop a taxi driver from using Bolt to get customers?

Nothing.  One Bolt option is Bolt Taxi.

The low prices are not the only reason to Bolt.  Not having to negotiate price makes the experience much better as well as the software showing the driver a good route.  Some drivers know better routes but handy for a driver new to town.