Inexpensive Big-City Limo Transfers
Arriving as a visitor, tourist or business traveller in any large or capital city is an exciting and sometimes stressful experience. One of the first and potentially most difficult challenges is to find some transport out of the airport. In developed countries, there are rules, systems and infrastructure, along with clear signage in English. However, in developing countries, there are plenty of opportunities to for the locals to cheat the newcomer, or for the newcomer to become immediately disillusioned and subsequently cause a bad first impression. Take, for example, Bangkok, which is the capital of Thailand and the gateway to so many other wonderful destinations in the region. Bangkok offers a multitude of transport options, from the famous tuk tuk to crammed buses and even an underground train system. However, so many of these options are limited in their ability to comfortably transport one or more adults to their chosen destination. Some people choose to charter a metered taxi for the day, but this can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings; for example, agreeing the fare against time and distance or running the meter all day, even when the passenger is out of the vehicle and in a meeting or sightseeing. Limo transfers are a popular and surprisingly inexpensive way of getting around Bangkok and the surrounding areas.
As an all-round comfortable, convenient and trustworthy option, the best kind of transport in and around Bangkok is to hire a limousine and driver. Locally, theses are referred to as limo transfers or limo tours. In the West this would be an extravagance reserved for very special occasions and those who have no concept of value. However, out in South-East Asia it is quite a different story. A ‘limousine’ is anything from a mid-size or large saloon car to a semi-luxurious minibus. Some of the limousine companies run early 1990s Mercedes Benz E-Class vehicles which are still highly-regarded in Thailand but would only have a value equal to an average month’s salary in Europe or North America. No, it is preferable to opt for a limousine service company that offers new vehicles, usually Japanese, which can give comfort and reliability without trying to show off to the neighbours. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, for example, have received excellent reviews when compared to today’s German equivalents, so they are clearly a much better car than a twenty-year-old Mercedes that has spent all of those years trundling around the capital and doing regular trips from Bangkok to Pattaya. In addition, probably spent the last ten years not being serviced by franchised dealers, in an effort to reduce costs. The large Japanese saloons, including the Nissan Teana can effortlessly seat three or four adult passengers in comfort and most models offer dual-zone air-conditioning and other luxuries, such as DVD. For those who need to transport larger groups of people, the market is now full of ‘people carriers’ and SUVs. In Thailand the word ‘van’ doesn’t refer to what is used by builders and other tradesmen in the West. It means a minibus that has comfortable seating for up to a dozen passengers and offers luxuries similar to well-specified saloon cars. In between the ‘van’ and the saloon are vehicles designed for large families. However, in Thailand these are often imported fully-built and attract heavy tax, resulting in there not being many on the road. Some of the Korean manufacturers have successfully filled this void with their sensibly-priced but well specified SUVs.
So, whether travelling alone or in a group, limo tours are excellent value and extremely comfortable. They can be used for single journeys or booked for the whole day or longer. There is no longer any need to stay at the Bangkok airport hotel when one has the opportunity and freedom to travel around the city and beyond.