We all know the scene. You’re late. You wave down a taxi driver, who winds down his window and peers out at you. You tell him where you want to go – but instead of welcoming you into his car, he shakes his hand at you, laughs to himself at the hopelessness of it all, and speeds off. Then the next guy does the same thing. And the next guy. And the next guy.
It’s frustrating as hell, and tempting to blame the drivers. But – believe it or not – they’re not just being assholes. Times are tough for a lot of Bangkok’s taxi community. With more and more cars on the roads, it’s getting harder and harder for drivers to get by, a situation only made worse by the rising cost of living. For many drivers, ploughing through the traffic for a small fare just isn’t worth it.
But some Bangkokians are finding ways to make driving work for them. In April this year, Warakorn “Jack” Lomwong, 36, was one of the first group of drivers to join GrabCar, a premium limousine service by mobile taxi booking app GrabTaxi. And he loves his new job. “Driving gives me freedom,” says Jack, who was born in Prachuap Khiri Khan but moved to Bangkok 11 years ago.
36-year-old Warakorn “Jack” Lomwong and his Toyota Camry
Jack has had jobs in offices and retail, but none of them put him in control of his day the way his current one does. And none of them involved doing something he truly enjoys. So a few years ago, he found a job as a private driver. Later, he secured a loan to buy what is now his sleek, silver pride and joy: a Toyota Camry. It’s a level of luxury up from the usual cars that ply Bangkok’s streets. “One time I came to pick up some passengers and they were totally surprised by my car. They insisted on taking a photograph of it,” he beams.
GrabCar fares are a little higher than you’d pay for a non-premium service. But Jack thinks they’re fair. For example, comparable services will charge in the range of THB1,000 – THB 2,000 to take a passenger from Bangkok’s CBD to Suvarnabhumi Airport. For the same journey GrabCar charges around THB400-500. And unlike similar services, GrabCar’s drivers do their business in cash. That suits Jack fine. It gives him instant cash flow, which he can use to fill up on gas, pay the toll way – or snack on the city’s yummy street food.
GrabCar’s vehicles are registered with the Department of Land Transport. And because passengers book ahead of time, Jack knows his schedule in advance. It makes it easier for him to manage his day. “I get up around 5am and work for 12 hours each day,” he says. “I’ll usually start by taking people to and from the airports.”
His favorite route is the motorway from Srinakarin to Suvarnabhumi. His least favorite is Sukhumvit Road, which he admits is “a nightmare”. But the GrabCar GPS system makes it much easier for him to navigate the city, avoiding traffic hotspots and finding parts of the metropolis he’s never been to before.
Sometimes strange things happen during taxi rides. Thai urban folklore abounds with tales of passengers who ask to be taken to lonely streets near temples. When the car arrives at the destination, the driver turns around – to find the passenger has vanished. Once, when Jack was asked to take a passenger to a dark, deserted street near Wat Rakang, he got the creeps – especially when he saw the dramatic images of hell painted on the temple wall. But he breathed a sigh of relief when he turned around to see that the passenger was still there, and very much human.
Of course, Jack’s life isn’t all about work. He’s married, with two sons, aged 8 and 11. Both of them love football, and dream of being professional players. Happily, Jack’s making enough money to send one of them for football training every weekend. He’s still paying for the car in instalments, but he has more than enough money left over to provide for his family. The average GrabCar driver pulls in around THB50,000-60,000 in terms of revenue. Depending on his wife’s schedule, he takes four or five days off a month, so the family can spend time together.
The job has helped Jack to strike up friendships with customers who’ve become regulars. GrabCar drivers won’t, as a rule, start a conversation with a passenger – sometimes we all just need to relax. But if the passenger wants to chat, they’re happy to oblige. Jack says the job is a great way to meet interesting people he’d never normally run into. Most customers are Thai, though there are also plenty of expat Westerners and Japanese.
He’s also bonded with his colleagues at GrabCar. Jack and his driver friends will work during the peak holiday period. But once the rush is over, they plan to take a vacation in Northern Thailand – camping in the mountains and enjoying the cooler weather. It’s a well-earned break, but Jack is happy with his life as a GrabCar driver in the Thai capital. “I get to go to new places and meet new people. I’m very happy with the lack of routine in my lifestyle.”
GrabCar is giving away THB100 discounts from December 12 to 26 to celebrate the year-end. Read more here.
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