Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Burmese Taxis

During the past ten days while traveling in and around Mandalay, I took a few taxis just to compare them with Bangkok cabs. The main difference is that you always have to negotiate the fares in Mandalay, while in Bangkok passengers can usually rely on the set price of the meters. The other difference is that Mandalay taxis are painted white on their exteriors compared to the plethora of cab colors in Bangkok. What makes the taxis similar are the Buddhist decorations, flower offerings, and superstitious paraphernalia on the dashboards and hanging from rearview mirrors. The taxis in Mandalay also commonly include an accoutrement that can be found in many Bangkok cabs: Glade air fresheners.