Woman driver in Bangkok

I had read about a taxi service in Bangkok, Thailand, owned by a woman, Rat Service (phone [66] 08 9108 2170, e-mail rat_bkk@yahoo.com), and decided to book her for my arrival transfer in November ’11. I contacted her a month ahead.

On our drive into central Bangkok, we talked, and I booked her for the following day for sightseeing and shopping.

Rat charges THB800 (about $25) for an airport-hotel transfer (she’ll wait for you in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign) and THB600 for hotel-airport transfer. For sightseeing or shopping, she charges THB250 an hour with a five-hour minimum or a set fee of THB1,200 ($38) for fewer than five hours.

Rat knows her way around the city and can take you to high-end shops as well as wholesale markets and outlets. She has a taxi as well as a sedan, and where you are going determines which vehicle she uses for the best parking opportunities.

In the end, she did all four of my airport transfers on the trip and I also hired her for the three days I had free. She introduced me to some areas of Bangkok I didn’t know existed! Rat is wonderful.

ESTHER PERICA