In every city, there are metered taxis who are reliable, honest and are licensed through the local city government or state government. In Bangkok, for example, the local metered taxis are the best way to travel around. For those who are more daring, you can also sit on the back of a motorcycle or scooter taxis which are cheaper than the taxies. There are also motorized carts or rickshaw carts that also are available. It's a similar situation for Bali and for India.
Traffic is another area of concern for some people when they travel to Asian cities.
Bangkok has a reputation for being a very polluted and heavy traffic city. It is a heavy traffic city, no doubt, however, it is not too much more serious than you would find in a major metropolitan city of the United States. At certain times of the day, waiting lines could be a little longer, and at other times during the day, traffic flows with a certain amount of regularity and ease. The trick when you visit Asian countries, is to put aside the rush syndrome and get into patience, slowness and accept whatever comes your way. A little trick that I learned is that if you are going to take a stopover package in Bangkok, you might want to take a stopover package on a weekend when traffic is a little lighter, as some of the local residents go out of the city, so traffic is a little easier.