TotallyOz Posted July 22, 2009 Posted July 22, 2009 Wanting to conserve money and I needed to pick up some bags in Pattaya today, I took the local Bangkok bus from the bus terminal here. First, when you arrive, it is very easy to find the window to purchase the tickets as they all say the city you want to go to. The ones for Pattaya are supposed to leave every hour but they leave as soon as they sell the tickets and the bus is full. For us, the wait was 10 minutes. There are tons of places to get a quick bite to eat in the area and some drinks or snacks for the trip. There are no stops along the way for pee breaks or coffee breaks so be prepared. The bus did have a toilet downstairs but I was not brave enough to test it. The ride took a total of 1:32 minutes door to door. It was quite fast and efficient. The cost was 97 baht. A great price for the ride. Once in Pattaya, you are greeted by a slew of baht buses who want to overcharge to get you where you want to go. There are also motorcycle taxi's that are there. You can walk down the street and pick up a regular baht bus as well so there seems to be plenty of options. The bus did stop a few times close to Pattaya to let some of the passengers off. The bus was air conditioned and comfortable. It was a full bus but it was quiet and easy to relax. You are allowed a certain amount of free luggage and after that you have to pay a bit. All in all, I was very impressed with the cheap fare and the experience. Since I only stayed a few hours in the land by the sea, I didn't take a bus back as I had some things to pick up and needed a large vehicle to get it all for me and bring back to my place in Bangkok. Quote
TotallyOz Posted July 22, 2009 Author Posted July 22, 2009 Sorry was having trouble upload pics and tried this account. Quote
Guest lazarus Posted July 22, 2009 Posted July 22, 2009 OK , GT, but where is "from here" per your post.?? Quote
Guest Posted July 22, 2009 Posted July 22, 2009 OK , GT, but where is "from here" per your post.?? Looks like Ekamai, which is located rather conveniently next to a Skytrain station. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 Once in Pattaya, you are greeted by a slew of baht buses who want to overcharge to get you where you want to go. Where in Pattaya did you arrive? The baht buses at N. Pattaya bus station charge 30 baht to Jomtien. I don't think that is overcharging. Quote
Guest Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 OK , GT, but where is "from here" per your post.?? Ekamai Station. Sorry, forgot to mention that. Now, that is the station for Pattaya and several other spots in Thailand. But, if you are going to other areas, like Isan, there is yet another station. You need to check in advance to make sure you go to the right bus station. Looks like Ekamai, which is located rather conveniently next to a Skytrain station. Correct. Easy to get to by either taxi or Skytrain. The Skytrain is located steps away and very easy to get to the Ekamai station for buses. Where in Pattaya did you arrive? The baht buses at N. Pattaya bus station charge 30 baht to Jomtien. I don't think that is overcharging. Yes, 30 baht seems to be the rate. The first 6 or so we approached told us 200 baht to drive us to Soi Day Night. We declined. After many discussions it was either 30 baht for each of 3 with many stops on the way or 150 for a private baht bus. It just took a while to get the offer for 30 to ride with others as they all wanted a 200 private. Perhaps it was just my dazed and confused look. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 I have done the bus trip a few times. It is easy to find both the bus station (right at Ekkamai BTS station) and the ticket window for the Pattaya bus. On the way back from Pattaya, the bus will drop people off at On Nut BTS station (better if the traffic is bad) or carry you on to Ekkamai. The baht buses which hover around the bus station on arrival at N. Pattaya assume that individuals or small groups with luggage won't know about the regular baht buses. They often charge up to Bt. 150. Far better, as GT suggests, to walk away from the bus station and pick up a regular baht bus Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 I have done the bus trip a few times. It is easy to find both the bus station (right at Ekkamai BTS station) and the ticket window for the Pattaya bus. On the way back from Pattaya, the bus will drop people off at On Nut BTS station (better if the traffic is bad) or carry you on to Ekkamai. The baht buses which hover around the bus station on arrival at N. Pattaya assume that individuals or small groups with luggage won't know about the regular baht buses. They often charge up to Bt. 150. Far better, as GT suggests, to walk away from the bus station and pick up a regular baht bus I have taken the baht bus from N. Pattaya bus station many times and I just tell them where I am going (not ask the price) and pay 30 baht. I believe there is a sign with the fares pasted, but I am not sure. If you get off the closest to where you want to go it is a lot cheaper than to get them to go to your door. I live in VT2 and pay 30 baht to get off on the road. To go to the door of my condo it costs 150 or more. I can walk 50 meters. Quote
