How Do You Rate Baht Bus Drivers (in General)?

[Jingthing]

In a related thread, I was challenged about what research I had to back up my very low opinion of Pattaya baht bus drivers (as a general class).

Well, here is an attempt at some research. Have at it!

BTW, the word cut off in the title is supposed to observations.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Jingthing you have a Baht Bus fetish?

[Jingthing]

Jingthing you have a Baht Bus fetish?

I wish I did. Might make riding them even more thrilling.

Oh, look, yet another baht bus driver mistakes a farang's head for a baseball!

Edited February 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[popshirt]

Oh here we go again ......... I just wish the Pattaya/Jomtien folk who have and use cars for transport would stay out of the debate as well as those who are occasional or seasonal tourists and think bahtmobiles are quaint and different from back home.

My experience is that the drivers are quite rude; just the other day a driver stopped his bus and insisted that two young German women disembark somewhere along Threpasit road. They did not want to get off......had done nothing wrong, and were mystified by the aggressive driver's shouting at them. They got off. My Thai friend said "best not to get involved" but he was appalled by the incident. I considered disembarking myself as I wondered if the driver was drunk or crazy.

I know there are rude taxi drivers in Bangkok and in any large city, but most are quite polite and efficient in my experience.

Edited February 3, 2007 by Totster
irrelevant picture removed

[Jingthing]

Popshirt, Bahtmobiles, I love it.

I do agree the people most qualified to vote on this subject are the people who live in Pattaya/Jomtien long term and rely on the baht buses for their everyday transport. But of course, anyone can vote, its just for fun.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...amp;hl=baht+bus

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...amp;hl=baht+bus

Couple nice Baht Bus lads!!

[Jingthing]

Britmav, you prove the point. Good baht bus drivers are

NEWS!!!!

[Gary A]

I get on, I get off and I pay. I've never had occasion to have a long conversation with a baht bus driver. My observation is that they do their job and I have never had any problems.

ADDED - I have seen smelly farangs jump off the bus without paying and run up the nearest soi. I wouldn't have minded seeing the driver run them down and bust their heads but unfortunately these <deleted> have practiced enough that the driver isn't watching when they make their run. Talk about SCUM!

Edited February 3, 2007 by Gary A

[icecubes]

I get on, I get off and I pay. I've never had occasion to have a long conversation with a baht bus driver. My observation is that they do their job and I have never had any problems.

ADDED - I have seen smelly farangs jump off the bus without paying and run up the nearest soi. I wouldn't have minded seeing the driver run them down and bust their heads but unfortunately these <deleted> have practiced enough that the driver isn't watching when they make their run. Talk about SCUM!

So you use this so called system once a month, then.

Baht bus drivers are scum bag thugs.

[naka]

I get on, I get off and I pay. I've never had occasion to have a long conversation with a baht bus driver. My observation is that they do their job and I have never had any problems.

ADDED - I have seen smelly farangs jump off the bus without paying and run up the nearest soi. I wouldn't have minded seeing the driver run them down and bust their heads but unfortunately these <deleted> have practiced enough that the driver isn't watching when they make their run. Talk about SCUM!

I never have problems with them.

And I have never, ever seen a farang running away without paying.

There again I don't normally catch a Baht Bus up to Loei.

Naka.

Edited February 3, 2007 by naka

[Jingthing]

I ride them all the time and the only time I saw a rider try to skip the fare was a drugged out young Thai, and the driver caught him. Never saw a farang try this. I think this is very rare.

I am sure the Tourism officials of Pattaya and Thailand would be pleased to know about the high opinions we all have of their baht bus "ambassadors."

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

This just in.

Secret pictures from the baht bus mafia double pricing fare enforcement training school:

Future baht bus "ambassador" tries out the swing the bat to farang head maneuver

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[icecubes]

Future baht bus "ambassador.,

They are all ambassadors for there system.

This is a chalange to all.

Get on a baht bus in Jomtien at say 00:20 and try and get to the

Tree in the middle of the road in Nakula. and back to Jomtien

For 40 baht.. This is for falangs only. ( Thaïs can do it for that)

Don’t give them 1 baht more. Anyone think they can do it.

I don’t think so.

I know what will happen.

And that’s the reason I dislike these pricks..

To all the dickheads who said here we go again, well it’s a problem isn’t it.

Or do we sweep it under the carpet like the Thaïs do. No

One day they will seriously hurt or kill a tourist, accident or not,

this will happen.

They are out of control in this town.

Edited February 3, 2007 by icecubes

[Pattaya_Fox]

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

Edited February 3, 2007 by Pattaya_Fox

[Jingthing]

Actually, I do have an agenda. Not exactly hidden. I feel there should be more public attention to the public transportation mafia in Pattaya which is clearly corrupt and clearly a mafia. There is also always the undercurrent of potential violence in dealings with these drivers. If you don't see that, you ain't looking.

The way to solve this, I believe, is to bring fair competition to the streets, Bangkok style taxi meters, regulated by a government body not associated with the current mafia.

I wish I knew a better way than posting on thaivisa to do my part to put light on this issue. But I don't, but am open to suggestions other than get out of town, buy a car, or accept the corrupt situation, which I will not do.

Frankly, I think the poll results do tell us something about the perception of baht bus drivers. Not that the results are any surprise to most regular baht bus riders.

I also feel strongly that if you did the same poll for Bangkok taxi meter drivers, the percentage in bullies and scum would be MUCH lower. Because they are objectively much better behaved as a group. (Hint: less chance they are carrying a baseball bat.)

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Unfortunately jingthing - you won't change a thing, so you are wasting your time when it comes to the honourable and valued baht bus.

[moo9]

I never had problems. Even going late at night, I have a friendly price discussion and never had problems.

I don#t understand the hype over rough, cheating Songthaew drivers.

Same refers as well for Motorbike Taxis, usually no probs at all!

[Cuban]

Somewhere here (i'm sure) I read the line, someone will be killed by a baht bus driver one day, then something will be done...

Murder

Robbery

...unless Pattaya learns lessons from it's history it will repeat them, again and again...

[Jingthing]

Unfortunately jingthing - you won't change a thing, so you are wasting your time when it comes to the honourable and valued baht bus.

Sometimes its fun to back a long shot or a lost cause. I have lots of experience with that.

I don't doubt you are probably right in the short term. As far as the long term, not sure what that means exactly, 10 or 20 years, there will 100 percent be taxi meters in a major city like Pattaya. So, I ask, why not sooner as there is definitely a real demand for them RIGHT NOW?

Not talking about stopping baht buses as BUSES. They just make crappy TAXIS, especially for the richer class of people starting to visit Pattaya, going to 100 dollar dinners in a TRUCK. Also, as mentioned before ad nauseum I admit, the baht buses don't work at all as buses outside of a few main tourist oriented routes.

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[Phil Conners]

Here we go again!!

In threads like this designed to bring out flaming of the baht bus driver there will always be sensationalist and one off experiences which should not blurr the overall picture of this transport system which provides a great service for tens of thousands of both Thais and foreigners.

Great mode of transport.............convenient plentyful and they do a brilliant job for a very low fare.

When in Patters which these days is about 4 months of the year I probably use them 3 or 4 times a day on average. ..I pay my fare am polite and go on my way.

I don`t have problems and I certainly think that the hate campaign against them which has been started in recent threads by a certain member is stupid and totaly distorts the facts and almost borders on some sort of paranoia against these workers...............maybe it is a baht bus fetish.........but very strange indeed.

Or maybe it`s just attention seeking, headline grabbing and providing siome sort of weird satisfaction.

And as for d*ickheads as previously mentioned...........a closer look nearer home may be pertinent.

Another user who only needs transport on the sex tourist circuit (between Beach Road and 3rd road).

Edited February 3, 2007 by Phil Conners

[ollyrosee]

its easy to avoid them completely ,taxi from BKK into patters direct to hotel, then hire bike for duration of stay ,take bike back to shop then take taxi direct back to BKK using 1 you arranged previously to meet you . cheaper in the long run and less stressfull.

[ollyrosee]

they tried and failed to eradicate the taxi mafia in Phuket so there is little chance in Patters of this happening in your lifetime.

you will be using a rocket backpack to get around first .

[Jingthing]

its easy to avoid them completely ,taxi from BKK into patters direct to hotel, then hire bike for duration of stay ,take bike back to shop then take taxi direct back to BKK using 1 you arranged previously to meet you . cheaper in the long run and less stressfull.

There are thousands of people who LIVE here. Not everyone wishes to run a moto. So its baht buses, moto taxis, or WALK.

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

they tried and failed to eradicate the taxi mafia in Phuket so there is little chance in Patters of this happening in your lifetime.

you will be using a rocket backpack to get around first .

OK, you convinced me. Nothing every changes. Anywhere. Especially in Thailand. Because Thailand is exactly the same as it was 20 years ago and it will be exactly the same 20 years from now. Makes sense to me.

Does Thailand attract more than the natural share of total fatalists?

Edited February 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[Mobi]

its easy to avoid them completely ,taxi from BKK into patters direct to hotel, then hire bike for duration of stay ,take bike back to shop then take taxi direct back to BKK using 1 you arranged previously to meet you . cheaper in the long run and less stressfull.

I don't want to get into this too much as there are clearly fervent belivers on both sides of the divide, and it is patently clear that nobody is going to change their minds sometime soon.

I think the Baht busses have their place in Pattaya (albeit there is far too many of them clogging up the traffic), as do the moto bikes. These forms of vehicles run in most towns and cities in Thailand and are a wonderful, cheap way for the majority of the population to get around.

However as supposedly Thailand's second largest city, which boasts as a "WORLD CLASS" tourist resort, it is just plain laughable, that there aren't meter taxis, or some other form of public saloon car transport or a proper vehicular bus service available for the mid to upper class tourists, who TAT states it wants to attract in increasing numbers.

I personally do not use Baht buses on a regular basis, and on the occasions that I have I have not experienced anything untoward. However, we hadn't moved to Pattaya very long when my wife, a Thai, approached a Baht bus parked outside Royal Garden and asked him to take us to Walking Street. She was completely unaware of the fare system, and of course I ended up paying 100 Baht. I wonder how many thousands of tourists have been 'done' in a similar manner, until they realsied how the system works?

Finally, I had two elderly ( in their 70's), friends visit me back in November, and we went to Pattaya on a number of occasions, to dine, shop and spend money one way or another. Getting around was extremely difficult, as there is nowhere to park my car in the main areas, and there was no way on God's earth they were going to risk trying to get in and out of a Baht Bus. I suggested a Moto bike, but if looks could kill, I wouldn't be posting.....

[Gary A]

I have seen more scumbag farangs jump off the bus without paying than I have seen farangs that had baht bus driver problems. The usual jump off is one of the sois that leads to walking street when the driver is stopped at the Pattaya south and second road intersection.

I still have a condo in Jomtien and when I make the trip down from Loei I usually drive. I park my car in Jomtien and ALWAYS take the baht bus when in Jomtien and also when I go into Pattaya. If the baht busses were so bad, I'd drive myself. I think they provide a very good service as long as you are on their regular route. If you want to go somewhere other than the regular route, you will no doubt pay more than it is worth. An alternative such as metered taxis WOULD be good for Pattaya.

I get on, I get off and I pay. I've never had occasion to have a long conversation with a baht bus driver. My observation is that they do their job and I have never had any problems.

ADDED - I have seen smelly farangs jump off the bus without paying and run up the nearest soi. I wouldn't have minded seeing the driver run them down and bust their heads but unfortunately these <deleted> have practiced enough that the driver isn't watching when they make their run. Talk about SCUM!

I never have problems with them.

And I have never, ever seen a farang running away without paying.

There again I don't normally catch a Baht Bus up to Loei.

Naka.

[Couthy]

Baht bus morons?.

1) My at that time 67 year old Mum, who had her foot driven over by one of the swine because he refused to give her change.

2) My ex wife (a Doctor's daughter) crying in the street after the verbal abuse she got from on of these people.

She was quite horrified. (and a Thai).

3) One of our company who was born and bred from an old Pattaya family tells more than you will ever see in the press and in this forum. I believe him and trust him.

Line them up against a wall with a firing squad. Then start again.

My opinion only.

[Jingthing]

Baht bus morons?.

1) My at that time 67 year old Mum, who had her foot driven over by one of the swine because he refused to give her change.

2) My ex wife (a Doctor's daughter) crying in the street after the verbal abuse she got from on of these people.

She was quite horrified. (and a Thai).

3) One of our company who was born and bred from an old Pattaya family tells more than you will ever see in the press and in this forum. I believe him and trust him.

Line them up against a wall with a firing squad. Then start again.

My opinion only.

Thank you for that testimony.

As I have said before, there is a constant undercurrent of potential violence from the baht bus drivers. These incidents are most certainly NOT one off rare exceptions as some defenders of the thugs try to say. They do indeed rule the roads by INTIMIDATION.

Edited February 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[scotsman]

I have been coming to pattaya since 1987 and have lived here since 2000 the baht bus drivers have not changed much in that time. For example if you dont have the correct fare 5 baht some of them will not give you back your change and just drive off nearly taking my arm off. Where does it say that you have to have correct fare it would be nice if they had a 5 baht slot that you could just drop your 5 baht but there is none so you should get your change back its robbery. The amount of times I have been told to get off before I have reached my destination becase he wants to pick up 4 or 5 farangs to get more money. Then the slagging match that I get for not paying him The times I have payed my 5 baht for a short journey and got a load of verble from the driver I would say that there is about 70% of baht bus drivers who are all like this and it will never change as the powers that be are to scared or corrupt. Like I said in my other post I dont use baht busses,I walk everwhere or drive my car I would like to see better public transport like a good bus service free from mafia and the metered taxi but it will not happen soon so I will keep on walking or driving my car. There will be a day that a farang is killed by a baht bus driver but it will not change a thing but I will not be that farang.

[jdinasia]

I've spent plenty of time in Pattaya ... had one distasteful experience out of perhaps 1000 rides. (Had far more frequent issues with Taxis in BKK but still, all told, taxis in BKK are fine too

Some people just will never be really functional in a foriegn environment and will try and make Thailand like the 'home' they left