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Baht Bus Confidential -- when clueless tourists want to get off at Walking Street from Jomtien

Jingthing

By Jingthing
in Pattaya

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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

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This happens ALL the time when riding from Jomtien to Pattaya. Clueless tourists (bless their hearts) need help to know where to stop to go to WALKING STREET.

 

Usually they're Russians but they are of course diverse nationalities.

 

Now as locals know there are SEVERAL places you could get off on 2nd road to get to Walking Street, as Walking Street is quite a LONG street.

 

I think the default advice to the tourists is to let them ride as far as the light at Pattaya Tai and direct them to the official "entrance" of the street. 

 

If there is no shared language, that's clearly the most sensible choice.

 

But if better communication is possible, do you bother explaining that there are multiple paths to the street and it depends on where on the street you want to start with?

 

I've tried that but even with shared language, the tourists tend to be disturbed by this complexity.

 

But if the tourists actually wanted to go to the Bali Hai Pier end of the street, it would be crappy to advice them to go as far as Patttaya Tai. 

 

So, just send them to the "entrance" or try to help them more? 

 

Signed, the BBQ (I'm owning it, baby.)

Edited by Jingthing
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impulse Star Member

impulse

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Similar to riding the MRT to go to the Chatuchuk Weekend Tourist market, and the best stop to get off is the one after Chatuchuk Park, which is actually in the market itself.  Get off at Chatuchuk, and you've got a couple hundred meters more walking through a steamy park.  But then, there's the issue of whether they have a single trip token to Chatuchuk, because that would mean they'll get stopped (and confused) and charged more when they get off.  Or do they have a stored value or multi-trip pass?  And they may actually enjoy the hot, steamy park that often has puddled water on the footpath.  Then add the possibility that I'm one of those touts trying to steer them wrong to go to my brother-in-law's gem store, or a monger trying to hit on the foreign tourist ladies...

 

Bottom line, it's a judgement call whether to even try to help by explaining.   Good thing- the do-nothing scenario isn't really that tragic.

 

Edited by impulse
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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

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Most people including me send them to Pattaya Tai. If they are fluent in English I usually suggest other options but like I said it's not usually appreciated so I question if it's ever worth the effort. Baht bus drivers if they're asked to stop at Walking street always go to Tai. Definitely the default but not always the best.

 

The idea for the thread came up when I watched another guy try, emphasis on try, to explain the different choices to a non English speaking Russian couple. It was funny to watch and I definitely wouldn't try that.

 

I was also getting off at Tai and they needed even more help to understand they needed to walk towards the beach.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

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As a rule of thumb, I offer no advice to anyone unless they ask ..... this Baht bus thing is minor but in many other instances where advice SEEMS indicated it is generally best to just not offer any ....

They ask.

If they don't ask can't read minds.

I get your point though.

Often in life no good deed goes unpunished.

 

 

To add maybe sometimes it would be good to try to read minds. The other day on the same trip some Russians waited until Central Mall to ask for Walking Street.

 

How do you say Oops in Russian?

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

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jaywalker Gold Member

jaywalker

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19 hours ago, Jingthing said:

They ask.

If they don't ask can't read minds.

I get your point though.

Often in life no good deed goes unpunished.

 

 

To add maybe sometimes it would be good to try to read minds. The other day on the same trip some Russians waited until Central Mall to ask for Walking Street.

 

How do you say Oops in Russian?

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

You should give directions like a Thai, when asked in Thai.

 

Vaguely point in a random direction and then ignore them.

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jaywalker Gold Member

jaywalker

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7 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Advise them to do what many of us did when we first visited Pattaya.

 

Rent a girlfriend who knows every street, shortcut, baht bus route, tourist attraction, etc. despite herself having only arrived in Pattaya 2 days ago to take a job as a cashier.

Best tour guides out there!

 

However, many Russian guys bring their wives/girlfriends, which is a mystery to me. It's like bringing a bucket of sand to the beach.

Edited by jaywalker
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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

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Lot of guys here will have been many years here prior to the internet etc. We learnt from personal experience. They have smartphones now just tell them to turn the locater on. Its not rocket science

This thread is about people that for whatever reasons feel the very human need to ask for directions. Believe it or not that is still a thing.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

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25 minutes ago, pegman said:

I show them Soi 16, which has the landmark McDonalds across the road to look for. Then point and say 400 meters west. Most people where I come from try to be helpfull. It's an easy wild guess where Bieble is from.

When I do suggest a specific alternative it's usually to go down the Arab Soi at Marine Plaza Hotel. 

People that don't understand English probably wouldn't get 400 meters west.

 

So yeah, I also, figured must be CANADIAN! :sorry:

Quote

'I’m Canadian, f--- you': How boorish, 'utterly wasted' tourists are rewriting the treasured myth of the Nice Canuck

 

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/im-canadian-f-you-how-boorish-utterly-wasted-tourists-are-rewriting-the-treasured-myth-of-the-nice-canuck

 

 

 

 

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