Baht Busses

[billaaa777]

Has anybody noticed that getting home to Jomtien from Pattaya has suddenly become much harder during this high season at night? I used to be able to wait on the corner and get a bus to pick me up, which I still can do in the morning and afternoon.

But, in the evening all the drivers just wave me off, they are all acting like taxies now and not picking up customers. Last night after waiting for fifteen minutes I finally broke down and hired one for 100 Baht.

In fact, at the turn for walking street they are all stoping on the side of the road now wanting a 100 Baht to go to Jomtien. This sucks!

I really wish we had real taxies here, instead of this BS Baht bus system.

[britmaveric]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

[lou62]

your doing well to get it for 100bt, it's only £1.60 or so, no stopping for other passengers, and if a regular , can sit in the front and have some a/c.

[bmanly]

In fact, at the turn for walking street they are all stoping on the side of the road now wanting a 100 Baht to go to Jomtien. This sucks!

That is the unofficial rank which is used like an exclusive taxi hire. I have to pay that too if I get them off that queue. Instead I just walk up to second road and flag down a occupied one for 10 baht. You can do that too on second road in front of the school, admittedly it is difficult at closing time, 2 or 3AM.

[billaaa777]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. smile.gif Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

I like the Baht Buses, just not for long halls. This is something new there doing and I am finding it difficult to get at night.

your doing well to get it for 100bt, it's only £1.60 or so, no stopping for other passengers, and if a regular , can sit in the front and have some a/c.

Thanks for you ability to do currency translations. But that's not the point, I can't get a bus home anymore, where in the past I always could. I know need to hire one as a taxi.

That is the unofficial rank which is used like an exclusive taxi hire. I have to pay that too if I get them off that queue. Instead I just walk up to second road and flag down a occupied one for 10 baht. You can do that too on second road in front of the school, admittedly it is difficult at closing time, 2 or 3AM.

The last few nights I have tried. But, after getting waved off dozens of times because there all acting like taxies I have had to hire one of them.

[icecubes]

Has anybody noticed that getting home to Jomtien from Pattaya has suddenly become much harder during this high season at night? I used to be able to wait on the corner and get a bus to pick me up, which I still can do in the morning and afternoon.

But, in the evening all the drivers just wave me off, they are all acting like taxies now and not picking up customers. Last night after waiting for fifteen minutes I finally broke down and hired one for 100 Baht.

In fact, at the turn for walking street they are all stoping on the side of the road now wanting a 100 Baht to go to Jomtien. This sucks!

I really wish we had real taxies here, instead of this BS Baht bus system.

This is nothing new. anyone whos been here a few years knows this.

100 baht to jomtien from walking street. They wont all go for that more like 150 late at night.

As for waveing you off. Think they just don,t like you.

[Phil Conners]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

Here we go again.

[naka]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus

Naka.

[terryp]

Problem is if there were meter taxis’…they would not use the meter, just like the Taxi meters in Samui, and getting the same in BKK

Baht bus are just like the Patong tuk tuk crap, a law unto themselves, rip off too many people and the amount of accidents they cause is crazy….plus there is at least 70% TOO MANY

[icecubes]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus Naka.

I make a point of that one, the bike, or car gets

left at home every time.

[redwood13]

Has anybody noticed that getting home to Jomtien from Pattaya has suddenly become much harder during this high season at night? I used to be able to wait on the corner and get a bus to pick me up, which I still can do in the morning and afternoon.

But, in the evening all the drivers just wave me off, they are all acting like taxies now and not picking up customers. Last night after waiting for fifteen minutes I finally broke down and hired one for 100 Baht.

In fact, at the turn for walking street they are all stoping on the side of the road now wanting a 100 Baht to go to Jomtien. This sucks!

I really wish we had real taxies here, instead of this BS Baht bus system.

Yes, I've noticed!!!

And in my experience it's not just going to Jomtien. The Baht Bus Mafia are now limiting the number of vehicles running in "bus" mode on South, Central and North Pattaya roads.

I've given up trying to get a baht bus going E. on Central from the corner of Beach Road. Lots of buses come flying around the corner but none will stop. Walking up to 2nd Road improves things but the buses (that are not in "taxi" mode) are now so infrequent that by the time we've reached 3rd Road it's standing room only. This is at 20:00 hours.

A couple of weeks ago, about that same time of evening, I walked E. on South Pattaya Road and was passed by a dozen buses and none would stop. I was almost at 3rd Road when a bus passed me, loaded down with passengers. And yesterday at 18:00 I stood across from Carrefour for 10 minutes and finally a bus stopped and a couple, of the half dozen folks waiting, found dangling room on the back and got on. I then walked W. down Central and about 5 minutes later a bus passed me and it too had standing room only.

These examples are not isolated incidents as I've experienced this since the December high season.

-redwood

[Artisan]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

Oh dear. Just another invitation to make this another lengthy, useless and often repeated topic.

[billaaa777]

Oh dear. Just another invitation to make this another lengthy, useless and often repeated topic.

Don't read it smart ass if you don't want too!

Next it's a new topic regarding the Baht Bus. I have lived here over 3 years and it is only recently I have had such a hard time getting to Jomtien from Pattaya in the evening

[Jai Dee]

My (thai) missus has been complaining about them too... in normal daylight hours. Sometimes they will completely pass her and the maid in favour of picking up and negotiating with a caucasion tourist couple standing 10 yards further down the road.

Problem is... it's high season and the streets are full of cashed-up falung tourists... normal rules don't apply... it's reap the crop time.

[Artisan]

Oh dear. Just another invitation to make this another lengthy, useless and often repeated topic.

Don't read it smart ass if you don't want too!

Next it's a new topic regarding the Baht Bus. I have lived here over 3 years and it is only recently I have had such a hard time getting to Jomtien from Pattaya in the evening

My comment was not directed to your initial posting; your point was a fair one. It was my feelings regarding the bait put out by britmaveric, intentionally or not. It's a pity that you responded the way you did.

[teacup]

This phenomenon, in fact, is not a new scam. It had happened to me(thai) and my husband(American) also when we were visiting the Jomtien area last x’mas, at the intersection of Theprara & Theprasit rd going to Lotus on sukumvit rd. We had to wait forever for one of them to stop for us to get on and usually the one that stop is the one with a few passengers already on it. Another scam is when we and a few another passengers (2 thais, 2 falangs) were told to get off in the middle of the route before the destination after the driver had already collected our money!

[icecubes]

Never give them the money till you get there.

Baht bus Scum Bags.

[Jingthing]

Are you saying that the baht bus at 2nd Road and Pattaya Tai which takes you to Jomtien for 10 baht stops being available as a bus at a certain time late at night? If so, what time, exactly?

[teacup]

Never give them the money till you get there.

Baht bus Scum Bags.

Well what should we do when he told us he didn’t have enough money for the gas which was quite low at the time!

Never been to the area before and that was the first time for both of us, but as for the city itself.. well there's nothing much to write home about. However the one positive thing was we met many bargirls on the baht bus and think they’re among the sweetest thai girls there. We had such a great time chatting over nothing much really!

[britmaveric]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus

Naka.

Try a moto-taxi. Heaps of fun late at nite after a few drinks.

I've always seen them lined up there late at nite, asking where you want to go. If they ask - automatic 100bht ride, guaranteed.

Edited February 2, 2007 by britmaveric

[Tolley]

The Songtaews have been particularly annoying over the last month.

Many have tried to drive away without giving change from 20 baht...i tryto have right change but not always possible....latest gimmick is to try closing the window on your hand as you are waiting for the change...and laughing about it...

Many have been turning off the usual routes for whatever reason and of course no come back

All of this not to mention the erratic driving with no concern for their human cargo....

If it were easier to walk around i would never catch one.....lowlifes most of them

[Pattaya_Fox]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus

Naka.

Just ring the Cliff Naka and they will dispense forthwith one of their super clean beautiful empty shiny white Mercedes to you and you can enter the steps of the Royal emporium in the manner in which you feel befits your ego..........250 ish should do it

[Pattaya_Fox]

The Songtaews have been particularly annoying over the last month.

Many have tried to drive away without giving change from 20 baht...i tryto have right change but not always possible....latest gimmick is to try closing the window on your hand as you are waiting for the change...and laughing about it...

Many have been turning off the usual routes for whatever reason and of course no come back

All of this not to mention the erratic driving with no concern for their human cargo....

If it were easier to walk around i would never catch one.....lowlifes most of them

Oh come on Tolley How Many?? 10 20 30............methinks you may be overexaggerating somewhat?

.............and surely if you were being ripped off (arm & change not literaly I hope) you would have had the commonsense to give them the correct fare............wouldn`t you?

[Phil Conners]

Long live the Baht Bus - best transport system around. Easy/Convenient and cheap!!!

The system could be improved by the addition of aircon taxis.

I just hate arriving at the Royal Cliff in a Baht Bus

Naka.

Just ring the Cliff Naka and they will dispense forthwith one of their super clean beautiful empty shiny white Mercedes to you and you can enter the steps of the Royal emporium in the manner in which you feel befits your ego..........250 ish should do it

Since that's about what the baht bus scum wants I'd say that's a bargain.

[kyb789]

I live in Bangkok and I've had my own battles with these guys during my Pattaya visits. Those scum bags that charge us double the fare just because we are foreigners.

This whole subject matter makes me want to go back to paying the Thai "real" price (5 Baht) when on beach road. I used to be quite good at putting the 5 in their hands then walking back against traffic so they don't follow me. Never had problems, only dirty looks. As they say, "All is fair in love and war.."

[Jingthing]

The word SCUM seems to be a popular sentiment about the baht bus drivers.

How about a name change?

Scum buses? Scumthaews?

I rather like scumthaews, has a certain ring.

The only small revenge I have managed is to always have the correct change (don't fancy having the window of a moving scumtruck shut on my arm) and to pay up in 1 baht coins.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Most baht bus drivers are rather pleasant and amicable sort.

[solo siam]

your doing well to get it for 100bt, it's only £1.60 or so, no stopping for other passengers, and if a regular , can sit in the front and have some a/c.

one pounds sixty doesnt sound like a bargain to sit on the back of a pickup (or the passenger seat) for a mile.

[britmaveric]

your doing well to get it for 100bt, it's only £1.60 or so, no stopping for other passengers, and if a regular , can sit in the front and have some a/c.

one pounds sixty doesnt sound like a bargain to sit on the back of a pickup (or the passenger seat) for a mile.

Not a bargain, but its one hel_l of a deal.

[Jingthing]

Most baht bus drivers are rather pleasant and amicable sort.

I suppose if you're pissed enough.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Jingthing