Green bus to Chiang rai

[sanemax]

Anyone been recently and bought  ticket just prior to departure or is it necessary to buy in advance?  

[orchis]

depends on the class, vip often full.
they have an app.

[moontang]

Ticket office across from suthep McDonald's and Phra Singh... and didn't they get 711 in on it? 

[elektrified]

Last time I tried to buy a ticket to C.R. on Green Bus, I went 3 days before the day I wanted to travel and they were fully sold out for 12 days. Yes, there were more Chinese then, but still best too book a week in advance.

[sanemax]

Going back a few years , I just used to turn up at the bus station and buy a ticket for the next bus , usually within the next hour , last few times that I went in the morning, the buses had been sold out for the rest of the day .

    They now have red cars in the bus station, with take people from CM to CR for 300 Baht each

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, elektrified said:

Last time I tried to buy a ticket to C.R. on Green Bus, I went 3 days before the day I wanted to travel and they were fully sold out for 12 days. Yes, there were more Chinese then, but still best too book a week in advance.

Even on very busy days during and just after holidays , you can ALWAYS buy a ticket for the next day  , it has never been fully sold out for the next three days , let alone 12 days .

   (Just as many Westerners use those buses as Chinese as well )

[Lacessit]

I always buy 1 - 2 days in advance. More if it's during a Thai holiday.

[elektrified]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Going back a few years , I just used to turn up at the bus station and buy a ticket for the next bus , usually within the next hour , last few times that I went in the morning, the buses had been sold out for the rest of the day .

    They now have red cars in the bus station, with take people from CM to CR for 300 Baht each

Sitting in the back of a songtaew all the way to C.R. sounds incredibly uncomfortable! No A/C either. I wouldn't go even if it was free.

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Sitting in the back of a songtaew all the way to C.R. sounds incredibly uncomfortable! No A/C either. I wouldn't go even if it was free.

It is a terrible journey , I have had to do it a few times .

Arrived in C.R. absolutely battered .

There previously didnt used to be that red car "service " , which suggests that there is now a shortage of bus tickets to CR with those red cars leaving regularly throughout the day .

   I wonder whether its because there are more people making the journey or Green bus have reduced their buses on the route ?

[elektrified]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

It is a terrible journey , I have had to do it a few times .

Arrived in C.R. absolutely battered .

There previously didnt used to be that red car "service " , which suggests that there is now a shortage of bus tickets to CR with those red cars leaving regularly throughout the day .

   I wonder whether its because there are more people making the journey or Green bus have reduced their buses on the route ?

My guess is more people. The last time I went - about 16? months ago, the passengers were about 85% Chinese, 14% Thai. I was the only farang. When we arrived I happened to notice other buses unloading and they also appeared to have almost all Chinese passengers too.

 

I overheard a couple of elderly Thai ladies complaining because they couldn't get tickets and they "were Thai people". The attendant said that just like the trains, there are agents who buy up as many tickets as they can long in advance, confident they can sell them for large profits. And the same with the trains, as long as the passenger shows up the day before with their passport and agent and provides the info, it is all perfectly kosher.

[sanemax]

10 minutes ago, elektrified said:

My guess is more people. The last time I went - about 16? months ago, the passengers were about 85% Chinese, 14% Thai. I was the only farang. When we arrived I happened to notice other buses unloading and they also appeared to have almost all Chinese passengers too.

 

I overheard a couple of elderly Thai ladies complaining because they couldn't get tickets and they "were Thai people". The attendant said that just like the trains, there are agents who buy up as many tickets as they can long in advance, confident they can sell them for large profits. And the same with the trains, as long as the passenger shows up the day before with their passport and agent and provides the info, it is all perfectly kosher.

Thats odd , because I use that route about once a week and dont ever recall seeing many Chinese people using the route , there were probably some that I didnt notice , mybe you just got on one bus in which a Chinese tour group booked ?

  Many Chinese tend to use private tour buses and go in groups .

When I do use that service , it usually seems to be about 90 % Thai and 10 % non Thais 

[Burma Bill]

Not sure about these days but I used to be able to book on the day (except Thai national holidays). The service between CM and CR was frequent as some additional buses continued to Mae Sai. There was also a Mae Sai - Mae Sot service which also used the CR to CM route (and vice versa). 

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, sanemax said:

Going back a few years , I just used to turn up at the bus station and buy a ticket for the next bus , usually within the next hour , last few times that I went in the morning, the buses had been sold out for the rest of the day .

    They now have red cars in the bus station, with take people from CM to CR for 300 Baht each

300 baht? What a ripoff. X-class or A-class ( both aircon ) are 180 to 250 baht. The VIP, A and X classes seem to be only based on the age of the bus.

[orchis]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

300 baht? What a ripoff. X-class or A-class ( both aircon ) are 180 to 250 baht. The VIP, A and X classes seem to be only based on the age of the bus.

VIP bus green line has 24 seats, the other classes 42

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, orchis said:

VIP bus green line has 24 seats, the other classes 42

Never noticed, the A and X class are quite adequate for me. As they all look the same, my guess would be as the buses age, 24 seats are replaced by 42.

[CelticTam]

9 hours ago, sanemax said:

Thats odd , because I use that route about once a week and dont ever recall seeing many Chinese people using the route , there were probably some that I didnt notice , mybe you just got on one bus in which a Chinese tour group booked ?

  Many Chinese tend to use private tour buses and go in groups .

When I do use that service , it usually seems to be about 90 % Thai and 10 % non Thais 

If 1% = 1 person, 100% = 100 people. Was it a double decker?

 

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, CelticTam said:

If 1% = 1 person, 100% = 100 people. Was it a double decker?

 

Do you understand how percentages work ?

10 % of passengers on the bus of say 40 people , would be four people 

[sanemax]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

300 baht? What a ripoff. X-class or A-class ( both aircon ) are 180 to 250 baht. 

Yes, but when you are at CM bus station in the morning  and the first available ticket is tomorrow afternoon and you want to go that day , you dont mind paying the 300 Baht to get there , leaving in the next 30 minutes

[zaZa9]

Me and a buddy turned up on the day , early ,  last February ,  and EVERY service was booked for the day.

We were surprised , as there were virtually no tourists about.

Anyway , I negotiated a fare in the carpark at 2500 baht  in a new Fortuner to go now.

( And YES , I realise that aint cheap but we hadnt booked and had to go asap  and we both had the money ).

A very safe and comfortable trip actually .

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, sanemax said:

Yes, but when you are at CM bus station in the morning  and the first available ticket is tomorrow afternoon and you want to go that day , you dont mind paying the 300 Baht to get there , leaving in the next 30 minutes

As I said before, I always book 1-2 days ahead.

The roadworks up to Khun Chae national park are the reason I take the bus. I refuse to beat my Vios to death on a road that still looks like 2 years off completion. I'm sure you have a wonderful ride on the red bus in that location. Better you than me.

[BritManToo]

14 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Not sure about these days but I used to be able to book on the day (except Thai national holidays). The service between CM and CR was frequent as some additional buses continued to Mae Sai. There was also a Mae Sai - Mae Sot service which also used the CR to CM route (and vice versa). 

Things have changed, a few years back 50% of the passengers were white folk.

This year I went and was the only white face, nearly all passengers Burmese and Thai.

Didn't see any Chinese.

Edited May 18, 2019 by BritManToo

[moontang]

As a backup plan, you can take a VIP to Phayao, and then there are frequent clunkers on to CR.  Seen them sell out in CR coming back to CM, too.  Great street food in Phayao.. very good Northern cuisine.. chicken and pork ribs were outstanding, too.. 

Edited May 18, 2019 by moontang

[sanemax]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Things have changed, a few years back 50% of the passengers were white folk.

This year I went and was the only white face, nearly all passengers Burmese and Thai.

Didn't see any Chinese.

Its was never as much as 50 % , maybe sometimes 25 % and most of those were going up to Maesai on visa runs 

[sanemax]

Went to Arcade last Thursday at 8.30 AM and got a ticket for the 11 AM bus that morning .