After a number of trips here, there is something puzzling about the Baht Busses.  Maybe, someone can clarify.  When you go to Jomtien, you usually have to change busses about a block from the entrance to Walking Street.  There is usually a line of them, with one at the rear loading passengers and departing, when it is full.  This often involves riders sitting in the sweltering heat for up to fifteen minutes.  I was a victim of this system once, and now I simply walk about 200 m from past the stationary songthaew and flag a moving one down, that is usually empty, and never packed full.  Am I missing something?  Why are people so willing to be packed in the back of a truck?  Am I doing anything unlawful?

5 minutes ago, moontang said:

After a number of trips here, there is something puzzling about the Baht Busses.  Maybe, someone can clarify.  When you go to Jomtien, you usually have to change busses about a block from the entrance to Walking Street.  There is usually a line of them, with one at the rear loading passengers and departing, when it is full.  This often involves riders sitting in the sweltering heat for up to fifteen minutes.  I was a victim of this system once, and now I simply walk about 200 m from past the stationary songthaew and flag a moving one down, that is usually empty, and never packed full.  Am I missing something?  Why are people so willing to be packed in the back of a truck?  Am I doing anything unlawful?

No its not unlawful. 

Some of the drivers don't bother with the queue and try to pick up people along the route.

However there are some advantages to using the queue.

You know 100 percent that those busses will go to Jomtien and fairly deep into Jomtien on beach road. 

If you pick a bus up later there is a chance the bus won't even go as far as Jomtien especially if they pick up a charter on the way.

Yes that's happened to me.

At night, holding heavy bags, in the rain.

I use the queue.

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No its not unlawful. 

Some of the drivers don't bother with the queue and try to pick up people along the route.

However there are some advantages to using the queue.

You know 100 percent that those busses will go to Jomtien and fairly deep into Jomtien on beach road. 

If you pick a bus up later there is a chance the bus won't even go as far as Jomtien especially if they pick up a charter on the way.

Yes that's happened to me.

At night, holding heavy bags, in the rain.

I use the queue.

Same on Klang,they wait opposite Big C but others pass along towards the beach and WS. 

There is a law that doesn't allow that they wait for customers until they are full. But as so often nobody cares. I also don't understand these people waiting until the bus is full. I do the same that you do. And if a bus stops early I simply don't pay. Also if he changes the normal route. Some might get aggressive. I don't care and discuss long and simply walk away. I only ask him if he wants to talk to police and show him my phone. 

Good points.  The other day, the empty one that picked me up took an alternative route, which was understandable due to the gridlock and road construction.  He came out near TMB, and was heading south.  I suppose I could have rode all the way out and circled back, but I just got out and walked.  I kind of smelled something rotten..but didn't give him a chance to try one on.  Even if I had paid twice, it still would have been better than sitting there.  The full one looked like it had 12-15 passengers, with a few standing on the rear deck.  Almost nonsensical.

3 minutes ago, moontang said:

Good points.  The other day, the empty one that picked me up took an alternative route, which was understandable due to the gridlock and road construction.  He came out near TMB, and was heading south.  I suppose I could have rode all the way out and circled back, but I just got out and walked.  I kind of smelled something rotten..but didn't give him a chance to try one on.  Even if I had paid twice, it still would have been better than sitting there.  The full one looked like it had 12-15 passengers, with a few standing on the rear deck.  Almost nonsensical.

They wait until it is completely full and people are even standing on the platform in the back which by law is also not allowed. The people should use their brain and think what will happen to their legs if a car crashes into the back of the bus - happened some years ago to Russians in Jomtien. I just can repeat. I also don't understand these waiting people as it is no problem to stop a driving bus some meters away. But perhaps they think that they have to obey and sit and wait there.

8 minutes ago, Oldie said:

I also don't understand these waiting people as it is no problem to stop a driving bus some meters away. But perhaps they think that they have to obey and sit and wait there.

In the past I tried walking further down 2nd Rd and flagging a bus down but had hit and miss luck. I guess they are busses that maybe originated further North in Pattaya and have bypassed the queuing corner.... and sometimes are already in private hire. Not much better going the other way and easy to get into a situation with these awkward drivers as I do not want to stand on the rear platform, nor shuffle up close to some unsavory character. 

Oh for the good old days when the buses kept moving. 

Its a really good point about waiting. You could easily wait much longer to board a random bus than in the queue. In my experience usually the queue waits aren't vary long anyway. However back in the "good" old days the chaos, crowding  and even abusive behavior by minders during the winter high season was pretty darned terrible. 

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Its a really good point about waiting. You could easily wait much longer to board a random bus than in the queue. In my experience usually the queue waits aren't vary long anyway. However back in the "good" old days the chaos, crowding  and even abusive behavior by minders during the winter high season was pretty darned terrible. 

Probably about five minutes, but who wants to ride in a packed songthaew, in normal times, let alone during a pandemic?

11 minutes ago, moontang said:

Probably about five minutes, but who wants to ride in a packed songthaew, in normal times, let alone during a pandemic?

Yes but at least they're open air and most people are masked on them.

1 hour ago, moontang said:

Probably about five minutes, but who wants to ride in a packed songthaew, in normal times, let alone during a pandemic?

Home from packed bar youmean? 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Its a really good point about waiting. You could easily wait much longer to board a random bus than in the queue. In my experience usually the queue waits aren't vary long anyway. However back in the "good" old days the chaos, crowding  and even abusive behavior by minders during the winter high season was pretty darned terrible. 

I never wait long for a random bus. At your waiting bus the people are sitting very close to each other. In addition it normally will stop more often because more people want to get off. For me it is a kind of face loss if a driver of such a waiting bus can let me wait as long as he likes. 

10 minutes ago, Oldie said:

I never wait long for a random bus. At your waiting bus the people are sitting very close to each other. In addition it normally will stop more often because more people want to get off. For me it is a kind of face loss if a driver of such a waiting bus can let me wait as long as he likes. 

OK. Up to you. Pros and cons for either choice. Keep on truckin'.