For those who have taken the Bangkok-Pattaya bus recently: Is the company limiting the number of passengers in keeping with social distance guidelines?

 

I might book a taxi, as I don't care about the cost. But living in Phra Khanong, as I do, it is very easy to get to Ekamai bus station. And from the Pattaya terminal, it's a quick moto ride down Soi Yume to where I will stay, near Big C Extra.

 

By the way, there's nothing on the bus company site about this, just that staff are double-vaccinated.

about a year ago they had every second seat unused, 2 months ago back to normal, now I'm guessing it's the same, but it's AC and feels well ventilated vs a mini bus which is bad

27 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

about a year ago they had every second seat unused, 2 months ago back to normal, now I'm guessing it's the same, but it's AC and feels well ventilated vs a mini bus which is bad

Good point, the buses are usually heavily air conditioned. The minivan I was thrust into on my return to Thailand and trip to the SHA+ hotel in early November was awful and I was alone with the driver!  

5 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Good point, the buses are usually heavily air conditioned. The minivan I was thrust into on my return to Thailand and trip to the SHA+ hotel in early November was awful and I was alone with the driver!  

I am surprised you are still alive riding in a mini bus

Buses are running at full passenger capacity leaving every hour.

3 minutes ago, nightfox said:

Buses are running at full passenger capacity leaving every hour.

I did Pattaya -  Ekkami yesterday and it was virtually full. Everyone was masked up save for a young Russian couple who opted for the role of superspreaders.

I usually book 2 seats.

You could book 6 seats.  Sit in the middle of the 6 at the window plenty of room around you still 1/2 the cost of a taxi.  ????

Reports of full buses from nightfox and champers have convinced me to go for the taxi.

 

Plus, I just read Phuket have confirmed five cases of Omicron on arriving visitors from four different origins. They touched down several days ago, enough time to do the genome sequencing. 

 

Thanks all. 

17 hours ago, champers said:

I did Pattaya -  Ekkami yesterday and it was virtually full. Everyone was masked up save for a young Russian couple who opted for the role of superspreaders.

They should have been turfed off the bus.

17 hours ago, champers said:

I did Pattaya -  Ekkami yesterday and it was virtually full. Everyone was masked up save for a young Russian couple who opted for the role of superspreaders.

Two sick people were allowed to board the bus???

18 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I usually book 2 seats.

You could book 6 seats.  Sit in the middle of the 6 at the window plenty of room around you still 1/2 the cost of a taxi.  ????

It is free seating?

On 12/19/2021 at 4:52 PM, champers said:

I did Pattaya -  Ekkami yesterday and it was virtually full. Everyone was masked up save for a young Russian couple who opted for the role of superspreaders.

Living up to the rep.

A troll post and replies has been removedd

Footnote: My usual taxi service never replied to my two emails in 24 hours. So, I took the noon Ekamai bus. Bought two seats, one for my bag. All but three seats occupied. Air con worked well. A pretty quiet trip. Took two and a half hours; traffic was very light, really.

 

 

On 12/21/2021 at 11:07 AM, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Footnote: My usual taxi service never replied to my two emails in 24 hours. So, I took the noon Ekamai bus. Bought two seats, one for my bag. All but three seats occupied. Air con worked well. A pretty quiet trip. Took two and a half hours; traffic was very light, really.

 

 

How's Pattaya? I've heard there are more bars open than there are SHA++ permits and the "enforcers" are turning a blind eye 

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

How's Pattaya? I've heard there are more bars open than there are SHA++ permits and the "enforcers" are turning a blind eye 

Pretty much true, I'd say. Quite a few big bars along Buakhao were packed -- from about Soi Honey north to New Plaza Road.

 

Tree Town, not my cup of tea, surrounded by semi-busy small bars, some -- oddly enough -- with lights out  but still serving small numbers of customers.

 

Restaurants (real ones) along Buakhao look busy, too. 

 

LK Metro rather dark and quiet except for the group of restaurant/bars shoulder to shoulder at the crook of the L that were quite busy. 

 

Buakhao traffic out of control.  Very little else is open so Buakhao is the centre of the Pattaya universe.

 

Didn't want to name any bar-restaurants. 

I went to Bangkok yesterday. Bus was nearly full.

 

About buying 2 tickets, or 6 tickets, to be alone, it will not work: seat by me was empty but a woman with ticket for another seat sat by me. I told her that she was at the wrong seat, but she didn't move.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

How's Pattaya? I've heard there are more bars open than there are SHA++ permits and the "enforcers" are turning a blind eye 

 

Unless its this place.. 

 

 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Espanol said:

I went to Bangkok yesterday. Bus was nearly full.

 

About buying 2 tickets, or 6 tickets, to be alone, it will not work: seat by me was empty but a woman with ticket for another seat sat by me. I told her that she was at the wrong seat, but she didn't move.

You have to block the seat with a bag then show ticket, then ask to see their ticket and tell them where to sit, people frequently sit in the wrong seat until moved

59 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You have to block the seat with a bag then show ticket, then ask to see their ticket and tell them where to sit, people frequently sit in the wrong seat until moved

Seat numbers on back of seat for the seat in front is confusing to newbies.

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

You have to block the seat with a bag then show ticket, then ask to see their ticket and tell them where to sit, people frequently sit in the wrong seat until moved

I saw a Western woman trying that in Cambodia.... she had bought 2 seats hoping for space and to have her backpack with her......they were having non of that..... let another passenger on and moved her luggage despite protests. They have a  point, profit is profit and why should some poor soul get left behind?