28 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

What a ridiculous statement. I live 600m from LK Metro and as it's bloody hot outside I'm happy to get the baht bus down Bukhao instead of turning up drenched in sweat

I am surprised it makes much difference. The baht buses move at walking pace and you get crushed up next to overweight guys. 

The real scandal is how these "major tourist destinations" are incapable of organzing a real public transportation system.

TBH, I have never had any problems with the baht buses.  I find the drivers just fine for using the buses as a hop-on-hop-off service.  In these Covid times, I have never had to squeeze into a bus full of overweight westerners.

 

... and horrors or horrors - I pay 20 baht for my trip.  This is not because they ask me to pay 20 baht, but because I always pay with a 20 baht note and tell them that I don't want the change.  10 baht is a ridiculously low price for such a useful service.

 

So I'm one of the 'bad' guys who encourages a 20 baht tariff.  I'll wait for the howls of anger from the cheap charlie set ????

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It was a joke.

I don't think he does jokes.

This is deadly serious - we're talking 10 Baht here.

 

Over the year that will mount up you know, just think what B3650 could get you in Pattaya!

 

33 minutes ago, simon43 said:

and horrors or horrors - I pay 20 baht for my trip.  This is not because they ask me to pay 20 baht, but because I always pay with a 20 baht note and tell them that I don't want the change.  10 baht is a ridiculously low price for such a useful service.

 

So why not get onto a WIN..... faster, cooler at night, and very much door to door service for few baht more. I find it perplexing that people get on a baht bus that seems to move at walking pace stopping every few yards. And from what I see baht buses are usually quite full down Buakhao....

The baht buses are the problem down Buakhao....

45 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I make the wife pay - only ten baht when she pays it !

 

As for someone saying users of these are 'cheap charlies', I'd just like to point out that the songteaw goes basically from outside Jontiem immigration to the steps of Central - where we as a family go see a movie after 90 days report, so why in earth would I want a private taxi ? The 10 baht is irrelevant as the vehicle goes directly where I want to go !

 

I also recommend making friends with any Thai in your neighbourhood that owns one, get some great discounts.

 

 

 

It's personal choice but that length of journey is where these days I use my discretion and voluntarily give 20 baht. In the past I wouldn't but I recognise the difficult recent times, lack of customers and basic price increases that affect the less well paid. I'm usually using them for an afternoon of drinking where I'm going to leave a tip at the bar so I treat them the same. 

 

Like you I value the door to door nature of the service and the convenience of the service far outweighs any minor and rare inconvenience I've ever had with a reroute or longer wait which tends to only be in high season in my experience.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

So why not get onto a WIN..... faster, cooler at night, and very much door to door service for few baht more. I find it perplexing that people get on a baht bus that seems to move at walking pace stopping every few yards. And from what I see baht buses are usually quite full down Buakhao....

The baht buses are the problem down Buakhao....

I don't want a door-to-door service, I take the baht bus on it's standard route and then walk the rest for exercise.  I'm in no hurry and happy to sit on the bus and 'people-watch'. I don't go down Buakhao and I don't go out at night.  The baht buses on beach and second road suit me just fine ????

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

TBH, I have never had any problems with the baht buses.  I find the drivers just fine for using the buses as a hop-on-hop-off service.  In these Covid times, I have never had to squeeze into a bus full of overweight westerners.

 

... and horrors or horrors - I pay 20 baht for my trip.  This is not because they ask me to pay 20 baht, but because I always pay with a 20 baht note and tell them that I don't want the change.  10 baht is a ridiculously low price for such a useful service.

 

So I'm one of the 'bad' guys who encourages a 20 baht tariff.  I'll wait for the howls of anger from the cheap charlie set ????

Finally something that you masterize ! the baht bus ! hahaha soon the deck chairs and the coconuts.... madagascar also maybe ?

 

 

9 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

as are their customers. well a lot of them anyway. especially the ones wearing those silly soccer guernseys who speak with unintelligible accents.

Ooomemate?

40 minutes ago, ThaiSanookGuy said:

Finally something that you masterize ! the baht bus ! hahaha soon the deck chairs and the coconuts.... madagascar also maybe ?

 

 

What on earth has Madagascar got to do with anything?  I've never been there and have no intention to go there. 

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

What on earth has Madagascar got to do with anything?  I've never been there and have no intention to go there. 

what about laos and myanmar ?

23 hours ago, Nickelbeer said:

I’ve heard rumors of a price increase for the last six years but nothing official.

The price was 10THB in the early 90's when I went there. Maybe a rice is due.

31 minutes ago, bangkokairportlink said:

what about laos and myanmar ?

I like northern Laos very much - reasonably safe to ride my motorbike and no need to use public transport. Same for Myanmar, but too risky to ride a motorbike in the countryside right now. I use the Pattaya baht buses when in town because they are cheap, go where I want to go, come often (every few minutes), friendly drivers etc.  But I don't have to rely on them for all my transport needs.  I guess it can be more of a challenge if they are your only method of transport.

29 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I like northern Laos very much - reasonably safe to ride my motorbike and no need to use public transport. Same for Myanmar, but too risky to ride a motorbike in the countryside right now. I use the Pattaya baht buses when in town because they are cheap, go where I want to go, come often (every few minutes), friendly drivers etc.  But I don't have to rely on them for all my transport needs.  I guess it can be more of a challenge if they are your only method of transport.

 

so your new home is Jomtien now ? have you found the 5 stars room at the price of a dormitory that you were looking for ?

what is good now for you when living in jomtien, you can enjoy 20 thb coconut from the wholesale market and 50 thb beach chairs on Dongtan beach !

 

On 6/10/2022 at 3:22 AM, The Hammer2021 said:

Actually It's rich foreigners taking advantage  of a pricing system aimed at poor Thais operated and run  by very poor Thais.

 

If visitors here lack empathy, compassion and common  humanity they should just stay at home.

 

The cheap Charlie's who use this forum to  insult and denigrate the poor, hard working  locals  really they are the  dregs and I really hope they are not actually  here in Thailand.

 

They are shameful. I honestly don't know how a person ends up such  a bitter failure using a forum like this to express their  hatred of everyday working Thais. Is it depression? Paranoia? Mental sickness? The hatred and tired  cynicism - the  jaded  comments - they don't seem normal to me.

Poor Thais?

A lot of these baht buses are driven by the owners during the day .

I was told over 10 years ago that a baht bus registration plate was over 2 million baht, that was 10 years ago so not sure the price now to buy into it.

 

 

While I almost never agree with anything that Hammer posts, he is right on this one. Inflation and costs of living in general have made it difficult for Songteaw drivers to make a living. We will never miss an extra ten baht, but it mounts up for those drivers that need a full load. I just wanted to know if there had been some sort of fare change. It’s certainly justified.

On 6/10/2022 at 7:35 AM, simon43 said:

TBH, I have never had any problems with the baht buses.  I find the drivers just fine for using the buses as a hop-on-hop-off service.  In these Covid times, I have never had to squeeze into a bus full of overweight westerners.

 

... and horrors or horrors - I pay 20 baht for my trip.  This is not because they ask me to pay 20 baht, but because I always pay with a 20 baht note and tell them that I don't want the change.  10 baht is a ridiculously low price for such a useful service.

 

So I'm one of the 'bad' guys who encourages a 20 baht tariff.  I'll wait for the howls of anger from the cheap charlie set ????

Is overpayers like you who are going to ruin it for everyone.......I might end up having to live on the beach because of you...But maybe not because I am sure you will be happy to pay my condos rent...

People double paying doesn't bother me at all and it certainly doesn't bother the drivers either.

the only thing that bothers me on songthaew are the dour farang that make the whole experience mai sanuk.

 

it's not their obesity or their Beer Chaaaang or Singh's wife-beaters or their ugly cargo pants and cheap Kito sandals,  it's their unfriendly, unsmiling attitude that bugs me.

 

and then you have to put up with them in the bars complaining about ladyboys and how many black players are on the pitch in one of their silly soccer matches. and don't get me started about how much they complain about "wokeness".

 

the sooner Patts is done with these miserable old c***s the better ????

Pattaya baht buses are one of the biggest bargains I have ever seen in a resort area anywhere....try phuket if you want to scrape the bottom of baht bus dregs.

 

Get in, don't start asking about getting here or there, ride the route he drives as close as you can to your destination, ring the bell, get out pay the ten baht (beach road) with correct change and walk away..it's not rocket science

I pay 20bht if a few passen gers  10bht if full. from Pratamnuk to Klang. 

I despise baht buses.

 

During Covid was fantastic, hopefully they were all sitting at home broke.

 

Menace to all other road users!

On 6/14/2022 at 1:33 PM, Lemsta69 said:

the only thing that bothers me on songthaew are the dour farang that make the whole experience mai sanuk.

 

it's not their obesity or their Beer Chaaaang or Singh's wife-beaters or their ugly cargo pants and cheap Kito sandals,  it's their unfriendly, unsmiling attitude that bugs me.

 

and then you have to put up with them in the bars complaining about ladyboys and how many black players are on the pitch in one of their silly soccer matches. and don't get me started about how much they complain about "wokeness".

 

the sooner Patts is done with these miserable old c***s the better ????

“Ugly cargo pants “  are certainly preferable to the dreadful shorts worn by many expats. Cargos are very utilitarian for those of us who don’t want to lug around a back pack. Cargo pants keep my unsightly legs covered and when worn in muted colors garner as much respect as any other long pants. I don’t know any who complain about “wokeness” since most of us understand that times change.

On 6/12/2022 at 5:06 PM, georgegeorgia said:

Poor Thais?

A lot of these baht buses are driven by the owners during the day .

I was told over 10 years ago that a baht bus registration plate was over 2 million baht, that was 10 years ago so not sure the price now to buy into it.

 

 

Sounds like the drivers are being taken advantage of by the “usual suspects”. i.e. local government agencies. Two million baht is an obscene amount to demand of a songteaw operator.

are they going to raise the price for high season ?

 

I catch the Sukumvit Rd songtaew often and some have new price lists. I dont know if official or just an initiative by the drivers. Short trip now 15 baht not 10

I found recently when travelling on two occasions on Pattaya Second Rd up to the dolphin roundabout, they charge 10 baht. If you want to continue back down beach rd, they want another 10 baht. I believe the correct price should be 10 baht anywhere on the route, however it appears they are conspiring together to increase prices to perceived tourists.

OMG. 20 Baht!

8 hours ago, webhost said:

I found recently when travelling on two occasions on Pattaya Second Rd up to the dolphin roundabout, they charge 10 baht. If you want to continue back down beach rd, they want another 10 baht. I believe the correct price should be 10 baht anywhere on the route, however it appears they are conspiring together to increase prices to perceived tourists.

Dolphin roundabout is the end of the line. Fare 10 baht 

 

You want to travel to the next destination it's another fare, 10 baht. 

 

Hey big spender, try walking, it's free and the exercise will do you good, or get a bicycle. 

 

I'm out and about most days on my bike. This is the view coming from Dolphin roundabout, bloody beautiful. 

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, webhost said:

I found recently when travelling on two occasions on Pattaya Second Rd up to the dolphin roundabout, they charge 10 baht. If you want to continue back down beach rd, they want another 10 baht. I believe the correct price should be 10 baht anywhere on the route, however it appears they are conspiring together to increase prices to perceived tourists.

No. 

This is nothing new.

Dolphin is end of the line before reversing direction.