By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Pattaya — Central Pattana in partnership with Klook is launching a new bus route that will operate between three major malls: Central World, Central Pattaya, and Central Village, for only 190 baht.

Today, April 28th, Mr. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Vice President of the Marketing Division of Central Pattana Plc (CPN), revealed that the company is opening a new bus route to accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists.

 

In the first quarter of 2023, there were 6.4 million tourists, generating over 250 billion baht in tourism revenue for Thailand, reports the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

 

The top-five arrivals to Thailand are Malaysians, Russians, Chinese, South Koreans, and Indians. The TAT anticipates that Chinese tourists will rank first soon, with at least 5 million arrivals.

 

Furthermore, Bangkok was chosen as the most popular destination that foreign tourists most searched for, followed by Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Phuket.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/04/28/central-pattana-launches-190-baht-express-bus-service-between-three-pattaya-and-bangkok-malls/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-04-29

 

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Nice promotional for Central but no important detail such as start date and operational hours and schedules. 190 Baht is fine, but when?

 

Edited April 28, 20233 yr by soi3eddie

How well do they screen the bus drivers???

Am I being to cynical to assume the target market is those that like shopping and sitting in traffic? 

15 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Am I being to cynical to assume the target market is those that like shopping and sitting in traffic? 

I live just down the road from Centralworld, this be great for me if it gets off the ground as it were. Bye bye Ekkamai!

 

I don't think I'm their target market though as I have no intention of spending one single cent at either Central mall ????

57 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

I live just down the road from Centralworld, this be great for me if it gets off the ground as it were. Bye bye Ekkamai!

 

I don't think I'm their target market though as I have no intention of spending one single cent at either Central mall ????

If only it was free....This could come in real handy...lol....I think the regular bus is only 120 baht,so 190 baht sounds expensive...

Edited April 28, 20233 yr by redwood1

3 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Nice promotional for Central but no important detail such as start date and operational hours and schedules. 190 Baht is fine, but when?

 

It's all there if you try clicking on the link where it says "click here for details"!  

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Liverpool Lou

2 hours ago, 2baht said:

How well do they screen the bus drivers???

What difference does it make, what information do you have, or do you think that you're entitled to, on the screening of employees of any company?  Asking how well they screen the passengers would be just as pointless a question to pose.

31 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

If only it was free....This could come in real handy...lol....I think the regular bus is only 120 baht,so 190 baht sounds expensive...

Their buses may well be worth the B70, or whatever, extra in terms of comfort convenience and the co-passengers.

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Liverpool Lou

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

What difference does it make, what information do you have, or do you think that you're entitled to, on the screening of employees of any company?  Asking how well they screen the passengers would be just as pointless a question to pose.

I've got a car, Lou! I don't really care! It's a public forum, opinions are like, well, you know what!

15 minutes ago, 2baht said:

17 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What difference does it make, what information do you have, or do you think that you're entitled to, on the screening of employees of any company?  Asking how well they screen the passengers would be just as pointless a question to pose.

I've got a car, Lou! I don't really care! It's a public forum, opinions are like, well, you know what!

I know it's a public forum that's why I'm allowed to respond to your comments also.  For someone who doesn't care, has a car and will never use the service, your odd interest in their employees' qualities seems a bit misplaced.

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Liverpool Lou

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I know it's a public forum that's why I'm allowed to respond to your comments also.  For someone who doesn't care and has a car your odd interest in their employees' qualities seems a bit misplaced.

I've seen a few bus accidents, Lou.

5 minutes ago, 2baht said:

6 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I know it's a public forum that's why I'm allowed to respond to your comments also.  For someone who doesn't care and has a car your odd interest in their employees' qualities seems a bit misplaced.

Expand  

I've seen a few bus accidents, Lou.

I've seen more reported car accidents than bus accidents as I'm sure, statistically, you must have also.

How about the elephant in the livingroom question......

 

Is a Bangkok mall going to have loads of amazing stuff that Pattaya malls do not have? And would someone really make a trip to Bangkok to shop in a particular mall?....

 

The whole concept is rediculus.....

 

Hey make it a tour of 10 malls and this idea may have some legs....

 

Or make it FREE so freeloaders like myself can save on bus fare to Bangkok...I would back this 100%....

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by redwood1

56 minutes ago, 2baht said:

I've got a car, Lou! I don't really care! It's a public forum, opinions are like, well, you know what!

Your opinions are boring. Constant sniping at the Thais is tiresome and achieves Sweet Fanny Adams.

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Lemsta69

10 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

How about the elephant in the livingroom question......

 

Is a Bangkok mall going to have loads of amazing stuff that Pattaya malls do not have? And would someone really make a trip to Bangkok to shop in a particular mall?....

 

The whole concept is rediculus.....

 

Hey make it a tour of 10 malls and this idea may have some legs....

 

Or make it FREE so freeloaders like myself can save on bus fare to Bangkok...I would back this 100%....

Thailand is sick of freeloaders.

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Their buses may well be worth the B70, or whatever, extra in terms of comfort convenience and the co-passengers.

And the fact you get let off in the center of the city rather than the northern bus station

I was just trying to book the bus from Pattaya to Bangkok and there were some surprises. The bus is only available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are other days for the van. The only departure time I could find was 8pm. And the regular price is 498 currently reduced to 249. I couldn't find the 190 baht mentioned in the article.

 

There is a bus Bangkok to Pattaya at 8am (and 4pm). So I guess this service is for people that want to come to Pattaya and get back to Bangkok in the evening. 

 

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Mickeymaus

38 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Your opinions are boring. Constant sniping at the Thais is tiresome and achieves Sweet Fanny Adams.

You're pretty popular too! 

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

Is a Bangkok mall going to have loads of amazing stuff that Pattaya malls do not have? And would someone really make a trip to Bangkok to shop in a particular mall?....

Doesn't the bus travel from Bangkok to Pattaya as well? Are the tourists to be locked in the malls after they get off the bus, or is it possible they may go to other places and engage in activities other than shopping?

 

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

Or make it FREE so freeloaders like myself can save on bus fare to Bangkok...I would back this 100%....

Like all the other services. Better yet, serve free Chang and baked beans on toast for our Pattaya members.

 

3 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

I was just trying to book the bus from Pattaya to Bangkok and there were some surprises. The bus is only available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are other days for the van. The only departure time I could find was 8pm. And the regular price is 498 currently reduced to 249. I couldn't find the 190 baht mentioned in the article.

 

There is a bus Bangkok to Pattaya at 8am (and 4pm). So I guess this service is for people that want to come to Pattaya and get back to Bangkok in the evening. 

 

What is the link for booking? 

Might be just the picture, but the seats look very small

56 minutes ago, Terek said:

What is the link for booking? 

https://www.klook.com/en-US/preview/activity/83758/

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's all there if you try clicking on the link where it says "click here for details"!  

Ah, missed that link.

The details ARE mostly all there on the Klook booking website, but they don't make them especially clear or easy to find.

 

For example, until you go to actually make a booking, you won't see on their schedule that apparently there's no service at all on Wednesdays and Thursdays!

 

And, as best as I can tell, the option to stop at the Central Outlet Mall near Suvarnabhumi apparently only exists on a separate trip running only from Pattaya to BKK -- and not on the outbound BKK to Pattaya routes.

 

However, despite the emphasis on the three Central Malls in their promotional material, there's absolutely no requirement that anyone making the trip have anything whatsoever to do with the malls.

 

You can just use the bus service as a regular BKK-Pattaya route and ignore the malls entirely if you want to. It's nice and convenient that the Pattaya drop off point appears to be the Central Festival Mall at Soi 9 along the Beach Road, which is pretty much right in the middle of things and convenient to many surrounding hotels.

 

 

By comparison, the Bell Travel  Service VIP buses between Suvarnabhumi and Pattaya run more often, run every day, and probably are roomier as their seating is 3-across, not 4 as with the mall buses. But the fare is 300 baht.

 

For its part, the mall bus service appears to run only 5 days per week and much fewer trips per day, and the seating is 4 across.

 

But the fare is only 190b, and the Pattaya drop off is convenient at the Central Festival Mall, and the pickup in BKK is at CentralWorld, equally convenient once you're already in the city.

 

Whereas the Bell drop-off is at the North Pattaya bus station, which typically is going to require a song theaw or other paid onward travel to one's ultimate destination.

 

https://belltravelservice.com/shared-transfer/

 

Is the Apple store in Central World?

12 minutes ago, bronzedude said:

Is the Apple store in Central World?

yes

36 minutes ago, bronzedude said:

Is the Apple store in Central World?

Yes, at Central World...but not inside. Apple has its own separate building just outside/adjoining CW...  Off the Skywalk walkway that runs from BTS Chidlom to CentralWorld, just as you turn off the Skywalk to go inside the CW mall.

 

There';s also a coaster type bus that runs regularly from their office on Pattaya Kang just before Foodland on the same side. The fare is 150 baht. It will let you off at the BTS in Bangkok.