Easy Pass is broken, is there an easy solution?

[Furioso]

My neighbor has an Easy Pass in his MG HS. Last month we went from Pattaya to the Bangkok Auto Show and along the way it stopped working. We stopped at one of those rest stop areas on the way back, the Easy Pass office only gave us a phone number, called that number but no luck. He originally bought it at the little shack next to the Pattaya toll booths but now that's been abandoned.  

 

It's very possible he needs a new device but with the Pattaya tollbooth office/store closed, where can this be done? Is there an easy solution to this Easy Pass problem?

[Yellowtail]

Go to one of the many other little shack next to toll booths everywhere perhaps? 

[Furioso]

9 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Go to one of the many other little shack next to toll booths everywhere perhaps? 

This is not a bad suggestion, I did edit my orig post describing we went to a rest stop Easy Pass as well, with no luck. However, it could be a long day trying to find the right Easy Pass store. 

 

Maybe someone knows a specific Easy Pass place that's highly recommended?

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, Furioso said:

This is not a bad suggestion, I did edit my orig post describing we went to a rest stop Easy Pass as well, with no luck. However, it could be a long day trying to find the right Easy Pass store. 

 

Maybe someone knows a specific Easy Pass place that's highly recommended?

Not in Patts, but plenty in BKK

[digbeth]

Are you sure it's not M-Pass, if they originally got it from the Hwy7, it'll be M Pass, 

They're no longer being issued new

 

 

[Furioso]

27 minutes ago, digbeth said:

Are you sure it's not M-Pass, if they originally got it from the Hwy7, it'll be M Pass, 

They're no longer being issued new

 

 

Yes he bought it from the Hwy7 stand next to the toll booths. He's always said Easy Pass but I'll ask him tomorrow if it could be M-Pass. 

[digbeth]

53 minutes ago, Furioso said:

Yes he bought it from the Hwy7 stand next to the toll booths. He's always said Easy Pass but I'll ask him tomorrow if it could be M-Pass. 

If it's M Pass, most Krung Thai Bank in Pattaya are supposed to be able to order a new one in, but recently people have been reporting that they're not issueing them, making people get easy pass from.the Bangkok expressways instead

[Furioso]

2 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Not in Patts, but plenty in BKK

Thanks, I think you're right, this is where he'll end up solving his easy pass problem. 

[Furioso]

27 minutes ago, digbeth said:

If it's M Pass, most Krung Thai Bank in Pattaya are supposed to be able to order a new one in, but recently people have been reporting that they're not issueing them, making people get easy pass from.the Bangkok expressways instead

It's interesting you point this out. As I mentioned, we stopped at a rest top on the way back from Bangkok. He and the other guy I was with went to what I thought was an Easy Pass store, but I went straight for the Starbucks lol. When we met back up they said the "store" couldn't fix/replace the device but they gave them a number to call.

 

Once back on the Hwy they called the number, I believe they said there was a long waiting list to get a new one, like 6 weeks or something. This obviously did not sit well with my friend, that's why he made sure to stop at the Pattaya toll booth, hoping the Easy/M-Pass shack/store was still there, but it was abandoned. This is where he originally bought his card, and I think that's where he was going every time he needed to add more Baht. 

 

Ultimately I think you're right. Go to Bangkok, either the stores near the tool booths up there or their big offices(I think they have 2). One way or another this Easy Pass situation will be settled soon, I appreciate all your help!

 

 

[TheFishman1]

How much is an easy pass cost

[Furioso]

42 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

How much is an easy pass cost

I think the device costs 1,000 Baht, plus you have to put at least 300 Baht on the card. 

[bronzedude]

I got my M-pass at Krung Thai bank ( the blue bank logo) next to Big C Marina. I've been able to top up at the bank branch on Threppasit Road. I can't remember how much I originally paid, but I had to replace the signal fob and they charged me 300 baht. I used mine last month and it worked fine. I also found out that I could use the M-flow lane on the ring road and avoid the long lines for the M-pass without formal registration of my vehicle. You have 7 days in which to paid. It's 30 baht every time you go through. On the M-flow website there is a link for unregistered vehicles. You input you license plate number (you'll need a thai keyboard) and your province, then the amount you owe will pop up. You can paid using a QR code linked to you bank account. The first time navigating the process seemed a bit arduous, but after that doing it a second time seemed very easy. Hope this helps.

[KannikaP]

Pay cash?

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Pay cash?

 

Sometimes it's faster to pay cash when someone in front has to do "the reverse of shame"

 

[VocalNeal]

15 hours ago, Furioso said:

along the way it stopped working.

The internal battery is dead. Go to an expressway toll booth office and get a replacement unit. Easy.

[Yellowtail]

I do not remember paying anything for the e-tag, but perhaps a deposit. 

 

If there is no significant value on the tag, it might be easier to just get a new one. The battery lasts years, and I've never had one go bad, but I've gotten new ones when I got new cars and when I had the film replaced on the windshield just for the holder. 

 

Incidentally, I think the easiest way to top-up is using your e-banking app, no need to go anywhere. 

 

[Pouatchee]

13 hours ago, digbeth said:

reporting that they're not issueing them, making people get easy pass from.the Bangkok expressways instead

easy pass is no longer available

they want to promote m flow which really sucks

they send you a bill you gotta pay after usage

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

The internal battery is dead. Go to an expressway toll booth office and get a replacement unit. Easy.

Not so easy apparently, hence the Ops struggle. 

 

I think the Op just has to keep trying until he finds a Toll Booth that does have an open land-transport office - he can then ask for a replacement. 

 

I suspect the battery is dead - We had ours changed a couple of years ago (wife dealt with it). 

 

As Yellowtail mentioned - regarding Top up... online top up is easy with e-banking (easier when wife does all that too !!)

[volsfan]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

easy pass is no longer available

they want to promote m flow which really sucks

they send you a bill you gotta pay after usage

Incorrect. Easy pass is the original BKK expressway option, and is readily available at the small office just after the toll booth on any BKK tollway.

 

M-Pass on the other hand is not available for purchase anymore. It appears that the folks operating the M-Pass tollway (they are not the same) intends to move toward the M-Flow where it reads your car and plate and uses AI to confirm who you are and eithers charges your M-Flow account or let's you pay after on their website.

 

I went thru this recently and ended up getting an Easy Pass at the booths behind the 25 baht toll after getting on Rama 9 coming from SUK headed to Pattaya.

 

Paid 300 baht which I think gave 200 baht credit, so nowhere near 1000 baht for the reader. Was activated in 90 minutes I think.

 

Download the EXAT app and you can top up thru there.

[Thailand J]

56 minutes ago, volsfan said:

at the booths behind the 25 baht toll after getting on Rama 9 coming from SUK headed to Pattaya.

https://goo.gl/maps/GLNPy7yCHXwfWNhz7

tel 022467654

 

Thanks for the post, I am going to get easy pass as my 3 yrs old Mpass is half dead. Unable to get a replacemnt in PTY.

[Furioso]

Update: My neighbor checked this morning, turns out that Digbeth is right he's had M-Pass(not Easy Pass) the whole time. He went to the KrungThai bank this morning and they told him they don't issue the cards anymore.

 

He called me from the bank and after a little back and forth it looks like a road trip to Bangkok to buy Easy Pass is on the horizon. We didn't even discuss the M-Flow license plate reader option. 

 

So, to summarize:

1. You can no longer buy M-Pass cards.

2. AFAIK you can't get Easy Pass cards in Pattaya. 

3. M-Flow is a license plate reader option, but it is intriguing, see my next post. 

 

Thanks again to all for your inputs, very helpful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Furioso]

My experience with license plate reader technology. 

 

I lived in Florida from 2015-2018. Orlando and Miami have toll booths everywhere. Yes, you can have an Easy Pass type card in your car or pay the toll person. I lived near Tampa, not very many tollbooths there.  

 

I drove down to Miami to see the Marlins play. Tons of traffic and there were signs along the toll highway that said the cameras were reading your license plate, and they will send you a bill in the mail. I'd never seen this before. Anyway, about a month later I get 7 or 8 bills, showing the pictures they took of my license plate. The total for everything was around $10-$15, along with threats of increased charges if I didn't pay on time, which is exactly what happened. 

 

This must be what the M-Flow does here in Thailand. I'm not a huge fan, especially if you get a mugshot of your license plate in the mail. Seems too Orwellian to me. 

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, Furioso said:

My experience with license plate reader technology. 

 

I lived in Florida from 2015-2018. Orlando and Miami have toll booths everywhere. Yes, you can have an Easy Pass type card in your car or pay the toll person. I lived near Tampa, not very many tollbooths there.  

 

I drove down to Miami to see the Marlins play. Tons of traffic and there were signs along the toll highway that said the cameras were reading your license plate, and they will send you a bill in the mail. I'd never seen this before. Anyway, about a month later I get 7 or 8 bills, showing the pictures they took of my license plate. The total for everything was around $10-$15, along with threats of increased charges if I didn't pay on time, which is exactly what happened. 

 

This must be what the M-Flow does here in Thailand. I'm not a huge fan, especially if you get a mugshot of your license plate in the mail. Seems too Orwellian to me. 

It pretty much works the same was as easy-pass but you don't have to slow down, You can loa money on it the same was as the easy-pass. 

 

Your Easy Pass knows who you are and cameras watch you going through the booths. 

[FriendlyFarang]

You can order the easypass device through the truemoney app, it costs the regular 300 baht as in any easypass office, you just pay 52 baht extra for shipping

[Furioso]

2 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

You can order the easypass device through the truemoney app, it costs the regular 300 baht as in any easypass office, you just pay 52 baht extra for shipping

Ah great, this is probably the answer my neighbor is looking for. Thanks!

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, Furioso said:

This must be what the M-Flow does here in Thailand. I'm not a huge fan, especially if you get a mugshot of your license plate in the mail. Seems too Orwellian to me. 

Well... that ship has sailed... You get fine in the mail of your ‘mug-shot’ of your licence plate (and car) when you get snapped creeping over the speed limit and do 100kmh on highway or 126kmh on the motorway etc...   

 

[Furioso]

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Well... that ship has sailed... You get fine in the mail of your ‘mug-shot’ of your licence plate (and car) when you get snapped creeping over the speed limit and do 100kmh on highway or 126kmh on the motorway etc...   

 

M-Flow needs a diabolical nick-name. 

[volsfan]

2 hours ago, Furioso said:

Ah great, this is probably the answer my neighbor is looking for. Thanks!

When I tried to order online, Chonburi was not a valid province to register with. 

 

Hence needing to buy in Bangkok, where they did not care. Produce passport and the required cash and walk out a few minutes later with the device.

[Furioso]

41 minutes ago, volsfan said:

When I tried to order online, Chonburi was not a valid province to register with. 

 

I knew there would be a catch lol. How long ago did you try? Did you try to order via the website or the app? 

[Yellowtail]

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Well... that ship has sailed... You get fine in the mail of your ‘mug-shot’ of your licence plate (and car) when you get snapped creeping over the speed limit and do 100kmh on highway or 126kmh on the motorway etc...   

 

I love the traffic and speed cameras, really helped on Rama IV