Bus 999 from Ekamai to Koh Chang Pier: how to buy in advance?

[JackGats]

I'd like to secure seats in advance but I won't be in Bangkok. Will they sell me tickets at Pattaya bus station? I guess not, they will only sell tickets departing from Pattaya, not tickets departing from Bangkok. I hate death trap minivans, that's why I prefer to go to Bangkok first to board a big bus. Do you win time flying from Suvarnabumi to Trat compared to the bus ride?

[scubascuba3]

If you want the big bus from Ekamai to Pattaya Nth Pattaya road, then you can book in pattayabus.com

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you want the big bus from Ekamai to Pattaya Nth Pattaya road, then you can book in pattayabus.com

He doesn't.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, JackGats said:

I'd like to secure seats in advance but I won't be in Bangkok. Will they sell me tickets at Pattaya bus station? I guess not, they will only sell tickets departing from Pattaya, not tickets departing from Bangkok. I hate death trap minivans, that's why I prefer to go to Bangkok first to board a big bus. Do you win time flying from Suvarnabumi to Trat compared to the bus ride?

Use the opportunity to hang out in Bkk a bit. It's a fascinating city and worth the time.

 

Have you been to the bus station on Sukhumvit where the buses to Jomtien stop to drop off passengers? There may be a service you can buy a ticket on from there, as there will be empty seats from Pattaya. Perhaps that bus stops there too.

[scubascuba3]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He doesn't.

but if you read his post he doesn't want a deathtrap minibus

[thaibeachlovers]

I think the white songtheaws on Sukhumvit go where you want. Not sure.

[steven100]

Buy a ticket at Ekkamai bus station to go to Koh Chang or you can go to the airport and get a flight to Trat,  Bangkok airways operates 1 hour flights to Trat. 

[Unamerican]

There seems to me absolutely no relevant information in these replies!  

Why is this? 

[bradiston]

35 Group run a good midi (a lot bigger than mini) bus service from Pattaya to KC. Used them many times to get to Koh Mak and back. They pick you up from your hotel in Pattaya and drop you at your hotel on KC. They're on 3rd Rd, near the junction of 3rd and Tai. You can book over the phone. Decent English spoken. 350 THB last time I went. No need to schlep up to Ekkamai, and there's only 2 "999" buses a day I think from there to KC.

 

They'll be extremely busy I'd say this time of year, and Russians use their service a lot. Also, getting on and off KC will probably take all day.

[scubascuba3]

56 minutes ago, Unamerican said:

There seems to me absolutely no relevant information in these replies!  

Why is this? 

You just don't understand the replies, there isn't a big bus from Ekamai to Koh Chang pier 

[RSD1]

My friend just went. He rented a car from Swampy and drove himself. And then took the car onto one of the ferries and over to the island. If you are going as a group of 3-4, and not on a tight budget, then that might make more sense. 

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

You just don't understand the replies, there isn't a big bus from Ekamai to Koh Chang pier 

There certainly used to be. Via BKK. They had their own ticket booth at Ekkamai.

[treetops]

Another medium sized bus leaving from Pattaya mentioned here:

 

[JackGats]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

You just don't understand the replies, there isn't a big bus from Ekamai to Koh Chang pier 

Well, yes there is! It's the famous 999 line, very popular and therefore at risk of being booked up. I read somewhere it was possible to catch a big bus (going only to Trat?) somewhere along the Sukhumvit in Pattaya but I don't want to risk being stranded with luggage along the Sukhumvit.

[SoCal1990]

Bolt Taxi from Bangkok to the Koh Chang boat pier during non-peak hours costs less than ฿3000. Split between three people, that seems like a good way to go. Sometimes spending a little bit more in Thailand can save an exponential amount of unnecessary aggravation.

[JackGats]

41 minutes ago, SoCal1990 said:

Bolt Taxi from Bangkok to the Koh Chang boat pier during non-peak hours costs less than ฿3000. Split between three people, that seems like a good way to go. Sometimes spending a little bit more in Thailand can save an exponential amount of unnecessary aggravation.

I'd have thought a taxi would cost more like 10k.

[SoCal1990]

40 minutes ago, JackGats said:

I'd have thought a taxi would cost more like 10k.

I just checked the app and it's showing me around ฿3500 right now for an "Economy" car, and this is peak time during Bangkok rush-hour.
 

When I checked the app earlier (when I made that post) it was showing around ฿2800 for the same type of car.
 

If you check the app in the morning at around sunrise, then it should be under ฿3000 I suspect. At that time you might even be able to find their higher tier cars in that same price range.
 

If you leave Bangkok at around 5AM or 6AM in a Bolt taxi, then I reckon you'll be there around 10AM or 11AM at the boat pier.

 

 

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

Well, yes there is! It's the famous 999 line, very popular and therefore at risk of being booked up. I read somewhere it was possible to catch a big bus (going only to Trat?) somewhere along the Sukhumvit in Pattaya but I don't want to risk being stranded with luggage along the Sukhumvit.

There was a very slow very early morning bus from Ekkamai to Trad back in the day. Slow because it followed the old route. I caught it once. 7 hours I think. A red bus. The dreadful cherdchai buses used to take forever also. They were a law to themselves and followed no timetable.

[Real Name Hidden]

The 999 government bus leaves Ekkami daily at 7:45 AM and arrives at the Ferry Pier about 1:30 PM, fare is 292 baht.  You can buy tickets in advance at the ticket office there.

[geisha]

16 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think the white songtheaws on Sukhumvit go where you want. Not sure.

No. 

[geisha]

20 hours ago, JackGats said:

I'd like to secure seats in advance but I won't be in Bangkok. Will they sell me tickets at Pattaya bus station? I guess not, they will only sell tickets departing from Pattaya, not tickets departing from Bangkok. I hate death trap minivans, that's why I prefer to go to Bangkok first to board a big bus. Do you win time flying from Suvarnabumi to Trat compared to the bus ride?

16 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think the white songtheaws on Sukhumvit go where you want. Not sure.

No. 

[geisha]

So if I understand right, you are in Pattaya.  Contact  Colin at CocoDeeBoKohChang , he uses a local Koh Chang drivers mini bus . I always use him. Look online . They pick you up at your home in Pattaya and drop you off at the hotel of your choice on Koh Chang….ferry included. They are serious not Kami kaz like Pattaya.     Or, IAN , at iamkohchang , same sort of  service , both professional,  Ian has a guest house too.  Both are great Brits . Used them for 15 years + google both.

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

5 hours ago, JackGats said:

I'd have thought a taxi would cost more like 10k.

I just checked the app and it's showing me around ฿3500 right now for an "Economy" car, and this is peak time during Bangkok rush-hour.
 

When I checked the app earlier (when I made that post) it was showing around ฿2800 for the same type of car.
 

If you check the app in the morning at around sunrise, then it should be under ฿3000 I suspect. At that time you might even be able to find their higher tier cars in that same price range.
 

If you leave Bangkok at around 5AM or 6AM in a Bolt taxi, then I reckon you'll be there around 10AM or 11AM at the boat pier.

 

Reconsider the 'BOLT' option....      and don't naively accept the price the App provides.

 

It would be better to arrange directly with a driver / taxi company.

 

 

 

 

[JackGats]

44 minutes ago, geisha said:

So if I understand right, you are in Pattaya.  Contact  Colin at CocoDeeBoKohChang , he uses a local Koh Chang drivers mini bus . I always use him. Look online . They pick you up at your home in Pattaya and drop you off at the hotel of your choice on Koh Chang….ferry included. They are serious not Kami kaz like Pattaya.     Or, IAN , at iamkohchang , same sort of  service , both professional,  Ian has a guest house too.  Both are great Brits . Used them for 15 years + google both.

Very practical, but I don't regard minivans as safe. Most of the time seats don't even have a headrest, which mean even a relatively mild accident can kill you (break your neck). Also, drivers will often text while driving: drivers on governement buses never do from what I've seen.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

Very practical, but I don't regard minivans as safe. Most of the time seats don't even have a headrest, which mean even a relatively mild accident can kill you (break your neck). Also, drivers will often text while driving: drivers on governement buses never do from what I've seen.

When we've had family over, we've used mini-vans....   down to Hua-Hin - the drivers was very courteous and safe (the van had headrests and 3 point seat-belts).

 

We also used mini-vans when travelling from Bangkok to Pattaya, then Pattaya to Koh Chang...

We used the van & driver in the Pattaya area for a few days and had to pay accommodation too (in expensive local accommodation as the driver was from Bangkok)... 

All was great until the last day of hire when we went from Pattaya to Koh Chang... once we got to the ferry to go across to Koh Chang, the driver had arranged for another Mini-Van to meet us, that one had no seat-belts, we only needed to get it to the hotel (and that was the end of the van/driver hire), nevertheless I was rather annoyed at the 'change' as this exposed children to risk...in fact one of the kids fell out of their seat when going down a steep hill on Koh Chang.

 

It doesn't matter how well we think we have planed things covered all eventualities... 'Thainess' will creep in somewhere....

I guess in this case, even though we'd hired the Van and driver all the way to our accommodation, the driver wanted to get back to Bangkok and figured he'd save himself 2 hours by avoiding the ferry and getting someone else to do it - I can see the logic and was fine with it, apart from the no seatbelts issue, but by then it was too late. 

... As a result, this cost the driver the return journey and we used a different company.