Bhat Bus Co-operative

[Tammi]

Can someone enlighten me?

[Jingthing]

Sorry, no farang drivers allowed!

[NanLaew]

Sorry, no farang drivers allowed!

Maybe just once. My mate Billy's ex-wife owned 2 taxis. During low season, one of them was usually parked up at the house because there was nobody wanting to lease it. Billy and I got on the piss and decided to take it for a drive around town. It took a wee while for people and other taxis drivers to notice there were 2 farangs up front.

[britmaveric]

Baht Bus run around a circuit. They usually go beep beep whenever seeing potential customers. People hop on and hop off and pay the driver 5-10bht. 100bht if private taxi. Works pretty well.

Cheers to the Baht Bus!!!

[Tammi]

Baht Bus run around a circuit. They usually go beep beep whenever seeing potential customers. People hop on and hop off and pay the driver 5-10bht. 100bht if private taxi. Works pretty well.

Cheers to the Baht Bus!!!

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

[Jingthing]

Baht Bus run around a circuit. They usually go beep beep whenever seeing potential customers. People hop on and hop off and pay the driver 5-10bht. 100bht if private taxi. Works pretty well.

Cheers to the Baht Bus!!!

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

200 if you are lucky. They will probably push for 300.

In Bangkok, that would be about 60 to 80 baht, yes, and thats with aircon and a comfy seat.

Pattaya baht buses as taxis are total ripoffs.

Edited September 24, 2007 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

Give them an offer of 100 baht, and if they don't accept it then walk away. Try this with a few and you'll soon find the lowest possible price.

Good luck. Let us know how you go.

[Jingthing]

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

Give them an offer of 100 baht, and if they don't accept it then walk away. Try this with a few and you'll soon find the lowest possible price.

Good luck. Let us know how you go.

No way!

They know you are going to the hospital. It is so far! (They say.) They know you are either sick or have an important appointment with a doctor or are visiting an ailing loved one. You have really no negotiating power there. 100 baht from Jomtien, forgettaboutit. Typical from a guy who defends these thugs. It is an inferior system, have to argue with a bunch of thugs to get a fair fare, when you won't anyway. Compare to Bangkok taxi meters. Get in, say where, relax.

Edited September 24, 2007 by Jingthing

[Tammi]

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

Give them an offer of 100 baht, and if they don't accept it then walk away. Try this with a few and you'll soon find the lowest possible price.

Good luck. Let us know how you go.

No way!

They know you are going to the hospital. It is so far! (They say.) They know you are either sick or have an important appointment with a doctor or are visiting an ailing loved one. You have really no negotiating power there. 100 baht from Jomtien, forgettaboutit. Typical from a guy who defends these thugs. It is an inferior system, have to argue with a bunch of thugs to get a fair fare, when you won't anyway. Compare to Bangkok taxi meters. Get in, say where, relax.

Why aren't there metered a/c taxis in Pattaya - one would have thought the city is now big enough?

[Humphrey Bear]

Because the BB Mafia don't want the competition.

There are many taxi-meters to be seen in Pattaya - mostly dropping people off who have come from BKK or elsewhere.

But if you try to hail one, most will not stop. If one does stop, it is usually immediately surrounded by BBs and made to donate to the BB pension and social fund. Of course, it's your money they get, 'coz the taxi-meter driver will add it to your charges.

[soundman]

Baht Bus run around a circuit. They usually go beep beep whenever seeing potential customers. People hop on and hop off and pay the driver 5-10bht. 100bht if private taxi. Works pretty well.

Cheers to the Baht Bus!!!

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

200 if you are lucky. They will probably push for 300.

In Bangkok, that would be about 60 to 80 baht, yes, and thats with aircon and a comfy seat.

Pattaya baht buses as taxis are total ripoffs.

These guys wust have really pissed you of at point in time!

Considering we just had a twenty page thread - why not let us just re-hash it from a different angle!

[Jingthing]

They are a violent mafia. They repress a decent public transport system in Pattaya. Whats not to be pissed off about, eh?

[soundman]

They are a violent mafia. They repress a decent public transport system in Pattaya. Whats not to be pissed off about, eh?

Nothing. I'm on your team with this argument. I deplore the "level" of service offered in Pattaya in the transport sector.

Honestly, I reckon I get one "honest" driver in five who is happy to accept the "standard" fare even though they all pick that I live in Thailand and act just as much "Thai" as the locals.

The real "mafia" are the companies that have bought the liscences to work in certain areas and hire the vehicles out to Issan rice farmers.....

[torrenova]

Classic mafia example of the bottom end (drivers) dishing out the dirt and violence in the knowledge that those profiteering (bosses) will protect them from the authorities who are on the payroll.

Of course, the perfect answer would be meter taxis and taxi share schemes from certain points. Will never happen.

Of course, all these poor drivers are on the verge of going broke and giving it all up to become fishermen - not !

[britmaveric]

Doubt a taxi could make much dosh and even if there were some I seriously doubt they would charge BKK rates. Prob charge same as baht busses.

[torrenova]

Doubt a taxi could make much dosh and even if there were some I seriously doubt they would charge BKK rates. Prob charge same as baht busses.

Fine, start at Bt35 same as Bangkok.

I reckon they would be very welcomed. Just see how many like the Bt20 aircon bus but complain about its routing and frequency !

Even in Bangkok, you don't see many taxis giving up do you ? and they are constantly stuck in traffic and for what Bt35 only ! Maybe Bt100 after an hour or so ?

[Pattaya_Fox]

The Baht Bus Taxi co Ltd. had over 700 vehicles in the cooperative at the end of 2006 with 412 members.

For the year ending 31.12.2006 the company made a profit of 1.4m baht.

Baht buses make a profit of 1.4M baht

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

Pattaya’s baht buses made a profit of 1.4 million baht last year, according to Jamlong Sukprom, chairman of the Pattaya Baht Bus Taxi Co Ltd, the cooperative under which all the drivers and vehicles work.

Jamlong was addressing the cooperative’s annual general meeting and the figure quoted was for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006.

Officers from the Chonburi Traffic Department attended the meeting, as did Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and his advisor Itthipol Khunplome.

The meeting was held at the Town in Town Hotel on May 25. After the financial results were read out and a summary of the committee work reported, Jamlong said that each member of the cooperative would receive 50 baht for each taxi number, and a 100 baht dividend.

Isuzu presented jackets to the drivers to thank the cooperative for buying so many Isuzu trucks.

Jamlong said that currently there are 412 members with more than 700 baht buses. Capital for operations at the end of December 31, 2006 was 10,610,270.36 baht. This amount included a debt of 1,191,965.56 baht. The capital stock of 663,000 baht accumulated a capital of 4,819,887.40 baht, and a profit for the year of 1,405,779.88 baht was declared.

Pattaya Mail.

[cubes2]

quote name='soundman' date='2007-09-24 20:44:52' post='1555058']

The real "mafia" are the companies that have bought the liscences to work in certain areas and hire the vehicles out to Issan rice farmers.....

Very true, but not issan farmers, but more like, out and out Thugs.

Have a look next time your in the back of a baht bus, see if the picture in the window

matches the driver. Not

[tropo]

Thank you Brit for this information. Now, say I want to go from Jomthien to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, would that be 100 baht?

Give them an offer of 100 baht, and if they don't accept it then walk away. Try this with a few and you'll soon find the lowest possible price.

Good luck. Let us know how you go.

No way!

They know you are going to the hospital. It is so far! (They say.) They know you are either sick or have an important appointment with a doctor or are visiting an ailing loved one. You have really no negotiating power there. 100 baht from Jomtien, forgettaboutit. Typical from a guy who defends these thugs . It is an inferior system, have to argue with a bunch of thugs to get a fair fare, when you won't anyway. Compare to Bangkok taxi meters. Get in, say where, relax.

You just can't help yourself can you. How about you actually read a post before you start waffling on.

I didn't say the fare would be 100 baht. I suggested starting at 100 baht in an effort to find the lowest possible fare. It's not real smart to start negotiations at 300 baht is it?

Just because I don't prescribe to your ridiculous theory that baht buses drivers are being racist when they charge you a whopping 5 baht extra doesn't mean I'm a baht bus fan. In fact I hardly ever use them as I have my own transport.

[tropo]

Because the BB Mafia don't want the competition.

There are many taxi-meters to be seen in Pattaya - mostly dropping people off who have come from BKK or elsewhere.

But if you try to hail one, most will not stop. If one does stop, it is usually immediately surrounded by BBs and made to donate to the BB pension and social fund. Of course, it's your money they get, 'coz the taxi-meter driver will add it to your charges.

Here we go again. Complaints that BANGKOK Taxi-meters cannot stop in Pattaya to take fares.

They are not registered to collect fares in Pattaya.

Can you imagine if a taxi from Birminghan or some other city went to London on a one-way fare and started driving around looking for fares. Apart from being fined by the police, he'd have some enraged local taxis to contend with.

The same is true anywhere, in any country. Taxis have zones in which they are registered to operate.

Edited September 24, 2007 by tropo

[Jingthing]

I have my own transport.

Thus you are not really an involved party on this issue.

[tropo]

I have my own transport.

Thus you are not really an involved party on this issue.

I believe I said "hardly ever use them".

[Jingthing]

I have my own transport.

Thus you are not really an involved party on this issue.

I believe I said "hardly ever use them".

Great, well you kind of proved my point. You couldn't depend on them for public transport, so you got your own. Where is Al Gore when you need him?

[Tammi]

So do you think that Pattayans are forever doomed to have to ride around in baht buses, that we will never be able to hail an a/c taxi and go in comfort from point A to point B with a notice on the taxis window that says "I love farang" and for a reasonable 35 baht flag fall and a reasonable charge thereafter?

[Jingthing]

So do you think that Pattayans are forever doomed to have to ride around in baht buses, that we will never be able to hail an a/c taxi and go in comfort from point A to point B with a notice on the taxis window that says "I love farang" and for a reasonable 35 baht flag fall and a reasonable charge thereafter?

It is pretty hopeless especially considering the large percentage of resident farangs who have gone native to be big mafia fans! What is needed are activist Thais and an activist press. Not alot of people willing to risk their life for a taxi. Chiang Mai got taxis but it turns out is a big sham/scam. totally controlled by their baht bus mafia, very high fares, poor service, and they usually won't turn on their meters. You cannot negotiate with a mafia. Old timers remember it wasn't that long ago that Bangkok taxis wouldn't turn on their meters, now almost all of them do. Bangkok taxis rule!

I do have an idea for a Pattaya entrepreneur. Print up t-shirts for sale with a photoshop image of a Bangkok taxi with a PATTAYA TAXI METER logo image. A good souvenir and might start planting the idea in the minds of the masses. It could become a real cult item, we could all wear them on baht buses while we hand over the 5 baht. Pattaya is really coming along. But it is being held back by dark forces of evil.

Edited September 24, 2007 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

So do you think that Pattayans are forever doomed to have to ride around in baht buses, that we will never be able to hail an a/c taxi and go in comfort from point A to point B with a notice on the taxis window that says "I love farang" and for a reasonable 35 baht flag fall and a reasonable charge thereafter?

Yes - so whinging does you no good darling!!!

[Jingthing]

So do you think that Pattayans are forever doomed to have to ride around in baht buses, that we will never be able to hail an a/c taxi and go in comfort from point A to point B with a notice on the taxis window that says "I love farang" and for a reasonable 35 baht flag fall and a reasonable charge thereafter?

Yes - so whining does you no good darling!!!

Even if it is fun?

[cubes2]

quote name='Jingthing' date='2007-09-24 23:13:32' post='1555344']

I do have an idea for a Pattaya entrepreneur. Print up t-shirts for sale with a photoshop image of a Bangkok taxi with a PATTAYA TAXI METER logo image. A good souvenir and might start planting the idea in the minds of the masses. It could become a real cult item, we could all wear them on baht buses while we hand over the 5 baht. Pattaya is really coming along. But it is being held back by dark forces of evil.

Why don't you do it big shot.

No Mess Jingthing.

I will buy the first from you.

Have a nice day.

Edited September 24, 2007 by cubes2

[Jingthing]

quote name='Jingthing' date='2007-09-24 23:13:32' post='1555344']

I do have an idea for a Pattaya entrepreneur. Print up t-shirts for sale with a photoshop image of a Bangkok taxi with a PATTAYA TAXI METER logo image. A good souvenir and might start planting the idea in the minds of the masses. It could become a real cult item, we could all wear them on baht buses while we hand over the 5 baht. Pattaya is really coming along. But it is being held back by dark forces of evil.

Why don't you do it big shot.

No Mess Jingthing.

I will buy the first from you.

Have a nice day.

Can't work, retirement visa. I would like to see a nice Thai person get rich from that idea.

[cubes2]