Baht buses and bahtbus-type Taxis Already Raised Their Fares ?

[peacemakers]

Pattaya Mail 2 November 2007

Baht buses may increase after new Year , if the price of petrol reaches 30 baht per liter. But permission must be asked from the Department of land transportation. There are more than 700 bath buses in operation in Pattaya, and they have to follow the rate distances as set by the Dept. At present, is still the standard fare of 5 Baht. How much you think is a reasonable price ? any comment ? Cheers,

[chiang mai]

5 baht

[luckyluke]

As I pay 10 Thb now for a standard fare, 12 Thb will seems reasonable for me.

[britmaveric]

10bht is reasonable from 5bht normal fare.

[ThaidleHands]

Raising the Thai price to 10 baht will offset the higher fuel costs.

[DonTron]

20 bath is fine by me, as long as we wont get charged 500 bath driving from walkingstreet to Naklua.. yes, you read correctly... 500 bath! I asked 4 busses before I found one who wanted to do it for 300 bath, and after walking 300 meters up 2nd road I found one who did it for 200 bath. So who cares about 5-10-20 bath compared to 500.

[Basil B]

when so many seam to drive around all day empty just tooting their horns does not look like the price of fuel is an issue.

I think they should be pulled into line:

• with official bus routes covering the whole of pattaya
  
• they should display a number relating to the route they are working
  
• they would be under obligation to take passengers all the way on that route
  
• no changing routes with passengers on board
  
• free tourist maps with published routes, fares, rules and guide to using the busses
  

If the system was better organized to prevent every "Tom, Dick or Harry" with a Baht bus basically fighting over every fare on beach road every night, most just burning up fuel and polluting the atmosphere they would keep more of the fares and work less hours.

No, a price increase can not be justified...

BB

[eyebee]

20 bath is fine by me, as long as we wont get charged 500 bath driving from walkingstreet to Naklua.. yes, you read correctly... 500 bath! I asked 4 busses before I found one who wanted to do it for 300 bath, and after walking 300 meters up 2nd road I found one who did it for 200 bath. So who cares about 5-10-20 bath compared to 500.

You was robbed! What you should have done is to take any bus on 2nd Rd up to Big C (99% of them go there). Get off the bus just before soi 1, pay 10 baht. Wait outside "Fatties" restaurant and either take the bus waiting there, or wait until a bus honks you. Most of them go to Naklua from there. Get off in Naklua, pay 10 baht. Total cost 20baht (or 40 for 2).

[Jingthing]

The day has come. This is going to be interesting. So when they raise the Thai price, here comes some new fireworks over the farang price. I think under law these fares need to be strictly regulated, the same for everyone. Enough of the race based pricing. This price rise time is a good time for Pattaya transport to start to grow up.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Cuban]

Even allowing for the fuel cost increases over the past few years where the "offical" BB rate has remained at 5 Baht, the increased fuel cost to say 35 Baht a litre needs to be split across the entire range of passengers, tourists, expats and locals.

An increase to the offical fare of 1 Baht per person to a published rate of 6 Baht per person will cover the fuel costs.

Personally I would like to see the current BB phased out and their use banned on the beach side of Sukhumvit Road, they should be replaced by vehicles that cause less local pollution from diesel emissions, electric or hybrid powered would be the choice of a city that wanted to improve the enviroment.

A published honest fare structure would be a start - never happen !

Did no one else see the PM article about 25 real live licenced yellow taxis being let loose in Pattaya?

Flag fall rate 35 Baht - but will they know where they are going ?

Will the people "in charge" think to put to the taxis the fare rates or even a map of the area?

[Jingthing]

Did no one else see the PM article about 25 real live licenced yellow taxis being let loose in Pattaya?

No, what PM article. Can you refer?

You mean we might not have to wait 10 years, or never or until pigs fly?

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[ZZZ]

Cut the number of Baht bus licenses by half, at least, will pretty much double the income for the remaining drivers.

At the moment you hardly ever need to wait more than 30 seconds between Baht buses on 2nd or beach road, think most people could stand having to wait 1 minute, if not more.

This would also cut down on traffic and pollution.

[gharknes]

Cut the number of Baht bus licenses by half, at least, will pretty much double the income for the remaining drivers.

At the moment you hardly ever need to wait more than 30 seconds between Baht buses on 2nd or beach road, think most people could stand having to wait 1 minute, if not more.

This would also cut down on traffic and pollution.

said it many times.........100% correct

would also like to see taxi meter cabs here like bangkok, that would sort the bahtbus drivers who charge 100baht for a 10 min ride, bangkok taxi 35-40 baht in comfort

[Jingthing]

Great ideas. And remember the desire for Bangkok style taxi meters is not a crackpot idea. The poll here says the vast majority of us want this option, 80 percent.

Do you feel the momentum building, the pigs sprouting a wing or two?

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[NanLaew]

The poll here says the vast majority of us want this option, 80 percent.

It does?

[Jingthing]

The poll here says the vast majority of us want this option, 80 percent.

It does?

YES.

As of this moment, yes. It is a dynamic poll and can change, but 80 percent is an OVERWHELMING majority by any measure.

www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=102190&hl=\taxi+meters\

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[plasticpig]

5 baht only, for the scum bags

[Jingthing]

5 baht only, for the scum bags

Are you calling Thai people scum bags? I think that is against forum rules.

[tropo]

An increase to the offical fare of 1 Baht per person to a published rate of 6 Baht per person will cover the fuel costs.

The baht bus drivers are going to be in a tough position here.

They already intimidate most foreigners into paying 10 baht, so if as per your example they raise the "official" rate to 6 baht or even 10 baht, how are they going to extract more than 10 baht from the passengers?

[Jingthing]

Yes, this is going to interesting.

I think they might start to get the farangs up to 15 rather than 20 at first.

I don't have a great problem with locals versus tourist prices, but I do with racial pricing. If they were smart, and they aren't, they could defuse the racial issue by having a locals price and a tourist price, where Thais would be assumed to be local, and expats could obtain a local's card by showing a long term visa at the mafia office (and paying a fee, yippee). Then they could enforce an official tourists price and diffuse alot of the possible tension. Then tourists could be told with big signs what to pay, and there would be no games about it.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[eefoo]

I don't have a great problem with locals versus tourist prices, but I do with racial pricing.

So, you think it's ok to rip off tourists as long as you're alright?? You've been presenting a very good argument for taxi-meters versus baht busses so far. Methinks you've just blown it

[nev]

Cut the number of Baht bus licenses by half, at least, will pretty much double the income for the remaining drivers.

At the moment you hardly ever need to wait more than 30 seconds between Baht buses on 2nd or beach road, think most people could stand having to wait 1 minute, if not more.

This would also cut down on traffic and pollution.

mate you are spot on there been thinking that for years.

i would gladly pay 20 baht a trip if this happened.

also some of the baht buses are not road worthy,there should be some kind of inspection done each year.

[tropo]

Yes, this is going to interesting.

I think they might start to get the farangs up to 15 rather than 20 at first.

If the official rate is raised to 10 baht, they'll never get a baht over that from me. I can't see them trying to go for 15 baht...they'll head straight for 20.

[Jingthing]

Yes, this is going to interesting.

I think they might start to get the farangs up to 15 rather than 20 at first.

If the official rate is raised to 10 baht, they'll never get a baht over that from me. I can't see them trying to go for 15 baht...they'll head straight for 20.

Perhaps. Like I said, this is going to be interesting. 20 is almost real money for a cattle truck.

[Jingthing]

I don't have a great problem with locals versus tourist prices, but I do with racial pricing.

So, you think it's ok to rip off tourists as long as you're alright?? You've been presenting a very good argument for taxi-meters versus baht busses so far. Methinks you've just blown it

Yeah, I can see how you would say that.

I think you are very silly to say I have blown anything. I am just a poster on a web forum, not a public official.

But the prices are going to have to go up, sooner or later.

But the baht buses will continue to want to play these ambiguous games so they can do this possibly illegal double pricing without being open about it.

I presented one way for this to be fairer and more open. I wouldn't want the price to go much higher for Thai people, because so many really can't afford it. But I also detest race based pricing. It isn't all that unique for there to be locals versus tourists pricing in tourism oriented beach resorts based on whether you live in a place or not, not based on your race/nationality. Not so much for transport but common for things like cover charges at bars. Ideally, I would want the same price for everyone but that is so against the culture here, I presented a compromise. If you don't like, doesn't matter, because its not going to happen anyway. We are going to have the same old same old race based system just at a higher level. I think my idea is a little better than that, certainly not perfect, and it would get the drivers plenty of money from tourists who are more in a spending mode generally than residents, subsidizing the service for locals. Not really so different than hotel taxes on hotel stays. Also consider that locals who use the buses all the time are supporting the system ALL YEAR, not just high season, so this is another justification for this idea.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Naam]

Yes, this is going to interesting. I think they might start to get the farangs up to 15 rather than 20 at first.

If the official rate is raised to 10 baht, they'll never get a baht over that from me. I can't see them trying to go for 15 baht...they'll head straight for 20.

more than 2½ years ago i stopped paying them. not a single Satang for these "racists" from me!

[barryofthailand]

Raising the Thai price to 10 baht will offset the higher fuel costs.

Than you will pay 15 Baht.

Barry

[Cuban]

>...i stopped paying them. not a single Satang for these "racists" from me!

So you have mastered the Free Baht Bus ride ?

I'm still collecting my 25 Satangs to pay a fare with my golden shower.

[plasticpig]

5 baht only, for the scum bags

Are you calling Thai people scum bags? I think that is against forum rules.

I call baht bus drivers scum bags. yes, sorry racist scum bags.

what do you call them, Nice people, friends, mates.

Edited November 3, 2007 by plasticpig

[Jingthing]

I call baht bus drivers scum bags. yes, sorry racist scum bags.

what do you call them, Nice people, friends, mates.

Oh! Thanks for the clairification. I can't write what I call them here. Carry on!

Edited November 3, 2007 by Jingthing