Travel Suggestions/options From Pattaya To Hua Hin

[hendrix]

Thinking of checking it out all by myself sometime soon. What are the most affordable travel options? I assume if I take the bus, I will need to change buses in Bangkok. Is this done from Ekamai or Morchit or other? Out of curiosity, anyone ever take a private taxi there? What did this cost? Thank you.

[thaibeachlovers]

Simplest cheap option:

Take bus from North Road bus terminal direct to Bangkok South Bus Terminal. Go early.

Find Hua Hin ticket office ( not that easy the first time ), plenty regular buses throughout the day. Food court nearby for breakfast.

Once in Hua Hin, guest houses all over the place near the bus destination, or if you have booked ahead, it's really small, so can walk, or take a trishaw. The Tuk Tuks are rip off bandits.

[hendrix]

Simplest cheap option:

Take bus from North Road bus terminal direct to Bangkok South Bus Terminal. Go early.

Find Hua Hin ticket office ( not that easy the first time ), plenty regular buses throughout the day. Food court nearby for breakfast.

Once in Hua Hin, guest houses all over the place near the bus destination, or if you have booked ahead, it's really small, so can walk, or take a trishaw. The Tuk Tuks are rip off bandits.

Thank you for the detailed reply. There are 2 options for Bangkok destinations at Pattaya North station: Ekamai and Morchit. I'm assuming Morchit is the south bus terminal you've mentioned. You mention "go early." Is this because there are infrequent buses or is it each 30 minutes like the Ekamai bus? How long is the travel from bkk to HH? Once in HH, how far on foot is the beach from the bus station? Thank you.

[hendrix]

Another easier option might be taking Bell Travel service to the airport and then either flying or taking a bus to HH from the airport. Doing some research now.

[thaibeachlovers]

Simplest cheap option:

Take bus from North Road bus terminal direct to Bangkok South Bus Terminal. Go early.

Find Hua Hin ticket office ( not that easy the first time ), plenty regular buses throughout the day. Food court nearby for breakfast.

Once in Hua Hin, guest houses all over the place near the bus destination, or if you have booked ahead, it's really small, so can walk, or take a trishaw. The Tuk Tuks are rip off bandits.

Thank you for the detailed reply. There are 2 options for Bangkok destinations at Pattaya North station: Ekamai and Morchit. I'm assuming Morchit is the south bus terminal you've mentioned. You mention "go early." Is this because there are infrequent buses or is it each 30 minutes like the Ekamai bus? How long is the travel from bkk to HH? Once in HH, how far on foot is the beach from the bus station? Thank you.

No. Morchit is the NORTH bus terminal.

Perhaps they've cancelled the 3rd option of the direct bus to the South Bus Terminal, but that's what I used last year. If that's so, there are various options. Personally, if I was on my own, I'd go to Ekamai, take the sky train as far west as it goes, then a taxi to the South Bus Terminal. If I was with someone else, I'd take a taxi from Ekamai, as it would work out about the same cost.

There might be a connecting bus from Morchit, but I always get confused in that place, it's so huge.

There's also the train option. The train station is just around the corner from the bus stop in Hua Hin. You can get sky train/ subway train direct to Hua Lumpong from Ekamai.

I say go early, as it's a long day's travel, and you don't want to be getting to Hua Hin in the evening ( unless you've booked accomodation ). I think Hua Hin buses go every half hour.

I think it was about 3 hours travel from Bangkok.

The beach is no more than a 10-15 minute walk from the bus stop ( it's only a shop house ), but it's not a beach such as in Pattaya. There's no road along it. The big hotel occupies the entire beach in town, and condos/ hotels line the rest of it. There is only 1 major access to the main beach on the south of the town.

Other than expensive places along the coast, all accomodation ( except a few places built over the water, next to the sea food restaurants ) is in the town, away from the shore.

Edited September 2, 2008 by thaibeachlovers

[hendrix]

Simplest cheap option:

Take bus from North Road bus terminal direct to Bangkok South Bus Terminal. Go early.

Find Hua Hin ticket office ( not that easy the first time ), plenty regular buses throughout the day. Food court nearby for breakfast.

Once in Hua Hin, guest houses all over the place near the bus destination, or if you have booked ahead, it's really small, so can walk, or take a trishaw. The Tuk Tuks are rip off bandits.

Thank you for the detailed reply. There are 2 options for Bangkok destinations at Pattaya North station: Ekamai and Morchit. I'm assuming Morchit is the south bus terminal you've mentioned. You mention "go early." Is this because there are infrequent buses or is it each 30 minutes like the Ekamai bus? How long is the travel from bkk to HH? Once in HH, how far on foot is the beach from the bus station? Thank you.

No. Morchit is the NORTH bus terminal.

Perhaps they've cancelled the 3rd option of the direct bus to the South Bus Terminal, but that's what I used last year. If that's so, there are various options. Personally, if I was on my own, I'd go to Ekamai, take the sky train as far west as it goes, then a taxi to the South Bus Terminal. If I was with someone else, I'd take a taxi from Ekamai, as it would work out about the same cost.

There might be a connecting bus from Morchit, but I always get confused in that place, it's so huge.

There's also the train option. The train station is just around the corner from the bus stop in Hua Hin. You can get sky train/ subway train direct to Hua Lumpong from Ekamai.

I say go early, as it's a long day's travel, and you don't want to be getting to Hua Hin in the evening ( unless you've booked accomodation ). I think Hua Hin buses go every half hour.

I think it was about 3 hours travel from Bangkok.

The beach is no more than a 10-15 minute walk from the bus stop ( it's only a shop house ), but it's not a beach such as in Pattaya. There's no road along it. The big hotel occupies the entire beach in town, and condos/ hotels line the rest of it. There is only 1 major access to the main beach on the south of the town.

Other than expensive places along the coast, all accomodation ( except a few places built over the water, next to the sea food restaurants ) is in the town, away from the shore.

Very helpful info. I've decided to stretch the trip out by taking a bus to Bangkok and then taking the 1pm train to Hua Hin. It takes 4 hours but I've got nothing but time. I used this handy train site: http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm

Thank you very much.

[redwood13]

"Southern" refers to bus destinations not the terminal's location in Bangkok. It's actually more NW of central Bangkok across the river in Thonburi. A friend was paying about 2500 baht from Pattaya to Hua Hin, but that was awhile ago and price is very likely higher.

"The Southern Bus Terminal (sathanii sai tai mai) is now located on Phutthamonthon Soi 1 in northern Thonburi. Long-distance buses leave from here to destinations throughout western Thailand (including Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi) and southern Thailand (including Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani, Hat Yai, and many others). The new terminal is a fairly pleasant airport-like structure with air-conditioning, electronic departure monitors (in English), a few bank offices and a KFC.

Getting to the terminal is a bit of headache, as public transport is limited. The easiest option is to take a taxi, but it's also reachable on buses 515 and 549 and from Suvarnabhumi Airport with bus 556."

http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok/Thonburi

-redwood

[thaibeachlovers]

Well, enjoy your journey. I always prefer the train, too.

When you're there, make sure to visit the southern end of the beach. Songtheaws go down along the main highway from time to time, or if you're energetic, you could walk down the beach at low tide.

Have to return by dusk though, as the songtheaws stop then.

Be sure and let us know how you find the place.

[redwood13]

Bus schedule from Pattaya to the Southern Bus Station in Bangkok is hourly from 06:00 to 18:00 -- except no bus at 11:00 and 17:00. Didn't check the price.

-redwood