Mini Bus To Isaan

[isaanboy]

I am looking for a mini bus with driver to pick from Airport in Bkk and travel to Mukdahan in North East Thailand.I would apprecaite some advice with prices.

[Krub]

I am looking for a mini bus with driver to pick from Airport in Bkk and travel to Mukdahan in North East Thailand.I would apprecaite some advice with prices.

Do you want to rent the whole minibus and driver for yourself or looking for a shared minibus ?

[isaanboy]

I am looking for a mini bus with driver to pick from Airport in Bkk and travel to Mukdahan in North East Thailand.I would apprecaite some advice with prices.

Do you want to rent the whole minibus and driver for yourself or looking for a shared minibus ?

I would be looking at renting the whole minibus with a driver.

[Sarge]

that's hel_l of a drive, 550km plus, dunno your circumstances but I'd take a plane at Don Muang airport to Roi Et and get mini bus from there (appx 100km). Better still, just hire your motor at the airport.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Sarge

[billp]

Here's one example. You'd probably need a full day at 4500 baht. You can probably find it cheaper from a local company. Budget Car Rental Thailand has a chauffeur driven van for about the same price, though.

[citizen33]

Here's one example. You'd probably need a full day at 4500 baht. You can probably find it cheaper from a local company. Budget Car Rental Thailand has a chauffeur driven van for about the same price, though.

If you decide to fly, Air Asia to Ubon would be cheaper than PB Air to Roi Et. Both will involve a fair drive at the far end. A friend got a mini bus from the airport to Khorat for about 4000 baht in the summer (local firm) but that is only half way.

Edited November 14, 2008 by citizen33

[Krub]

I am looking for a mini bus with driver to pick from Airport in Bkk and travel to Mukdahan in North East Thailand.I would apprecaite some advice with prices.

Do you want to rent the whole minibus and driver for yourself or looking for a shared minibus ?

I would be looking at renting the whole minibus with a driver.

These guys have been around for a long time. If you can get somebody local to come and pick you up it might be cheaper

http://www.orientalescape.com/thailand/transfer/bangkok.html

[isaanboy]

Thanks for the replies.

Due to the credit crunch and also possible job loss,I am looking at different options to get to our house in Isaan.

We mormally fly to Sakon Nahkon or Nakon Phanom with PB Air and get picked up for there.I have checked and it's approx 8000 bht for myself ,wife and daughter.To be honest don't fancy sitting in a bus or mini bus for a long time but it all comes down to money.I am going to check out how much flights are to Udon as they seem to be cheaper,we can get a bus from there to That Phanom.

[torrenova]

I know this is not what you want but for distances it is a reasonable example.

Pattaya to Buriram is 430km. A 4 door car, like a Camry or Nissan Cefiro with driver will run Bt3000-3500 all in. The same driver would want Bt1000-1500 a day for driving. You would pay gas of course.

Going to Mukdahan is further of course. Korat is 120/130 km shorter from Pattaya than Buriram. Now the airport to Pattaya is about the same distance as Korat to Buriram (though of course the driver can get something for the trip back from Pattaya).

So if you got Bt3000 to Buriram (distance wise of 430km) and the 130km extra for Bt1000 (airport to Pattaya fee) then you'd be looking at somewhere around Bt4000 for the trip. I think it would take about 8 hours.

Playing with figures again, my D-Max gets abut 10km/l so I use 43 litres from Pattaya to Buriram plus the same for return. So for 860km I use 86 litres at about Bt24 equals just over Bt2000 in gas. Of course before it was about double that.

At 10km/l each km costs about 2.5 baht fuel costs. The gas cars cost a little less than Bt2 per km. Not a great saving now but at Bt45 a litre, quite significant. So at Bt2 a km, your car driver is going to use Bt1700 or so of fuel. If he required Bt1500 a day for working long hours plus a tip, we get back to around Bt4000 for the trip.

You might also have to factor in whether you can get there given your arrival time in Bangkok. Also, can the driver get back or will he want / need to sleep over ?

I fly PB Air to Buriram for about Bt2700 each way. Expensive compared to the bus at Bt500 or so but so much easier.

Have you considered the bus ? Book 4 seats instead of 3 and you may be alright as you can keep some stuff on the 4th seat.