Bell's Bus To Pattaya From Swappy

[zebina]

Does the Bell's bus call into Swappy en route to pattaya irrespective of whether or not they have bookings to pick people up ?

The reason I ask is that my flight is scheduled to arrive over an hour and a half prior to Bells Swappy pick up schedule. If my flight is on time or even ahead of time I will probably just get a cab to pattaya rather than wait around for the bus.

On the other hand if my flight is a bit late (it can often be 30 - 45 mins late), it might be just as easy to get the bus.

I don't want to make a Bell's booking and then leave them in the lurch should my flight arrive early and I have taken a cab.

In the scheme of things its no big deal either way - but someone here may know if Bells call into Swappy whether they have formal bookings

or just swing by there anyway on a regular basis.

Oh - and has the Bells pickup point at swappy changed in the last few days ? I see from a related thread that the taxi pickup point has been moved downstairs again as part of the fightback against taxi touts and spivs. TIT !

Many thanks

[tartempion]

I took Bell bus at Swampy one week ago (29 Sept), got near the Magic Food court waiting area at 9.45, talked to an employee looking for customers and we left at 10 with +- 10 passengers.

Please note that every other hour an other company runs a bus to Pattaya/Jomptien with less seats for 124 Baht, but they don't stop at the Pattaya Klang bus station and they don't drop you at your hotel of choice.

Can't answer your last question, was before they supposedly moved the taxis from where they should be to where they should not be, TIT as usual, congrats to the idiots who designed that airport

[gotlost]

Does the Bell's bus call into Swappy en route to pattaya irrespective of whether or not they have bookings to pick people up ?

The reason I ask is that my flight is scheduled to arrive over an hour and a half prior to Bells Swappy pick up schedule. If my flight is on time or even ahead of time I will probably just get a cab to pattaya rather than wait around for the bus.

On the other hand if my flight is a bit late (it can often be 30 - 45 mins late), it might be just as easy to get the bus.

I don't want to make a Bell's booking and then leave them in the lurch should my flight arrive early and I have taken a cab.

In the scheme of things its no big deal either way - but someone here may know if Bells call into Swappy whether they have formal bookings

or just swing by there anyway on a regular basis.

Oh - and has the Bells pickup point at swappy changed in the last few days ? I see from a related thread that the taxi pickup point has been moved downstairs again as part of the fightback against taxi touts and spivs. TIT !

Many thanks

IT"S NOT SWAPPY...IT"S SWAMPY!!!!!!

[khundon]

IT"S NOT SWAMPY!!!!!! It's Swampy!

[praglen]

What's Swappy(Suvarnapumi?) You'll pay 200 baht to Bell - just show up inside the door to Gate 8 5-10 minutes before their scheduled departure, I think it's 8,10,12,2,4 and 6PM and of course they take you to your hotel or condo in Pattaya. Taxis from Suvarnapumi run about 1500 baht(plus tip and toll about 200 baht). If my plane arrives after 6PM, I book a hotel in the Suvarnapumi area for 700 baht, including round trip shuttle service to and from the airport, have breakfast at the cafeteria near Gate 8 at the end of that building and save about a thousand baht, plus when I arrive the next morning I'm fresh and ready to go....

Does the Bell's bus call into Swappy en route to pattaya irrespective of whether or not they have bookings to pick people up ?

The reason I ask is that my flight is scheduled to arrive over an hour and a half prior to Bells Swappy pick up schedule. If my flight is on time or even ahead of time I will probably just get a cab to pattaya rather than wait around for the bus.

On the other hand if my flight is a bit late (it can often be 30 - 45 mins late), it might be just as easy to get the bus.

I don't want to make a Bell's booking and then leave them in the lurch should my flight arrive early and I have taken a cab.

In the scheme of things its no big deal either way - but someone here may know if Bells call into Swappy whether they have formal bookings

or just swing by there anyway on a regular basis.

Oh - and has the Bells pickup point at swappy changed in the last few days ? I see from a related thread that the taxi pickup point has been moved downstairs again as part of the fightback against taxi touts and spivs. TIT !

Many thanks

[syd barrett]

Please note that every other hour an other company runs a bus to Pattaya/Jomptien with less seats for 124 Baht, but they don't stop at the Pattaya Klang bus station and they don't drop you at your hotel of choice.

The other company does stop on the Sukhumvit at Pattaya Klang.

The Bell bus company bus terminates at Pattaya Nua Bus Station!

[BruceMangosteen]

The Bell bus company bus terminates at Pattaya Nua Bus Station!

and you transfer at the Nua station to a mini-van, which transfers you onward to your hotel/condo/bar...all included in the 200baht fare.

[gk10002000]

What's Swappy(Suvarnapumi?) You'll pay 200 baht to Bell - just show up inside the door to Gate 8 5-10 minutes before their scheduled departure, I think it's 8,10,12,2,4 and 6PM and of course they take you to your hotel or condo in Pattaya. Taxis from Suvarnapumi run about 1500 baht(plus tip and toll about 200 baht). If my plane arrives after 6PM, I book a hotel in the Suvarnapumi area for 700 baht, including round trip shuttle service to and from the airport, have breakfast at the cafeteria near Gate 8 at the end of that building and save about a thousand baht, plus when I arrive the next morning I'm fresh and ready to go....

Does the Bell's bus call into Swappy en route to pattaya irrespective of whether or not they have bookings to pick people up ?

The reason I ask is that my flight is scheduled to arrive over an hour and a half prior to Bells Swappy pick up schedule. If my flight is on time or even ahead of time I will probably just get a cab to pattaya rather than wait around for the bus.

On the other hand if my flight is a bit late (it can often be 30 - 45 mins late), it might be just as easy to get the bus.

I don't want to make a Bell's booking and then leave them in the lurch should my flight arrive early and I have taken a cab.

In the scheme of things its no big deal either way - but someone here may know if Bells call into Swappy whether they have formal bookings

or just swing by there anyway on a regular basis.

Oh - and has the Bells pickup point at swappy changed in the last few days ? I see from a related thread that the taxi pickup point has been moved downstairs again as part of the fightback against taxi touts and spivs. TIT !

Many thanks

What hotel near the airport do you book for 700 baht and how do you contact them? Can you supply a hotel name?

[praglen]

Google Agoda.com and it will give you a number(20-30 or more) hotels from 600-1000 baht, depending on whether they offer the round trip shuttle, breakfast, etc. I find that breakfast is a lot cheaper somewhere else(like that cafeteria in the airport) than the shuttle bus or taxi...

What's Swappy(Suvarnapumi?) You'll pay 200 baht to Bell - just show up inside the door to Gate 8 5-10 minutes before their scheduled departure, I think it's 8,10,12,2,4 and 6PM and of course they take you to your hotel or condo in Pattaya. Taxis from Suvarnapumi run about 1500 baht(plus tip and toll about 200 baht). If my plane arrives after 6PM, I book a hotel in the Suvarnapumi area for 700 baht, including round trip shuttle service to and from the airport, have breakfast at the cafeteria near Gate 8 at the end of that building and save about a thousand baht, plus when I arrive the next morning I'm fresh and ready to go....

Does the Bell's bus call into Swappy en route to pattaya irrespective of whether or not they have bookings to pick people up ?

The reason I ask is that my flight is scheduled to arrive over an hour and a half prior to Bells Swappy pick up schedule. If my flight is on time or even ahead of time I will probably just get a cab to pattaya rather than wait around for the bus.

On the other hand if my flight is a bit late (it can often be 30 - 45 mins late), it might be just as easy to get the bus.

I don't want to make a Bell's booking and then leave them in the lurch should my flight arrive early and I have taken a cab.

In the scheme of things its no big deal either way - but someone here may know if Bells call into Swappy whether they have formal bookings

or just swing by there anyway on a regular basis.

Oh - and has the Bells pickup point at swappy changed in the last few days ? I see from a related thread that the taxi pickup point has been moved downstairs again as part of the fightback against taxi touts and spivs. TIT !

Many thanks

What hotel near the airport do you book for 700 baht and how do you contact them? Can you supply a hotel name?

[bangkokburning]

I used to take Bell religiously. Sent an email a few years ago for pick-up. Sent me a link to the site. I have no idea what was on that site, don't really care. I send mail, you confirm. That's how it works. So, I'm done with them. Doesn't help its now 200B+ and I never use the service to your apt/hotel.

I go with the govt bus, drops across from bus station or Jomtien. Price used to be B106 but I think I paid more in May. Grad a moto to most places in Pattaya - well under B200, much faster and no booking.

[wpcoe]

Do you send an e-mail to your airline when you want a reservation? And, yeah, B200 door-to-door is absolutely criminal!

FYI, you can usually take the Bell Bus without a reservation, unless they're full. The same for the B106 bus, no?

[bangkokburning]

Govt bus is about 125 + b60 for a moto straight to where i want. Why pay more and get slower service.

Up2You?!

PS: Never full but if it was, can just sit on the floor. I'm done with Bell. I think Bell is now B240 or more no?

[praglen]

To confirm details of your trip, go to: www.belltravelservice.com

Yyou will discover that the current(since last spring) price for airport to your hotel or condo in Pattaya-Jomtien is 200 baht. The return trip from your hotel or condo in Pattaya-Jomtien is the same, 200 baht. If you think this is too much, find another country.

The government bus desk was not there when I was last at Suvarnaphumi in May, but I trust others who say it still operates. It makes more stops, mostly on Sukhumvit Road, and ends up further down Beach Road in Jomtien. It does NOT drop passengers off or pick up passengers at their hotel or condo, so the savings of 75 baht, in my opinion, is not worth the expense of shlepping a large pice or two of luggage to a baht bus, which will charge you 10-20 baht minimum and will NOT drop you off at your hotel/condo unless you pay them MORE. A no-brainer....

And what another contributor says is true. The Bell buses are rarely full - the only one I remember being full was the last one to leave the bus station at 5:00PM in Pattaya.

[bangkokburning]

For what its worth, I was one of Bell's first customers when they started up. I used them and recommended them often. For me, the shine is well off that apple.

Why bother to confirm anything, why bother to go to that stupid site?

So, if I think it is better to pay less for the same thing, I should find another country. Wow, considering I have been in and out of this place for a decade and a half I guess I've got it all wrong. Thanks for the help.

The government bus is there. What I have not seen as of late is the Bell Travel lady in front of gate #8.

It may make 'more stops' as the BT bus makes zero stops but I cannot recall it inconveniencing me more than a few minutes. You act as though its a freaking local bus. It comes from the airport. Any inconvenience is more than made up by the B60 moto direct to where I am going, rather than an hour or more in a hot minivan with a bunch of slobs who can't even fit in their seats.

You've got it all wrong, because you just don't know becasue you have never done it. The govt bus stops at Pattaya Nua and will upon request actaully stop at Pattaya Klang (from there it is only B10 to city center!).

I never have more than a backpack so I cannot comment about your luggage but I would never pay a bag tax on a 2hr short haul. They are skimming you pal.

You are correct, they will not drop you at your hotel and yes Bell includes this in their B200 (used to be B150) charge. But, as I had stated - 125 + 60 = 185 and I know for a fact given you are driven around for an hour that I will arrive before you do.

Bell Travel buses are rarely full becasue people in the know are abandoning them ao they are just left with tourists who have no inclination to navigate their way around Thailand.

You are just so wrong. How can you criticize something that is cheaper and faster is beyond me.

Edited October 24, 2009 by bangkokburning

[wpcoe]

Do the non-Bell buses pick up at the passenger terminal building, or do you need to take a shuttle to the airport bus terminal?

You never have more than a backpack. Do you assume that most people travel without luggage, hence can take a moto-sai taxi to their final destination? Until you let on about how light you travel, you may have been persuading folks with more luggage to save a few baht and take the non-Bell buses, when in fact, they'd be disappointed to be dumped off the bus, standing by the roadside with suitcases. Yes, your system works for you, but you can't see why those of us who continue to use -- and are quite happy with -- Bell continue to promote their service?

Try thinking outside your box. I did, and can see why you, as a backpack traveler, could save a few baht. But, I doubt it's appropriate for most travelers who in fact travel with more than a backpack.

If you're still looking for the "Bell Travel lady in front of gate #8," try looking for male Bell Travel reps closer to door #7. They wear peach colored Bell travel uniform shirts, and stand around the area where the Bell Travel sign stand is prominently located.

[bangkokburning]

The government bus(es) now pull up directly as the BT bus does to the terminal.

Well, carry what you wish. If I can literally live out of a 32L backpack, I presume that is plenty big for a holiday. That is hardly w/o luggage.

Carry a full blown medical kit, a gear bag, 200-500gms coffee, coffee kit incl heating coil, 5 shirts/2shorts/1underw/swimsuit, string bag, ipod, ipod speakers (4 battery), 10inch laptop, aprica external hard drive, document bag, suntan lotions, condoms, toiletry bag, 1 book, 2-375ml plastic whisky bottles, 1L Platapus water pouch bottle, snacks and a bunch of other stuff ???

I never have more than my bag and that bag is my home, save for about a month ago, when I returned from India I had an additional bag (sleeping bag and mat + sundry). The moto driver will happily squeezed between himself and the handlebars. Honestly dude, any self respecting male that has more luggage than a backpack and a medium size suitcase ought to really think hard on that one.

"Bell Travel lady in front of gate #8," try looking for male Bell Travel reps closer to door #7. They wear peach colored Bell travel uniform shirts, and stand around the area where the Bell Travel sign stand is prominently located."

* I guess that's where the B50 add'l charge went to, peach shirts.

It really doesn't matter beacause I am pretty much finished with Pattaya anyway. It's a very, very scary place.

SUMMARY: If you have multiple large suitcases as if you were moving to Thailand, BT may be your best bet. If you have a med. size suitcase and a backpack and do not want to spend an hour+ in a hot, smelly, broken bus with people with alcohol on their breath and instead are looking for a 5-10 minute trip direct from Pattaya Nua and get a free bowl of noodles or archa beer (B20); you may want to try my way.

BTW: I swear this is true. The last time I was on a BT bus shuttle, they were over 30mins late to Pattaya Nua station. One idiot did not allow time for transit and missed his plane. This was his fault no doubt but, if the BT bus was on time, he would have made it.

Edited October 28, 2009 by bangkokburning

[JimmyChoons]

Govt bus is about 125 + b60 for a moto straight to where i want. Why pay more and get slower service.

Up2You?!

PS: Never full but if it was, can just sit on the floor. I'm done with Bell. I think Bell is now B240 or more no?

Poppycock! Why do you speculate on something you clearly don't know about?

From the bell travel website :-

Bus fare:

• 200 baht per person paid to our staff upon boarding the coach.
  
• This price includes a drop-off service to your hotel (available only within our service area).
  

• 125bht govt. bus + 60bht for the moto once your in Pattaya congrats you just saved yourself 15bht but that's clearly worth the hassle of lugging suitcases (backpack in your case) around in the hot sun.
  Bell is 200bht and a great service. You merely have to log on to their website and select the time you want to dept. then turn up. A quick transfer at the bus station in pattaya and minivan from there to your hotel all included for 200bht and no angling for a tip. I did the journey back in July airport to hotel in about 1h30 I couldn't believe how quick and conveinient it was. Better than paying 1500bht to some nutcase cabbie who spends the entire journey asking for a tip.
  Each to their own I guess some will always complain but I'll stick with Bell for the time being.
  

[bangkokburning]

As I had stated, think. And I was corrected at B200 and when I replied noted duly that the Bell price is indeed B200.

If Bell works for you, great. Just more room on the Gov't bus for me (on the rare occasion I even return to Angeles City by the sea any more).

It's not great service, but if you perceive it to be, good on you mate. Now days I think anyone proffering a smile in Thailand is 'good service'.

As for paying B1500, I do not recall that ever being considered.

Anyway, I'm done here. Off to central Thailand and then down to the Andaman coast. Enjoy Pattaya.

[javel]

The new name for Bell is Bombay Express.

The last 2 weeks I'have been held up for 20 minutes at the airport.

The bus is half full of indians, last we waited for a couple of old hags that walked with the speed of a turtle,

and the time before that a group of younger indians, that decided to buy food in stead of showing up in time.

On the bus this food where sent around between them so everybody could enjoy the smell.

A positive thing is that they at last have bought 3 brand new minibuses for pickup in Pattaya.

A good news somewhat off topic, is that the Jomtien bus now have filled the 19:00 "gap" in their timetable from the airport.

J!!!

[Musongman]

Unfortunately, the 1300 Bell's bus needs to be renamed the 1330, it rarely leaves at 1300, due in great part to the late arrival of the Indian tourists and their luggage that fills the underneath of the bus and the stairway to the toilet, rendering it unusuable.

Being fair, it's the mini-bus that arrives late. However, Bells is about all we have to use, and is usually not a bad trip once the thing gets going, and the drivers seem competent enough.