FYI - for you cheap charlies and DIY'ers. There is a bus running to UR from PTY. Did not get the times. Station is across Suk, a bit south Pattaya Klang.

Not New station or service, just past it yesterday and thought I'd put it up.

No bus to Nong Khai from this station - but top Pitsanulok.

FYI - for you cheap charlies and DIY'ers. There is a bus running to UR from PTY. Did not get the times. Station is across Suk, a bit south Pattaya Klang.

Not New station or service, just past it yesterday and thought I'd put it up.

No bus to Nong Khai from this station - but top Pitsanulok.

Check out this link for time table. http://primia.net/thaibus/

I took the bus from Chiang Mai to Pattaya for something different, VIP, 720bt each way, 11hrs ,great service.

FYI - for you cheap charlies and DIY'ers. There is a bus running to UR from PTY. Did not get the times. Station is across Suk, a bit south Pattaya Klang.

Not New station or service, just past it yesterday and thought I'd put it up.

No bus to Nong Khai from this station - but top Pitsanulok.

Check out this link for time table. http://primia.net/thaibus/

I took the bus from Chiang Mai to Pattaya for something different, VIP, 720bt each way, 11hrs ,great service.

Thanks - useful to have that link. But 12.5 hours to from Ubon to Rayong - ouch. You can drive there in about 8 (with limited stops). Still - if and when the retirement pot runs down maybe have to take the rough rides!

Moved to Thailand Travel Forum

In fact there are 2 different companies.aservices:

the one coming from Rayong-as noted above

another one, based on Pattaya Klang road (or at least-there it always used to be) ansd starting from there. They also do direct buses to Nong Khai These tourbuses start in PTY itself. One is Nakornchai ASir Tour-a very good company, the other I think 407 Pattana-the worser one.

BUT: when demand is low, the trips are combiend-you change in Khorat-where thereis the normal meal break (can exchange voucher on ticket for free bowl of noodles-worth 12 bt) anyway. The Ubon route serves all the intermediate cities, like Buriram and Surin too-hence the long time taken.

The CMai direct bus also makes a ot of intermediate stops-taking any of the dozens of buses to Mochit and a quick change there will lead to lower fare and often shorter time in travel.

When my wife “bpai baan” (near Sisaket) she always takes the bus Rayong-Ubon of Konchai Air Company, that has a station in Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road near Soi Nern Plab Waan.

She has to book her seat in advance, as they do not accept extra passengers.

This company has buses in different comfort classes but even the (most expensive) “VIP” buses are a little bit narrow for farangs.

There is an other company somewhere near the crossing Pattayklang/3^rd Road that also accepts standing passengers.

On 7^th September 2009 there has been a serious accident (2 killed, 13 injured) with an overloaded bus from Ubon to Pattaya, I guess of this company.

That bus station on Sukhumvit Road Pattaya (eastside of Sukhumvit Road, a little bit south of Pattayaklang and Soi Nern Plab Waan, some 50 meters after Office Centre/Office Depot, but before the Ferrari Showroom; see: http://wikimapia.org/1562985/Nakhonchai-Air-Bus-Station) belongs to the company NCA (Nakhonchai Air or Nakornchai Air; website http://www.nca.co.th/ in Thai only).

In a different ThaiVisa thread I found the link http://primia.net/thaibus/, but the time tables are clearly incomplete and not up-to-date.

IMHO you best go to the bus station in person, if possible with a Thai person.

I remember this bus station is called by 3 lines, including Rayong-Ubon.

Most busses arrive and leave in the morning and in the evening.

During the quiet hours, when there are no coaches, the bus station looks deserted and it is possible you pass it without noticing it.

My wife told me they renamed the classes and lowered the prices:

GOLD instead of VIP (Pattaya-Sisaket one way: THB 584);

SILVER instead of 1^st Class (Pattaya-Sisaket one way: THB 454).

On the cheaper classes the busses have no toilet.

Pattaya-Ubon is some 100 km extra; will be a little bit more expensive.

In the bus the hostess hands out (short) blankets, some peanuts, drinking water and soy milk.

The movies are typical Thai stuff, but if you sleep it does not trouble too much.

There is a stop halfway, where you get so little to eat that you feel hungrier after.

It is strongly recommended to book some days, in high season some weeks, in advance.

I guess buses like these from Isaan to Pattaya must give the travelling male falang a head start (excuse the pun - you might get that too ) in the beer-bar trawling stakes.

This weekend my wife has taken busses of NCA (Nakhonchai Air) from Pattaya to Sisaket and back.

She has gone with GOLD and come back with SILVER, due to availability.

Both SILVER and GOLD have air co, toilet and 4 seats in a row, but GOLD has much more leg space (not really an issue for my wife as she is only 1,44 meter tall).

The cheapest class ECONOMY has air co, but no toilet and the seats are very narrow, she told me.

All good info. My original intent which I did not even state was visa run to Vientiane. Sorry.

For the visa run, I always use the train personally but I can vouch for NCA. Did a trip to Pitsanulok a few years back to visit a friend, good service.

All good info. My original intent which I did not even state was visa run to Vientiane. Sorry.

For the visa run, I always use the train personally but I can vouch for NCA. Did a trip to Pitsanulok a few years back to visit a friend, good service.

Vientiane is near Nong Khai, which is near Udon Thani; it is NOT near Ubon Ratchathani (UR ?!).

sorry.