Bus From hel_l

[ZL1DD]

WARNING: Bus From hel_l

Wife and I booked from Udon Thani to Chiangmai, VIP bus leaving 8.00pm (2000hrs).

Should have taken warning from disorganised waiting room and filthy toilets with one urinal broken off wall and lying on floor.

Bus was not a VIP bus but an old intercity 4 seats across bus. Many seats broken so permanently fully reclined or unable to recline.

Cargo hold mainly taken up by ?LPG tanks!! Mercifully, seems they were empty as we stopped for diesel along the way.

There was not enough space for all passenger luggage, we had to take ours on board with us and place between our seats and one ahead.

Bus driver appeared sober but seemed that he was learning to drive. Drove too deep into corners and then wheeled sharply initiating skids and causing bus to lurch and roll. Bus clapped out, barely made it up hills.

Toilet on passenger level. Door difficult to lock. No flush on toilet or hand basin. There was a large drum of water taking up most of floor area. This soon used or spilled. By half way on trip stench in toilet extreme and smell in passenger area vile.

Bus stopped for short or long periods without apparent reason. We were not let off the bus for toilet breaks or to use the meal ticket stub.

When bus stopped at Lamphun I became very unThai and gave the driver and attendant a loud public verbal bollicking in my broken Thai. Attendant explained to wife that it was a "spare" bus and they were filling in for crew who were sick (???!!!).

At Chiangmai self and some Thais complained to Tourist Police who seemed to take note.

Do not know what will come of this.

NOTE: CM-Udon Thani an important route to and from Vientiane. Bus was full as was the bus we took the Sunday night before. That bus was VIP from same company and was adequate but no meal provided and no meal stop,

Do not know of other VIP bus on this run, maybe someone can advise. No plane or train CM-Udon or Vientiane. In view of our experience would look at alternatives. Possibly govt bus CM-Kohn Kahn-Udon or go via Bangkok. Any advice appreciated.

Our experience may have been a one off, but be warned.

Barry

[stevenl]

Where did you book the bus? At a tour agent or at the busstation?

[Tafia]

I always use Chan Tours (Udon Bkk & return) not sure if they do Chaing Mai...

would be worth checking.

Clean, comfortable limited stops and they don't seem to drive like mad men

[H2oDunc]

You buy the cheapest ticket you can get and then have the nerve to complain about it on this forum. JEEEEZ ! Just what did you expect ? You get what you pay for! That goes for all countries not just Thailand. Try the VIP next time !

[apetley]

You buy the cheapest ticket you can get and then have the nerve to complain about it on this forum. JEEEEZ ! Just what did you expect ? You get what you pay for! That goes for all countries not just Thailand. Try the VIP next time !

A bit uncalled for. If you take the trouble to read the OP properly he bought and paid for a VIP bus which was substituted by a heap of junk by all accounts.

[givenall]

You buy the cheapest ticket you can get and then have the nerve to complain about it on this forum. JEEEEZ ! Just what did you expect ? You get what you pay for! That goes for all countries not just Thailand. Try the VIP next time !

A bit uncalled for. If you take the trouble to read the OP properly he bought and paid for a VIP bus which was substituted by a heap of junk by all accounts.

Never trust what is advertized in Thailand. I always check and double check before I commit to any product or services in Thailand. It is impossible to get your money back after the payment are made

[elliss]

I always use Chan Tours (Udon Bkk & return) not sure if they do Chaing Mai...

would be worth checking.

Clean, comfortable limited stops and they don't seem to drive like mad men

chan tours do not go to chiang mai .

i had the same experience as the OP ,

on my journey to chiang mai. the bus brook down , the rear axle snapped .

we were stranded at the side of the road for hours .

next time , a flight to bkk / flight to chiang mai .

[onnut]

I love to read stories like this about buses in Thailand. Reminds me why I would never take a bus again in this country. one trip Bangkok to Phuket and back again was more than enough to put me off. and this bus was clean!

[Bakseedaa]

Surely it was worth the journey just for the experience... now you have something to talk about...

[craigt3365]

I took the same service a few years ago. Seat in front of me was broken, so all the way it bounced back and forth, just inches from my face. And nowhere to move, as it was 100% full. No fun for sure....

[SantiSuk]

Air Asia from Buriram to CNX. Starting soonish maybe - already showing as option in their drop down boxes but no schedule yet.

[asiawatcher]

You are safer in a 50cc motorbike in the middle of an expressway than taking a bus anywhere in Thailand. <deleted>' dead dangerous with idiot drivers and no governing of the speed to limit to 100kms which is the safety recommendation of the tyres on these rat traps. No police inspections, no Transport Dept checks. Locals call the drivers 007's - a license to kill.

[OLDAUSSIE]

All I can say to the op is Welcome to Thailand.

I did the Trip with a so called vIP bus from Chaing Mai to Pattaya in 2002.... never ever again

I always take the train or fly.

[Briggsy]

Many farang are rather naive when it comes to advertising and product/service description in developing nations, having been lulled into a false sense of security by the strong legislation and enforcement in their home countries.

Re "VIP buses", stick to those VIP buses that have received a government concession and charge the government-regulated price and operate from bus stations. Private companies who just whack a home-made VIP sticker on the front of their cramped coaches are to be avoided at all costs. They get up to all kinds of cost-cutting shenanigans.

[maprao]

First time I saw the way buses drove in Thailand I swore I would never ride on one. To this day I have never been on one!

I get angry when my wife catches them in Thailand especially as she has her own car!

But she insists that it is better going to Bangkok on one of those death traps!

[DP25]

I've taken dozens of bus journeys in Thailand and never had the slightest bad experience, they're great. Far better than Greyhound back in the US

Sounds horrible, but pretty one off. They should have cancelled the trip if the last VIP bus was not available. I would not have gotten on it and wouldn't have left the station without a refund.

[gemini81]

I got a car, and those the mrs may be mad, I dont take and wont take the buses anymore. I wont detail all of the mishaps over 5 years of this means of travel, but swear to you that you'll believe in some form of god if you're still alive when you get off.

those VIPS weren't designed to run through the mountains for starters.

better you pay a little more and live to tell about it is all I can say. had drunk drivers to pumped up drivers on red bull to one who was falling asleep.

[namitsardana]

Took a VIP bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani... Pretty good experience, air-conditioned, clean loo, had a movie being played on the DVD... GOt this agent at the Hua Lumphong station do the booking...

[AyG]

The bus didn't stop for diesel because the gas tanks were empty. Vehicles running on gas need diesel to start up and get the engine running hot enough to use the gas.

[afarang]

I have been travelling on buses in .Thailand for 20 years. In the main on major inter -city routes ,they are very good.Especially considering how many thousands of services are operated daily.When I first started ,there were only 3rd class. Then ,slowly other classes were introduced.Now ,there are 5 classes. Today, there are very few 3rd class out of Bangkok.Almost finished, though a few routes are kept , to allow lower income people access to travel. For Thais , 2nd class is the most popular. More and more people are travelling 1st class, V.I.P. and Chan 4. Standards ,here are very good.Chan 4 is a quite recent development, but only on Major routes, such as Bkk.- Khon Kaen. I have most probably done in excess of 500 return journeys. And still alive ,to tell the tale.However ,there are still some sub standard equipment running on minor routes, city to city. Not emanating from Bkk.. I must admit I would not travel to far away places ,such as Hat Yai, by bus. I would certainly take the train.Unfortunately, where I live, the closest railway is 80 kilometres away. The rail network is really very poor