"baht Bus" - Origins Of The Name

[tropo]

Pattaya people seem all alone in calling them baht buses, which confirms that many Pattaya expats live in a bubble.

It is not difficult to say song toew, why not just tell newbies the actual name.

I'm well aware of their real name, but will call them baht buses. It's quite normal to use names in your native language. For example, I'm sure you pronounce most country and city names in English. That's just how it is. An English word works better for English speakers.

[Jingthing]

Pattaya people seem all alone in calling them baht buses, which confirms that many Pattaya expats live in a bubble.

It is not difficult to say song toew, why not just tell newbies the actual name.

I don't think it's like that at all or reflects poorly on Pattaya expats at all. Pattaya expats know the Thai name perfectly well but the baht bus thing is just a distinctive regional vernacular with a long history. Nothing to do with any kind of bubble. It's like in the U.S. different regions calls drinks like Coke very different things.

[canuckamuck]

I accept the existence of a regional vernacular associated with Pattaya expats. It really is a unique biosphere and we should all work to preserve it..

[DrTuner]

I accept the existence of a regional vernacular associated with Pattaya expats. It really is a unique biosphere and we should all work to preserve it..

Yes, barricade Sukhumvit and keep'em nasty Bangkokians out! Free Pattaya!!!!

[Basil B]

Unfortunately the taxi meter scams have indeed reached Pattaya already. You'll find them hunting near Central, another import.

The "taxi meter scams" haven't just arrived. They started the very day these taxi meter first arrived here - maybe about 4 years ago now.

Has anybody ever had a ride in a Pattaya taxi that used the meter???

I thought meters in taxis word wide was a form of record keeping so the taxi driver would pay appropriate taxes, may they should be done for tax evasion.

One thing is clear those that should be regulating Baht Buses and Taxis in Pattaya could not even organize a P!$$ up in a Brewery.

[sotsira]

I recently took a Taxi from Bangkok to Pattaya, the driver had never been to

Pattaya before, and as we arrived he saw a loaded baht bus in front.

He started laughing in disbelief at what he was seeing, i then explained to him that

this was the main form of taxi transport for Pattaya and they were everywhere.

He just shook his head in disbelief that a city like Pattaya didnt have metered taxi's

like Bangkok.

So even the Thais think of them as a joke or an uncivilised method of transport.

I guess you found a taxi driver who had never left Bangkok his entire life and never watched Thai TV.

Song toews are found in every town and city in Thailand with the exception of a few places like BKK.

Pattaya people seem all alone in calling them baht buses, which confirms that many Pattaya expats live in a bubble.

It is not difficult to say song toew, why not just tell newbies the actual name.

No, the taxi driver from Bangkok expected a city like Pattaya to have metered taxis like Bangkok.

Im sure he would be well aware that song toew's are used up & down the country, but not Pattaya.

[LennyW]

Unfortunately the taxi meter scams have indeed reached Pattaya already. You'll find them hunting near Central, another import.

The "taxi meter scams" haven't just arrived. They started the very day these taxi meter first arrived here - maybe about 4 years ago now.

Has anybody ever had a ride in a Pattaya taxi that used the meter???

I thought meters in taxis word wide was a form of record keeping so the taxi driver would pay appropriate taxes, may they should be done for tax evasion.

One thing is clear those that should be regulating Baht Buses and Taxis in Pattaya could not even organize a P!$$ up in a Brewery.

I was told by one of them that this is precisely why they have never and will never use the meters!

[tropo]

No, the taxi driver from Bangkok expected a city like Pattaya to have metered taxis like Bangkok.

Im sure he would be well aware that song toew's are used up & down the country, but not Pattaya.

Pattaya would be quite different to Bangkok in that taxi meters would be doing a lot of one way trips with no chance of return fares. They would have to charge more.

Even if the taxis started using their meters, they would never be a suitable replacement for baht buses.

Edited October 25, 2012 by tropo

[Mobi]

^^

Correct.

A little knowledge can be dangerous. So many words foreigners think they understand are being confused with other words that may sound the same to them but have very different tones to a Thai ear.

"Rot bus" does not sound like "Rot Baht" which is anyway a term Thais do not use.

Baht bus makes more sense here than Dollar bus and probably does trace back to a one baht fare once.

Yes I do indeed stand corrected in the instance, but I fail to see how a little knowledge of Thai is dangerous.

In point of fact I speak quite passable conversational Thai, as both farangs and Thais who know me will attest to, but unfortunately I read little and certainly got my 'sais' mixed up, and no mistake. My GF, (who, BTW, speaks virtually no English), has since spoken them both to me and I now can hear the difference

But dangerous? where's the danger? The name of the game is making one's best efforts to communicate in the language of one's hosts - sometimes you succeed, and sometimes not, but they always appreciate the effort.

Anyway, thank you,MJCM for pointing out the errors of my ways

[Mobi]

No, the taxi driver from Bangkok expected a city like Pattaya to have metered taxis like Bangkok.

Im sure he would be well aware that song toew's are used up & down the country, but not Pattaya.

Pattaya would be quite different to Bangkok in that taxi meters would be doing a lot of one way trips with no chance of return fares. They would have to charge more.

Even if the taxis started using their meters, they would never be a suitable replacement for baht buses.

Yes I tend to agree with you.

Taxis work so well in Bangkok, and recent survey has revealed that they amongst the cheapest in the world, but the size and shape of Pattaya, including the extreme north and south and across on the darkside, doesn't exactly lend itself the the kind of economies that are possible in Bangkok. There they can take a passenger almost anywhere in the city and still be reasonably sure of another ride after they have dropped their customer - but that is not so in Pattaya - especially with Song Thaews and motor bike taxis to compete with.

INMHO there is still a limited demand for taxis - as compared with BKK - and as such, it will always prove to be relatively expensive.

Of course, if they were obliged to have some formalised 'charge sheet', so that you knew pretty much what you were paying - even if it was quite a lot - that would be better than worrying about getting scammed every time you try to hire one...

but...pigs might fly...

[petercool]

Yes I do indeed stand corrected in the instance, but I fail to see how a little knowledge of Thai is dangerous.

.....

But dangerous? where's the danger? The name of the game is making one's best efforts to communicate in the language of one's hosts - sometimes you succeed, and sometimes not, but they always appreciate the effort.

It is a quote and based on "sip not the cup of knowledge lest you drink deep". Nothing personal but there are Thai words that mixed up can be quite offensive... like those for ring, duty and bastard .... each sounding similar.... Peace.

[Naam]

I accept the existence of a regional vernacular associated with Pattaya expats. It really is a unique biosphere and we should all work to preserve it..

i second that motion and urge the supervisory board to approve it!

[breadbin]

Who talks and writes about baht buses?

[DrTuner]

Who talks and writes about baht buses?

Soong thaew drivers.

[tropo]

Who talks and writes about baht buses?

It has always been a hot topic on here. Even you read it and replied.

[LongTimeLurker]

When I was first here decades ago a baht bus cost one baht and thus the name. Guess they should change the name to sip baht bus to catch up with inflation.

We have a winner folks!

[Jingthing]

Who talks and writes about baht buses?

Uh oh.

[IamNotaNumber]

Even if the taxis started using their meters, they would never be a suitable replacement for baht buses.

Surely not, given that they would still be 10 or 20 times more expensive than a song thaew.

If metered taxis went from Jomtien to Central for 10Baht, or from the Ambassador to Naklua for 20B, then I would use them. But that's not going to happen.

Even for short special trips it's surely cheaper and easier to negotiate with a bahtbus driver than to take a taxi, metered or otherwise. Easier to find one also.

[JeffreyWitty]

Meh, it's all semantics. In Korat, when I first came there (in the US ARMY) we called it the "HA-BAHT-BUS" (5 baht was the fair when you got on/off) - or the "HA-BAHT" for sort. More recently (as fairs went up) I call it the "BAD-BAHT-BUS" (8 baht charge last I checked) - it rhymes much nicer.

As the rates go up, I will likely keep tweaking the name I use for the buses.