Buses From Victory Monument To Immigration At Chaeng Wattana

[JemJem]

Can someone tell me which buses from Victory Monument go to/pass the Immigration Office in Chaeng Wattana ?

Cheers.

[wayned]

Try this: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/location1.html

I saw a recent post on the visa forum that stated that there was a new buss from Victory monument directly to immigration, but can't find irt.

[allane]

I am unsure if there is a direct bus. Take the skytrain to Saphan Kwai or Morchit, then board # 52. Same to return but note for the return trip: At the intersection of Chaengwattana and Wiphawidi-Rangsit, the 52 turns left and goes quite a ways north, before U-turning and going south into central Bkk.

[asanee]

NONE-as of yet, all the way from Vict. Mon.

As above-the 52 is best, but thats from Mochit (or sapan kwai, it comes from bangSue/MRT/SRT

Tang duan bus 166 runs from Vict Mon direct on the ex-way and gets off WEST of immig/Govt centre, and then runs to Pak Kred, It seems that in the morning am peak there are a few buses aimed at workers there, that make a kind of U-to serve gvot compl-just before they are assumed to start working. Else take whateever you fancy from OPPOSITE 1st stop off 166 to that centre-likely the very fastest way. Also direct vans from again Mochit for more comfy ride.

[bangkokburning]

Wife told me there were buses from Chatachok MRT, too lazy to try ot out as only going to MFA 1X

[allane]

There is also a van service, though I have only used it southbound, and always got off at Morchit, so I can not recall where it terminates/originates. My guess would be at Victory Monument. Signs on the vans are in Thai only,

[JemJem]

Thanks, folks.

[koolbreez]

There are vans at the side of the Century Plaza going direct every hour, or when they fill up.

[JemJem]

There are vans at the side of the Century Plaza going direct every hour, or when they fill up.

Cheers. I guess I will go to Chaeng Wattana via a van and then take a taxi on my return trip. I have asked a couple of taxi drivers already. They both said that the fare should be around 200 baht.

[Gaccha]

Try this: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/location1.html

I saw a recent post on the visa forum that stated that there was a new buss from Victory monument directly to immigration, but can't find irt.

Yes there is. 166 direct to the door of the immigration office.

Sent from my HTC Explorer A310e using Thaivisa Connect App

[JemJem]

To give you an update : Yesterday, I went to C.Wattana Immigration from Victory Monument by taxi. It was around 10 am. The taxi fare was less than I had guessed. It was around 140 baht.

[Osiris]

From victory there is a van service to MTT, and then a taxi to the door or the 166, which runs almost 24/7. There is also, from Mor$hit, a van to MTT and then a taxi to immigration. Best imm in town!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I made the trip from Central BKK to CW Immigration today.

Saved the taxi fare and took the #52 white BMTA bus from Mochit BTS, as follows:

For those without their own car, taking the while color #52 but from Mochit BTS to the main entrance to the CW Government Complex is a good option. 8 baht flat fare each way.

This morning, it was about a 30 minute trip on surface roads both inbound and on the return late morning. To catch the bus, exit Mochit BTS on the park side, and the bus stop is in the middle between the two BTS stairs. Lots of people waiting there for various buses. To catch the 52 on return, go out to CW road, cross over the the opposite site, and just opposite the main CAT sign, there is one of those wood shelter structures where inbound BKK buses and vans stop.

Only downside with bus 52... no air con and clearly no shock absorbers at least on mine today, unless they were installed sometime around WWII.

BTW, on the return trip, one of the Thai passengers I was chatting with said she had, earlier in the morning, taken a van from Victory Monument to CW Immigration (or at least the main CW Road in front of Immigration). For the return trip, she said the return vans stop at the same wooden shelter on the opposite side of CW Road as where the buses stop. Only problem is, most if not all of the vans seem to have no English language exterior signage indicating where they're headed.

Edited June 27, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Malthus101]

I got the BTS to Mo Chit then grabbed a cab from outside - 95 baht.

On the return, the taxi to Mo Chit was about 120 as we used the expressway so drove fast and also paid the 15 baht toll.

It's a few dollars or pounds and saves a lot of hassle. Taxis are one of the few things in Bangkok that are still cheap! (well, quite a few other things are too but you know what I mean!)

[CPT]

Taxi's are hard to beat and much more pleasant if you are traveling in the area around 4pm onwards as buses are packed. As mentioned before, bus 166 is a great option other times and takes the expressway from the Victory monument area making it much faster than I had expected. Still haven't figured out the vans...

Edited June 27, 2013 by CPT

[GreenSnapper]

When taking non-ac bus 52 for 8 Baht, consider how you smell and look when you finally arrive and if that is really your advantage at immigration.....

[CPT]

When taking non-ac bus 52 for 8 Baht, consider how you smell and look when you finally arrive and if that is really your advantage at immigration.....

Anyone who smells and looks less than presentable following a half hour bus ride without air-conditioning should probably reconsider their choice of climate...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

When taking non-ac bus 52 for 8 Baht, consider how you smell and look when you finally arrive and if that is really your advantage at immigration.....

Well, since I was traveling at 8 am in the morning, as would be most travelers to Immigration, I suspect, the morning air in the bus was quite nice... No problem at all...

Plus, I think you'll find.. taking regular showers with soap will do wonders for your smell and appearance.

Edited June 28, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Taxi's are hard to beat and much more pleasant if you are traveling in the area around 4pm onwards as buses are packed. As mentioned before, bus 166 is a great option other times and takes the expressway from the Victory monument area making it much faster than I had expected. Still haven't figured out the vans...

CPT, when I was exiting Immigration late morning, I actually saw a red 166 bus pull through the driveway in front of Immigration's door entrance...the same place where the shuttle buses stop.

But the bus looked empty and I couldn't tell if the bus was in service, and that was now part of its route. Or the driver was just off duty and going thru there for some other reason. Though I can't imagine what that might be. The driver drove off before I could flag him down and inquire what was afoot.

For anyone who's used 166, just how close does it stop vis-a-vis Immigration? From reading some of the other posts here, it sounded like 166 stays on Viphavadi Road and doesn't turn into Chaeng Wattana??? So people were talking about having to take a moto taxi from the main highway across to CW Soi 7.

Edited June 28, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[CPT]

Taxi's are hard to beat and much more pleasant if you are traveling in the area around 4pm onwards as buses are packed. As mentioned before, bus 166 is a great option other times and takes the expressway from the Victory monument area making it much faster than I had expected. Still haven't figured out the vans...

CPT, when I was exiting Immigration late morning, I actually saw a red 166 bus pull through the driveway in front of Immigration's door entrance...the same place where the shuttle buses stop.

But the bus looked empty and I couldn't tell if the bus was in service, and that was now part of its route. Or the driver was just off duty and going thru there for some other reason. Though I can't imagine what that might be. The driver drove off before I could flag him down and inquire what was afoot.

For anyone who's used 166, just how close does it stop vis-a-vis Immigration? From reading some of the other posts here, it sounded like 166 stays on Viphavadi Road and doesn't turn into Chaeng Wattana??? So people were talking about having to take a moto taxi from the main highway across to CW Soi 7.

I've only been to the Changwattana complex twice. The first trip I took the wrong 166. The more recent trip I took the correct bus 166 from victory monument and got off too early. While walking towards the complex I also saw 166 going down the road into the complex. There are, it seems, actually two 166 lines. One runs from victory monument to the Changwattana government complex and one goes to Mung Than Thani. They turn different directions when they get to Changwattana Rd so the trick is to figure out which goes where. Why the same bus route goes to two different destinations is beyond me. The BMTA map can be found here.

If you get off on Changwattana you can also catch a free shuttle bus to the eastern entrance from near the Changwattana Rd. entrance just past where the motorbike taxis are parked. There are no signs indicating as much.

I have disliked the trip very much on both occasion and tried buses in the morning only to fall back to taxis for the return. I live near victory monument so I feel silly not taking the buses when I can as they really don't take much longer than taxis to many destinations and are far more entertaining but the routes are a bit frustrating.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks for that, CPT...

It shouldn't be that difficult to inquire of the bus at Victory Monument, by just asking the attendant as you get on....

"Bai soon ratchagan chaeng wattana" -- Go Chaeng Wattana government complex?

or

"Bai dtor mor chaeng wattana" -- Go Chaeng Wattana Immigration?

or even easier

"Bai Chaeng Wattana Soi Djet? -- Go Chaeng Wattana Soi 7?

I'll have to give it a try the next time I'm out there, as perhaps the 166's expressway route is somewhat faster than the 52's surface street route. Although, the red 166 bus I saw stopping at Immigration wasn't air con either.

BTW, thanks for the link on the 166 route map, but that's a very strange link.

Usually, when they do like that, they'll have other bus routes and numbers using the same web address and just a different file number at the end. But I tried the link you had with all variety of other different ending numbers, and none of them produced any other bus route maps.... Can't figure out how they're doing about that.

When I go to the BMTA website looking for bus route info, many many of the routes seem to have no PDF route maps listed at all. It's frustrating. I wish I could find a better source for those things, if they even exist.

I have a yellow I think it's branded Roadmap fold-out map of BKK bus routes, but it doesn't seem to include all of them. And it's focused mainly on central BKK, and gives short shrift to routes that reach outside the center of BKK such as travel to CW.

[Gaccha]

The correct 166 has a sign in Thai indicating that it is heading to the government complex. The sign is red (from memory). The bus literally drives you to the door.

On the return, the bus literally picks you up at the east entrance door. There are many other intra-government complex buses but the 166 bus is the one that will take you out the complex and home free.

One thing: the bus does a very long stretch on the motorway. At this time, I've noticed the driver dropping off to sleep in the stifling heat and the tedium of the journey. I recommend you are ready to wake him up ... as no one else will.

[Lakegeneve]

Taxi's are hard to beat and much more pleasant if you are traveling in the area around 4pm onwards as buses are packed. As mentioned before, bus 166 is a great option other times and takes the expressway from the Victory monument area making it much faster than I had expected. Still haven't figured out the vans...

Although the vans have route destination in That only , aside from asking the driver, all BMTA licensed vans are numbered with a route number.

Two options from VM;

1) to take the van 64 (VM to Pakret basically the same route as the 166 which goes to Pakret then Muang Thong Thani) which departs from the NW corner of VM at the small Klong bridge. This enters the expressway just north of Victory and then exits at Chaeng Wattana rd heading west to Pakret.

Get off at Central Chaeng Wattana, cross over to the east bond side of Chaeng Wattana rd then take an eastbound van number 22 (Pakret to Minburi, these are every 5mins) and get off in front of the entrance to the govt Complex. That would cost you around 35 baht all up and take 30mins outside of peak hr.

The 2nd option is to take a MTT van (84?) which departs directly under the expressway on the west side of Phahonyothin - I think it is the 2nd stand but just say Muang Thong to check. This enters the expressway and exits on Chaeng Wattana heading east before turning into the MTT entrance road. Disembark just there and then take a 22 van as above east on Chaeng Wattana (no need to cross). Same amount of time and about 40 baht.

Vans can are more comfortable and quicker than buses for travel to the suburbs if you know which one to get - you can always ask a cute passenger if unsure. The disadvantage is waiting for them to fill up during quiet times.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Good info...

As I mentioned above, my recent #52 bus trip to CW from Mochit BTS was about 30 minutes each way, coming and going. And a flat fare of 8 baht each way...

Not any slower travel time than the van trips LakeG reports above, although his vans are leaving from Victory Monument, which is closer in than Mochit.

And modestly less expensive compared to the double van trips LG mentions. No air con on the bus unlike the vans...

But a bit more room to stretch out than the typical filled Thai van. On both my outbound and return #52 trips, the bus wasn't particularly crowded, and no one was standing.

Personally, I like the convenience of having to make/take just one trip... not start on one van and transfer partway to another.

Edited July 5, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Did an update on this with a lot of details on the bus connections in another thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/567696-in-bangkok-need-to-go-to-immigration-easy-way-if-poss-minimize-taxi/#entry6747947