Baht Bus Bottleneck From Jomtien To Pattaya During Peak Hours -- Worse Than Ever!

[coralia]

So what is the baht bus situation now?

[guzzi850m2]

So what is the baht bus situation now?

It,s bad man, just came home from downtown Patts on our motorbike (only way to get around today), completely chaos everywhere including Sukhumvit.

I gonna order a Pizza now, ain't going anywhere tonight.

[Potosi]

Maybe try and understand it as a lesson what happens when everything is deregulated, and privatized.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

It,s bad man, just came home from downtown Patts on our motorbike (only way to get around today), completely chaos everywhere including Sukhumvit.

There's some stupid festival on Beach Rd. What do you expect?

[RabC]

It really makes me laugh , you choose to live out in the sticks without your own transport, probably to save money and then complain about the lack real public transport in Thailand. A little bit of research before renting or buying would have saved all this.

[JSixpack]

Maybe try and understand it as a lesson what happens when everything is deregulated, and privatized.

Just the opposite. The gov't endorsed mafia keeps the transportation in PTY under very tight regulation. That's the problem. It's a classic example of gov't corruption.

Edited March 23, 2013 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

The best move I ever did was buying a scooter to avoid the baht buses!

Me, too! Damn baht buses made it necessary. So glad I did.

[guzzi850m2]

The best move I ever did was buying a scooter to avoid the baht buses!

Me, too! Damn baht buses made it necessary. So glad I did.

Scooters are hard to live without, we can't in the family, we got 2 now.

We also got a truck but to be honest I prefer my PCX in Pattaya, can park almost everywhere and you never get stuck.

[Jingthing]

The crisis bottleneck situation in peak hours that I reported in the OP (about baht buses from Jomtien) now appears to be largely relieved. Until next high season of course!

[coralia]

Actually, uh, my question was: "what is the baht bus situation now that the high season is over?"......

[coralia]

Oh, I notice that Jingthing just answered my question... Thank you!!

[Jingthing]

It's still not perfect, but it's manageable. I am not waiting 30 minutes to an hour to get a seat now and sometimes just giving up! But it has been taking me about 10 or so minutes during peak hours to get a seat. I don't like standing on the back but there are some more spaces on the back also for those who don't mind. So there are still lots of people. During lower season, shouldn't take more than a few minutes and LOTS of spaces.

The fact that it is better now doesn't reflect any action from the authorities or the baht bus cooperative. They did NOTHING to fix the bottleneck crisis when it was going on ... for months really. It's only improved now because of tourist numbers.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Jingthing

[BlackPuddingBertha]

The bottleneck (I say "the" because there is only one) is caused by one thing and one thing only: traffic at the VC Hotel intersection. If they made the two roads opposite the VC Hotel leading to Walking Street entirely traffic-free (including motorbikes) from say 5pm onwards there would be no hold-ups at all, ever. Banning all parking on the beach side of 2nd Road from Pratumnak to South Road would also help.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Scooters are hard to live without, we can't in the family, we got 2 now.

We also got a truck but to be honest I prefer my PCX in Pattaya, can park almost everywhere and you never get stuck.

Will you still think the same when you have an accident?

[gerry53]

Scooters are hard to live without, we can't in the family, we got 2 now.

We also got a truck but to be honest I prefer my PCX in Pattaya, can park almost everywhere and you never get stuck.

Will you still think the same when you have an accident?

I'm with guzzi on this one, I like to be able to drive 60km away from Pattaya on my motorbike and I enjoy that freedom. I have a new car but hate taking it into Pattaya. If you are too old or afraid please stay home in the rocking chair! Edited March 23, 2013 by gerry53

[lemoncake]

3 road does not have baht buses but its always packed with tour buses.

pattaya is slowly turning into bangkok in terms of traffic jams.

Sadly not much can be done as roads can not be made wider, whats more worse is the inconsiderate <deleted> who double park, stop or simply block roads and everyone just sits there and waits

[Jingthing]

The bottleneck (I say "the" because there is only one) is caused by one thing and one thing only: traffic at the VC Hotel intersection. If they made the two roads opposite the VC Hotel leading to Walking Street entirely traffic-free (including motorbikes) from say 5pm onwards there would be no hold-ups at all, ever. Banning all parking on the beach side of 2nd Road from Pratumnak to South Road would also help.

I was talking about a lack of any space on buses coming from Jomtien (refer to the OP), and sometimes having to wait up to an hour to get a space on a bus in Jomtien, not a traffic blockage in South Pattaya. I'm not saying you didn't describe something real, but that is an entirely different topic.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Jingthing

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I was talking about a lack of any space on buses coming from Jomtien (refer to the OP), and sometimes having to wait up to an hour to get a space on a bus in Jomtien, not a traffic blockage in South Pattaya. I'm not saying you didn't describe something real, but that is an entirely different topic.

OK. That's not what I understand by "bottle-neck".

Though I think that if it was examined carefully your bottle-neck would also be due to the same traffic jam in front of the VC hotel. Because each bahtbus wastes a good quarter-hour getting past that jam it loses a good quarter-hour in getting back to Jomtien to fill up with people again. This time wasted is actually much longer than the actual trip, so at least half the bahtbus hours are lost for nothing at peak times.

If the drivers had more brains they would realise how much money they are wasting in that traffic jam every evening and would get something done about it.

[IAMSOBAD]

When things are run by THUGS what do you expect? These drivers get as rowdy as the jet ski morons. They have weapons and are all connected.

[Jingthing]

I was talking about a lack of any space on buses coming from Jomtien (refer to the OP), and sometimes having to wait up to an hour to get a space on a bus in Jomtien, not a traffic blockage in South Pattaya. I'm not saying you didn't describe something real, but that is an entirely different topic.

OK. That's not what I understand by "bottle-neck".

Though I think that if it was examined carefully your bottle-neck would also be due to the same traffic jam in front of the VC hotel. Because each bahtbus wastes a good quarter-hour getting past that jam it loses a good quarter-hour in getting back to Jomtien to fill up with people again. This time wasted is actually much longer than the actual trip, so at least half the bahtbus hours are lost for nothing at peak times.

If the drivers had more brains they would realise how much money they are wasting in that traffic jam every evening and would get something done about it.

No it's not related. The problem as I described is that most of the buses were running EMPTY trolling for fat charter fares.

[guzzi850m2]

Scooters are hard to live without, we can't in the family, we got 2 now.

We also got a truck but to be honest I prefer my PCX in Pattaya, can park almost everywhere and you never get stuck.

Will you still think the same when you have an accident?

I been riding motorbikes for over 30 years, love the freedom I get from them. Now at 50 and with a family I stopped riding the big bikes and stick to my scooters.

I can see it's risky for a guy moving out here and never ridden a bike before and then been "thrown to the lions" if he start riding out here.

Yes as gary53 mention, a man got to live, if you don't what's the point living.

I do have an accident insurance just in case.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Yes as gary53 mention, a man got to live, if you don't what's the point living.

I do have an accident insurance just in case.

I'm all for living. It's the dying part of motorbikes that puts me off. And the permanent incapacity part.

I dont think insurance would go a long way towards compensating me for the loss of a leg, or even the painful skin damage that can result from just falling from a bike at very low speed onto a road surface.

I can get the wind in my hair by lowering the window of my truck, yet still have a comfortable seat and some significant protection from most types of accident. Each to his own.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

No it's not related. The problem as I described is that most of the buses were running EMPTY trolling for fat charter fares.

If the buses that go past you full could get back to Jomtien more quickly there would be more seats available, thus easing the shortage. So it is related.

I still have little trouble finding a seat on a bahtbus from Jomtien. Just the other day about 3 completely full buses went past me, and a couple of completely empty ones (which I am not convinced are looking for special fares at all, see below) and then one with just two people in. I hailed it, it stopped, and by the time we got to Pattaya it was about 75% full. Whilst I was getting on it another nearly empty one stopped for some other people about 20 yards away.

So I think this has much to do with where one tries to catch the things.

Why am I not convinced that the empty buses are looking for special fares? Because they go straight past everyone, including those who might be prepared to pay for a special fare. And if they are going back to Pattaya to look for a special fare, why not just fill up with regular fares at 10B each for the trip back? That would give them another 150B for that empty trip. That's what I would do.

Also I would be interested to know where exactly all these empty buses are going to find their special fares?

[coralia]

The crisis bottleneck situation in peak hours that I reported in the OP (about baht buses from Jomtien) now appears to be largely relieved. Until next high season of course!

Could you please explain what you mean by "peak hours"? It has just occurred to me that maybe this whole topic had to do only with evening hours, and maybe there never was a problem during the day. Or am I wrong?

[Jingthing]

The crisis bottleneck situation in peak hours that I reported in the OP (about baht buses from Jomtien) now appears to be largely relieved. Until next high season of course!

Could you please explain what you mean by "peak hours"? It has just occurred to me that maybe this whole topic had to do only with evening hours, and maybe there never was a problem during the day. Or am I wrong?

I meant roughly early evening on through 8 PM or so (going from the beach, going to dinner).

[coralia]

The crisis bottleneck situation in peak hours that I reported in the OP (about baht buses from Jomtien) now appears to be largely relieved. Until next high season of course!

Could you please explain what you mean by "peak hours"? It has just occurred to me that maybe this whole topic had to do only with evening hours, and maybe there never was a problem during the day. Or am I wrong?

I meant roughly early evening on through 8 PM or so (going from the beach, going to dinner).

I see. Thank you.

[Jingthing]

...

I still have little trouble finding a seat on a bahtbus from Jomtien.

...

Me too. For sure. But I haven't had to wait 30 minutes to an hour recently or given up on the trip recently or had to go far out Jomtien to catch a bus earlier recently. So I really think the problem has lessened. But keep in mind weekend days and festival days, etc. are going to be busier.

[Potosi]

Maybe try and understand it as a lesson what happens when everything is deregulated, and privatized.

Just the opposite. The gov't endorsed mafia keeps the transportation in PTY under very tight regulation. That's the problem. It's a classic example of gov't corruption.

I'm afraid all those buses are privately owned and run. And they are doing what the deregulated market always does, building and defending a monopoly. Only now we come to the point were the corrupt government becomes involved and paid for, by not regulating that this monopoly must be dissolved, or that they can't ignore passengers, can't overcharge, can't do charters, restrict the numbers, and so on.

[hotandhumid]

..............and they laughed when i moved from Jomtienski to Wongamat.........

Ha ha, I like that. I like the wongamat area too.

I can actually sympathise with folk here, it seems like a bloody nightmare to get anywhere these days.

Yesterday it took me an age to get from the dark side to beach road. It's getting like bkk here now.

[toenail]

They should get rid of them all and start a real bus service with a reasonable amount of buses, set routes and 24/7 service. of course this will never happen in pattaya ...

The city had a bus service a few years ago...red line/ green line. The problem was that the buses didn't follow a schedule so one never knew how long they would have to wait ...5 minutes or 50 minutes. (surprise -surprise) I took it once from Jomtien all the way to North Pattaya and it was great -air conditioned!!! But because to not enough customers, the city canceled it. No, they didn't think about what was wrong.