Baht Bus Drivers At Bus Station Demanding 30 Baht To Beach Rd.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

It's happened three times now, including today. Got off Bangkok to Pattaya bus, walked by the baht bus ranks, and drivers again were demanding 30 baht to Beach Road. I and another refusee (German regular visitor) walked out to Pattaya North and got a bus all the way to Pattaya Klang for 10 baht. In previous attempts to insist the fare was 20, I was rebuffed and told it was 30 now.

[MJCM]

They prey on people who don't know and even then I am surprised that they are not charging them even more then the 30 THB they are asking!

[manarak]

The 30 baht might even be the correct "official" fare - I had seen an official fare table a while ago with fares from 5 to 30 baht if I remember well.

[yoslim]

I rather walk than use those scam artists.. I never ever get into a baht bus that is not on the move

[mr.buffalo]

.. I never ever get into a baht bus that is not on the move

Could be a bit tricky that after a few chang

[balo]

It depends when you arrive at the station . If you arrive around noon its normally 20 baht to the beach,. But 30 baht has been used in busy afternoons , also up to 50 baht to beach rd.

If you arrive late evening around 10-11 pm they will ask 100 to 200 baht so just walk away.

[ThaiBob]

Balo , That's highway robbery, those dam bastards! Where's JT when we need him most?

[Pattaya28]

This baht-bus extortion is just 1 of many extortions, whether it be in restaurants, stores or go-go bars.

Glad to here the OP and others refuse to pay these extortions.

I certainly do !!

[brewsterbudgen]

Interesting; it must be a very recent change. I use the BKK-PTTY bus regularly and have always paid 20 baht to Beach Road. There used to be a LED board displaying the price (20 baht to Beach Road and 30 baht to Jomtien) - has it gone? The only people I've seen being charged extra are those who have a destination off the route.

[sharecropper]

Balo , That's highway robbery, those dam bastards! Where's JT when we need him most?

He's on baht buses fighting with Iranians, russians, Germans, Ethnic American Indians, Mexicans, Spanish, Germans, Thais, Laotians, Chinese, Japanese, British, Somalians, Lebanese, Yemenese, Gutaemalans, Afghanistanis, and anyone else the US has had a punch-up with or who's had a pop at them over the last 250 years...

Edited June 4, 2013 by sharecropper

[brewsterbudgen]

This baht-bus extortion is just 1 of many extortions, whether it be in restaurants, stores or go-go bars.

Glad to here the OP and others refuse to pay these extortions.

I certainly do !!

So you don't use the baht buses, the restaurants, the stores and the gogo bars? You must enjoy yourself in Pattaya!

[joepattaya1961]

Balo , That's highway robbery, those dam bastards! Where's JT when we need him most?

He's on baht buses fighting with Iranians, russians, Germans, Ethnic American Indians, Mexicans, Spanish, Germans, Thais, Laotians, Chinese, Japanese, British, Somalians, Lebanese, Yemenese, Gutaemalans, Afghanistanis, and anyone else the US has had a punch-up with or who's had a pop at them over the last 250 years...

Yes, yesss, yesssss. great post!!

[sabai-dee-man]

What a sad topic.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Noticed this too. And I arrived in the middle of the day, around noon. Guy asked for 30 baht, and wanted to collect it prior to departing.

Anyway I'm not in Pattaya to sweat the small stuff. The only reason I'd walk to the road is if there was some big delay in driving off.

And on the bright side, it's still 20 baht for Thais.

[Spalpeen]

If you've been traveling for hours to get here and you're going to be staying in a place that costs at least hundreds of baht a night, it hardly seems worth worrying about 10 baht more or less on the baht bus fare.

[Card]

Interesting; it must be a very recent change. I use the BKK-PTTY bus regularly and have always paid 20 baht to Beach Road. There used to be a LED board displaying the price (20 baht to Beach Road and 30 baht to Jomtien) - has it gone? The only people I've seen being charged extra are those who have a destination off the route.

Agree but I have not noticed the list of official charges recently. It used to be near the desk next to the baht buses. Also there are/were some municipal(?) information assistants just before you reach the baht buses that are there to provide info to newly arrived. They are official, not private tour guides. If they are there when the bus drivers try to charge 30 baht, I would have a word with them.

[Card]

Balo , That's highway robbery, those dam bastards! Where's JT when we need him most?

He's on baht buses fighting with Iranians, russians, Germans, Ethnic American Indians, Mexicans, Spanish, Germans, Thais, Laotians, Chinese, Japanese, British, Somalians, Lebanese, Yemenese, Gutaemalans, Afghanistanis, and anyone else the US has had a punch-up with or who's had a pop at them over the last 250 years...

You forgot Australians and New Zealanders. Oh and Swedish and other Scandinavians. Don't you know anything?

[Finlaco]

If you've been traveling for hours to get here and you're going to be staying in a place that costs at least hundreds of baht a night, it hardly seems worth worrying about 10 baht more or less on the baht bus fare.

Sadly it's naivity like this that resulted in 200 baht tuk tuk fares in Phuket. I don't do Pattaya or Phuket or the sex scene but 'logic' of this sort creates massive problems in developing countries.

[digibum]

What a sad topic.

Agreed. We're talking less than $1 USD. The price difference we're talking about here ranges from 33 - 66 cents (20 - 30 baht depending who you believe).

I'm surprised OP had enough left over after getting jacked for 33 cents to purchase internet access so he could post this.

[ehs818]

I've recently had a visitor come to Pattaya and tell me he was unable to get the fee to take him from the bus station, with a full bus load, for under 500 baht PER PERSON. The full bus went out at that amount (4000-6000 baht)! Disgusting.

[spermwhale]

What a sad topic.

Agreed!! They are quibbling over 33 cents (US, Australia, Canadian currency) or 20 pence!!!

Yeah, boy are you guys getting screwed!!

[Card]

If you've been traveling for hours to get here and you're going to be staying in a place that costs at least hundreds of baht a night, it hardly seems worth worrying about 10 baht more or less on the baht bus fare.

Depends. If it's a rip-off of official rates listed on the board, or at least used to be, then some people want to make a stand - it's up to them. It's not exactly a quick comfortable ride where the passengers are treated with any kind of respect - quite the opposite. The only reason they get away with it is because they have a monopoly on rides from that bus station and there is little competition because of the mafia stranglehold. In most popular seaside resorts around the world there would be a decent public bus service, but the baht bus mafia wouldn't allow that in Pattaya.

[Wavefloater]

They prey on people who don't know and even then I am surprised that they are not charging them even more then the 30 THB they are asking!

Ya, their Phuket peers must laugh and call the Pattaya transportation boys a bunch of little wimps. In Phuket, that ride would be more like 300 baht, and if one doesn't agree to take it, they may get the crap beaten out of them. When was the last time you heard of a Pattaya baht bus driver beating up a tourist? Wimps!!!

[Spalpeen]

If you've been traveling for hours to get here and you're going to be staying in a place that costs at least hundreds of baht a night, it hardly seems worth worrying about 10 baht more or less on the baht bus fare.

Sadly it's naivity like this that resulted in 200 baht tuk tuk fares in Phuket. I don't do Pattaya or Phuket or the sex scene but 'logic' of this sort creates massive problems in developing countries.

Cheap Charlie post.

[samjaidee]

A little over US$1 for an baht bus. Outrageous, NOT.

[Wavefloater]

A little over US$1 for an baht bus. Outrageous, NOT.

I think this is the type of attitude that created the absurd situation we see in Phuket. Of course, 30 baht ($1+) is not a lot of money, but the reality is that the market price for this service is much lower -- 10 baht if one wants to walk out to the street-side and get the buses that run their normal route. The drivers see that people will give in to 30 baht this month, so why not 40 baht next month...then perhaps 50 or 60 baht a few months later...then............you get the picture, right?

Edited June 4, 2013 by Wavefloater

[sangfroid]

On a slightly different note, I have heard that non Thais are now charged to enter the "Floating market Sii phak" on Sukhumvit Rd. Any confirmation? It was free entry until recently.

Edited June 4, 2013 by sangfroid

[pattayadingo]

It is not about saving a few cents or a few pence. As others have said, it is an inflationary rip off and if they get away with it they will continue to raise the prices. The Baht bus operators are trying it on as they do at airports and similar places where they are wanting the noobs to pay extra.

This is Thailand. Wages are a lot cheaper here as is the cost of living. The prices should be the same for Thai and foreigners alike.

I too would rather walk a few metres to the main road to get a Baht bus there. Not really because of the 10 Baht but it is the principal and the more people they see walk away the better.

[FireMedic]

Its totally the principal of it all. They will keep goin up and up until they ruin the whole thing like they've done here in Phuket. If they don't get a handle on it, it will rise exponentially until the whole system collapses and somehow it will be all the farangs fault. There was a time here when someone said "anyone know what's going on at the airport? It used to be 100 baht to patong, now they asked 300, 500, 1000, and 2400 for noobs!"

[kevvy]

What a sad topic.

please explain why you think it is so sad , just curious .