The plague of Baht Buses

[Pattaya28]

The Baht Bus numbers are an absolute joke now.

And most of them are empty.

Whether it be Beach Rd or Second Rd, all they do is cause very serious congestion, driving round and round and round their loop.

From designated places at night-time, they only pull-off when they're very over-loaded with 14 passengers. Insurance ?

[MrZM]

I occasionally used them, and standing outside tuk com I have tried to flag them down only with refusal when I start to walk to sit down.

With the sudden increase in Japanese and Russian tourists, these empty baht busses are looking for one hit of 200/300 baht, they are not stopping for the 10 baht trips.

Yes it's annoying, but what can you do.

Only option is walk, then they would only bother you with a horn beep.

[udonthani1]

They slow the traffic down is a good thing.

[bangkokstick]

Pattaya will soon be as bad as Phuket !

[blackman]

yesterday on second road, heading north from tops, i counted 12 empty baht buses in convoy

i think it would make better financial sense for these guys to have the odd and even number buses work on alternate days

they are just wasting money cruising up and down with no paying passengers

[Asiantravel]

I occasionally used them, and standing outside tuk com I have tried to flag them down only with refusal when I start to walk to sit down.

With the sudden increase in Japanese and Russian tourists, these empty baht busses are looking for one hit of 200/300 baht, they are not stopping for the 10 baht trips.

Yes it's annoying, but what can you do.

Only option is walk, then they would only bother you with a horn beep.

But why would you rent of one of those when you can get an air-conditioned blue and yellow taxi, at not much more?

[Eneukman]

I know those drivers who refuse to stop to pick up one (or two) passengers are a major pain in the backside, but just wait until high season and try getting a bus into town from Jomtien around 7.30 pm. I have counted in excess of 20 buses pass where I was waiting all of which were packed.

Alan

[drdoom6996]

I completely agree. I have been here 26 years and have not been in one in more the 25 years.

[newermonkey]

The only Baht Bus (Songtaow) I ever use is the white one that runs along Sukhumvit Road from Sattahip to Naklua its a fixed fare of 20 Baht and only 10 Baht if only a few Km. that service is about every 10 min and is very good. BUT.....

When I do venture down town I take my car or m/bike and I agree the Baht Buses are a real menace to me and when there is a traffic jam it is often a baht bus at its head crawling along and swinging slowly from lane to lane, or sometimes a dick head cop controlling a traffic light manually.

[Swiss1960]

OP:

How dare you write about such a theme??? Baht Bus topics are the sole proprietory rights of JingThing!!!

[belg]

what about all the taxis in the capital ... driving around, looking for a victim costumer

in europe, you have to call one to see one

overhere, if you count 10 cars, you see 5 cabs !!!!

[Lancelot]

Whether it be Beach Rd or Second Rd, all they do is cause very serious congestion, driving round and round and round their loop.

And further more- they simply don't care if their actions create chaos

[Suradit69]

What's really surprising is, as often as I check on BBC and CNN news, no one is reporting on this crisis.

I'm beginning to suspect a cover-up or possibly a plague of people who wake up each morning wondering what they can whine/whinge about today.

[Ohio]

OP:

How dare you write about such a theme??? Baht Bus topics are the sole proprietory rights of JingThing!!!

Hear Hear Edited July 12, 2013 by Rimmer
Quote fixed

[how241]

I occasionally used them, and standing outside tuk com I have tried to flag them down only with refusal when I start to walk to sit down.

With the sudden increase in Japanese and Russian tourists, these empty baht busses are looking for one hit of 200/300 baht, they are not stopping for the 10 baht trips.

Yes it's annoying, but what can you do.

Only option is walk, then they would only bother you with a horn beep.

+1

[smedly]

been saying the same thing for years - they cause accidents - pollution - traffic congestion - rip offs - they should be banned from beach road and use 2nd and 3rd road for routes would be far more convenient for most people and cover a much larger area of central pattaya and then cut their numbers by 50%

[JSixpack]

The Baht Bus numbers are an absolute joke now.

And most of them are empty.

Whether it be Beach Rd or Second Rd, all they do is cause very serious congestion, driving round and round and round their loop.

From designated places at night-time, they only pull-off when they're very over-loaded with 14 passengers. Insurance ? cheesy.gif

Rip Van Winkle has awakened.

[Sharp]

The Baht Bus numbers are an absolute joke now.

And most of them are empty.

Whether it be Beach Rd or Second Rd, all they do is cause very serious congestion, driving round and round and round their loop.

From designated places at night-time, they only pull-off when they're very over-loaded with 14 passengers. Insurance ?

Try livin in Phuket if ya wanna moan .....

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[hellodolly]

No problem here in Chiang Mai. Basic cost 20 baht and they go where you ask them to. They stop when you flag them down.

You don't have to walk to a designated pick up spot such as I did on central in Pattaya. Half of them would pass me buy to go sit at a designated spot half a block away. No problem if you live there and are familiar with the pick up spots and know the different routes.

Hard on tourists.

[KittenKong]

Pattaya will soon be as bad as Phuket !

As long as Pattaya still has bahtbuses it could never be as bad as Phuket, which must be the ultimate destination for tourist transport rip-offs. I wouldnt live in Phuket without my own vehicle if was paid to, yet living in Pattaya without a private vehicle is a doddle.

[Jingthing]

This topic doesn't interest me.

[KittenKong]

No problem here in Chiang Mai. Basic cost 20 baht and they go where you ask them to. They stop when you flag them down.

You don't have to walk to a designated pick up spot such as I did on central in Pattaya.

You seem to have misunderstood something about Pattaya bahtbuses. They cost half the Chiang Mai price and they stop and pick you up anywhere on their route. You dont have to go to a designated stop at all.

[billaaa777]

Seriously, am I reading this correctly.

No more Baht buses, and there would be less traffic.

Talk about mistaken logic.

If there were not any Baht buses, the people would still be traveling all over and would need to find individualized modes of transportation, which means many many more cars or taxi's on the road, and much much more traffic.

I love the Baht buses, GO Baht buses.

[toenail]

The "baht bus mafia" couldn't care less about the over supply of baht busses. The drivers rent the pick-up trucks with benches for 800 baht a shift ( there are two shifts of drivers). It is up to the driver to get the money, not the baht bus owners. Just like the shop building owners..they couldn't care less if the same merchadise is selling in the row of rented shops or if the rent is too high, the own who leases the space will still get to keep the 1-2 year deposit of rent though the one renting may be out of business within 3 months.

[NoshowJones]

OP:

How dare you write about such a theme??? Baht Bus topics are the sole proprietory rights of JingThing!!!

I'm sure Jingthing won't mind if I have my tuppence worth. If you get on a baht bus heading past Big C towards the Dolphin roundabout, how do you know if they are turning left into Beach Road or going straight ahead? they are all the same colour.

[NoshowJones]

No problem here in Chiang Mai. Basic cost 20 baht and they go where you ask them to. They stop when you flag them down.

You don't have to walk to a designated pick up spot such as I did on central in Pattaya.

You seem to have misunderstood something about Pattaya bahtbuses. They cost half the Chiang Mai price and they stop and pick you up anywhere on their route. You dont have to go to a designated stop at all.

That's the way it's supposed to be.

[Swiss1960]

This topic doesn't interest me.

Don't lie to us... you are only mad that you have not started that one...

[Swiss1960]

OP:

How dare you write about such a theme??? Baht Bus topics are the sole proprietory rights of JingThing!!!

I'm sure Jingthing won't mind if I have my tuppence worth. If you get on a baht bus heading past Big C towards the Dolphin roundabout, how do you know if they are turning left into Beach Road or going straight ahead? they are all the same colour.

You don't know, they do what they want... for some people it is an absolute catastrophe... for others that's the fun about it

[pomchop]

OP:

How dare you write about such a theme??? Baht Bus topics are the sole proprietory rights of JingThing!!!

I'm sure Jingthing won't mind if I have my tuppence worth. If you get on a baht bus heading past Big C towards the Dolphin roundabout, how do you know if they are turning left into Beach Road or going straight ahead? they are all the same colour.

Ask them? Bai Soi Song mai?

[KittenKong]

If there were not any Baht buses, the people would still be traveling all over and would need to find individualized modes of transportation, which means many many more cars or taxi's on the road, and much much more traffic.

Indeed.

It's the private vehicles and above all the tour buses that cause all the traffic jams (mostly whilst they are looking in vain for somewhere to park), not the bahtbuses. If the tour buses and cars were banned everywhere seawards of 3rd road there would hardly be any traffic jams downtown.