How to behave in a baht bus

[FarangFB]

1- By the time you press the stop button, have 10 or 20 baht ready or in an easy access place. Paying wasn't a surprise, was it?

2- Try your best not to smoke in the baht bus. If you "can't" control it, at least stay on the platform on the back and try to blow the smoke away from the others.

3- Make sure you have a good smell or don't smell at all. Sitting next to a stinky one is not pleasant.

4- If the baht bus is getting full, try to occupy less space to allow more people to sit. I've seen countless times people sitting with legs open of sitting sideways (using 50% more space than if they were sitting properly).

5- Unless you're an old fart that can barely stand, a girl on high heels, with kids or carrying something, give up your seat if someone in these conditions arrive.

6- If the stop button is working properly, there's a 99.9% chance that the driver will stop after you pressed it ONCE. If he doesn't stop immediately it just means he is looking for a better spot to stop, no need to keep pressing the button like a maniac.

7- If you're part of a group of people on the street, only make a sign to stop a baht bus if everyone is there and ready to board. It sucks when everyone in the bus has to wait for someone that is half block away.

8- Don't sit too close to other people if there's plenty of space to sit around. Specially if you fail at #3 on this list.

9- Do not touch/flirt with random girls that are giving you no attention at all. Not every girl in Pattaya is a bar girl.

10- Common sense, try not to be unpleasant. This applies to people being too loud, carrying huge bags, blocking the way, drinking, etc.

[Gsxrnz]

Add:

Pay on the passenger side or you will get smacked by a passing vehicle.

If you're not agile and/or drunk, don't get off before the bus is at a complete standstill. (Seen a few idiots think they can save 2 seconds and go arse over tit.)

[brabo2180]

Good points except nr. 5.

I'm 57 years old and I can still walk properly but I'm not going to give up my seat and hang on the back of a baht bus.

There are enough baht busses driving around town.

If mine is full, take another one!!!

[Ulysses G.]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

[jamhar]

Good post.

BB2180, you're a class act

I dont know you. Lets keep it that way.

[Jingthing]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

Yeah, 20 baht?!?

The fare is TEN baht.

Also, the standing. Some people LIKE to stand. I think it's hazardous. I have already drawn blood on a baht bus. I'm not standing. Period. So there. If there is no space to sit, I'll wait for another one, thank you very much. If someone who should be waiting for a seat gets on the bus to stand, that's THEIR decision.

Also you failed to mention how to deal with the "Mrs. Robinson" type older Russian ladies giving you the horny eye. What's the proper response if not interested?

[kiniyow]

Protect your Money..Many petty crimes are like Pick pockets are done on a Baht Bus..

[brabo2180]

Good post.

BB2180, you're a class act

I dont know you. Lets keep it that way.

So you would give up your seat for "an old fart that can barely stand, a girl on high heels, with kids or carrying something" and go stand on 1 of the plateaus, hanging outside the baht bus.

I don't know you either and I'm not going to visit you in the hospital anyway. Up2U.

[Jingthing]

Protect your Money..Many petty crimes are like Pick pockets are done on a Baht Bus..

On that note if you see a gang of homely Thai ladies boarding a crowded bus and they're carrying BIG HANDBAGS, and they sit next you, just get off the bus. They're good. It's worth the 10 baht to not try your luck.

[Pattaya28]

Good informative post.

Maybe a follow-on in the series "How to behave in ........ " may be appropriate for those without manners.

"How to behave in a restaurant" may be a good sequel to start with.

Or maybe "How to behave in a public toilet"

[Upnotover]

There ought to be somewhere you could publish this advice in other languages.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KittenKong]

"2- Try your best not to smoke in the baht bus. If you "can't" control it, at least stay on the platform on the back and try to blow the smoke away from the others."

Smoking on bahtbuses is totally illegal and so should not happen at all.

I cant remember the last time I saw anyone do it in Central Pattaya/Jomtien (God knows what happens out in the sticks) but if someone did do it on a bahtbus I was in my finger would be on the driver's bell in seconds and wouldn't come off until the driver had ejected the smoker.

[Jingthing]

Funny. I see people smoking on baht buses rather frequently. Jomtien to Pattaya run. Yes I mean ON the bus. More often of course on the back. I would not ring the bell for that. In many cases the driver would be very angry at YOU for ringing the bell. Not worth it. There is no way they would kick off smokers.

[JimmyTheMook]

point #1.

In Pattaya only the lowest common denominator ride baht buses.

[Jingthing]

point #1.

In Pattaya only the lowest common denominator ride baht buses.

Beats the risks of riding a motorbike here.

We hear fatalities ALL the time on bikes.

VERY RARE on the buses.

[Phronesis]

point #1.

In Pattaya only the lowest common denominator ride baht buses.

Beats the risks of riding a motorbike here.

We hear fatalities ALL the time on bikes.

VERY RARE on the buses.

Is that correct? I seem to recall you almost bleeding to death in the wake of one of your baht bus excursions...

[balo]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

Yeah, 20 baht?!?

The fare is TEN baht.

Also, the standing. Some people LIKE to stand. I think it's hazardous. I have already drawn blood on a baht bus. I'm not standing. Period. So there. If there is no space to sit, I'll wait for another one, thank you very much. If someone who should be waiting for a seat gets on the bus to stand, that's THEIR decision.

Also you failed to mention how to deal with the "Mrs. Robinson" type older Russian ladies giving you the horny eye. What's the proper response if not interested?

Today I took a baht bus from Jomtien where half of the passengers paid 20 baht or more . '

First an Australian , first time visitor to Pattaya, told another passenger he already paid 100 baht before he entered . Then this other passenger from UK with his Thai gf , told him that no no the price was 20 baht and he should never pay the driver in advance. 20 baht was the correct fare for foreigners, And he tried to educate the rest of us passengers that the Thais paid half of that .

Really I told him , DO I look like a Thai to you ? I always pay 10 baht .

Then when I left at Central the other passengers I observed paid 20 baht each ......

[wooloomooloo]

9- Do not touch/flirt with random girls that are giving you no attention at all. Not every girl in Pattaya is a bar girl.

It's the old playing hard to get trick. They're all interested in me.

[Jingthing]

point #1.

In Pattaya only the lowest common denominator ride baht buses.

Beats the risks of riding a motorbike here.

We hear fatalities ALL the time on bikes.

VERY RARE on the buses.

Is that correct? I seem to recall you almost bleeding to death in the wake of one of your baht bus excursions...

Just a flesh wound, snookums.

[Jingthing]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

Yeah, 20 baht?!?

The fare is TEN baht.

Also, the standing. Some people LIKE to stand. I think it's hazardous. I have already drawn blood on a baht bus. I'm not standing. Period. So there. If there is no space to sit, I'll wait for another one, thank you very much. If someone who should be waiting for a seat gets on the bus to stand, that's THEIR decision.

Also you failed to mention how to deal with the "Mrs. Robinson" type older Russian ladies giving you the horny eye. What's the proper response if not interested?

Today I took a baht bus from Jomtien where half of the passengers paid 20 baht or more . '

First an Australian , first time visitor to Pattaya, told another passenger he already paid 100 baht before he entered . Then this other passenger from UK with his Thai gf , told him that no no the price was 20 baht and he should never pay the driver in advance. 20 baht was the correct fare for foreigners, And he tried to educate the rest of us passengers that the Thais paid half of that .

Really I told him , DO I look like a Thai to you ? I always pay 10 baht .

Then when I left at Central the other passengers I observed paid 20 baht each ......

Silly tourists.

I told a Russian guy once who paid 100 baht for a 10 baht fare before I could stop him that the next time he should pay the correct fare 10 baht and the response was ANGER. This has happened more than once. I think twice now before offering friendly advice to tourists on the bus. It's quite often met with hostility and like in your case, not believed.

[FarangFB]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

Yeah, 20 baht?!?

The fare is TEN baht.

Also, the standing. Some people LIKE to stand. I think it's hazardous. I have already drawn blood on a baht bus. I'm not standing. Period. So there. If there is no space to sit, I'll wait for another one, thank you very much. If someone who should be waiting for a seat gets on the bus to stand, that's THEIR decision.

Also you failed to mention how to deal with the "Mrs. Robinson" type older Russian ladies giving you the horny eye. What's the proper response if not interested?

You misunderstood my point.

The 20 baht is just in case you don't have coins, to make easier and faster to get change instead of reaching for you wallet or a mess of baht notes from the cargo short pockets.

[Jingthing]

Sure thing.

It's better though to just pay the 10 baht in coinage.

[Satcommlee]

I love hanging onto the back of a baht bus in 3rd class.. Don't get to do that back home

[Jingthing]

I love hanging onto the back of a baht bus in 3rd class.. Don't get to do that back home

Great! You do it. More seats for me ...

[Ling Kae]

Jingthing should approve all Pattaya Baht Bus threads.

Yeah, 20 baht?!?

The fare is TEN baht.

Also, the standing. Some people LIKE to stand. I think it's hazardous. I have already drawn blood on a baht bus. I'm not standing. Period. So there. If there is no space to sit, I'll wait for another one, thank you very much. If someone who should be waiting for a seat gets on the bus to stand, that's THEIR decision.

Also you failed to mention how to deal with the "Mrs. Robinson" type older Russian ladies giving you the horny eye. What's the proper response if not interested?

Today I took a baht bus from Jomtien where half of the passengers paid 20 baht or more . '

First an Australian , first time visitor to Pattaya, told another passenger he already paid 100 baht before he entered . Then this other passenger from UK with his Thai gf , told him that no no the price was 20 baht and he should never pay the driver in advance. 20 baht was the correct fare for foreigners, And he tried to educate the rest of us passengers that the Thais paid half of that .

Really I told him , DO I look like a Thai to you ? I always pay 10 baht .

Then when I left at Central the other passengers I observed paid 20 baht each ......

Both of those guys are WRONG. Farang and Thai only pay 10 baht each, before it was double pricing here where Thais paid 5 baht and farangs 10. I've never paid more than 10 baht.

[stoli]

Now where is the list of rules for baht bus drivers?

[lemoncake]

Now where is the list of rules for baht bus drivers?

Work in progress, Jing just needs to translate it into Thai

[DefaultName]

Add

Don't charter one when it already has passengers on board. That's rude.

[jamhar]

Protect your Money..Many petty crimes are like Pick pockets are done on a Baht Bus..

Yep. I've had my pocket pinched recently. The others on the bus said nothing;.

Luckily i kept the large bills in a Velcro pocket. It was a relatively cheap lessons learned.

[jonjo]

Sure thing.

It's better though to just pay the 10 baht in coinage.

So if you get baht bus from beach road Chaiyapruek 1 Jomtien to Central Festival Mall 2nd Road its only 10 Baht?