Do some seats recline more than others and which have the most leg room?

Thanks in advance.

I've done the minibus from Bangkok to Hua Hin 2 or 3 times, ride from hell. Caffeined up drivers, if you are over 4'6" your knees will be crammed up against your throat and there are no seatbelts. If it is the minibus you are referring to don't do it, opt for the taxi, train or just walk.

As it's in the CM forum, the Cm-HH Sombat Tour bus (851 baht) has seats that go right back:

/additional: 'Best place to sit on bus'. Inside usually helps. But sitting in the middle reduces potential for travel sickness.//

Took it once (Sombat Tour HH to CM leaving HH at 18:30) - never again! Very, very uncomfortable seats, stops many, many times all night long with people getting on and off, freezing cold A/C, thin little polyester blanket that is worthless. Why subject yourself to this? Fly to Don Mueang and take a mini-van from Victory Monument to HH/Cha Am.

As it's in the CM forum, the Cm-HH Sombat Tour bus (851 baht) has seats that go right back:

st.jpg

/additional: 'Best place to sit on bus'. Inside usually helps. But sitting in the middle reduces potential for travel sickness.//

Yup that's the bus. Your back will feel like hell the next day! Never again.

The CIA could learn a lot from the Sombat Bus Company on how to torture occupants for 12 hours, non stop, until they are pleading to get off.

Firstly the seats might look comfortable but they are not,some the reclining mechanism has long gone and sharp metal edges can injure you very easily.Then you have the TV going with a collection of C grade Thai and Chinese movies,soaps,concerts etc for the duration at high volume so you will need ear plus to retain sanity. The food is appalling, cold rice and pork and sweet biscuits supplemented by those small cartons of fake fruit juice. Only one stop is made so the toilet by the time you are nearing HH is best to avoid.

Of course Sombat is the ONLY bus company at present, CM to HH direct, If there was competition, Nakorn Chai Air for example, they would have to life their game and most enlightened people would go with Nakorn

We have used the day service 4 times but never again.I hope at some time in the future there will be direct flights CM to HH. There must be some valid reason why this route has not been introduced.

I would be very wary of using Mini Vans from Bangkok to HH some drive like maniacs,the mini van accident rate speaks for itself.The alternative is a bus from the Southern Bus terminal which takes about 3-4 hours. Not an easy answer, CM to HH.

Toughen up ladies. It's a bus. No Greyhound service here so make do with it or fly.

The CIA could learn a lot from the Sombat Bus Company on how to torture occupants for 12 hours, non stop, until they are pleading to get off.

Firstly the seats might look comfortable but they are not,some the reclining mechanism has long gone and sharp metal edges can injure you very easily.Then you have the TV going with a collection of C grade Thai and Chinese movies,soaps,concerts etc for the duration at high volume so you will need ear plus to retain sanity. The food is appalling, cold rice and pork and sweet biscuits supplemented by those small cartons of fake fruit juice. Only one stop is made so the toilet by the time you are nearing HH is best to avoid.

Of course Sombat is the ONLY bus company at present, CM to HH direct, If there was competition, Nakorn Chai Air for example, they would have to life their game and most enlightened people would go with Nakorn

We have used the day service 4 times but never again.I hope at some time in the future there will be direct flights CM to HH. There must be some valid reason why this route has not been introduced.

I would be very wary of using Mini Vans from Bangkok to HH some drive like maniacs,the mini van accident rate speaks for itself.The alternative is a bus from the Southern Bus terminal which takes about 3-4 hours. Not an easy answer, CM to HH.

Yes that is true. Only one toilet stop in 12 hours. Many of the seats are indeed broken. I don't recall any food being given on the bus but there was one stop at about 1:00 in the morning at a fantastic, huge khao tom shop in Nakhon Sawan or Phatum Thani or someplace like that. The food was fantastic. People were eating like they hadn't eaten in weeks. The really good Thai food is not in Chiang Mai it is in the South.

Vans from Victory monument leave frequently and get there quick. It's probably better than the mini-busses to Mae Sai. A lot fewer turns in tne road. They will make one rest stop. Bus from Southern terminal was good, also. I once flew into Swampy, took the free shuttle to the bus terminal there, then boarded a bus to the Southern Terminal. I think the 25 thb van toOn Nut, then BTS to Victory would be an option, too. I retired from marathon bus rides after a brutal KK to CM trip last year.

Or the southern train line from Bkk. (night sleeper car) ? The southern track is in better shape than the northern and it sure is nice to stretch out in the berth.

You can take the bus Nakhonchai air, VIP first class 21 seat, Chiang Mai-Bangkok, 876 baht, time schedule

CM 10:30- BKK 20:00

CM 21:30- BKK 06:50

CM 22:20- BKK 07:50

Here is info. http://www.nca.co.th/firstclass.php

From Bangkok - Hua Hin, you can take the bus from Suvarnabhumi airport, time schedule 07:30, 09:30, 13:30, 16:30, 18:30,

ticket 305 baht, take time about 3 hours and half. http://www.airporthuahinbus.com/

http://www.belltravelservice.com/pages/PageAboutSharedTransfer.aspx

they do a 24 seater to Hua Hin from Swampy for 305 Baht if you wanted to fly part of the trip

Took it once (Sombat Tour HH to CM leaving HH at 18:30) - never again! Very, very uncomfortable seats, stops many, many times all night long with people getting on and off, freezing cold A/C, thin little polyester blanket that is worthless. Why subject yourself to this? Fly to Don Mueang and take a mini-van from Victory Monument to HH/Cha Am.

You can also take a bus direct from the airport. (Suvarnabhumi). That saves the trek into town to Victory Monument, and then the a cramped van.

And where to sit.. in the middle. At the back it's bumpier and the toilet is in the back, which you don't want to be next to. And in the front relatively more people die when there is an accident.

For daytime buses you may also want to pick the side that does't get the afternoon sun.

Took it once (Sombat Tour HH to CM leaving HH at 18:30) - never again! Very, very uncomfortable seats, stops many, many times all night long with people getting on and off, freezing cold A/C, thin little polyester blanket that is worthless. Why subject yourself to this? Fly to Don Mueang and take a mini-van from Victory Monument to HH/Cha Am.

You can also take a bus direct from the airport. (Suvarnabhumi). That saves the trek into town to Victory Monument, and then the a cramped van.

And where to sit.. in the middle. At the back it's bumpier and the toilet is in the back, which you don't want to be next to. And in the front relatively more people die when there is an accident.

For daytime buses you may also want to pick the side that does't get the afternoon sun.

Sombat Tour buses the toilet is in the middle but way down by the steps.

I'd personally rather have one rough, relatively timely (12hrs that far is good here) journey (just down some sleeping pills, or summat) than tatty connections that won't save big on time, and if the guy's on a budget... Also, flying partway really isn't all that quicker when one factors in taxi/waiting/transfer/baggage/waiting for bus/bus journey. If you have money, fly to DM and take the Cesna to HH (no direct flights from CM). But if you're a travel buff, you could train it all the way, or fly to DM, waltz over the bridge, take the 11 bahter (?) to Hualamaphong, then the service (sometimes five hours) to HH. It has a cute station and is walking distance from hotels. Just avoid messing with the bus to M.chit, then to Sai Tai Mai, then to HH. Yuck!

huge khao tom shop in Nakhon Sawan or Phatum Thani or someplace like that. The food was fantastic. People were eating like they hadn't eaten in weeks. The really good Thai food is not in Chiang Mai it is in the South.

That's more north/centre than south, innit. Some decent curries in the south South, but a lot of mediocre quality.

Sorry but I just couldn't resist! In my honest & well travelled opinion, the best place to sit on ANY bus going ANYWHERE!........is on your bum!

The upper level front row have great foot room but would't recommend it from a safety standpoint.

This is from Udon Thani #2 bus station boneyard

I'd personally rather have one rough, relatively timely (12hrs that far is good here) journey (just down some sleeping pills, or summat) than tatty connections that won't save big on time, and if the guy's on a budget... Also, flying partway really isn't all that quicker when one factors in taxi/waiting/transfer/baggage/waiting for bus/bus journey. If you have money, fly to DM and take the Cesna to HH (no direct flights from CM). But if you're a travel buff, you could train it all the way, or fly to DM, waltz over the bridge, take the 11 bahter (?) to Hualamaphong, then the service (sometimes five hours) to HH. It has a cute station and is walking distance from hotels. Just avoid messing with the bus to M.chit, then to Sai Tai Mai, then to HH. Yuck!

I don't think I would recommend the train just now with the 13 derailments already this year!

Train service is suspended at least until 31 October due to all the derailments.

Took it once (Sombat Tour HH to CM leaving HH at 18:30) - never again! Very, very uncomfortable seats, stops many, many times all night long with people getting on and off, freezing cold A/C, thin little polyester blanket that is worthless. Why subject yourself to this? Fly to Don Mueang and take a mini-van from Victory Monument to HH/Cha Am.

I've taken the bus 4 times. Only stop was the half way point for fuel and food. Freezing cold is always a possiblity on a SE Asian bus, weren't you prepared? That so-called 'thin' blanket was enough for me.The seats are no better than OK for the first few hours, bearable for the next few hours, then bad enough for the last few hours that I wonder why I didn't fly. I'm thin by most standards. I expect fatties would hate the seats from the get-go.

My financial situation changed. I now fly plus bus from Bangkok to HH. Takes a little less time but I arrive with an OK mind and body, vs arriving wiped out from the bus.

If anybody asks me for travel advice in Thailand I have one standard answer. You have a choice of the suicide bus, the suicide van, the suicide train, or the suicide taxi.

If funds are an issue and you place very little value on your life, go for the suicide bus or suicide van. You'll probably (hopefully) get there in one piece but you can be sure the adrenalin will stop you from sleeping for a day or two - been there, got several T-shirts.

But for the same cost of one ore two night's accommodation in a reasonable hotel in Farangland you can take the suicide taxi from virtually anywhere to anywhere in Thailand. At least you have control over the pit stops. And you can even get the driver to take you for a 20 minute spin before you contract him to make sure he knows his arse from his elbow.

But if you're gonna take the bus, the best seat is right beside the driver so you can be the one that makes sure he stays awake.

As far towards the back as possible.

Unless you are young, small and limber, or a masochist, avoid mini-vans. As WTK mentioned, if it is a daytime trip pick the side that will keep you out of the afternoon sun, that will be the left side for a trip south. If it is a night trip on an air-conditioned bus bring something warm to wear, I use a polartec turtleneck zip-up jacket. For VIP seats, which seem to be designed for people with a back deformity, I use a rolled-up towel for lower back support. If there are seatbelts, use them, even if you are the only one on the bus to do so. There's nothing wrong with being the smartest person on the bus.

However, as many people have mentioned, I would not take a bus for a trip that long if I had an alternative. Flying is better.

re

Best place to sit on bus

on a thai bus ...... near the back !

dave2

re

Best place to sit on bus

on a thai bus ...... near the back !

dave2

Classic photo, but typical!

As it's in the CM forum, the Cm-HH Sombat Tour bus (851 baht) has seats that go right back:

st.jpg

/additional: 'Best place to sit on bus'. Inside usually helps. But sitting in the middle reduces potential for travel sickness.//

I was just looking at the picture and began to wonder how much room is left for the passenger behind you if he/she prefers to sit up straight.

The best place might be directly behind the driver,then you

can tap him on the shoulder if he goes too fast and is driving

erratically, or slap him around the ear if he falls asleep at the

wheel,

regards Worgeordie