More reasons to love Pattaya's baht buses.

[thaibeachlovers]

In Chiang Mai, I couldn't get a red songtheaw to go to the airport for less than 100 baht, despite it being officially a 20 baht trip. One scoundrel wanted 200 baht.

This wasn't for a private hire either.

The other thing is that the roof on a Pattaya baht bus is high enough to stand up in, while up north, only short Thai people can get in comfortably, the roof is so low.

[KittenKong]

Sounds like the CM bahtbus drivers have been taking lessons from the Phuket TukTuk mafia.

[lemel]

I have been down to Phuket and Samui many times and you get ripped off, bent over and shafted, so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc ... my answer is buy a car or a bike or dont get on the bus....up to you as they say.

[thrilled]

Many of the songthews in Chiang Mai are taxi's on the side.As far as going to the airport I just go ahead and take A tuk tuk.

[Jingthing]

I have been down to Phuket and Samui many times and you get ripped off, bent over and shafted, so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc ... my answer is buy a car or a bike or dont get on the bus....up to you as they say.

The correct fare except for VERY long haul rides is 10 baht. Pay you want but don't diss people who pay the CORRECT fare unless you're going to diss people to who pay the correct price at 7-11.

[VBF]

I have been down to Phuket and Samui many times and you get ripped off, bent over and shafted, so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc ... my answer is buy a car or a bike or dont get on the bus....up to you as they say.

The correct fare except for VERY long haul rides is 10 baht. Pay you want but don't diss people who pay the CORRECT fare unless you're going to diss people to who pay the correct price at 7-11.

Also, the more people pay 20 Baht, the more the drivers will EXPECT it, leading to a 20 Baht standard if you're not careful. That would be 100% inflation so please... stick to paying 10 Baht!

[Yahooka]

I have been down to Phuket and Samui many times and you get ripped off, bent over and shafted, so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc ... my answer is buy a car or a bike or dont get on the bus....up to you as they say.

The fare is 10 Baht ;-)

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[Asiantravel]

Sounds like the CM bahtbus drivers have been taking lessons from the Phuket TukTuk mafia.

But in Chiang mai the red songthaews dont operate on the same basis as they do in pattaya.

The ones in Chiang mai don't follow a fixed route. You stop them and tell them where you are going and they will decide if they are prepared to make the necessary de-tours after dropping off the passengers that may already be on board to go where you want to go and charge you accordingly. You may end up going on an enormously long journey but they will get you to your destination.

[mogandave]

You can stand up in a Pattaya baht-bus?

[mogandave]

I have been down to Phuket and Samui many times and you get ripped off, bent over and shafted, so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc ... my answer is buy a car or a bike or dont get on the bus....up to you as they say.

The correct fare except for VERY long haul rides is 10 baht. Pay you want but don't diss people who pay the CORRECT fare unless you're going to diss people to who pay the correct price at 7-11.

Are the boxing lessons extra?

[Jingthing]

You can stand up in a Pattaya baht-bus?

Some do. I won't.

[SantiSuk]

One of the great value journeys of the world. Eclipsed only by Staten Island Ferry in New York - free and better views (unless you happen to have a penchant for pouting ladyboys in which case the buses are smoking )

[anon8]

.. so paying 20 baht for a trip along the beach or from Pattaya to Jomtien for me is a pleasure and I do not begrudge the amount at all. I am sure there will be the usual wingers saying about you should only pay 10 baht etc etc

..

Not good!

Next time one of us payes 10 baht, the correct price, may get into verbal altercation, or even be assaulted, because driver feels he deserves 20, double of correct fair.

You may enjoy paying twice the correct price, but please do in maybe at FXS theaters at Central, pay 280 baht instead of 140! There are security cameras at cash registers at SFX, I doubt the ticket sales guy, or a girl will risk assaulting a customer, if he/she feels like charging 280 the next guy buying ticket.

Outside, late at night, baht bus driver can do pretty much what he feels like to a foreigner.

Please don't make life difficult for people, who insist on paying correct fair.

[lemel]

I don't like Songtheaw drivers either for many reason, because they block the road, pull in, right in front of me while I'm driving all the time, cut you off, pull out without looking, stop abruptly and many other things that has been covered here 'ad nauseum' but with reagsrds a trip frm Pattaya to Jomtien or otherwise I think they are good for the price.

So lets just get this right, if I want to pay 10 baht and a 10 baht tip (20 Baht), that is my choice, not yours.

I am not responsible for you gettng into verbal altercations, or as you say being assaulted. I do not get off early, walk in the opposite direction to save 10 baht, nor do I worry or fret about will I won't I have a problem, if I give the big bad Songtheaws driver only 10 Baht!

I dont like getting ripped off the same as anybody but I dont have a problem either in paying what I believe is a fair price. If you don't like that and you believe I am dissing you, then tough, your choice, keep on paying 10 baht, getting into scuffles worrying your little heiny about what will happen and then coming on Thai visa to bleat about it. Like the OP said in the heading, ' more reasons why to love Baht bus drivers' is that THEY ARE BLOODY CHEAP! and yet they must be hundreds of posts of people complaining about "it's only 10 baht".

So as some of would like to say next move along, nothing to see.

[KittenKong]

But in Chiang mai the red songthaews dont operate on the same basis as they do in pattaya.

The ones in Chiang mai don't follow a fixed route. You stop them and tell them where you are going and they will decide if they are prepared to make the necessary de-tours after dropping off the passengers that may already be on board to go where you want to go and charge you accordingly. You may end up going on an enormously long journey but they will get you to your destination.

The OP seemed to be suggesting that it was "officially a 20 baht trip" in CM rather than being entirely negotiable, and that was what I understood from previous brief stays there during which I have never paid more than 20B.

The TukTuks in Phuket are all fully negotiable (and often absurdly expensive), hence my comment. If there is any official price structure in Phuket then I have never seen it being applied.

In Pattaya where all bahtbuses can be chartered for trips on-route or off-route the prices for such charters are also negotiable but the asking prices do tend to be much more reasonable than those of the TukTuks in Phuket. 100B for a bahtbus charter in Pattaya gets you quite a long way, but on a Phuket TukTuk it barely seems to get you to the next street corner.

[KittenKong]

I don't like Songtheaw drivers either for many reason, because they block the road, pull in, right in front of me while I'm driving all the time, cut you off, pull out without looking, stop abruptly and many other things .....

That sounds like a description of many regular Thai drivers to me.

[stoli]

You can stand up in a Pattaya baht-bus?

Some do. I won't.

I can't. And I am not tall by any means.

[Gsxrnz]

Oh goody!!!!!

It only took one day into the New Year for a Baht Bus thread to start.

Do I hear a bum-gun thread starting in the background?

[Jingthing]

Bum guns on the baht buses?

[PattayaPhom]

Where can the "official" pricing structure for routes and distance on STs be found? Any chance of posting on here to clarify.

[Jingthing]

Where can the "official" pricing structure for routes and distance on STs be found? Any chance of posting on here to clarify.

There is no such thing.

[thaibeachlovers]

But in Chiang mai the red songthaews dont operate on the same basis as they do in pattaya.

The ones in Chiang mai don't follow a fixed route. You stop them and tell them where you are going and they will decide if they are prepared to make the necessary de-tours after dropping off the passengers that may already be on board to go where you want to go and charge you accordingly. You may end up going on an enormously long journey but they will get you to your destination.

The OP seemed to be suggesting that it was "officially a 20 baht trip" in CM rather than being entirely negotiable, and that was what I understood from previous brief stays there during which I have never paid more than 20B.

The TukTuks in Phuket are all fully negotiable (and often absurdly expensive), hence my comment. If there is any official price structure in Phuket then I have never seen it being applied.

In Pattaya where all bahtbuses can be chartered for trips on-route or off-route the prices for such charters are also negotiable but the asking prices do tend to be much more reasonable than those of the TukTuks in Phuket. 100B for a bahtbus charter in Pattaya gets you quite a long way, but on a Phuket TukTuk it barely seems to get you to the next street corner.

Correct. When I first came to C M I asked on that forum about the prices, and was assured that it was 20 baht anywhere. However, that is not always true, though some of them are honest. In fact, when one takes me for the proper price, I'm so impressed that I'll tip them just for being honest.

[thaibeachlovers]

Sounds like the CM bahtbus drivers have been taking lessons from the Phuket TukTuk mafia.

But in Chiang mai the red songthaews dont operate on the same basis as they do in pattaya.

The ones in Chiang mai don't follow a fixed route. You stop them and tell them where you are going and they will decide if they are prepared to make the necessary de-tours after dropping off the passengers that may already be on board to go where you want to go and charge you accordingly. You may end up going on an enormously long journey but they will get you to your destination.

What C M needs is a fixed route for a fixed price baht bus system like Pattaya. I'd happily pay 20 baht if it meant an end to the rip offs.

If in a hurry, who wants to spend an hour more than necessary being driven all over C M?

[thaibeachlovers]

Where can the "official" pricing structure for routes and distance on STs be found? Any chance of posting on here to clarify.

There is no such thing.

There used to be one. Obviously before your time.

[Jingthing]

Where can the "official" pricing structure for routes and distance on STs be found? Any chance of posting on here to clarify.

There is no such thing.

There used to be one. Obviously before your time.

Whatever. Now not.

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