Does anyone know what happens to baht buses (song taews) that flow by the dozens literally along Buakhao to Pattaya Tai and none come back? Again last night I waited 10 minutes for a bus toward Pattaya Klang at Soi Chaiyaphum. Absolutely none came, even as I arrived at Klang on foot, so about 20-25 minutes later in total. Last night was particularly bad and maybe the music festival had something to do with it. But there are many nights when 15 will roll by southbound and 10-15 minutes later, maybe one comes back. This is about midnight to 2 a.m. I ended up walking the entire way home to Big C Extra, which happens more often than not anyway.

A few nights ago a single baht bus going to Klang finally came by almost full. The driver was a maniac. Was fortunate enough to join a queue of two people waiting for the Klang bus. That always makes your odds better a bus will stop. One came up to us, paused, then started to roll away. Then stopped because a fourth person joined us. Many times a bus will roll by empty on way to Sukhumvit and won't even pick up anyone on the way by, seemingly clueless that a few extra 10-baht coins are worth earning.

Anyway, I feel sorry for low-income Thais who have to endure this every night. And this is more a rant than anything else.

Difficult to make logical decisions when you're tossed.

I wish a few hundred of them would drive off the end of the earth, never to return!

When beach road is closed the easy circular route for the buses is Second road Pattaya Klang, Soi Buakhao, Pattaya Tai. If they head the other way then they would have to turn right on Pattaya Klang onto second road and have no easy way to get back to Pattaya Tai, Third road maybe.

The OP is right.

I think so anyway as I mostly take the southerly route.

When I've tried the northern direction, fewer buses.

the buses get parked up on the second road..junction of pattaya thai...also opposite the school on the second road...

they are looking for the big money..500 to hire the whole bus to take you home..

take a walk there around 1 pm..you will see them

On a related note, is there any way to tell if, when going down on SBK, the bus will turn left (East) on Pattaya Tai or right (West) towards the Second Road intersection?

(Other than just asking the driver, yes. )

most buses turn right..as it gets them back on the circuit..to turn left takes them out of the way..

easy way is to ask them,,,pattaya thai mai..or second road mai...

Agree always more doing southern route on Soi Buakhao. Op was posting about no buses when beach road closed because of music festival. On normal days when beach road is open there is more going the southern route as only half of the baht buses are allowed to do the complete beach road route so the others find it easy to do Soi Buakhao/Second road circular route.