Samui songthaew farang prices?

[Tropicalevo]

It was explained to me like this -

If you get onto a Songthaew and ask the price - he./she will respond as if a taxi (300, 400 500 baht.) He/she will happily assume that you want private hire.

If you get on a stationary songthaw and it waits - it's a bus. (20 40 60 baht)

If you get on a stationary songthaw and he/she asks where you want to go - private hire again.

If you stop a songthaew and say nothing - it's a bus. Ring the bell when you want to stop.

When you alight - give a reasonable amount of money. No cheap charlie - but give the exact amount. 20 40 60 baht. 80 baht max. Then just walk away. The driver will not waste time or call the police if you have given a reasonable fare.

Do not expect change. Get the small notes before you board the thing.

If you give 20 baht for a trip from Nathon to Chaweng - you deserve everything and anything that happens to you. What comes around, gets around.

If you treat them like shhitte- expect to have shhitte piled upon you.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Tropicalevo

[StillDragon Australia]

Will this work for tourists too?

[notmyself]

It was explained to me like this -

If you get onto a Songthaew and ask the price - he./she will respond as if a taxi (300, 400 500 baht.) He/she will happily assume that you want private hire.

If you get on a stationary songthaw and it waits - it's a bus. (20 40 60 baht)

If you get on a stationary songthaw and he/she asks where you want to go - private hire again.

If you stop a songthaew and say nothing - it's a bus. Ring the bell when you want to stop.

When you alight - give a reasonable amount of money. No cheap charlie - but give the exact amount. 20 40 60 baht. 80 baht max. Then just walk away. The driver will not waste time or call the police if you have given a reasonable fare.

Do not expect change. Get the small notes before you board the thing.

If you give 20 baht for a trip from Nathon to Chaweng - you deserve everything and anything that happens to you. What comes around, gets around.

If you treat them like shhitte- expect to have shhitte piled upon you.

Except within a one way system where you would have no idea which way they are going. In Lamai you ask Chaweng or Nathon in order to find out but it is not an indication of destination, rather direction. Unless the law has changed, a songthaw cannot be used as a private hire before 8pm because it is a government subsidised service.

[Tropicalevo]

Will this work for tourists too?

It should do - but more importantly it is how you look and behave.

If you are 'albino; white (or blotchy pink/red) with a knotted hankie on your head. Wearing rolled up trousers, black socks and a pair of thongs (flip flops to the Brits) then expect to be ripped off. You would also be ripped off in almost every other tourist destination in the world.

And Jimmy - good thinking on the one way roads - but the songthaews should have 'route' boards on the front.

Forget the 8 pm rule - it is as visible as the 'taxis using meters' law.

[notmyself]

And Jimmy - good thinking on the one way roads - but the songthaews should have 'route' boards on the front.

In theory (as many things are). Get on a bus that says Nathon... fine. 5 people turn up who want to go to Chaweng and the destination changes with your knowledge. I've had that before and it's a long way to immigration via Chaweng!

Forget the 8 pm rule - it is as visible as the 'taxis using meters' law.

Like I say, don't really use them at all now but previously, if the sun was up, 60 Baht even if just going down the road I would pay. I can honestly say that in all these years I have never had an issue with the songthaews even once other than them deciding to go the other way around the island. I know the 8pm rule is something like a general guideline because I get one to take me to the airport every so often to pick up a group of friends. That way you can all sit face to face in the back with a beer and a cigarette! One guy I have used will pick me up from home, stop off while I pick up a few drinks and some ice for the large round ice bucket, shoot off to airport and hang around for a while then back to Lamai for my friends then take me back home. 1000 Baht and I'm happy with the service.

[Mole]

I've talked to many drivers through the years and this is how it works in Samui.

During daytime, from 6am-6pm, there's the regular cars which starts 2 at the same time about every 15 mins from Choeng Mon then the split in Chaweng one going the Maenam route, the other Lamai and both end at the same place at the Nathon pier.

There is also another car which drives from Choeng Mon -> Big Buddha - Bang Rak -> Maenam -> Nathon. But this one only leaves every 1 hour or so. There's also one which goes this route from Nathon -> Bang Rak -> Choeng Mon, also about once very hour.

The drivers will let you know which way they're going and also ask you exactly where you're going so that they'll let you know if you can go with them or not.

The reason they can't drive too fast is that they're not allowed to drive so fast that they starts to overtake the car which left 15 mins before. If they do that, they'll be fined. So they're forced to keep their pace.

They are however allowed to go on any private hire at their discretion. For example, if along the way, they meet a group of farangs who wants to be taken to waterfall and have him wait for them to take them back to hotel, the driver will most likely go for it since they'll get instant lump of money.

These regular songthaews stop after 6pm or so and after that it'll be much more expensive.

In Lamai on the one-way road, often, songthaews may be taking a detour to this road, so you can really never be sure if one is going to Nathon or Chaweng. There's no sign on the cars which say where they're going. If you look carefully they all say Nathon-Lamai-Chaweng. The only way to know is to ask them where they're going.

Price structure (for locals, but if after you've asked which way they're going, and simply confidently hop in, then when you go off, nonchalantly give them the EXACT amount, it'll work for you too)

[i'm not really supposed to be telling you this... again...]

Within the same area, for example Chaweng, it's 20bt. From one are to another adjacent area, such as Chaweng-Maenam or Chaweng-Lamai, it's 40bt. It's never more than 60bt. So from Chaweng-Nathon or even Choeng Mon-Nathon, it's 60bt.

Prices aren't really based on distance. For example, I've gone on all the way from near Al's Resort Laem Son at the north of Chaweng lagoon, all the way to BigC and it's only 20bt. But if I take one from BigC to Maenam, which is shorter distance, it's gonna cost 40bt, because it's considered to be from one area to another.

[Tropicalevo]

Thanks for that Mole. One of life's little mysteries explained!

[notmyself]

A very dear friend who died in 2011 had a songthaew for years and he said pretty much what member mole said. When acting as a bus, the price was maximum 60 Baht but if you ask they will often just say 'how much you want to pay'... If you say 200 then they can accept of cause. I just tell people to get on, ring the bell when they want to get off and hand over 60 Baht exactly. Never an issue when the sun is up.

[samuijimmy]

Thanks for that Mole. One of life's little mysteries explained!

Yes, it's quite helpful having Mole around ....

But to give credit where credit is due, on this comment

"And Jimmy - good thinking on the one way roads - but the songthaews should have 'route' boards on the front" .

That was Notmyself's comment... (sorry to see "senior moments" setting in so soon after your birthday!!!)

I have stayed clear of this topic, until now! Route boards would be good....

[Birdman]

....During daytime, from 6am-6pm, there's the regular cars which starts 2 at the same time about every 15 mins from Choeng Mon then the split in Chaweng one going the Maenam route, the other Lamai and both end at the same place at the Nathon pier.

There is also another car which drives from Choeng Mon -> Big Buddha - Bang Rak -> Maenam -> Nathon. But this one only leaves every 1 hour or so. There's also one which goes this route from Nathon -> Bang Rak -> Choeng Mon, also about once very hour.

The drivers will let you know which way they're going and also ask you exactly where you're going so that they'll let you know if you can go with them or not.

......

From which place on Choeng Mon exactly? There are also regular Songtaeows going to Chaweng from Nathon on Ring Road, actually most of them. And there are also some from CHaweng to Choeng. etc

[Mole]

In Nathon they all start from the pier. You'll see lots of them parked near where the Pantip buses are parked.

From Nathon they go either the Maenam or Lamai route and then to Chaweng and back to Choeng Mon.

ALL of them drives exactly the same route.

Those in Chaweng going to Choeng Mon are at the end of their route and they've come all the way from Nathon.

It's a bit past Choeng Mon right side where there's a petrol station. Behind the station you'll see lots of them parked.

[BigC]

I just read on wikitravel that Samui songthaew drivers have started charging a fixed fare of 100 baht for foreigners. Maybe this is just some clueless tourist who foolishly asks the price before getting on and then accepts whatever the driver says. Anyone have any recent experience just getting on one and then paying the fare written on the inside of the songthaew? That's what I did last time I was in Samui without any problems but maybe things have changed recently.

This does not surprise me as it happened with DVDs my mate told me that his friend who he buys from says that they are fixed 70 baht all round the island

I did not beleive him and went to Chaweng

He was right

If they stick together then they are fighting back with the hagglers

What they don't realise is that they are pushing the market up for car rentals and people buying vehicles as it is cheaper then transport

If the transport was as good as bangkok I probably would not even have a car

Granted a sky train is a not out of reach but if buses, taxis extra all played by the rules then I would use rented vehicles and my own vehicle less

But all is not too bad as where there greediness might win them some extra bahts another profits

I rent out bikes all day long easy

Cars, the lot

If I rent a motor bike for about 150 baht to 400 baht a day that is cheaper than a one way trip to airport or Nathong

Do the maths ha ha we have the last laugh

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Mole]

Yeah, but I'd like to see how you're gonna get all your luggage on your motorbike.

Some tourists just don't want to bother with motorbikes. Some are heading home with all their luggage, so motorbike is out of question.

There's another route I forgot to mention.

This one there's only perhaps every couple of hours, there will be a car going from Nathon, but heading towards Taling Ngam, Pang-Ka and Bang Kao then back to the ring road near Hua Thanon. I have only been fortunate enough to be going on this route just a couple of times. The scenery is much much better this route than the boring ring road.

[PoorSucker]

The scenery is much much better this route than the boring ring road.

It's great on a big bike.

[StillDragon Australia]

Will this work for tourists too?

It should do - but more importantly it is how you look and behave.

If you are 'albino; white (or blotchy pink/red) with a knotted hankie on your head. Wearing rolled up trousers, black socks and a pair of thongs (flip flops to the Brits) then expect to be ripped off. You would also be ripped off in almost every other tourist destination in the world.

And Jimmy - good thinking on the one way roads - but the songthaews should have 'route' boards on the front.

Forget the 8 pm rule - it is as visible as the 'taxis using meters' law.

Thanks mate, great. I'm somewhere in the middle i'd guess. No hiding i'm a tourist but i reckon i can dodge the hanky and sandals.

[StillDragon Australia]

I've talked to many drivers through the years and this is how it works in Samui.

During daytime, from 6am-6pm, there's the regular cars which starts 2 at the same time about every 15 mins from Choeng Mon then the split in Chaweng one going the Maenam route, the other Lamai and both end at the same place at the Nathon pier.

There is also another car which drives from Choeng Mon -> Big Buddha - Bang Rak -> Maenam -> Nathon. But this one only leaves every 1 hour or so. There's also one which goes this route from Nathon -> Bang Rak -> Choeng Mon, also about once very hour.

The drivers will let you know which way they're going and also ask you exactly where you're going so that they'll let you know if you can go with them or not.

The reason they can't drive too fast is that they're not allowed to drive so fast that they starts to overtake the car which left 15 mins before. If they do that, they'll be fined. So they're forced to keep their pace.

They are however allowed to go on any private hire at their discretion. For example, if along the way, they meet a group of farangs who wants to be taken to waterfall and have him wait for them to take them back to hotel, the driver will most likely go for it since they'll get instant lump of money.

These regular songthaews stop after 6pm or so and after that it'll be much more expensive.

In Lamai on the one-way road, often, songthaews may be taking a detour to this road, so you can really never be sure if one is going to Nathon or Chaweng. There's no sign on the cars which say where they're going. If you look carefully they all say Nathon-Lamai-Chaweng. The only way to know is to ask them where they're going.

Price structure (for locals, but if after you've asked which way they're going, and simply confidently hop in, then when you go off, nonchalantly give them the EXACT amount, it'll work for you too)

[i'm not really supposed to be telling you this... again...]

Within the same area, for example Chaweng, it's 20bt. From one are to another adjacent area, such as Chaweng-Maenam or Chaweng-Lamai, it's 40bt. It's never more than 60bt. So from Chaweng-Nathon or even Choeng Mon-Nathon, it's 60bt.

Prices aren't really based on distance. For example, I've gone on all the way from near Al's Resort Laem Son at the north of Chaweng lagoon, all the way to BigC and it's only 20bt. But if I take one from BigC to Maenam, which is shorter distance, it's gonna cost 40bt, because it's considered to be from one area to another.

Thanks Mole, that's one of the best posts i've seen on any of the thailand forums