Bangkok to Pattaya Min Vans

[tezzainoz]

there is talk that the mini Vans that start and end at Victory Monument and go to Pattaya, have been ordered to move.

Can any one tell me where the Bangkok Depots will now be

I believe it all starts on the 1st July

[Trikidiki]

Reading the press reports, I think they are reorganising the parking and departure system at it's current location so ot becomes a more formal operation.

[arthurwait]

Go from ekami bus station if it stops at VM

[MeowBundit]

Not a big problem, Last 2 times I used them and they go as slow as general Ekkamai bus. This is because they stops now at petrol station near Pattaya.

[dddave]

The VM-Pattaya vans I've used leave from an alleyway just under the BTS platform, not from the roundabout which seems to be the focus of the new rules.

[tezzainoz]

The VM-Pattaya vans I've used leave from an alleyway just under the BTS platform, not from the roundabout which seems to be the focus of the new rules.

so this was my question

There is one group that leave from the Century drive way and you buy your ticket on the steps leaning inside

and the 2nd on is in a private ally way into a parking area

are these having to move or are they okay to stay

[sandyf]

I would not even think about a minibus from VM to Pattaya. Much quicker to get the Skytrain to Udon Suk and minibus from there, you need to walk a little towards Bitec and they are parked up around the corner. They have been operating from there since the BTS extension opened.

[tezzainoz]

I would not even think about a minibus from VM to Pattaya. Much quicker to get the Skytrain to Udon Suk and minibus from there, you need to walk a little towards Bitec and they are parked up around the corner. They have been operating from there since the BTS extension opened.

So by the time you would catch the sky to Udon Suk get off the sky train and walk to the Pattaya bus

The VM Pattaya mini Van is 1/3 of the way to Pattaya

Please explain this is faster

not to mention it has just cost you more for the sky train than what is cost you for the mini Van all the way to Pattaya

[dddave]

The VM-Pattaya vans I've used leave from an alleyway just under the BTS platform, not from the roundabout which seems to be the focus of the new rules.

so this was my question

There is one group that leave from the Century drive way and you buy your ticket on the steps leaning inside

and the 2nd on is in a private ally way into a parking area

are these having to move or are they okay to stay

According to a friend who lives around the corner they were operating normally today from next to Century.

[sandyf]

I would not even think about a minibus from VM to Pattaya. Much quicker to get the Skytrain to Udon Suk and minibus from there, you need to walk a little towards Bitec and they are parked up around the corner. They have been operating from there since the BTS extension opened.

So by the time you would catch the sky to Udon Suk get off the sky train and walk to the Pattaya bus

The VM Pattaya mini Van is 1/3 of the way to Pattaya

Please explain this is faster

not to mention it has just cost you more for the sky train than what is cost you for the mini Van all the way to Pattaya

You are suggesting that BITEC visitors ignore the vans outside and make their way to VM. Probably not, just looking at things from your own perspective.

From Google.

Udon Suk to Pattaya Klang 124 Km time 1Hr 29M

VM to Pattaya Klang 140Km time 1Hr 42M

[Pantor]

If you want to go by VAN. Go to Victory Monument.

By the BTS station there are a lot of VAN's waiting for you.

[elgenon]

SANDF

How many minutes????

[jack19201]

Hi, If you can not find in Ekamai then the best is take bts to bang na and from bang na walk back under the bridge and at the juction you will see few mini vans going to Pattaya, there are three booths selling coach or mini van tickets for pattaya.hope this helps. good day.

[Searat7]

I doubt that the van services with their own lots around Victory Monument will be affected but last time I took a van I had to wait 40 minutes for enough people to fill van and then the drivers always seem willing to make detours for Thai people....last trip took 3 hours from the time I arrived at van lot till I got off at Second Road.

Returning from Pattaya....the hourly bus from Jomtien to airport in Bangkok is great....90 minutes.

[RDahlin]

I live in Pattaya and often go to BKK. I have done the bus, and minivan but have found a much easier

method and that is to take Skytrain to the new airport and then from the 1st floor you can catch a direct bus

to pattaya. Skytrain is about a 20 minute ride and the bus which leaves every hour on the hour (134 baht)

takes about 2 hours. buses are nice, air conditioned. When using a minivan you are putting your life into

someone elses control. those guys drive like maniacs.

[Maroon Watcher]

...on a similar topic - Any Vans from VM that have less seats - more space - Limo?

[Kondiao]

This may seem out of the way, but, FYI, when i lived down there I would take the bus from the airport to Pattaya. Less than two hours and leaves on schedule, hourly, and costed B 154 or something like that - a couple years ago. That is from BKK to a shopping plaza right near to View Talay 1, condominium, on the road between Jomtien and Pattaya. As for getting to the airport, it used to be a B 300, taxi ride from Khao San road area to the airport, taxis leaving all the time. Those minivans whenever I took one were a fiasco - driving around picking up more passengers at different hotels, losing some passengers, transferring you to another van for the highway - so disorganized. Maybe they got their act together since then.

[hawker9000]

I live in Pattaya and often go to BKK. I have done the bus, and minivan but have found a much easier

method and that is to take Skytrain to the new airport and then from the 1st floor you can catch a direct bus

to pattaya. Skytrain is about a 20 minute ride and the bus which leaves every hour on the hour (134 baht)

takes about 2 hours. buses are nice, air conditioned. When using a minivan you are putting your life into

someone elses control. those guys drive like maniacs.

There are I think two bus services that operate from the 1st floor at Suv. One is Bell Travel Service (www.belltravelservice.com). If you're staying at a hotel in Bangkok, they will pick you up right at your hotel, and then drop you off at your hotel in Pattaya (and vice-versa as well as to/from the airport). Cost is 345B for the BKK-PTY run. 'Not sure if non-hotel pick-ups & drop-offs can be arranged or not. The pick-ups & drop-offs are done using minivans, but they'll take you to a depot in Bang Na where you'll xfr to a regular coach bus which will drop you at the North Pattaya bus station (where you'll xfr to another minivan for your drop-off). The busses are usually full during high-season - lots of Indians (& their kids...). You can reserve your seat online ('means paying ahead); during peak travel times, if you just show up at the desk at Suvarnabhumi without one, and seats on the next bus leaving are full, you might have to wait a couple of hours.

Just my opinion, but I think a MUCH preferable option to making the trip by minivan...

[sandyf]

Hi, If you can not find in Ekamai then the best is take bts to bang na and from bang na walk back under the bridge and at the juction you will see few mini vans going to Pattaya, there are three booths selling coach or mini van tickets for pattaya.hope this helps. good day.

I made that mistake first time, quite a walk back to where they park up. Easier to get off at Udon Suk and walk towards Bang Na.

[sydneyjed]

Yes you can still catch the mini-bus from Century at VM..but you can also catch the airconditiioned bus at Ekkamai bus station(just up from Nana which is 120 baht and leaves every half hour.The bus alternative from Suvarnhabumi airport departs down on Level 1 at Gate 8 and costs 134 baht.It is the best option for travellers flying direct into Bkk but for others already here a 30 minute trek out to the airport and back!

[LiorW]

The VM-Pattaya vans I've used leave from an alleyway just under the BTS platform, not from the roundabout which seems to be the focus of the new rules.

so this was my question

There is one group that leave from the Century drive way and you buy your ticket on the steps leaning inside

and the 2nd on is in a private ally way into a parking area

are these having to move or are they okay to stay

This is a bit off topic, but note that the group, in the Century drive way, charges extra ticket per suitcase, whereas the other one doesn't.