Motorbike taxis soon to be reorganized in Pattaya

[I Like Thai]

I think the baht bus service is fantastic and only 10 baht a journey. Can get overly busy in high season and the private hire can cause problems. Even then you'd only have to wait 5 minutes or so to get one.

[ScotBkk]

Wonderful news. I just go back from Mandalay and the taxis there are cheaper, more honest and friendlier than Pattaya for sure. So much for the development and prosperity here which seems to encourage greed and dishonesty in some transport sectors.

Yesterday, my taxi driver from Don Mueang tried to get me to pay the tolls to Pattaya after we agreed on a set price. I told him he had several options. Turn around and take me back to the airport; drop me off at the next ramp in Bangkok; or stop on the shoulder so I could call the highway police. He let out an exasperate sigh and that was the end of that. Got to my destination and he got the agreed price...period.

Love it LOL!!!! I actually got into a fight for the same reason and was very lucky at the end up but will not go into detail haha

[OMGImInPattaya]

The NCPO has done more useful work in a month than elected governments have done in 10 years.

Hitler got the trains to run on time as well.

[Cake Monster]

Un-clog the streets of Pattaya by removing 60 % of the baht Buses and set up a " park and ride " system from outside the city primarily at the weekends for the day visitors.

Also lets have some out of town shopping instead of all the shopping heaped on top of each other in the center of town, with a free bus service to and from for the tourists

Maybe I think like a westerner too much - TIT

Further to post27, dont forget that the BIB have a huge presence in the " business " structure of Pattaya

Edited June 27, 2014 by Rimmer

[wgdanson]

Hi Smedley, you Should Not have an extra passenger on a motorbike..

[JohnP1752]

Couple of questions:

Will this include the darkside where the taxi mafia is even worse.

Will they teach them to use toilets instead of pissing in the corners and walls of buildings

Will they advertise prices like they're doing in Bangkok now.

Will they stop yelling out 'Taxi mister' if I walk close to them.

Will they stop getting drunk while waiting for fares.

Will they supply a reasonable helmet for passengers.

Will they be told to drive safely and not too fast.

Will they have better taxi waiting points instead of ruining small businesses.

Will they have more than one baht bus on the dark side, the one now hits the ground when it takes of its so overloaded.

Will the baht buses start using the bus stops along second and beach roads

Will the baht buses pull over instead of stopping in the middle of the road

Theres more but lets take it a step at a time and see if they do anything but talk first.

[morrobay]

The transportation service from hell ^ Regarding the baht buses. Do not board a baht bus unless it pulls completely over to curb. When the do not hand wave for them to do so, most do pull over.

And do not get off baht buses that do not pull over. Also do not get on or off buses in an intersection like soi x/beach rd

Remove triple post malfunction

Edited June 27, 2014 by morrobay

[fdbob]

I think JT has been reading some of my previous posts...

There should be many defined routes in Pattaya, (about 10 in all), Baht Buses should have clear indication of what route they a working, the routes should be regulated so that a decent service is maintained, no turning off and having to go all the way to terminating point of the route.

There are too many BB's running empty, and too many overloaded, yet with intelligent regulation of the BB's the could run smarter, use less fuel, drive less miles, less of them on the roads at any time, drivers working less hour for the same income with less outgoings.Y

If the baht buses ran odd numbers on odd days and even numbers even days there would still be enough buses and not running around empty

This is not rocket science.

[KittenKong]

The NCPO has done more useful work in a month than elected governments have done in 10 years.

Hitler got the trains to run on time as well.

That's a point in his favour then.

[kg1947]

When dropped off at Sukhumvit High Way @ the end of Pattaya Klang , BEWARE
of that group . Regular rate to Pattaya Klang / 2nd Road intersection is 50 Baht,
as a foreigner they will charge you min. 80 Baht and they are rather arrogant .
But it's only 1.- USD more and YOU have no other choice if there's baggage involved.
Otherwise, just walk across the Foot Bridge and catch Songthaew going to 2nd Road
for 10 Baht. At night this route is NOT so frequent .

[KittenKong]

Un-clog the streets of Pattaya by removing 60 % of the baht Buses and set up a " park and ride " system from outside the city primarily at the weekends for the day visitors.

Actually outside of the main Naklua/Jomtien loop there are relatively few Bahtbuses so removing 60% of them would have little effect. Removing 60% of the ones that do Naklua/Jomtien would be a disaster for both tourists and residents and would hugely increase the number of private vehicles on the same route.

Along the Naklua/Jomtien loop much of the traffic congestion is caused by allowing parking on both sides of the road and the kerbside parking being full of rental motorbikes anyway, resulting in many double-parked tour buses and other vehicles. During peak hours the Bahtbuses tend to want to keep moving as that's the only way they can earn money.

Get rid of all the parked rental motorbikes and completely ban parking on one side of the road (the left side on one-way roads) and the traffic would be much more fluid in town. Also completely ban all parking on both sides of the road near the VC Hotel area.

[firefox999uk]

I’ve just come back from Bangkok and had I lot of running around to do by

Motorbike taxis and car taxis. (one side of Bkk to the other).

Every time I told them where I wanted to go, they knew where to go.

I was in Pattaya for 3 years and not 1 motor bike taxi knew where to go (I had to direct them).

In my opinion Pattaya Baht buses are the best thing since sliced bread (so to speak).

Have A Nice Day.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Rimmer

[Ulic]

If they think Pattaya has a problem what about Phuket. My only issue with the Baht bus in Pattaya/Jomtien was no matter how many times I told

my mother and her sisters that the baht-bus fee was 10 baht each they would ask the driver how much and he would tell them 20 baht each.

This was just up or down the Jomtien beach road.

[Pattaya46]

If they think Pattaya has a problem what about Phuket.

Did you read news about Phuket last months? Do you know about the 70-80 tuktuk driver arrested by police? about the mayor arrested?

And the "cleaning" on transports continues: http://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-taxi-stand-pulled-down-as-phuket-campaign-continues-47026.php

[Jiu-Jitsu]

They should also take a look at the criminal motorcycle taxi drivers at the BaliHai end of Walking Street. At night I see them regularly ripping tourists off to the tune of 200 baht to Jomtien. Have not heard a quote of less than 150 baht for any journey, No matter how short.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Jiu-Jitsu

[OMGImInPattaya]

I think the baht bus service is fantastic and only 10 baht a journey. Can get overly busy in high season and the private hire can cause problems. Even then you'd only have to wait 5 minutes or so to get one.

Well, it kinda depends on your point of view. If your a western or Japanese tourist just using it to travel on the main tourist routes around town it's reasonably efficient and cost effective. If your a local foreign resident or Thai using the system for daily transportation or to commute to and from work, the routes are not very extensive and the cost, compared to their wages, is prohibitive. This is especially so compared to the cost of commuting in the west in safety and air-con comfort in buses and trams.

[OMGImInPattaya]

If they think Pattaya has a problem what about Phuket.

Did you read news about Phuket last months? Do you know about the 70-80 tuktuk driver arrested by police? about the mayor arrested?

And the "cleaning" on transports continues: http://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-taxi-stand-pulled-down-as-phuket-campaign-continues-47026.php

So...is it like street-walkers in Pattaya? Catch and release with a 100 baht fine? Hardly much of a deterrent to end their thieving ways!

[mrwebb8825]

ALSO ... hire smiling and friendly Public Relations tourism workers to deal with the infamous baht bus queue at South Pattaya Road.

Russian, Chinese, and English speaking of course.

Ready to answer questions politely.

Make sure boarding is handled in a civilized way especially during high season with barriers for orderly lines as needed.

Crack down on baht bus worker rudeness, physical and psychological intimidation, brandishing weapons such as stun guns, and even violence against passengers.

Crack down on unqualified drivers, who drive too fast, who drive too erratically, who speed up when people are still boarding the buses, who kick off passengers before ends of runs, demanding extra money, etc.

add to this a staff of English, Russian and Chinese speaking police with a paddy wagon standing by to haul away unruly, drunk tourists that make it unpleasant for the rest or the people.