jaideeguy Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Lots of companies to choose from, but what company has the safest and most comfortable rides down to BKK now?? Reluctant to go for the double decker types as I've heard of too many accidents.......they look too top heavy. Also heard that Nakornchaiair has a new VIP service on their lower profile bus that now offers roomy airplane style seats with individual small screen TVs. Any recommendations??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losworld Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Double deckers are fine particularily if they are Scania. They are engineered to be safe. The bulk of the weight is on the top. Saab would not make them i fnot safe. Driver error is the cause of many accidents here. Chan or Nakhonchai are both fine. I like the fact Chan has plugins for laptop or phone. Nakhon does not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Nachonchai Air. 1st class. Individual back seat screens and comfortable electric seats. Plenty of leg room. http://www.nca.co.th/first_class.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 NCA..http://www.nca.co.th end of.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David48 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Nothing here ... but be super careful with stored luggage in the Busses guts and even on your person. Theiving is a real issue from what I've read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenside Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Double deckers are fine particularily if they are Scania. They are engineered to be safe. The bulk of the weight is on the top. Saab would not make them i fnot safe. Driver error is the cause of many accidents here. Chan or Nakhonchai are both fine. I like the fact Chan has plugins for laptop or phone. Nakhon does not. You don't seriously think that the name on the bus has anything to do with the maker, do you? I bet that not one in fifty of the buses bearing Scania, Mercedes, Nissan or any other internationally known manufacturer's badge has contributed anything more critical than an ashtray and the mentality of the people who apply fancy dress to the vehicles is almost certainly reflected in their build and safety standards. Look out for the Lexus and Mercedes Toyota Commuter mini vans all over town too.... Nissan Diesel? Maybe.... Nachonchai Air 1st class is the way to go but always requires booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaideeguy Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share Posted July 13, 2014 Nachonchai Air. 1st class. Individual back seat screens and comfortable electric seats. Plenty of leg room. http://www.nca.co.th/first_class.html Yeah, that looks comfortable and NCA has a good rep for safety and reliability. Which brings up a couple of questions......... We'll be going to the US embassy on Wireless road and maybe spending a couple of days down there so can anyone suggest any clean mid range family hotels either near the bus terminal or preferably near the Embassy................ and 2nd ?? is..........does NCA use the main Mo Chit terminal?? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkles Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 NCA have their own terminal just short of the main Mo Chit terminal or did last time we used them and they provide an excellent travel option. As for hotels you have a zillion options.Check out www.tripadvisor.com, www.agoda.com or similar, loads of comments from travellers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertthebruce Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Fly it's safer ..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losworld Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Double deckers are fine particularily if they are Scania. They are engineered to be safe. The bulk of the weight is on the top. Saab would not make them i fnot safe. Driver error is the cause of many accidents here. Chan or Nakhonchai are both fine. I like the fact Chan has plugins for laptop or phone. Nakhon does not. You don't seriously think that the name on the bus has anything to do with the maker, do you? I bet that not one in fifty of the buses bearing Scania, Mercedes, Nissan or any other internationally known manufacturer's badge has contributed anything more critical than an ashtray and the mentality of the people who apply fancy dress to the vehicles is almost certainly reflected in their build and safety standards. Look out for the Lexus and Mercedes Toyota Commuter mini vans all over town too.... Nissan Diesel? Maybe.... Nachonchai Air 1st class is the way to go but always requires booking. Are you saying the major companies such as NakhonChai or Chan Tours are rebadging their vehicles? I highly doubt it. I am not referring to the village VIP buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNXBKKMAN Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I have used the bus to Bangkok loads of times in the past. Never suffered any theft or problems. As I get older though I can't seem to accept a 10 hour overnight bus journey or the daytime trip. Lionair this Wednesday 16 July is 1500 baht on all their flights throughout the day, its sunday morning as i type. 1 hour travel time. Got to be safer than road travel even if it is Lionair. If you have a few days to pre book a flight before you travel the flight may be a better choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon467848 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 With so many cheap airfares with the likes of Nok Air, Lion Air and Air Asia I don't understand why people risk taking the bus given the number of fatalities.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhodie Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I always use Chan where I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBrad Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 After using Nakorn Chai a couple of months ago, I vowed I wasn't going to do that again. Not because their service or safety was poor, but rather in my opinion it's just too long to sit on a bus. And incidentally, I didn't experience the luxury shown in the photo above. First class for me (direct to Rayong, bypassing Bangkok) was in a rather ordinary partially reclining seat, not too unlike what you might find in an airplane. But the headrest was positioned for short Asian people, and really caused an uncomfortable crick in the neck. In addition, my legs could not extend well due to the design of the seat ahead of mine. It was truly an uncomfortable ride through the night; I needed a half day in my own bed to rest up. And, I'll add that I'm still quite an able-bodied man who regularly bicycles around 50 kms a couple times a week. Unless I totally forget this roundtrip experience, I don't think I'll ever take the bus to Bangkok or points south again. For whatever additional baht more, a plane is the most comfortable and safest way to go. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script> I have used the bus to Bangkok loads of times in the past. Never suffered any theft or problems. As I get older though I can't seem to accept a 10 hour overnight bus journey or the daytime trip. Lionair this Wednesday 16 July is 1500 baht on all their flights throughout the day, its sunday morning as i type. 1 hour travel time. Got to be safer than road travel even if it is Lionair. If you have a few days to pre book a flight before you travel the flight may be a better choice. Did you ever use that super duper deluxe one in the picture? Looks like it could be a very relaxing trip. Cost wise I would imagine it would be expensive. With so many cheap airfares with the likes of Nok Air, Lion Air and Air Asia I don't understand why people risk taking the bus given the number of fatalities.... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24> How much more is the flights to Bangkok compared to theses deluxe busses? That one with the TV looked good to me. Almost to good to be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar2 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 With so many cheap airfares with the likes of Nok Air, Lion Air and Air Asia I don't understand why people risk taking the bus given the number of fatalities.... i agree. one would have to be crazy to take a bus considering how cheap airfares are. almost every week you hear about a horrible bus accident here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau thai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Double deckers are fine particularily if they are Scania. They are engineered to be safe. The bulk of the weight is on the top. Saab would not make them i fnot safe. Driver error is the cause of many accidents here. Chan or Nakhonchai are both fine. I like the fact Chan has plugins for laptop or phone. Nakhon does not. You don't seriously think that the name on the bus has anything to do with the maker, do you? I bet that not one in fifty of the buses bearing Scania, Mercedes, Nissan or any other internationally known manufacturer's badge has contributed anything more critical than an ashtray and the mentality of the people who apply fancy dress to the vehicles is almost certainly reflected in their build and safety standards. Look out for the Lexus and Mercedes Toyota Commuter mini vans all over town too.... Nissan Diesel? Maybe.... Nachonchai Air 1st class is the way to go but always requires booking. Are you saying the major companies such as NakhonChai or Chan Tours are rebadging their vehicles? I highly doubt it. I am not referring to the village VIP buses. Yes, many are re-engineered to enable carriage of more passengers. Double decks were not designed or built (by Scania, Merc etc) for twisty thai roads-even parts of the main highway from Lampang to Bangkok. They are already banned on some routes and would be banned on many more if safety was a paramount consideration. Unfortunately Thailand has 6200 of them so the practicalities of bans are tricky. You may be able to find this thai comment on google: 'Land transport authorities have revealed nearly half of double-decker buses have failed basic safety tests, as major transport operators are torn over a plan to ban the vehicles.' from earlier this year. This does not only relate to poor maintenance. They are also banned on several routes in Malaysia. So, personally I would not take comfort from the fact that the bus had a Merc or Scania badge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Double deckers are fine particularily if they are Scania. They are engineered to be safe. The bulk of the weight is on the top. Saab would not make them i fnot safe. Driver error is the cause of many accidents here. Chan or Nakhonchai are both fine. I like the fact Chan has plugins for laptop or phone. Nakhon does not. You don't seriously think that the name on the bus has anything to do with the maker, do you? I bet that not one in fifty of the buses bearing Scania, Mercedes, Nissan or any other internationally known manufacturer's badge has contributed anything more critical than an ashtray and the mentality of the people who apply fancy dress to the vehicles is almost certainly reflected in their build and safety standards. Look out for the Lexus and Mercedes Toyota Commuter mini vans all over town too.... Nissan Diesel? Maybe.... Nachonchai Air 1st class is the way to go but always requires booking. Are you saying the major companies such as NakhonChai or Chan Tours are rebadging their vehicles? I highly doubt it. I am not referring to the village VIP buses. Yes, many are re-engineered to enable carriage of more passengers. Double decks were not designed or built (by Scania, Merc etc) for twisty thai roads-even parts of the main highway from Lampang to Bangkok. They are already banned on some routes and would be banned on many more if safety was a paramount consideration. Unfortunately Thailand has 6200 of them so the practicalities of bans are tricky. You may be able to find this thai comment on google: 'Land transport authorities have revealed nearly half of double-decker buses have failed basic safety tests, as major transport operators are torn over a plan to ban the vehicles.' from earlier this year. This does not only relate to poor maintenance. They are also banned on several routes in Malaysia. So, personally I would not take comfort from the fact that the bus had a Merc or Scania badge. Can't remember the exact details but I saw an article that said the government had given the industry until I believe it was 2017 to have all their double decker busses brought up to safety standards. Not sure if the Thai safety standards are good enough for them on some of the roads. On the straight stretches OK but on some of the winding not to steep roads it is a different story. edit Forgot to mention it was a good thing and the PTP were the ones responsible for it. They did do some things rite. Edited July 13, 2014 by northernjohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBobThai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 How much is the price difference between first class bus and something like Lion air?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptoyoumyfriend Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 and also if taking the bus do not forget your winter clothes since air conditioning can be brutal i think major companies like scania sell the chassis complete with drive train etc and the superstructure will be build on to it here in the country 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBrad Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 and also if taking the bus do not forget your winter clothes since air conditioning can be brutal i think major companies like scania sell the chassis complete with drive train etc and the superstructure will be build on to it here in the country Oh, yes, that is true. That, and the obnoxious Thai movie or music that's unavoidable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hawkeye76 Posted July 14, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted July 14, 2014 (edited) I dont even understand why the question busses vs airplanes is even being asked.. If you book 3-4 days before your flight, you can usually get airplane for around 1000thb. Why bother with busses, when prices are max 200thb cheaper, for a decent ticket ? That nca bus service with the airline seats, im fairly sure cost more than a airplane ticket.. Crazy to use those services.. Only 1 hour in airplane vs 12 hours in a bus, even if you pay 3-400thb more for the airplane, is a no brainer.. Do you like to stay alive ?.. Ok, not use a bus service. DO you like to get to destination asap ? Ok, dont use a bus. DO you like to arrive to youy destination all <deleted> up, and hurting in your back/ass and so on, after 12 hours ?.. Ok, get on the bus ;-) Edited July 14, 2014 by hawkeye76 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Where buses are concerned; if NCA don't go there....I don't go ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Where buses are concerned; if NCA don't go there....I don't go ! I do but then I drive.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricklev Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 +1 for flying. Unless you have some fear of flying it's hard to imagine why anyone would take a bus. OK, maybe I can see taking a day bus for the scenery, but a night bus to save 400 baht. Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousehound Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I see there are some comments on this post referring to Lion Air. When I look them up the flights come up as Air Asia between CNX and BKK. Is this a new service and their Website not up to date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon467848 Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I see there are some comments on this post referring to Lion Air. When I look them up the flights come up as Air Asia between CNX and BKK. Is this a new service and their Website not up to date? http://www.lionairthai.com/en 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousehound Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 .. Thanks for the link. Very interesting option I have never thought of before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phrafarang Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 NCA to BK is, or was, 800 baht for 1st Class VIP. I have never had a problem with them, leave at 10pm sleep all the way and get into Mo Chit at 6'ish in the morning, short taxi ride to the BTS. Maybe I am not booking early enough but every time I have tried Lion Air for a flight to BK it has been fully booked, flew to BK yesterday with Thai and it was 1800 baht for the 7am flight, the later ones were considerably more expensive. No, its not a great deal of money but if i don't need to get to BK for business I am just as happy to take the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNXBKKMAN Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I see there are some comments on this post referring to Lion Air. When I look them up the flights come up as Air Asia between CNX and BKK. Is this a new service and their Website not up to date? When you look for the low cost airline flights you need to go direct to the airlines website. Don't bother with intermediary sites that that may intercept you search. Google doesn't help as it will accept payment from these sites and put them at the top of the search results. Air Asia will only have air Asia flights, lionair will only ever have their flights etc. Before you book anything make sure your on the correct site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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