Baht Bus Fares Went Up?

[Jingthing]

if you don't pay what he demands you do risk being violently assaulted.

Got to love the baht bus drivers...paragons of Thai society...

Just keeping it real.

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[boldface]

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.

I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than

The average thai and can afford it.

Wash your mouth out with soap! There are poor farangs around here who get mortally offended by 5 baht! Hope the OP doesn't go to any tourist attraction where he would be paying 200-300% more than the locals for the audacity of not looking like an Asian dude.

[jpduggan]

No idea as I hardly ever use them now, but it's long amazed me that it's stayed at 10 Baht for so long when you think what's happened to the oil price in that time. The only increase I'm aware of in the last 10 years was when they stopped charging Thais 5 Baht and demanded 10 Baht from them as well. To be honest I would be quite happy to pay 20 Baht if I used them regularly. I'm sure Jingthing will have something to say on the subject.

That's a lot to say for someone who hardly ever uses them!

[jacko45k]

No, the rates have not gone up.

Drivers tend to play more games as high season approaches.

Oh great, just one more week to the official start of the high season and the ensuing price hikes and crowds!

Darned tourists.

[onemorechang]

Total lawless scumbags the lot of them

Give them only the correct fare.

Or better still give them nothing

Walk, cycle or buy / rent a motor bike / car.

I stopped using them over ten years ago, total A-holes.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Rimmer
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[DavoTheGun]

So what is the Principle, Money no doubt! Cheap Charlie !!!

Another beer downed?

I do not Drink Beer or Spirits, only a bottle of good Aussy Red sometimes ! If you people are so concerned about Principles you are in the wrong place, Thais only know about "Face" not about Principles. I am Married to a Thai !

[Roger Lee]

You can come down from your soapbox now, I don't appreciate being preached to.

It's not about the money, I don't like being taken advantage of.

I didn't realize taking photos in Pattaya was against the law and no I don't go around looking for confrontations.

I only asked if the baht bus fares have gone up.

Yeah, I thought it was strange to be charged 15 baht per person, it was just two of us so I gave my gf (I always let her pay since she's Thai) another 20 baht and waved him off.

As he was pulling away I took a photo of the baht bus with the license number. That's when it got a little weird, he stopped the truck got out and started screaming the rates have changed. Why would he be upset to have me photograph his truck if he'd done nothing wrong?

I wave him off again and kept on walking. After witnessing first hand the dog pack mentality of Thai's when it comes to fighting I know better than to stand up for what I feel/think is right, not worth it. I feel lucky not to have any confrontations period, just walk away smiling.

No, the rates have not gone up.

Drivers tend to play more games as high season approaches.

I must say though if you get a driver like that, if you don't pay what he demands you do risk being violently assaulted.

As someone who rides all the time I can tell real changes from incidental bad apple drivers.

Occasional incidents do not represent actual "official" changes.

The OFFICIAL RATES which have not changed are 10 baht for all rides and 20 baht for EXCEPTIONALLY long rides.

The latter has never been defined, so it's possible some drivers will demand 20 from further out Jomtien to Central but that is rare.

IF you pass PATTAYA KLANG, it is more common for there to be a demand of 20, and in my opinion if you go as far as Big C you should just pay 20 without being asked.

Really Pattaya Klang is the semi-official marking line ... it does become a greyer area after that.

Some drivers in past especially during high season have kicked off all passengers at South Pattaya Road or made a big announcement there, that to go further will be 20 baht. These are bad apples.

I suggest just getting off if meeting these bozos.

15 is a creative twist.

If it starts to happen that a MAJORITY of drivers starts demanding 15 from Jomtien to Central, then I will conclude they had a "meeting" and that might be something real. Not even close to that yet! Incidental reports mean almost nothing.

Cheers and safe riding!

So Roger Lee you risked confrontation for 10 baht. Hasn't anyone warned you about taking photos. What were you trying to prove by doing so? What's wrong with you people, 10 baht extra is bugger all and even if you paid 15 baht each, it is a fairly inexpensive trip. The higher amount equates to 50 cents in my country's currency (Australia) whilst 10 baht equates to about 33.3 cents. Are you so poor that this amount is going to break you?

Instead of whinging about ten baht why didn't you just say no, alight and walk to where you were going or get another bus. But then maybe you would have more complaints to air here. To get off, walk or take another bus would save a lot of the BS that you are going on about over a miniscule amount.

Just think how hard it is for the average Thai to feed himself, his family, own a home if he is lucky and all for a miserable amount of between 5,000 and 10,000 a month in wages. Never hear them complain, they always smile and seem to get by. Why is it only the Farangs on TVF who complain about being ripped of or paying too much. Must be sad to be poor.

Tell me, what do you mean by wave him off. Some people might think this gesture is rude and seeing that you always get you Thai girlfriend to pay can I assume you do not speak Thai. Why not get her to query the charge rather then you trying to be the macho farang. It might have saved you a lot of drama. or were you hoping by having your girlfriend pay that you will get Thai rates. Very rarely happens I can assure you.

I am married to a Thai and have never expected to receive privileges for this. However, I can speak Thai and look after myself, have a Thai License and treat others with respect and courtesy that everyone should be afforded. Through this I have found, on many occasions, that I have been charged the Thai rate, even when alone but on occasions when they wanted to charge me the Farang price I tell them politely that I am not prepared to pay that rate and walk away. Sometimes they relent other times they don't but I have never sought a confrontation and at least I know I will not place myself in a position where my safety is jeopardised for 10 baht.

[Roger Lee]

I live on my principles, if you choose to live on showing good face, more power to you.

So what is the Principle, Money no doubt! Cheap Charlie !!!

Another beer downed?

I do not Drink Beer or Spirits, only a bottle of good Aussy Red sometimes ! If you people are so concerned about Principles you are in the wrong place, Thais only know about "Face" not about Principles. I am Married to a Thai !

[Roger Lee]

I have been to many venues where I've had to pay extra for being a farlang. Not a problem as the rates are posted and I have a choice if I want to pay that or not.

If the baht fares have gone up, good, I'll pay that, no problem. If I have to pay extra without warning just because a driver feels like soaking me, that's different. But I will relent and pay, no confrontations. I do reserve to right to ask if this rate is new or not though.

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.
I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than
The average thai and can afford it.

Wash your mouth out with soap! There are poor farangs around here who get mortally offended by 5 baht! Hope the OP doesn't go to any tourist attraction where he would be paying 200-300% more than the locals for the audacity of not looking like an Asian dude.

[quandow]

Prices for me have gone DOWN, but the games have gone WAY UP. I used to be able to ride a baht bus around beach road and 2nd road for hours if I felt like staying on, but now you get kicked to the curb at Walking Street. Same with all other routes, and there were MANY drivers who wanted to charge me 100 baht and up before I even got on.

[Roger Lee]

So a person with deep pockets should pay more?

Is that like wealth distribution?

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.
I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than
The average thai and can afford it.

[TheCruncher]

Prices for me have gone DOWN, but the games have gone WAY UP. I used to be able to ride a baht bus around beach road and 2nd road for hours if I felt like staying on, but now you get kicked to the curb at Walking Street. Same with all other routes, and there were MANY drivers who wanted to charge me 100 baht and up before I even got on.

And you consider that kicking you off after you made a complete round is a bad game?

You realize that they are a transport company and not a sight seeing tour company, don't you?

[balo]

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.

I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than

The average thai and can afford it.

FYI , Songthews do not run on gasoline but LPG, the price is 3 times lower .

[DavoTheGun]

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.

I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than

The average thai and can afford it.

FYI , Songthews do not run on gasoline but LPG, the price is 3 times lower .

And So !

[sparkey]

Thai face LOL. English face more important. Never back down. Never will . Got the scars to prove it though. LOL.

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[joepattaya1961]

AFAIK, the fares are THB 10 per zone and there are 3 zones:

- Jomtien (roughy from Chaiyakpruk II up to Buddha Hill)

- Pattaya (roughly from Buddha Hill up to Dolphin Roundabout)'

- Naklua (roughly from Moo Baan Naklua up to Delphin Roundabout)

Any crossing of Buddha Hill or Dolphin Roundabout will add THB 10 to the fare.

So, the OP should have paid THB 20 for a ride from Jotmtien to Central Beach Pattaya.......I guess

[balo]

AFAIK, the fares are THB 10 per zone and there are 3 zones:

- Jomtien (roughy from Chaiyakpruk II up to Buddha Hill)

- Pattaya (roughly from Buddha Hill up to Dolphin Roundabout)'

- Naklua (roughly from Moo Baan Naklua up to Delphin Roundabout)

Any crossing of Buddha Hill or Dolphin Roundabout will add THB 10 to the fare.

So, the OP should have paid THB 20 for a ride from Jotmtien to Central Beach Pattaya.......I guess

Wrong , it's always been 10 baht to Central from Jomtien . I should know since I live here .

[BangkokHank]

why are all you Cheap Charlies Carrying on about a few Baht, get a life it should be 30 Baht from Jomtien to Pattaya in my opinion !! How Much would you pay at home for Taxi ?

So, are you are comparing the price of what is essentially a bus in a low-wage country with the cost of a taxi in a high-wage place? In that case, then I would like to complain about the price of cheese - and imported beer - in Thailand. Those things "should" cost only a quarter of what they cost here.

[BangkokHank]

Why would he be upset to have me photograph his truck if he'd done nothing wrong?

Precisely.

[Jingthing]

AFAIK, the fares are THB 10 per zone and there are 3 zones:

- Jomtien (roughy from Chaiyakpruk II up to Buddha Hill)

- Pattaya (roughly from Buddha Hill up to Dolphin Roundabout)'

- Naklua (roughly from Moo Baan Naklua up to Delphin Roundabout)

Any crossing of Buddha Hill or Dolphin Roundabout will add THB 10 to the fare.

So, the OP should have paid THB 20 for a ride from Jotmtien to Central Beach Pattaya.......I guess

That could not be more wrong.

The fare again was TEN baht.

End of.

[Munger]

So what is the Principle, Money no doubt! Cheap Charlie !!!

Another beer downed?

I do not Drink Beer or Spirits, only a bottle of good Aussy Red sometimes ! If you people are so concerned about Principles you are in the wrong place, Thais only know about "Face" not about Principles. I am Married to a Thai !

If its all about "Face", then your Thai wife will have lost a lot of face because she has a farang husband, Surely ?

[Jingthing]

AFAIK, the fares are THB 10 per zone and there are 3 zones:

- Jomtien (roughy from Chaiyakpruk II up to Buddha Hill)

- Pattaya (roughly from Buddha Hill up to Dolphin Roundabout)'

- Naklua (roughly from Moo Baan Naklua up to Delphin Roundabout)

Any crossing of Buddha Hill or Dolphin Roundabout will add THB 10 to the fare.

So, the OP should have paid THB 20 for a ride from Jotmtien to Central Beach Pattaya.......I guess

Wrong , it's always been 10 baht to Central from Jomtien . I should know since I live here .

These "zones" are in his brain. Nothing about real life on the streets here.

This kind of reminds me of Americans in Thailand feeling they must tip based on the same rules in Thailand that they are basically OBLIGATED to in the U.S. It's in their heads. It's not in Thailand. Thais won't mind though!

Edited October 24, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Jomtien to Klang and beyond has always[2007 - 2014] been 20B.

Again, you are wrong.

The fare to there is 10 baht.

They will take your 20. Up to you.

But the correct fare is the fare that is almost always accepted -- TEN BAHT.

If you don't believe me, ride that route twenty times starting now and pay the ten baht and report back how many times the driver demanded twenty.

Most likely, at most ONE out of the twenty.

Before you say the driver doesn't remember where you got on, that is BS. They know.

As said before you will occasionally get the bozos who make a scene at Pattaya Tai ... I don't include them ... they are bad behaving outliers.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Jingthing

[johnnycthedog]

Songthews are so cheap.They have been so low for so long.With the price of gasoline I'm surprised that they aren't charging 50 baht.

I believe if I was A Songthew driver I would charge farangs more simply for the reason most of them have more money than

The average thai and can afford it.

I had an interesting experience once on Second Rd daytime. The baht bus driver politely ask me to leave his baht bus - no charge. I was the only one on board and about 3/4 km away from my destination. He spied a large group of well dressed tourists, possibly Russians, 50 metres ahead. I got off and he sped off like a demon to pick up these tourists. A very full load indeed and probably a profitable one.

No problem, no charge, just hopped on another baht bus a minute later.

[Jingthing]

All kinds of "fun" stuff can happen on the bus.

You never know and need to adjust with the circumstances.

Sometimes they pick up a charter load when there are regular passengers on board and without any warning take HUGE DETOURS to serve the charter people.
Big fun!

[Roger Lee]

Thank you for reiterating that.

Why would he be upset to have me photograph his truck if he'd done nothing wrong?

Precisely.

[ARGUSEYE]

Here a little anekdote about Pattaya songtaew drivers from over 30 years ago:

An Aussie friend's daughter, about 11, had to go every evening to attend english class, in school girl's uniform. So she goes off to the main road to catch a songtaew. And every evening, (we were in hearing distance), the shout came:

Papa, they don't stop!!

The fact was, the songtaews even then, early eighties, did NOT stop for a single pupil in uniform because they knew they would only get their two baht (at that time).

So, regularly Papa had to go and to stand next to his daughter.... The NEXT songtaew stopped, thinking to get a fiver off the Farang, or even more.

Daughter steps in, father says beye beye and comes back to the bungalow.

Now.. This is one of the few cases when a Farang outwits the Thai!

[TheCruncher]

All kinds of "fun" stuff can happen on the bus.

You never know and need to adjust with the circumstances.

Sometimes they pick up a charter load when there are regular passengers on board and without any warning take HUGE DETOURS to serve the charter people.

Big fun!

So you get a sight seeing at no extra charge. Can't understand why you always complain about those generous guys.

[Jingthing]

All kinds of "fun" stuff can happen on the bus.

You never know and need to adjust with the circumstances.

Sometimes they pick up a charter load when there are regular passengers on board and without any warning take HUGE DETOURS to serve the charter people.

Big fun!

So you get a sight seeing at no extra charge. Can't understand why you always complain about those generous guys.

I agree, I don't usually mind as long as they take you back or it doesn't take too long if in a hurry. I have heard some reports of people being detoured well off routes and then basically forced into expensive charter fares back. Not saying the detours happen all that often, but in my experience more often in high season when regular riders are devalued.

[ThaiBob]

AFAIK, the fares are THB 10 per zone and there are 3 zones:

- Jomtien (roughy from Chaiyakpruk II up to Buddha Hill)

- Pattaya (roughly from Buddha Hill up to Dolphin Roundabout)'

- Naklua (roughly from Moo Baan Naklua up to Delphin Roundabout)

Any crossing of Buddha Hill or Dolphin Roundabout will add THB 10 to the fare.

So, the OP should have paid THB 20 for a ride from Jotmtien to Central Beach Pattaya.......I guess

Wrong , it's always been 10 baht to Central from Jomtien . I should know since I live here .

These "zones" are in his brain. Nothing about real life on the streets here.

This kind of reminds me of Americans in Thailand feeling they must tip based on the same rules in Thailand that they are basically OBLIGATED to in the U.S. It's in their heads. It's not in Thailand. Thais won't mind though!

I agree his "zones" are a creation of his imagination but let's not drag the thread off course by mentioning tipping which can be controversial here. I have been chastised by my American expat friends for "only" tipping 10% in western restaurants here. Edited October 25, 2014 by ThaiBob