Anybody know a big bus that goes from Pattaya to Aranyaprathet or Poipet?

Cigar we discussed this in the Cambodia section already. The very nice and safe bus is the Rayong-Mukdahan bus. It is all yellow. In Pattaya it departs several times a day (mornings and evenings) from the bus station where you take the bus to Bankok. It is on Pattaya north road.

The fare Baht 250 at the moment according to one member who took the bus this week. Get your schedule information and reservation from the bus station. It is clearly advertized (last time i was in town that is).

In Aran you pay 80 baht for a tuktuk to the border OR walk out of the bus station and discuss with a motortaxi guy the price which should be 60 baht. Tuktuk is cheaper for 2-3 people obviously. Eat at the bus station if you have time, at the border it is not so great.

Edited January 29, 201511 yr by mike2011

Cigar we discussed this in the Cambodia section already. The very nice and safe bus is the Rayong-Mukdahan bus. It is all yellow. In Pattaya it departs several times a day (mornings and evenings) from the bus station where you take the bus to Bankok. It is on Pattaya north road.

The fare Baht 250 at the moment according to one member who took the bus this week. Get your schedule information and reservation from the bus station. It is clearly advertized (last time i was in town that is).

In Aran you pay 80 baht for a tuktuk to the border OR walk out of the bus station and discuss with a motortaxi guy the price which should be 60 baht. Tuktuk is cheaper for 2-3 people obviously. Eat at the bus station if you have time, at the border it is not so great.

I went to the station, fare quoted is 263b, and the bus only goes to Aranyaprathet, no return trip to Pattaya. How does one return?

Cigar we discussed this in the Cambodia section already. The very nice and safe bus is the Rayong-Mukdahan bus. It is all yellow. In Pattaya it departs several times a day (mornings and evenings) from the bus station where you take the bus to Bankok. It is on Pattaya north road.

The fare Baht 250 at the moment according to one member who took the bus this week. Get your schedule information and reservation from the bus station. It is clearly advertized (last time i was in town that is).

In Aran you pay 80 baht for a tuktuk to the border OR walk out of the bus station and discuss with a motortaxi guy the price which should be 60 baht. Tuktuk is cheaper for 2-3 people obviously. Eat at the bus station if you have time, at the border it is not so great.

I went to the station, fare quoted is 263b, and the bus only goes to Aranyaprathet, no return trip to Pattaya. How does one return?

Seriously, why would the Pattaya bus station list the times for busses departing from Aranyaprathet ?

Ask at the counter and they may know

Cigar we discussed this in the Cambodia section already. The very nice and safe bus is the Rayong-Mukdahan bus. It is all yellow. In Pattaya it departs several times a day (mornings and evenings) from the bus station where you take the bus to Bankok. It is on Pattaya north road.

The fare Baht 250 at the moment according to one member who took the bus this week. Get your schedule information and reservation from the bus station. It is clearly advertized (last time i was in town that is).

In Aran you pay 80 baht for a tuktuk to the border OR walk out of the bus station and discuss with a motortaxi guy the price which should be 60 baht. Tuktuk is cheaper for 2-3 people obviously. Eat at the bus station if you have time, at the border it is not so great.

I went to the station, fare quoted is 263b, and the bus only goes to Aranyaprathet, no return trip to Pattaya. How does one return?

There must be a huge stockpile of buses in Aranyaprathet that only made the one-way journey.

Cigar,

the return is, unfortunately, not so clearcut. There is a midnite direct bus to Pattaya but Aran is practicaly dead after 8 or 9 PM at the latest.

Depending on your needs there are several options. I assume you want to do a visa run and get back the same day, just for the sake of argument. You will need some time to get through immigration 2 times.

1)

That means you cant get the 2 PM train back to Bangkok even if you take the earliest bus from Pattaya. In case all runs perfect and you could take the train and do a leisurely trip to Kabin or Chaosengsao (spelling...). Exit the station there and take motorbike to the bus station and take the next one to Rayong = Pattaya.

Until 6 PM Bkk buses leave from Aran bus station. Do not go all the way to Morchit but switch at Kabinburi bus station to a Rayong/Pattaya bus. If there is a long wait take an earlier bus to Chonburi and switch again.

This sounds worse than it is because the bus stations have good food and you can take a break. So at the border do all asap and return to Aran. Then have food there at the station or if the bus leaves right away take away and more at Kabinburi.

If you are willing to give up on a night in Pattaya for Aran/Poipet: Take a later departure and arrive late afternoon early evening. Do the border business within 20 minutes and sleep in Aran (you could also enjoy the bizarre scene in Poipet though. Depends on your taste for adventure. Do some searches on the nightlife dedicated websites). The next morning a cool train ride at 6.45 to Chaosangsao and as above.

OR: if you like a little culture - you could visit some cool Khmer temples around Aran in the morning and then return.

Another option would be to go on to Sisophon in Cambodia, 50 kms. Sleep there and take a 6 AM motorbike ride to Banteay Chmar. One of the largest Khmer temples there is and very beautiful. Views you will remember for a very long time.