Hi there hope somebody can help as I've been googling away and there seems to be a lot of out of date info on this journey. Basically I want to get a big bus from Pattaya to Ko Chang which I think involves a big bus to Trat and then songthaew to Laem Ngob and then the ferry. Can anyone update me as to the latest on this route. I prefer the big bus because I'm fed up with crazy minvans and their dangerous ways. Many thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.

You can take the bus to Trat and it will make a stop about 15km before Trat to let off passengers bound to Koh Chang. Then you take a songthaew from there to the ferry pier, I believe the charge is 120 baht. You wait a variable amount of time for the songthaew to leave, there is no air conditioning. Then you take another songthaew to your resort after the ferry crossing, the charge depends on how far your resort is from the ferry. For those reasons, I much prefer taking a minivan from Pattaya direct to my resort.

Many thanks for the reply camble - happy to use songthaews for the last leg - do you happen to know the times of the buses ?

No, I use minivans. They are much more convenient.

No, I use minivans. They are much more convenient.

maybe convenient but lethal

http://driving-in-thailand.com/accidents-involving-minivans/

No, I use minivans. They are much more convenient.

maybe convenient but lethal

http://driving-in-thailand.com/accidents-involving-minivans/

There are many more minivans on the road than buses, so we would expect many more accidents.

Statistically, flying is among the safest forms of travel yet many people are afraid to fly.

Many thanks for the reply camble - happy to use songthaews for the last leg - do you happen to know the times of the buses ?

while there used to be three or four big buses every day there is now only one.

it has 99 in big numbers on the front the bus which is grey and orange coloured.

It starts in Bangkok and arrives in Pattaya between about 5:45 AM to 6 a.m. and one place to catch it is outside the service station on Sukhumvit Road near the south-east corner of Pattaya Klang and Sukhumvit Road. (though the streetscape looks very different today than in the picture shown below this is one of the bus stops for the 99 bus).

incidentally if for any reason the bus doesn't stop 15 km before Trat you don't have to worry because you can just as easily travel all the way to the end of the journey at Trat bus station where you can also catch a light blue coloured songthaew to the ferry terminal.

No, I use minivans. They are much more convenient.

maybe convenient but lethal

http://driving-in-thailand.com/accidents-involving-minivans/

There are many more minivans on the road than buses, so we would expect many more accidents.

Statistically, flying is among the safest forms of travel yet many people are afraid to fly.

Nothing to do with statistics. It's all to do with the style and attitude of the minibus drivers. Most responsible drivers don't speed, tailgate the vehicle in front of the and talk on their mobile phones all the same time. But it seems this is a requirement for minibus drivers

Many thanks Asiantravel for your useful information and clear insight on minivans we share the same views. Looks like it will be early rise tomorrow to get the one you mention or alternatively dog leg to the airport and pick up one from there which seem to be more frequent.