Are mini buses still available at Victory Monument for trip to Pattaya?

[craigt3365]

53 minutes ago, petermik said:

Last month I went to the Trendy Building in BKK to renew my British passport,I went and returned by bus to Ekamai and CAN comfirm on the return trip the bus stopped to refill with fuel....all off the bus and a 20 minute wait..............on thursday I will be going back to pick up my new passport and will report back

We were also made to exit the bus. It was hot so went into the attached store.  About  half the passengers bought something during the 20+ minute wait. I smell a scam. IMHO.

[pegman]

11 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

We were also made to exit the bus. It was hot so went into the attached store.  About  half the passengers bought something during the 20+ minute wait. I smell a scam. IMHO.

The law says out of the van or bus if refueling LPG

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

My friend use to take the minibuses from VM before.  He said it was at least an hour faster than trying to get to Ekamai and take the bus.  If not 2 hours as these buses seem to stop in the middle of nowhere to gas up and get passengers to disembark and buy stuff at the attached market.

Yes that's true, it happened to me once, and after about ten years of traveling to Pattaya with the buses from Mochit and Ekamai, I will not do it again.

Last week I got a train to the airport, then a bus to Pattaya, I am not saying it is quicker, but if you are going by the cost, in my case to my hotel in Pattaya, the airport bus drops me a lot nearer than the big buses from Ekamai and Mochit.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

nonsense

What's nonsense? The only nonsense is the buses from Ekamai and Mochit stopping for fuel about ten mins from Pattaya bus terminal.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Here is another trick.  At Swamp, their is a free shuttle bus that will take you to the public bus terminal out there..catch a van for 25 to BTS.  Also a nice park out there with a mini market and ATM if you have an overnight layover, but not long enough to go into town...!ike clearing customs at 1 and having a 6 am flight to CNX..

[craigt3365]

36 minutes ago, pegman said:

The law says out of the van or bus if refueling LPG

Understood.  So how about refueling when there are no passengers? This stop adds at least 40 minutes to the trip.

[NoshowJones]

17 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

The nonsense about bus stopping in the middle of nowhere and passengers disembarking to "buy stuff". 

Yes, that is the nonsense I was referring to, it has done me a favour, now I get the airport bus that drops me off much nearer my hotel.

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Read this forum.  You'll see many have reported this happening.  Including myself.  Research is a good thing before making a silly post.

and do you think that anyone reporting this nonsense will have any effect? This is Thailand.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, pauleddy said:

I heard that there is a bus from Swampy to Patts. There is allegedly a bus from DM to Swampy. Go figure... 

The bus from DM to Swampy is only for those flying from there, I don't think it takes paying passengers.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Teelak17 said:

Minivans in Mochit to Pattaya is for 92b.Easy to find them.They park near the big bus.You can ask the driver to stop at Naklua,Pattaya Nua,Pattaya Klang,along Pattaya Tai until Bali Hai pier with no more charge.

That sounds good, but only if you have limited luggage. Any posters done this run? What was it like?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 3/19/2017 at 4:42 PM, berybert said:

I often use that bus, it stops once to pick up extra passengers just before the motorway then non stop to Pattaya.

It does stop on the way back at different places but not on the way there.

Me personally would get to Mo Chit and take the BTS to Ekamai  then the bus to Pattaya.

 

DM to Mor Chit isn't far but it is on the worst road for road works and traffic jams in Bangkok at the moment. You could go to Ekkamai on the expressway in a taxi, but it's not cheap (budget ฿4-500)  as it is a fair way.

I used to ask around and share a taxi to Pattaya.

[Teelak17]

23 hours ago, thairookie said:

Is this before or after the crackdown on minivans ?

Last december.After crackdown.

[pauleddy]

The bus from Swampy to Patts is good, fast and comfortable (i heard). I have a friend who uses that bus simply to get to Patts at weekends and has nothing to do with planes or flying. I think he uses the Airport Link first.

[BruceMangosteen]

23 hours ago, possum1931 said:

The bus from DM to Swampy is only for those flying from there, I don't think it takes paying passengers.

The two times I did it there was no verification of onward travel etc.. Nobody gave a damn to be quite frank about it. I'm not sure if this service is still operating as it was a perk, free, done at first for the convenience of passengers when the budget carriers moved to DMG but sure enough the people trying to squeeze out 39 Baht in savings might have ruined it. 

[thairookie]

3 hours ago, pauleddy said:

The bus from Swampy to Patts is good, fast and comfortable (i heard). I have a friend who uses that bus simply to get to Patts at weekends and has nothing to do with planes or flying. I think he uses the Airport Link first.

What are you talking about Swampy when the thread is specific on Victory Monument and Donmeung?

[Scott]

There are a number of off-topic posts.   One has been removed, but please stick to the topic.  

[4737 Carlin]

On 20 March 2017 at 10:31 AM, thairookie said:

Pattaya46 just mentioned that he took the A1 bus last week to Morchit 2 Bus Terminal.

Thanks for the info. I'm off to Pattaya next week so will stay on the bus this time. I must have been given bad info as I've used the bus from Don Muang loads of times and always got off the at the BTS 

[thairookie]

So far only ONE poster mentioned that minivans are still available at VM even after the crackdown.

 

I called up my Thai friend who used to travel from Pattaya to BKK and back every weekend.  According to her, the minivans @ VM are gone and now she has to go to Morchit 2.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/19/2017 at 10:33 PM, champers said:

Get a cab DM to Morchit bus station. Minibusses and regular busses are available there.

The airport bus goes to Morchit.

Given the choice between a van and the regular bus, I prefer to arrive alive and take the bus.

[0U812]

Keep in mind you cannot get a connection shuttle between the two airports without an onward ticket 

[thairookie]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The OP wants to get to Pattaya and thinks there are no buses from D M. We are telling him the bus options, which may save his life.

One bus option is to go to Swampy and take Bell Bus or the Jomptien bus.

In that case, you get suggest the OP fly direct to Suvarnabhumi as an option.

 

Just stick to Donmeung, please.

[Ron19]

The OP has been answered at least twice.

 

No minibuses at Victory Monument.  They are now at Morchit.  And from what my friend has said, not easy to find.

 

Get a cab DM to Morchit bus station. Minibusses and regular busses are available there.

 

To stop the flow of off topic posts, this topic CLOSED.