Question About Songthaews

[JayBird]

Please forgive my ignorance and if I'm looking for answers were none exist :)

 

1) Is there a map or list of routes that the busses take, that is up to date for 2017?  (I only could find old ones)

2) I noticed that sometimes busses with the same number seem to take different routes (I would stand on Dolphin Circle and see busses marked Nakula go through circle towards nakula, and another with the same number head down to beach road).  Am I missing a sub-sign/symbol beyond the name and number?

3) How do you differentiate between busses that are for private hire only and ones that are picking up passengers.

 

For #3 I have come up with two ways:

1) When you try to get on the bus and fall off because he pulled away, it is private hire.

2) When you get on the bus and he frantically waves at you and tells you to get off, it is private hire.

 

I'm hoping there is a better way (a symbol, sign, something) so I can skip them if needs be.

 

The other evening I was on second road and saw at least 20 Songthaews in a row, virtually bumper to bumper, with almost all of them empty and 2 of them packed with people.  I can only presume that the 18 empty ones were private hire?

 

Finally, bonus question: Are the songthaews allowed to be private only or are they supposed to be public hop on/off busses.  I don't care if they are following the law or not, only curious if there is a law.

 

Thank you kindly.

[TaaSaparot]

1. No, and there never has been one.

 

2. No, you are missing nothing .... up to them.

 

3. You can't.

[champa]

There are 45 routes of pattaya local bus (song taew). 

 

Pattaya city announced map of the routes divided by 5 deference colors.

 

Busno. 4, Ampur Banglamunt go Balihai pier. Starts from Ampur Banglamung on Sukhumvit road >  Naklua  old market >  Naklua road > soi Photisan > Pattaya 3rd road > Balihai pier. 

 

 

 

Bus no. 5. Sukawadee to Jomtien. This route is quite complicated. The bus starts on Sukhumvit road > Sawangfah (New market on Naklua) > backs to Sukhumvit road > Banglamung Police station > Old Naklua market > Naklua Road> Beach Road > Pattaya Klang Road>  Pattaya Klang Sukhumvit and u-turn backs to Beach Road along Pattaya Klang Road> Wat Chai mong kol junction and turns left to Second road on south pattaya > Pratumnak Road >Asia Hotel and u-turn backs down way to second road (Siam bay sore Hotel) > Thappraya road > Grand Condotel > Thepprasit Road > Sukhumvit and uturn backs to Thepprasit Road> Grand condotel > Turns left from Thepprasit road to Jomtien> Jomtien beach > Chaiyapreak 1 Road> Chaiyapreak 1 Junction on Sukhumvit Road. 

 

On the way back It takes the second road instead of beach road. 

 

 

Bus no 6 is Pattaya Cycle. It starts on Sukhumvit road at south pattaya junction > sukhumvit road to naklua> turns left on Sawang Fah junction > Naklua new market > Naklua road > Pattaya beach road> south Pattaya > sukhumvit road. 

 

On the way back It takes the second road instead of beach road. 

 

 

 

Bus no. 7 Sukhumvit North pattaya to Shkhumvit Pattaya klang. 

 

It starts on Sukhumvit north pattaya > North pattaya road > Beach road > truns left on south pattaya (walking street) > wat chai mong kol junction > turns right to second raod>  Pratumank road > Od hotel > keep left on Tappraya road > Jomtien palace hotel > Jomtien Beach > turns left on Soi Poo Pen restaurant > Sukhumvit raod > Turns left to south Pattaya > Pattaya Klang on Sukhumvit road. 

 

On the way back It takes the second road instead of beach road. 

 

The bus no. Naklua market to siam contry club . 

 

Sources : Pattaya City PR. 

 

 

 

 

[wpcoe]

@champa:  Are you *sure* those are the currently operating buses, and not just what was published in December but never happened?

 

e.g.  Last report was that NO song-taews were operating on Third Road.  Has that changed?

[JayBird]

Thank you for the posts!

 

The route maps for #6 in the two pictures are different (top one shows going on 2nd road,  bottom one does not).

 

Also, I've seen 5/6/7 going on second road, which is not what the maps above show.

 

Has the route changed?

 

 

 

 

[Pattaya46]

2 hours ago, wpcoe said:

@champa:  Are you *sure* those are the currently operating buses, and not just what was published in December but never happened?

Second option: an abandoned project (for now)

 

Real routes are mainly theses ones:

 

[AbeSurd]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

Second option: an abandoned project (for now)

 

Real routes are mainly theses ones:

 

Yes, as far as central Pattaya goes, I reckon you've summed up most of it up there.

 

But you've left out Soi Buakhao. And the baht bus route Dolphin Roundabout/Naklua is regular enough to feature also.

[champa]

2 hours ago, JayBird said:

Thank you for the posts!

 

The route maps for #6 in the two pictures are different (top one shows going on 2nd road,  bottom one does not).

 

Also, I've seen 5/6/7 going on second road, which is not what the maps above show.

 

Has the route changed?

 

 

 

 

Beach road and second road are one way. So the way on north to south pattaya, song taew will go along  beach road. The way back from south to north pattaya they will go on second road. 

 

 

[newnative]

Are any of the buses operating regularly on Pratamnak Road?  I've sometimes seen Number 6 buses on the road but I couldn't tell if they were privately hired.

[pegman]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Are any of the buses operating regularly on Pratamnak Road?  I've sometimes seen Number 6 buses on the road but I couldn't tell if they were privately hired.

Far as I know private hires.

[pegman]

16 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Second option: an abandoned project (for now)

 

Real routes are mainly theses ones:

 

I would add these:

- Nakluea Road

- Sukhumvit Road

- Theppressit Road (daylight hours but late on market days)

- Soi Buakhao -Beach Road circuit

 

[newnative]

25 minutes ago, pegman said:

Far as I know private hires.

Thanks!

[mgb]

16 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Real routes are mainly theses ones:

How are the real routes numbered?

I guess the red one is route number 6.

[TaaSaparot]

19 hours ago, JayBird said:

Has the route changed?

 

 

There are NO routes.

[mgb]

What do you think the route numbers at the site of the songthaew beside the big numbers are good for?

[Chivas]

35 minutes ago, TaaSaparot said:

 

There are NO routes.

Agree completely law unto themselves just what goes through their minds when operating on one way routes and refusing to stop god only knows. Clearly looking for rip off charters then fine take the 10 baht after 10 baht and should they be lucky enough to get a charter ask the 10 bahters to get off free of charge.....win win but not in these peasants minds

[kdrayong]

The routes exist on the plan and as number on the song-taews.

 

Just the drivers don't care about it. I happened to spot a few song-taews with the route #4 sign, but never on their planned route. 

[wpcoe]

2 hours ago, mgb said:

What do you think the route numbers at the site of the songthaew beside the big numbers are good for?

They appeared in December (2016) at the same time the new routes were announced, however the new routes never were started as far as I know.  At least, they are not operating now.  What operates now is the same as what operated pre-December announcements.

 

So, to answer your question "What...are [they] good for?"  Absolutely nothing.  Unless/until those routes announced in December are actually implemented.  And, I won't hold my breath on that.

[mgb]

1 hour ago, wpcoe said:

They appeared in December (2016) at the same time the new routes were announced

The route numbers at the front appeared in December.
They were always there at the side of the songthaews beside the big numbers.

[topt]

On ‎27‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 5:27 PM, wpcoe said:

@champa:  Are you *sure* those are the currently operating buses, and not just what was published in December but never happened?

 

e.g.  Last report was that NO song-taews were operating on Third Road.  Has that changed?

I have seen a few but normally stopping only for Chinese tourists - no regular 10baht service that I am aware of - which is a pain as it would be very useful for me. 

[champa]

The routes are the regulations for song taew licenses. 

 

There are not new routes but there were regulations for 20-30 years. 

 

By the way, song taews do not care about the regulations because the regulators do not care too. 

[mgb]

The songthaews driving the red route in the picture from pattaya46 mostly have route number 6 written at the side.
The songthaews hanging around near Balihai pier mostly have route number 4.
Obviously a lot of drivers care about the old routes.
The new routes published in december nobody care about.
 

[murraynz]

who decides when there is enough demand to establish a new route ???  ie..  cosy beach to pattaya.....there are many large new or nearly completed condos in the area now....surely they can leave when full, from outside mountain view hotel.....

[Suradit69]

21 hours ago, Chivas said:

win win but not in these peasants minds

Not everyone can be blessed with your (self assumed) intellectual superiority.

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by Suradit69

[pegman]

1 hour ago, murraynz said:

who decides when there is enough demand to establish a new route ???  ie..  cosy beach to pattaya.....there are many large new or nearly completed condos in the area now....surely they can leave when full, from outside mountain view hotel.....

 

1 hour ago, murraynz said:

who decides when there is enough demand to establish a new route ???  ie..  cosy beach to pattaya.....there are many large new or nearly completed condos in the area now....surely they can leave when full, from outside mountain view hotel.....

The city regulates the songthaew co-op

[hawker9000]

A baht bus can become a private hire the moment somebody talks to the driver and negotiates a fare for a specific destination.  Anyone already on the baht bus gets to get off at that point AND pay their 10B.  'Doesn't really happen all that often, but it can & does. (I know I know ,,, but we're talking about the cheapest transportation on the planet; it's bound to have its quirks.)

 

The baht busses you see parked bumper-to-bumper with passengers waiting in them will depart when the driver sees that it's full.  Don't be surprised if you hop on an empty one you see waiting like this and the driver comes back to negotiate a taxi fare:  just hop back off and walk a little ways up the route until you can flag one down the regular way.

Edited April 29, 2017 by hawker9000

[JayBird]

So I guess the advice I was given a few years ago holds:

 

1) Stand on the side of the street where the traffic is flowing in the direction you want to go

2) Flag and jump on the back of a baht bus going in that direction.  If he waves frantically, jump off.

3) If he reaches a crossroads and does not go in your direction, get off, pay, and repeat #1 on the new road.

 

Although it would be nice if there was a way to avoid it pulling away as you place one foot on the back.  Several times got close to falling off in the street.

[hawker9000]

So I guess the advice I was given a few years ago holds:
 
1) Stand on the side of the street where the traffic is flowing in the direction you want to go
2) Flag and jump on the back of a baht bus going in that direction.  If he waves frantically, jump off.
3) If he reaches a crossroads and does not go in your direction, get off, pay, and repeat #1 on the new road.
 
Although it would be nice if there was a way to avoid it pulling away as you place one foot on the back.  Several times got close to falling off in the street.

That's pretty much it. Although I've always been a bit leery of it, I've never had a driver pull away prematurely like that.

[Jingthing]

Sometimes weird random bad stuff happens.

A few days ago took a baht bus from Pattaya Klang  on Soi Buakow hoping to get at least as far as Pattaya Tai (from there they usually turn west, but sometimes turn east and you still have to pay either way). 

Surprisingly the driver turned off at Soi Lengkee, nowhere near Pattaya Tai. 

When stuff like that happens, drivers usually have their reasons and  will usually wave off any fare paying but I went to the window to see. 

The man was very hostile and demanded payment. I explained that he didn't take the expected route and he still demanded payment. Was it worth 10 baht to not cave in and risk violence from a very bad acting driver? No, of course not.

I offered 5 baht, he sort of agreed, and then he cursed me with words that could easily get a foreigner killed for saying to a Thai.

Oh well ... suck it up foreigners, still safer than motorbikes. 

Edited April 29, 2017 by Jingthing

[JimCrane]

 

7 hours ago, JayBird said:

So I guess the advice I was given a few years ago holds:

 

1) Stand on the side of the street where the traffic is flowing in the direction you want to go

2) Flag and jump on the back of a baht bus going in that direction.  If he waves frantically, jump off.

3) If he reaches a crossroads and does not go in your direction, get off, pay, and repeat #1 on the new road.

 

Although it would be nice if there was a way to avoid it pulling away as you place one foot on the back.  Several times got close to falling off in the street.

is that possible to do from jomtien beach to walking street, or all they all private hires?