Baht Bus Tales

September 27, 2011

I often really enjoy the pleasure – or should I say, the "experience" - of getting baht buses between Jomtien and Pattaya.

Sometimes, especially in high season, getting baht buses is like watching a soap opera, and the later at night it gets the more you see, although, frankly, not much of it is that pleasant. It’s more like Russian Roulette.

Earlier in the low season, there were so few tourists around I was once outnumbered one evening by a gang of female pickpockets (5 women with oversized, empty bags on their laps, who promptly got off my bus when it reached town, crossed the road, got on another one and headed back to Jomtien). They spent the journey either raucously conversing or eyeing up my well protected pockets.

Sometimes you get a feel for how international the city is becoming by talking to or overhearing people on baht buses.

A few days ago I met an Ethiopian who was here for medical tourism at Bumrungrad Hospital who had come to Pattaya for the weekend. That was an interesting conversation as I had recently been to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, which is where he lived. I rapidly followed that up with encountering a couple from Liberia, here for a 2 week holiday.

More negatively, on another baht bus ride I witnessed a German guy sternly request a sprawling Indian to take his feet off the seats, and other passengers huffing and puffing as an ignorant passenger lit up a cigarette and choked out the others.

I also often smile (or sneer?) at the reluctance, bordering on wilful refusal, of Russians to give up even an inch of the ample space next to them, when there are other people wanting to sit down.

As an experiment, recently at 1am, I waited for a baht bus in town on a Sunday night to take me back to Jomtien.

SIXTEEN buses passed me before one stopped. Most were hired privately by couples or foursomes, but the others were empty, kerb-crawling looking for special rides at stupid rates from pissed-up tourists, oblivious to the likes of me, waiting for a 10 baht ride. I waited well over 20 minutes before one stopped for me.

Often, in high season, but all year round at weekends, on the way into town in the evening, I see the usual queues of Russian and other Jomtien tourists stranded on Thappraya Road, unable to hail a baht bus going into town as mostly Russian couples and foursomes have hired them already, which is an increasing problem, especially in high season.
I think it’ time the baht bus mob stopped blocking the establishment of a proper bus service in Pattaya.

Even if it only ran to cater for revellers who are otherwise stranded earlier in the evening, trying to get into town, or by the late night greed of baht bus drivers, refusing to pick up passengers on their way home, preferring instead to drive around empty, in search of easier prey.

Even if it only ran at night in high season, it would be worthwhile.

It isn’t right to say the best interests of the city as a tourist destination are being best served by the current cartel.

Although, on the whole, I am actually a fan of baht buses, I think their "Organisation" is holding back the city in its urgent need for a better mass transit system than its sole reliance on these glorified cattle trucks.