Tuktuks

[Capna]

A silly thing, but it's been keeping me up at night:

 

Why are there no tuktuks in Pattaya?  They're all over Bangkok and Chiang Mai ~~

[THAJEC]

He probably would have too much competition in Bath bus taxi public transport. One Tuk Tuk is on the 2.nd road towards the roundabout in Naklua, before evening market. It's like ad banner at the restaurant.

[andyaus]

They call them the "Thai mafia" but you could simply think of a “Public transport workers union”. The baht bus drivers and motorbike taxis may look like a random group of guys all vying for your money but there are rules. 

 

In short they would not allow any tuk tuk drivers to operate in Pattaya.

 

Recently, I have noticed that the baht bus drivers are getting more organised. For sometime they have queued in second Road at the intersection of South Pattaya Road and refused to leave until the bus was full. I have been on busses that stop at “mikes Shopping Centre” and "Central Road” waiting for customers. On Tuesday and Fridays the buses along Soi Buakhao Road are governed by touts operating outside the markets. They won’t let any busses go until they have 10 people on board. Baht Buses queue along Buakhao Road and out to South Pattaya road causing all sorts of congestion.

 

Touts at these intersections must be getting paid by someone and they seem to weild some power. 

 

Pattaya baht buses are great and part of the charm but if we add in overcrowding and decrease the frequency this charm will soon disappear.

 

These opinions are from a visitors perspective. Ex pats may offer a different view.

[ub6daveb9]

the baht bus system is one of the best transport systems I have encountered.