Bell buses

[tolaefarang]

Service of Bell Tours is getting worse. No pick up from gotel or condo sometimes, reservation not possible online or by phone, ...

[Schubser]

I have to report a bad experience with Bell. I used them many times and all was well. But last week I booked a trip online, prepaid with my credit card. Unfortunately I forgot to write down the number the booking system told me, as I expected to get a confirmation email soon. But it didn't come. The day before my trip I went to the office and asked for my booking. I had to fill out a paper and lady helped me with it. So far it was fine. But then I was assigned to a lady on the very right in the office (window side) and boy she gave me a hard time. She wasn't able to locate my booking, said for sure you didn't pay and you need to buy your ticket now. As I had to go I bought another ticket. Next morning the van arrived and the driver had my name two times on the list...credit card balance also shows the booking went through. When we arrived at the bus station there was no time left to speak to the same lady again, and it would for sure not make any difference at all. Zero customer service and all my fault. If you book write down the number.

 

By the way the prices will go up in 2013, to 250 Baht for the airport connections and 375 Baht for Bangkok city.

[tolaefarang]

Bell sucks !

 

Unfortunately there is no competition available (corruption ?)

[brutox]

... wow, Bell Travel has fallen a long, long way since they implemented their online reservation system!

 

... I am local and have been a frequent user of Bell, and was a big fan and promoter of their service ... but, this outpouring of complaints is hard for anyone to ignore ... all the reputation and goodwill they've earned over the last years is being destroyed in just a matter of weeks.

 

... while the Bell Travel owners showed great promise in operating at a higher standard than most Thai companies, and their intention to improve the services with this online reservation system were probably earnest, I wonder if they are up to the challenge of rehabilitating a failing system that threatens their company's hard-earned dominance of the Pattaya-Suvarnabhumi bus transit route.

 

... the owner would learn a great deal by reading the digression from "Bell praises" to "Bell sucks" through these threads over the last few weeks ... maybe they were sold an inferior reservation system (a good possibility in this market) that simply fails to meet their prior emphasis on customer convenience, reliability, efficiency, friendliness.

 

... in the face of this sizable threat to his business, we'll soon see if the owner is as smart as I was led to believe ... hope he can triage and rehabilitate the failings ... or, will he staunchly try to save face with his employees, family, partners and founder with a badly made business decision, and cost him what was a very good business.

 

.... this might be a great case study of contemporary Thai business culture struggling to compete at an international level ... and don't look now, but when AEC opens Thailand up to foreign competitors in 2015, Bell Travel will be pushed to do better than this ... or, perish.

 

... alternatives, gentlemen?

Edited December 27, 2012 by brutox

[rkko]

BELL OU BLUE BUS COUNTER in airport : you have just landed / pay your ticket ex : 134 baths give 140 b

what the thai employee says ? : 6 baths ok tip

 

 

welcome to thailand if minimum 50 % people give 6 to 10 bath on 30 seats for a bus every hour from 7 to 22 = 15 h * 15 people * 8baths = 2100 baths tip daily

[TaffBill]

Anyone done the Bell bus into Bangkok from Pattaya, not the airport?

It says on the website it takes 3 hours. Does that mean it goes to the airport first?

I've traveled a couple of times on it with no problems from the airport to Pattaya and it's only taken 2 hours maximum.

 

Has anyone got the website of the other bus company that goes from the airport to Pattaya?

[barmatt]

Seems like a hassle booking online, next time I'll take a punt and just turn up without a reservation. If no luck I'll catch the public bus and get off at Naklua terminal.

[TaffBill]

Seems like a hassle booking online, next time I'll take a punt and just turn up without a reservation. If no luck I'll catch the public bus and get off at Naklua terminal.

 

Yeah, that was what I'm thinking of doing when I arrive next month.

Do you know the Public bus times?

[barmatt]

Yeah, that was what I'm thinking of doing when I arrive next month.

Do you know the Public bus times?

 

Here's the link they are at the same counter as Bells

 

http://airportpattayabus.com/2012/

[TaffBill]

Here's the link they are at the same counter as Bells

 

http://airportpattayabus.com/2012/

 

Thanks a lot barmatt.

I have used them before but then discovered Bell  

This time when I arrive it looks like I will just miss the Bell bus so I will catch the Public bus again. Get off in South Pattaya for my hotel on Soi 13, Beach rd.

[Luv2Phuket]

Thanks for the info -- I wasn't aware of this thread, but it answered my questions and convinced me to go ahead and use Ann's Private Taxi Service.

[Saddic]

Thanks for the info -- I wasn't aware of this thread, but it answered my questions and convinced me to go ahead and use Ann's Private Taxi Service.

np...

 

I too will be traveling back in Feb (after chinese ny... )... Will give Bell one more chance... (IF I can get their website to work...)...

[Otter's Pocket]

I've used Bell before and will do so again. However, I'm trying to book a journey from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya in March and it keeps giving me a "no results found" message. I've tried dummy bookings for other bus times on the same date and it appears to only be the 8am is available.

Whilst I'm sure its popular, I find it hard to believe its sold out already. I've emailed the site to enquire but not had a response.

Just as an update to this, I've tried my search again and it is now showing as available (40 seats). I'm now torn between getting it booked (230 baht) or just blowing an extra £15 on a private taxi and not hanging around at the airport when I get there or being subjected to a noisy Indian family reclining their coach seats on my already crushed knees!

Further update, I've decided that having just got a big saving on my car insurance renewal I'm splashing the cash!

[Luv2Phuket]

I just got an email from them saying that their website has been fixed.

 

In the meantime, I had already set up a taxi with a very nice lady that I met a couple of trips back (no, NOT a BG/mamasan/former BG - just a very nice older lady who runs a taxi business!), so I will likely stick with her service.  

[Hedonis]

Anyone done the Bell bus into Bangkok from Pattaya, not the airport?

It says on the website it takes 3 hours. Does that mean it goes to the airport first?

I've traveled a couple of times on it with no problems from the airport to Pattaya and it's only taken 2 hours maximum.

 

Has anyone got the website of the other bus company that goes from the airport to Pattaya?

 

You have to consider Bangkok traffic. I did this trip 19 december. They picked me up at my hotel 12.30. Departure from northern bus terminal 13.00. Arrival at their bus station in Bangkok at 15.00. Then minibus in Bankok to my final destination Hualongpong train station through Bangkok traffic and I arrived there 16.40. So the trip took actually more than 4 hours. 

[SteadyG]

   I used the bus since I stepped to LOS the 1st time after reading about transports on another website. From my observation, if the choice to take a ride on the odd hours the drop off will be at the 1st bus stop in patts to be welcomed by those 10 Baht pick up taxis. It sucks for a 1st timer for the lack of knowledge about the residence location. Luckily, I met a German guy on the bus and chatted for the whole length of the journey from BKK to Patts to end up splitting the pick up fare among us and 2 Singaporean tourists.

Good Luck,

TEK

[brutox]

... has anyone knowledge of motorcycle rentals that are available within easy walking distance of the Bell Bus Terminal in Pattaya?

[TaffBill]

You have to consider Bangkok traffic. I did this trip 19 december. They picked me up at my hotel 12.30. Departure from northern bus terminal 13.00. Arrival at their bus station in Bangkok at 15.00. Then minibus in Bankok to my final destination Hualongpong train station through Bangkok traffic and I arrived there 16.40. So the trip took actually more than 4 hours. 

 

Thanks Hedonist.

I would be going to Soi 4 Sukhumvit  

I guess it will be Mr Taxi again then for 1.000 baht.

[Schubser]

Anyone done the Bell bus into Bangkok from Pattaya, not the airport?

It says on the website it takes 3 hours. Does that mean it goes to the airport first?

I've traveled a couple of times on it with no problems from the airport to Pattaya and it's only taken 2 hours maximum.

 

Has anyone got the website of the other bus company that goes from the airport to Pattaya?

 

Yes. Not good. 3 hours is realistic because they have a terminal where you change from the coach to a van. I believe the location of the terminal is not so good because I had the impression we had to get through congestions 2 times. First stuck in traffic in the coach, then U-Turn to be stuck in the other direction. Then change to the van. Congestion, U-Turn, congestion. It felt like it took forever. 

 

To go to Bangkok city, better take the public bus from the same terminal, to Ekkamai. From there use the Skytrain. Much faster at a third of the cost. 

[Hedonis]

To go to Bangkok city, better take the public bus from the same terminal, to Ekkamai. From there use the Skytrain. Much faster at a third of the cost. 

 

Good idea. I will do so next time I go from Pattaya to Bangkok. 

[Ondrod3]

Another great money saver!  Thank you and thanks PA... Time to donate to the cause!

[tenedave]

 Taffbill another why to do it , if you are going to soi4 is get off at the airport and get on the Phaya thai express it takes 17 mins from the airport then change on to BTS, You can be at Nana station 30 mins after leaving the airport. B90 one way or B150 return on the express.

 

 Be well Dave

[TaffBill]

 Taffbill another why to do it , if you are going to soi4 is get off at the airport and get on the Phaya thai express it takes 17 mins from the airport then change on to BTS, You can be at Nana station 30 mins after leaving the airport. B90 one way or B150 return on the express.

 

 Be well Dave

 

Thanks Dave and everyone else  

[wingnutv]

Bell has an option for people landing at Don Muang to be transferred to Suvarnabhumi adn then to Pattaya. I mailed them to confirm this and now they say that service is stopped because not much traffic from DMK now.  will it be worth the effort to transfer from DMK to Swampy and then get on these buses? I dont see many options there either. 

[biggles]

"now they say that service is stopped because not much traffic from DMK now."

 

Not surprising, they only ran a mini van from swampy to DMK and it only did the trip 3 times a day. The free shuttle bus is a big one and runs every 40 minutes or so. 

 

Yes, you can get the free shuttle bus and then transfer onto a Bell coach, tho its hard to coordinate your times as they only run every 2 hours. Probably easier to do what I did. Get a taxi from DMK to the Mor Chit Public bus terminal (125baht and 20-25 mins) then get the Bus direct  to Pattaya north terminal direct, takes about 2 and a half hours.