Bell buses

[gazman]

I take Bell Buses regularly usually the 9am one,the Bus normally takes about 1:30 hours,a little less a little more never near to 2Hours,the guy complaining about the Driver going like mad man I find strange as the buses are governed(Electrically ?) I think down to about 80 Klms ph.

The guy complaining...me.

This bus had no 80kph governer.

[izzyg]

Yes, that would describe him.

 

Drove like a maniac in zig-zag in the two outer lanes. Then when he saw a police car he slammed on the brakes and made a sharp turn to the left to the left lane. Then as soon as the police car was out of sight back to the right lanes.

[gazman]

Drove like a maniac in zig-zag in the two outer lanes. Then when he saw a police car he slammed on the brakes and made a sharp turn to the left to the left lane. Then as soon as the police car was out of sight back to the right lanes.

Same guy, how is he still driving, surely passengers have complained?

Edited April 18, 2015 by gazman

[boxershrimp]

I had a surprise the other way around two weeks ago. Took a mini bus from Pattaya to Bangkok, fearing the worst but thinking I'd try it once at least. The car was relatively new, clean, with AC that worked just fine, and the driver stayed around the speed limit pretty much the whole time. I take it this is about as rare as getting a scary Bell bus ride, that has never happened to me in maybe twenty times so far.

 

Passengers on it were me and the GF, a whole bunch of ladyboys and an Indian family. 100 baht per person, clearly the choice of the affluent

[matrix123]

We left the Bell bus station in Pattaya @9:05 arrived at the airport terminal (stopped to let passengers off) @10:22.

 

I will be emailing bell bus management.

It has been a week. Have you received any reply from Bell Bus regarding your complaint about the crazy driver?

[gazman]

It has been a week. Have you received any reply from Bell Bus regarding your complaint about the crazy driver?

Dear Sir,

 

I am sorry to hear that. It is unacceptable to us as well.

 

Let me investigate and we will definitely have a policy to punish fast and and careless driver.

 

We do have a policy to drive not over 90km/hr except for passing period that it can go up to 95 km/hr but not longer than 2 minutes.

 

I am sorry for this incident and please kindly accept our apologies.

 

Thank you for your time and your comment on this so we can monitor this driver.

[matrix123]

Dear Sir,

 

I am sorry to hear that. It is unacceptable to us as well.

 

Let me investigate and we will definitely have a policy to punish fast and and careless driver.

 

We do have a policy to drive not over 90km/hr except for passing period that it can go up to 95 km/hr but not longer than 2 minutes.

 

I am sorry for this incident and please kindly accept our apologies.

 

Thank you for your time and your comment on this so we can monitor this driver.

That is good. At least they reply and said they will look into that.

[Al.]

Nice to see the company acting responsibly and taking notice of a customers complaint.

 

Unfortunately that is not the norm in Thailand.

 

I will be using Bell next time.

[matrix123]

I will keep using Bell Bus too. Except if I have the crazy drive to drive the bus I take, then I will stop to use them.

[mr21]

That is good. At least they reply and said they will look into that.

Last year when booking a return trip to BKK I entered an incorrect date on their website reservation page. I emailed customer service and they replied within a few hours and corrected the issue. Had to pay a 30 baht fee at the bus station but was very happy with their customer service.

[Gomaz]

Apologies if this has been answered somewhere in this thread.

 

Can you book and pay for bus at airport or must it be booked online. 

[taylor1975]

Apologies if this has been answered somewhere in this thread.

 

Can you book and pay for bus at airport or must it be booked online.

 

Online or just show up at airport or office in pattaya

[jaynewcastle]

Obviously you know that if you don't book in advance, then there may not be any seats left when you turn up to get the bus

[Evil Penevil]

In mid-March, I took the Bell Bus from Don Muang to get back to Pattaya after a trip to Bali. I hadn't booked a car service pick up because I hadn't known on which flight or day I would return. I thought I'd just get a taxi at D M or possibly take the shuttle to Swampy and then the bus to Pattaya if the timing were right.

 

Wrong on both accounts. The taxi queue at D M was enormous and totally chaotic. There were five or six separate lines, but just a mass of people at the back of them, all pushing and shoving. Worst thing was the queue wasn't moving much; there weren't many taxis arriving at DM.

 

It looked like at least 90 minutes wait, so I went to the shuttle bus pick-up point, but they were carefully checking passengers for boarding passes or a printed itinerary for flights from Swampy that day. They weren't letting anyone on without proof of an onward flight.

 

Another option would be to take the city bus to the BTS station at Mo Chit and then get a taxi off the street, a bus to Pattaya or the BTS to Swampy and then a bus or taxi to Pattaya. But that seemed a lot of hassle and most likely very time-consuming, so I went back inside the terminal to check with the private "limo" counter. No cars available and they thought it would be at least two hours until one was back.

 

At that point, I saw a lady walking around holding the Bell Bus sign. I asked when the next bus to Pattaya was leaving. I was lucky, it departed in 30 minutes (only two a day, at noon and 5 p.m.). I paid her the 400 baht and boarded the bus. There were two other passengers on a bus that seats 60. The bus departed exactly at noon and pulled into the North Pattaya bus terminal at 2.15 pm. There was no hotel drop off, but it was easy to get a baht bus back to my condo.

 

Bottom line: This is a limited option, as there are only two buses a day, but the service is fine if the times are right. The buses to D M from Bell's Pattaya office are at 6.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. No hotel pickup.

 

Evil

[Angus12]

On my first trip last year I arrived quite late in the night so I pre-booked Mr. T taxi.  The driver stood where they said with a sign, walked me to his car in the garage, then got me to  Pattaya in one piece just fine.  On the way back though the hotel bellboy found me a taxi.  The driver had his gf with him in the front seat (no biggie, I guess) but when we got halfway he turned off the highway and I started to wonder where the fcuk he was taking me.  Turned out to be just for gas.  I thought okay fine, this isn't your average taxi trip across town, but then the dude asked me to pay for the gas.  I politely argued with him for a few moments after worrying he was taking me for another kind of ride, but then I gave in realizing I have to get to the airport.  When he dropped me off I just subtracted the gas bill from the total fare.  It wasn't that big of a deal but I also never dealt with that before.

 

This time I am arriving very early in the morning so I think I am going to just take the bus.  Bell Bus I guess.  I am in no rush that early in the morning (time to kill, actually) and if it's an air conditioned coach leaving and arriving at a competitive time that involves - essentially - the same steps as hopping into a cab that is four times the price, why not take the bus?  If my logic is wrong please let me know.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Angus12

[matrix123]

Guys, no one has taken Bell bus in the last 3 or 4 months??!! It has been very quiet in this thread.

 

Last week, another thread in this section, I read a bullshit post said Bell has no service from DM to Pattaya. That BM said he has asked information counter, no one at the airport heard about Bell bus. Then I questioned him why he didn't call Bell bus. Why didn't make a post here. He just disappeared!

 

I just booked Bell bus for my October trip. I will be in Pattaya in about 2 weeks. Hope I won't have the crazy driver like post number 419 had!

Edited October 4, 2015 by matrix123

[Soi7]

I used it a month ago door to door from my condo in Pattaya to my hotel in Bangkok great service on time and about 2 hours 15 mins only door to door booked on line 345 baht. I am using again later this month

[momomo]

Guys, no one has taken Bell bus in the last 3 or 4 months??!! It has been very quiet in this thread.

Well, I guess it's not that everyone who takes a Bell bus needs to report it here... I'd rather think if there are no posts here, then everything is running somoothly and as always.

Which it does, btw. The website is sometimes down but who cares, most people don't pree-book anyway.

If you show up at the usual counter there is a space free on either of the two busses.

It's business as usual (as of three weeks ago) and a very good one at that.

[matrix123]

Well, I guess it's not that everyone who takes a Bell bus needs to report it here... I'd rather think if there are no posts here, then everything is running somoothly and as always.

Which it does, btw. The website is sometimes down but who cares, most people don't pree-book anyway.

If you show up at the usual counter there is a space free on either of the two busses.

It's business as usual (as of three weeks ago) and a very good one at that.

 

I understand no news is good news. There is no need to "report" to here.

 

My point was since this thread has been so quiet for months. A BM just make up some bullshit claim said Bell do not have service from DM to Pattaya. Another BM just made a new thread this morning which he has trouble to pre-book Bell bus. It is no hurt to write a line or two here if BMs take Bell bus. For examples, let BMs know if the bus is full or not. So, BMs could decide to pre-book or not. You see those female "private taxi" thread like Meow or Nam has new posts every week. So, why not we keep this thread active for the BMs who like to take Bell bus?

 

[hioctane]

I think if anything changes, someone will report it.

[matrix123]

Of course someone will, but I am not talking about changes but update. Recent experience. For example if you took the bus 3 months ago was almost empty doen't mean the bus I will take two weeks from now will be the same. I am not so sure why the BM didn't post his question about pre-booking here. No new posts for months may be a reason. If BMs like to keep this thread inactive, I am absoluetly fine with that.

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/280300-need-help-with-bell-transport-drop-off-location/#entry3307896

 

Here is the bullshit claim said Bell do not have service from DM. I wasn't make it up.

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/280092-pattaya-to-don-muang/#entry3305633

Edited October 4, 2015 by matrix123

[Soup Soup]

I didn't have time to read all 450 posts, but i have a quick question...how many different bus options are there currently from Suvharnabhumi to Pattaya?

 

I know the Bell Bus schedule...is there still a 123 Bus? or a 389 Bus??

[spider0064]

Obviously you know that if you don't book in advance, then there may not be any seats left when you turn up to get the bus

This ever happened to anyone, I've used the bell bus last year 4 times I think and always just turned up and got on the next bus but thinking back the bus was always full on departure.

 

Curious if anyone's not been able to get on as I'm arriving in the next couple of weeks and thinking about booking online

[boxershrimp]

This ever happened to anyone, I've used the bell bus last year 4 times I think and always just turned up and got on the next bus but thinking back the bus was always full on departure.

 

Curious if anyone's not been able to get on as I'm arriving in the next couple of weeks and thinking about booking online

Absolutely, happened to me at least 3 times that I can remember. (One of those times is a little easier than the others to recall, given that it was about 4 hours ago.)

 

On the other hand, I got to learn that the cheaper bus even has half-hour departures during peak times, not just one bus every hour. 16.30 was the one I got on, and it was nearly full too.

[spider0064]

Absolutely, happened to me at least 3 times that I can remember. (One of those times is a little easier than the others to recall, given that it was about 4 hours ago.)

 

On the other hand, I got to learn that the cheaper bus even has half-hour departures during peak times, not just one bus every hour. 16.30 was the one I got on, and it was nearly full too.

Thanks for that, seems I've been lucky in the past then as I said the bus was always full on departure. Looked at the website and seems pretty straight forward to book ahead so that's what I'll be doing.

Always found it to be a good service though and not a great deal of time to be saved by getting a taxi especially when I'm not pressed for time.