Bell Bus Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya

[HEADING2LOS]

Hi BMs,

Im closing on my trip to Thailand and plan to head straight to Pattaya once I land at Suvarnabhumi.

 

In the past I just walked down to the Bell Bus counter to buy ticket to Pattaya hotel drop.

 

I was looking at their website now and saw that they cannot accept walk-in at airport and need to book on website in advance.

 

Anyone recently used them or did a walkin?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[matrix123]

No more walk in from Swampy! Have to book online. Go have a look at the 8 years old Bell Bus thread in this section.

[cableguy777]

Dont when it changed but i bought a ticket at the counter 3 weeks ago no problem!

[matrix123]

I have asked the Bell Bus person at Swampy in early November to see if they would sell tickets to walk-in customers, the answer was "NO". And I posted in the old Bell Bus thread.

 

I already booked my ticket for my trip next month but I will pretend I didn't book online and ask them if they would sell the ticket to me. Will report back then.

[Lazy lobster]

Thx Matrix as I arrive Feb and would like to try Bell for first time and buy a walk up ticket if possible and would like to know how you went

I like the flexibility of a walk up in case plane delayed

 

as we know in Thailand sometimes it depends on who is at counter on a given day!!

[matrix123]

Thx Matrix as I arrive Feb and would like to try Bell for first time and buy a walk up ticket if possible and would like to know how you went

I like the flexibility of a walk up in case plane delayed

 

as we know in Thailand sometimes it depends on who is at counter on a given day!!

 

I will arrive on 1-28. I will make a post here or the old Bell bus thread. If worry about your plane delayed is your reason not to pre-book, I read from other forum that Bell allow you to change the time of the ticket for a 50 THB fee. For example, if your flight arrive 1pm. You worry you could not make the 2pm bus, you could book the 4pm bus. If you could make the 2pm bus, just pay the 50 THB fee. If your flight delayed an hour or more, just take the 4pm bus. I will confirm with the bell bus person on that day.

 

If pre-book is the new requirement, I couldn't think of any reasons the person at Swamy willing to sell the ticket to walk-in customers. The person could not take the money because they need to arrange the hotel drop off for you. The office in Pattaya would know if he/she try to cheat.

[mcjimmys]

Yah, the biggest problem with pre booking is a late arrival or long lines in customs. Bangkok Air is notoriously late arriving from Phnom Penh. The other bus service although cheaper lets you off on Sukhumvit Rd. Or brings you in to Jomtien. Good for some not so for others

[Rambuttri village]

When Bells brought me back from Pattaya late last month I had an hour to kill after dropping suitcases off. Went downstairs and asked the Bells rep and he confirmed it is possible to catch bus from airport to Pattaya without pre booking. My next trip I arrive about 1.30pm in about 6 weeks time. However they cannot guarantee your on the next bus, and there would be a 2-3 hour wait. Presumably its an admin thing and having to sort out a white van from North Pattaya bus station to your hotel/apartment

[31below]

They no longer sell tickets at the counter where they used to on ground floor.

 

However, on the arrival floor, after customs, go left looking for TOUR Center counter.

 

There are like 2 of them 50 feet apart. Go to the one farthest left.

 

Go to the far left of that counter and hidden there next to a ceiling post is the same

 

girl used to be downstairs selling Bell tickets. She will sell them there at that place now.

 

I am happy my flight was not delayed so I the time to track down the elusive Bell counter.

 

It took a while.

 

Jeez I hope they do not move it again.

[jimpty]

I just book online with them, dont leave it to chance if the person operating the counter on the day wants to be anal about it they have the right to decline a walk up sale being that it is clearly stated on the web page that walk up ticketing is no longer available, and assuming your not wanting to hang around the airport you dont want to risk the next service departing being fully booked and having to wait for the next

[matrix123]

They no longer sell tickets at the counter where they used to on ground floor.

 

However, on the arrival floor, after customs, go left looking for TOUR Center counter.

 

There are like 2 of them 50 feet apart. Go to the one farthest left.

 

Go to the far left of that counter and hidden there next to a ceiling post is the same

 

girl used to be downstairs selling Bell tickets. She will sell them there at that place now.

 

I am happy my flight was not delayed so I the time to track down the elusive Bell counter.

 

It took a while.

 

Jeez I hope they do not move it again.

 

When was it? This month or last month?

[matrix123]

It is kind of confusing! Early last month, I asked the guy at the airport, the answer was simply "No". Later last month, One BM took Bell bus and another BM asked. The answer was "Yes". Now, another BM said you could walk in to buy ticket but some place else!!! In their web site, it still shown you have to book online! Has anyone walk in to buy Bell Bus ticket lately (like last week)? Or anyone will take Bell bus in the next few weeks to get those answers?

[matrix123]

When Bells brought me back from Pattaya late last month I had an hour to kill after dropping suitcases off. Went downstairs and asked the Bells rep and he confirmed it is possible to catch bus from airport to Pattaya without pre booking. My next trip I arrive about 1.30pm in about 6 weeks time. However they cannot guarantee your on the next bus, and there would be a 2-3 hour wait. Presumably its an admin thing and having to sort out a white van from North Pattaya bus station to your hotel/apartment

 

I don't think it is an admin thing. Before they have that book on-line requirement, I have bought tickets right before the bus left. They didn't have any issue to arrange the hotel drop off. Also, now you could pay an extra 50 THB just to change the time of your bus ticket. 

[31below]

When was it? This month or last month?

Last week. The girl at the far end of the TOUR counter is just there to sell Bell tickets.

 

Ask at either of the TOUR Center counters and they should walk you over to her or just point at her.

[matrix123]

Last week. The girl at the far end of the TOUR counter is just there to sell Bell tickets.

 

Ask at either of the TOUR Center counters and they should walk you over to her or just point at her.

Ok, thanks. How do you know Bell sell tickets there? And you said TOUR Center counters. Do you mean AOT counters? I will go look for it and ask the girl next month.

[openmind]

Hi everyone...

 

i was come here on 1st november, go to bell travel lady was showing a sign of the bus , i ask her for buy a tiket for bus and she ask me if i got a reservetion online , i said not, and  than she just show me the other counter bus go to jomthien beach , cannot take bell travel ..

 

bye 

[31below]

Ok, thanks. How do you know Bell sell tickets there? And you said TOUR Center counters. Do you mean AOT counters? I will go look for it and ask the girl next month.

I know because I bought a ticket there last week. Went to Pattaya. Now in Bangkok.

 

When I say TOUR Center counter I mean TOUR Center counters. Not AOT. What is AOT?

 

The girl at the Bell sit down area bottom floor will show you a photo of the TOUR counter when

sending you upstairs to get a ticket if you are confused where to go. I was.

But I went and found it. Not sure why you think I am an idiot.

[matrix123]

I know because I bought a ticket there last week. Went to Pattaya. Now in Bangkok.

 

When I say TOUR Center counter I mean TOUR Center counters. Not AOT. What is AOT?

 

The girl at the Bell sit down area bottom floor will show you a photo of the TOUR counter when

sending you upstairs to get a ticket if you are confused where to go. I was.

But I went and found it. Not sure why you think I am an idiot.

 

No one say you are idiot! 

 

I only asked you where or who tell you to buy ticket at "the TOUR Center counter". You could simply reply back the Bell Bus girl at the ground floor! If you have read the Bell bus thread, BMs have sent message to Bell bus and the reply was "book on-line" only and it is still shown on their web site! Even the other BMs said you could walk-in now. They didn't say you have to go back up to buy ticket at the "TOUR Center counter".

 

By the way, AOT stand for Airport of Thailand. They have counters right outside the customs area like you said where the "TOUR Center counter" at. And the counters are in blue color.

[Lazy lobster]

Ooh dear bells travel aka Fawlty towers bus service and tour desk!!

 

 

Is this why BMs bite the bullet and get private drivers and taxis??

 

One thing I learnt about Thai customer service - you invariably get different answers to your question but you always get a softly spoken reply and welcoming smile from them all!

 

I too patiently await a definitive answer if there is one but hope it all has not changed again by feb 19 when I arrive!!

[Crash]

It's confusing because the Bell service and the 389 bus to Pattaya both leave from the same location.  They are both the same bus company but with different ticketing models.  The Bell bus takes you to the North bus station and provides a transfer to your hotel.  The 389 drops off along Sukhumvit Road and terminates near the Pattaya courthouse but runs more frequently and sells walk-up tickets for 120 baht.  Note that as the 389 bus gets full they will try to get more money out of you!  I just stand there and wait and they usually relent and put me in one of the last seats with no bribe.

[31below]

No one say you are idiot! 

 

I only asked you where or who tell you to buy ticket at "the TOUR Center counter". You could simply reply back the Bell Bus girl at the ground floor! If you have read the Bell bus thread, BMs have sent message to Bell bus and the reply was "book on-line" only and it is still shown on their web site! Even the other BMs said you could walk-in now. They didn't say you have to go back up to buy ticket at the "TOUR Center counter".

 

By the way, AOT stand for Airport of Thailand. They have counters right outside the customs area like you said where the "TOUR Center counter" at. And the counters are in blue color.

There is no Bell employee at the counter on the ground floor. Period.

Only Bell employees there are the ones that sit on the chairs and check your names on

their list of online reservations and put a sticker on your shirt.

When I was there last week I asked at the counter. They just pointed at the Bell girl sitting

across the way by a small Bell sign. I asked her about buying a ticket and she pointed up

and said something to me that I did not understand. She pulled out her phone and showed

me a picture of a counter that had a large TOUR Center sign on it and again pointed up.

I went up and found a counter that had a large TOUR Center sign above it and asked

there for Bell tickets. First person had no clue. He called over a girl. She came out from behind

the counter and walked me 50 ft over to another counter just like the first. We walked

to the very end of that counter and sitting behind that end of the counter on a short chair was the Bell

girl that used to man the downstairs counter. No Bell sign. No nothing. Bought my ticket, went

back downstairs, gave that girl my receipt, she put sticker on my shirt, tag on my bag, and cautioned me

to be there on time in case I wandered off.

You can buy a ticket for Bell Travel bus at the airport. It would be easier now than before if everybody

knew where to go to buy the ticket so as not to line up on ground floor with all the other bus customers.

Just get it at the uncrowded counter on arrival level, go downstairs, and away you go.

But with no signs and seemingly not much of a plan it is confusing.

Maybe it will change next week. Dunno. But this is what it was last week. Good luck.

[passport220]

I have never understood why people are so loyal to Bell Bus and their goofy business practices.

 

Just a reminder, the regular Suvarnabhumi/Pattaya  bus #389 is 120b, walk up buy your ticket and take it all the way to final station, you can get a special trip baht bus, waiting at the bus station, to take you any place in Pattaya for 200b or less. Better than Bell as you go direct to your hotel, don't have to wait for others in the Bell minibus to be dropped off. Haul all the luggage the baht bus will hold, baht bus drivers will often help take your bags into the hotel lobby where you pay them.  Total cost 320b.

 

For most however, if you don't have a lot of bags, you can get off the #389 bus, cross the street and take any regular route baht bus into the main part of Pattaya for 10b. Total cost 130b. Add a bit more if you need to take a short motodrop ride to your hotel.

[mr21]

Maybe PA could start a Bell Bus thread and pin it to the top of the transportation forum?

[electro]

after flying 12 hours is it really worth it to take the bell bus ,just pay for a car to pattaya

[henkell]

after flying 12 hours is it really worth it to take the bell bus 

Is it fuck! But some people are just born that way. They will waste hours of their holiday to save the price of a few beers.