Pattaya to Surin

[Kahoy]

I'm considering going to Surin this week to meet a girl and wondering what's the best way to go? The obvious answer is to fly but the trip duration is even longer than the bus and I'm not keen to fly. The bus takes just over 7 hours and is much cheaper. There's also the train which is only an hour longer but goes from Hualampong. Has anybody travelled this route lately and care to share their experiences? Does the bus have a toilet? My bladder would need a stop every couple of hours or so. The last time I took a tour bus in Thailand was almost 40 years ago, they were nice buses back then. Thinking of Nakhonchaiair.

The hotels in Surin are dirt cheap at the moment.

[Smeghead76]

Haven't done the bus to During bit have to Futher North a few times.

7 hr trip the bus will do a stop at least once for fuel etc allowing you to get off, stretch, buy some food etc. I have seen a toilet on some of the buses but never used or seen anyone use them.

[Ocelot]

If you're dead set on not flying into Buriram and then taking a short taxi or bus ride into Surin, then I would think the best advice would be to call or email some taxi companies or just negotiate with a taxi driver himself as that will be the quickest though not exactly the most economical route to use.

Personally having done both the BKK and Don Muang airport arrival straight to Buriram - Surin route quite a few times over the last few years, I've always had my airport taxi or Grab driver offer to drive me straight to Surin or Buriram for about 2500 - 3000 bht instead of taking the flight or bus route. That would be the quickest method if you aren't willing to fly to Buriram airport as the drive will take about 5 to 6 hours versus maybe 3 to 4 hours of total travel time in a taxi/bus and plane method.

Also I am assuming the woman you are meeting isn't going to be staying in the city of Surin as the city is quite small compared to it's bigger but still not really huge sibling city in Buriram, which means a lack of activities unless you like seeing some of the ancient Khmer ruins that are basically small scale Angkor Wats/Ayutthayas and which you will need your own transportation to get to anyways as they are quite far from the city.

hotel prices are irrelevant in the provinces as Surin and Buriram will always be cheap for accommodation except for maybe some big days like GrandPrix and MotoGP races and perhaps some special Thai holidays. Best advice I would give is to find a trustworthy bike or car rental shop in Surin or Buriram to explore around as you might be bored if you are staying longer then a week there and it also provides you more freedom as well.

If you need some help in finding a reliable rental shop then let me know as I have rented from several companies in that area throughout the years.

[rhodie]

Hire a car. Gives you all the flexibility you need.

[Thamesbank]

The bus takes about 7 hours, will stop at Korat for a while.

Buriram airport is nowhere near Surin, it's just south of Satuk. Looking at a 90 minute drive, there are very few taxis.

You may need to get the bus (hourly) from Satuk to Surin, which takes 2 hours plus.

So your best bet is the Nakonchai bus

 

[MikeT]

The buses are usually fine, I have taken NCA to both Surin and Buriram multiple times (ex was from surin and current gf from Buriram).. They have toilet on the bus but they usually only stop at some locations to let people off, usually they will serve a small meal on the bus and small snacks/water... They also have LCD screens on the headrest and USB chargers on them which is good because i like to use my ipad. As others said its around 7-8 hours on the bus and your butt will be sore... For me worst part is not being able to smoke the whole time so i take Nic gum.

[Bawdy]

I flew to Ubon once and then got taxi to Surin.

Caught the bus back, thankfully they do not go thru BKK, or it would be way more than 7 hrs!!!

[manni2011]

If you do decide to fly, Nok Air has a fly and ride option. A mini bus to Surin (to the Majestic Hotel) is included with the flight. Air Asia offers a similar fly and ride option and their mini bus takes you to the Chang Knowledge center in Surin.  If you chose that option be sure to stop at the bakery where the mini bus drops you off. 

[Kahoy]

On 03/03/2020 at 04:17, rhodie said:

Hire a car. Gives you all the flexibility you need.

I don't have my license here and been here for 2 months anyway. Is it possible to get a temporary permit? I believe getting a license here is quite expensive. Hiring a car would be great. I tried to get Nam's taxi to take me but they didn't want to go.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Kahoy

[billybob69]

On 02/03/2020 at 20:44, Ocelot said:

Personally having done both the BKK and Don Muang airport arrival straight to Buriram - Surin route quite a few times over the last few years, I've always had my airport taxi or Grab driver offer to drive me straight to Surin or Buriram for about 2500 - 3000 bht instead of taking the flight or bus route. That would be the quickest method if you aren't willing to fly to Buriram airport as the drive will take about 5 to 6 hours versus maybe 3 to 4 hours of total travel time in a taxi/bus and plane method.

That sounds a good price (in comparison to car hire). Do you organise a taxi beforehand? If so, care to share who you use.

[Kahoy]

minimum 6,500 baht on Grab Car

Edited March 11, 2020 by Kahoy

[Ocelot]

1 hour ago, billybob69 said:

That sounds a good price (in comparison to car hire). Do you organise a taxi beforehand? If so, care to share who you use.

Unfortunately I didn't get their contact info as I was only offered those prices from individual taxi drivers whom I hailed from the airport or a Bangkok hotel. Those prices are for Buriram btw and not for Surin which might add another 500 bht or so but it's close enough and both times the driver would mention those prices when they knew I would be flying to Buriram which meant I could either cancel and go with them or just take my original flight.

Keep in mind that it's very YMMV as both drivers were originally from Isaan and lived near the area so it was probably a way for them to make some extra cash while driving back home and the drivers themselves seemed kind of desperate for business.

They most likely won't offer you a discount if you were to officially book a car online or through email/phone and for Grab drivers, you would need to negotiate the rate offline as their app will most likely charge you an exorbitant rate judging by the quoted price from the OP. Also trying to hire a car in Pattaya instead of Bangkok would probably make it very difficult to negotiate on prices judging by the racket that the taxi mafia runs from there and their price gouging rates.

I would think though that it shouldn't be too hard to negotiate similar rates coming from Bangkok considering how many taxi drivers are from Isaan and the desperate times they are most likely seeing these days. You might even be able to negotiate with a Buriram/Surin expat who is in town doing a quick sneakout weekend as there are plenty of them running around in Pattaya and Bangkok at anytime and they are usually pretty friendly and accommodating if not a little eccentric to say the least.  

 

[rhodie]

20 hours ago, Kahoy said:

I don't have my license here and been here for 2 months anyway. Is it possible to get a temporary permit? I believe getting a license here is quite expensive. Hiring a car would be great. I tried to get Nam's taxi to take me but they didn't want to go.

If you had your licence, getting a Thai one is easy. Don't think you have time to take the test, but I think you could if you can delay the trip a few days. If you have money, use one of the agents as it will be quicker and easier. Good luck.

[billybob69]

18 hours ago, Ocelot said:

Unfortunately I didn't get their contact info as I was only offered those prices from individual taxi drivers whom I hailed from the airport or a Bangkok hotel. Those prices are for Buriram btw and not for Surin which might add another 500 bht or so but it's close enough and both times the driver would mention those prices when they knew I would be flying to Buriram which meant I could either cancel and go with them or just take my original flight.

Keep in mind that it's very YMMV as both drivers were originally from Isaan and lived near the area so it was probably a way for them to make some extra cash while driving back home and the drivers themselves seemed kind of desperate for business.

Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated.

Can I double-check that you basically asked every Taxi driver that you used if they were interested / for a price until one of them bit?

Any easy way to tell that they are from Isaan? Do they wear red shirts? LOL

[Ocelot]

4 hours ago, billybob69 said:

Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated.

Can I double-check that you basically asked every taxi driver that you used if they were interested / for a price until one of them bit?

Didn't ask any of my drivers as they offered to take me each time so it's basically luck of the draw I guess. They also were taking me to either a flight or the bus station which means you have leverage in trying to lowball them on a price and see if it's worth it to them.

I will also say that each time I went to Buriram/Surin was during their low travel season so that might have been a factor as well where they probably figured that making 1500-2000 bht after gas to somewhere near their hometowns on 99% highway roads is worth it vs potentially driving around all day long in traffic locked Bangkok hoping to get enough customers to equal that amount.

Any easy way to tell that they are from Isaan? Do they wear red shirts? LOL

No tells as I asked them after the fact where they were from and they told me Isaan and usually a nearby town or province. Obviously no red shirts worn haha as I believe they were wearing semi professional work attire but if you get a driver that is wearing a Buriram United shirt then that is usually a great hint though Buriram United is probably the most popular football team in all of Thailand so not a given.

Perhaps if the driver is inquisitive on why you are visiting Buriram or Surin then that is usually a good sign that they are from around there (along with being rather dismissive of your reasons for going). That region seems to have the reputation for being particularly proud of their hometowns compared to other Isaan provinces so most likely the driver will proclaim where they are from rather quickly.

 

Even if you can't negotiate on the prices then I would highly recommend a flight via Nok Air and Air Asia. I just saw a round trip fare for most of April from DMK to BFV for around 1050 bht total. Like some others have mentioned, I believe both have a shuttle bus straight to Surin as well once you land and it's only a 1 hour flight so it's probably the fastest way to get there while providing the best value as of this moment.