Transportation ??: BKK to Nana Hotel, 4 days later to Pattaya

[JimmiFlorida]

When I arrive at BKK (3/29/23), I guess a taxi or Grab are my best options to Nana hotel? Does Grab work the same as Uber (here in the States)? I read never ask a taxi driver “how much to ….?”. Is this true? Should I ask for the meter to be used? A Google search states 310 baht. I wouldn’t care if it’s twice this much.

After my 4-day escapade in Bangkok, I believe Areca Lodge will pick me up at Nana but open to other options or suggestions.

[HimBadMan]

1 hour ago, JimmiFlorida said:

When I arrive at BKK (3/29/23), I guess a taxi or Grab are my best options to Nana hotel? Does Grab work the same as Uber (here in the States)? I read never ask a taxi driver “how much to ….?”. Is this true? Should I ask for the meter to be used? A Google search states 310 baht. I wouldn’t care if it’s twice this much.

After my 4-day escapade in Bangkok, I believe Areca Lodge will pick me up at Nana but open to other options or suggestions.

Depends on your budget.

But for sure from BKK to Nana hotel use a metered taxi from the airport.  Should cost you less than 500B

From Nana to Pattaya.   Private taxi will cost you around 1500b.  A metered taxi will typically charge a flat rate of 2000, similar charges for a Bolt Driver (use bolt in Pattaya not grab).

Or you can take a taxi to ekkamai bus station and take the bus to Pattaya and bolt to hotel. This will cost all in around 500B. 

[Kale]

1 hour ago, HimBadMan said:

Depends on your budget.

But for sure from BKK to Nana hotel use a metered taxi from the airport.  Should cost you less than 500B

From Nana to Pattaya.   Private taxi will cost you around 1500b.  A metered taxi will typically charge a flat rate of 2000, similar charges for a Bolt Driver (use bolt in Pattaya not grab).

Or you can take a taxi to ekkamai bus station and take the bus to Pattaya and bolt to hotel. This will cost all in around 500B. 

Why not Bolt from BKK to Nana?  

[HimBadMan]

7 minutes ago, Kale said:

Why not Bolt from BKK to Nana?  

I don't have too much experience but tried a couple of times    but harder to arrange an airport pickup (since I don't speak Thai) arrange where to meet you etc.    Ymmv though.    But always found just getting a taxi on bottom level super easy    plus I'm usually down that way to exchange money  

[LeoTex]

4 hours ago, JimmiFlorida said:

After my 4-day escapade in Bangkok, I believe Areca Lodge will pick me up at Nana but open to other options or suggestions.

I don't believe the Areca Lodge provides car service, they may suggest someone.

I would use one of the taxi services that are mentioned here, like Meow Car service.

 

 

[momo5]

What time do you arrive in BKK and are you carrying a bunch of stuff?

If I arrive late at night, I take a taxi.   Just tell them where you want to go and make sure they use the meter.  If they refuse the meter, just go to the next one.  I rarely encounter a taxi at the airport that refuses the meter.  They may ask for money for the tolls if they go that way.   In February, it cost me 280 Baht via the non-toll route. 
 

If arriving daytime/evening, then consider the Airport RailLink and BTS to Nana which is very easy.   Last time I did this, I think it was 60 Baht, give or take a few Baht, via Phaya Thai.  
 

BTS Nana to Ekamai for the bus to Pattaya works out quite well too, with a baht bus to your specific hotel.
 

Some prefer the convenience of door-to-door service and baggage handling with a private driver, either taxi/car service/bolt.  

[Bonkabit]

3 hours ago, momo5 said:

Some prefer the convenience of door-to-door service and baggage handling with a private driver, either taxi/car service/bolt.  

"Door-to-door service" invaluable if you are not familiar with the area. Worth it, especially after a long trip.

From BKK airport: follow signs to taxis on the ground floor. Freeway until you get into the more central area.

From Nana hotel in Bangkok to Areca in Pattaya - book Nams taxi, door-to-door. See website for prices and to book, maybe 3-7 days in advance.

Bus would involve transfers and local taxis - cumbersome, slow.

[momo5]

10 minutes ago, Bonkabit said:

"Door-to-door service" invaluable if you are not familiar with the area. Worth it, especially after a long trip.

From BKK airport: follow signs to taxis on the ground floor. Freeway until you get into the more central area.

From Nana hotel in Bangkok to Areca in Pattaya - book Nams taxi, door-to-door. See website for prices and to book, maybe 3-7 days in advance.

Bus would involve transfers and local taxis - cumbersome, slow.

For a taxi to Pattaya, it is absolutely  better to arrange with a Pattaya-based service like Nams or Meows.  One time I took a local taxi from Bangkok to Pattaya the fruitcake didn’t know Pattaya and we spent nearly an hour driving around even though I kept telling him where to go; showing him a photo of the plane sticking out of the building kept getting a ‘oh yes, oh yes’ yet he’d spin off in the other direction. 

However, if one plans on regular visits and travels light and nimble, learning how to manage the trains, buses and songthaews is easy and worth the effort. 

[geezerrb]

Going by the posts, at BKK for taxis has the desk system stopped? 

[momo5]

12 minutes ago, geezerrb said:

Going by the posts, at BKK for taxis has the desk system stopped? 

Yeah, you still get a ticket to the spot for the next taxi in the queue, but that’s all it is.  Where to go, how much to pay, how to pay, etc is still between you and the driver. 

[manni2011]

In my experience it’s almost always easier and faster to just walk up to the departures drop off  for a taxi. There are always taxis waiting there just for this reason.  Sometimes the lines at the taxi queue on the ground floor are ridiculous.  

[patman]

I make exactly this trip on my vacation. 3 days Bankok, then 7 days Pattaya. The easy way to get to the hotel in Bangkok (I usually stay at the Landmark, around the corner from Nana Plaza) is by taxi. Do not accept a ride from the guys who come up to you in the airport, go downstairs, there is a machine that gives you a ticket for a taxi, just find the taxi in the bay number that matches the number on your ticket. Takes around 20 min and costs less than 500 Baht. I tried the train from the airport once, but you have to change trains at Siam, and there is a bunch of stairs, no fun if you have luggage.  For Bankok to Pattaya I use Tans taxi, booked about 2 weeks before I arrive.

[momo5]

3 hours ago, patman said:

I make exactly this trip on my vacation. 3 days Bankok, then 7 days Pattaya. The easy way to get to the hotel in Bangkok (I usually stay at the Landmark, around the corner from Nana Plaza) is by taxi. Do not accept a ride from the guys who come up to you in the airport, go downstairs, there is a machine that gives you a ticket for a taxi, just find the taxi in the bay number that matches the number on your ticket. Takes around 20 min and costs less than 500 Baht. I tried the train from the airport once, but you have to change trains at Siam, and there is a bunch of stairs, no fun if you have luggage.  For Bankok to Pattaya I use Tans taxi, booked about 2 weeks before I arrive.

The Airport Rail Link doesn’t go to Siam; it terminates at Phaya Thai which connects to the Phaya Thai BTS/Siam Line for a direct ride to Nana.  There are now up/down escalators from the Rail Link and up escalators to the platforms at the Phaya Thai BTS station. Yeah, I think you’re stuck walking down the stairs upon arrival at Nana.  For a backpack/rollerboard it is very doable; lugging anything more than that would be an inconvenient hassle for sure. 
 

Yes, I’ve done BKK to Nana in 20 minutes, but it’s highly dependent upon the time of day/night; took nearly two hours once; I’d say plan on 45 minutes on average to be safe.  Being stuck in traffic that’s hardly moving frustrates me like nothing else, so unless I arrive late at night or very early in the morning, I take the rail link and BTS as I also travel light and don’t have any mobility issues. 

[Thomaz73]

7 hours ago, Bonkabit said:

From Nana hotel in Bangkok to Areca in Pattaya - book Nams taxi, door-to-door

For a while now she's only serviced Pattaya -Swampy. Not certain if that's still the case. If so, I'd try Meow taxi. 

[JimmiFlorida]

12 hours ago, patman said:

Do not accept a ride from the guys who come up to you in the airport, go downstairs, there is a machine that gives you a ticket for a taxi, just find the taxi in the bay number that matches the number on your ticket

This is really good info on taxi's; thank you.

I'll look into Tans taxi for my transport from Nana hotel to Areca hotel.

[JimmiFlorida]

Areca Lodge quoted me 2200 baht ($64.00) from Nana to Areca. This seems reasonable to me. I'll email Tans taxi and Nams taxi.

[h.harris]

56 minutes ago, JimmiFlorida said:

Areca Lodge quoted me 2200 baht ($64.00) from Nana to Areca. This seems reasonable to me. I'll email Tans taxi and Nams taxi.

Wow that is too much. I took Meow or Tom Taxi Service many times from BKK hotel to Patt and returned, both good IMO, and they should cost you 1200 (Tom Taxi) or 1300 (Meow) all tolls included.

Edited March 24, 2023 by h.harris

[JimmiFlorida]

7 minutes ago, h.harris said:

Wow that is too much. I took Meow or Tom Taxi Service many times from BKK hotel to Patt and returned, both good IMO, and they should cost you 1200 (Tom Taxi) or 1300 (Meow) all tolls included.

I just got an email back from Tans taxi. 1500 baht, Nana, Bangkok to Areca, Pattaya. Tans may be a better option.

[h.harris]

13 minutes ago, h.harris said:

Wow that is too much. I took Meow or Tom Taxi Service many times from BKK hotel to Patt and returned, both good IMO, and they should cost you 1200 (Tom Taxi) or 1300 (Meow) all tolls included.

Meow taxi: [email protected]

Tom Taxi: +66 982812537 (Sorry, I don't have her email, as I contact her through LINE only.)

[Luv2Phuket]

Check Cherry Taxi service - https://cherrytaxiservice.com/

I have always used Nam in the past, but my trip was far from locked in and I read she was declining non-airport Bangkok to Pattaya runs. Given that I was kinda last minute, I tried Cherry and was VERY happy with their service.  So happy, in fact, that I used them for the ride back to BKK at the end of my trip.

Great prices

[jsmithj88]

1 hour ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Check Cherry Taxi service - https://cherrytaxiservice.com/

I have always used Nam in the past, but my trip was far from locked in and I read she was declining non-airport Bangkok to Pattaya runs. Given that I was kinda last minute, I tried Cherry and was VERY happy with their service.  So happy, in fact, that I used them for the ride back to BKK at the end of my trip.

Great prices

i have always used cherry taxi.  quick responses via LINE even on last minute rides

[Luv2Phuket]

2 minutes ago, jsmithj88 said:

i have always used cherry taxi.  quick responses via LINE even on last minute rides

They "upgraded" my car on both trips.

Coming from Bangkok (close to Terminal 21) to Pattaya, I signed up for a Camry, and they sent a Innova.

Going back, I signed up for an Innova, and they sent a commuter van. 555  I assume they had a group pickup at BKK, so it made sense to drive me there in it.

[Encora]

1 hour ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Check Cherry Taxi service - https://cherrytaxiservice.com/

I have always used Nam in the past, but my trip was far from locked in and I read she was declining non-airport Bangkok to Pattaya runs. Given that I was kinda last minute, I tried Cherry and was VERY happy with their service.  So happy, in fact, that I used them for the ride back to BKK at the end of my trip.

Great prices

As noted a few weeks ago, since the  pressure of the high season faded, Nam is doing the Bangkok-Pattaya run again, although she is reluctant to take bookings between 10.00 AM and 1.00 PM, simply because most drivers seem to be busier then. That of course is the peak time for hotel check-outs.

it is likely that as soon as the demand reduces more, she will adapt and also provide service in those hours. As she said, “I cannot take bookings if I don’t have a driver”.
 

None of her drivers are paid employees, the driver decides which jobs to accept. When they have a choice, they will prefer to do the Pattaya to airport run, since they know the turn around is from the same location, and, since the Pattaya to Bangkok cost them more in toll fees, it is often not worth it for them to spend a long time being stuck in the terrible Bangkok traffic for the small difference in price. Their profit margin is low, and most drivers will have found out that at the end of the day, they have more money in hand from the airport run.

the alternative, putting drivers on the payroll would mean Nam would pay for downtime, which would bump up the prices considerably.

[Luv2Phuket]

14 minutes ago, Encora said:

As noted a few weeks ago, since the  pressure of the high season faded, Nam is doing the Bangkok-Pattaya run again, although she is reluctant to take bookings between 10.00 AM and 1.00 PM, simply because most drivers seem to be busier then. That of course is the peak time for hotel check-outs.

it is likely that as soon as the demand reduces more, she will adapt and also provide service in those hours. As she said, “I cannot take bookings if I don’t have a driver”.
 

None of her drivers are paid employees, the driver decides which jobs to accept. When they have a choice, they will prefer to do the Pattaya to airport run, since they know the turn around is from the same location, and, since the Pattaya to Bangkok cost them more in toll fees, it is often not worth it for them to spend a long time being stuck in the terrible Bangkok traffic for the small difference in price. Their profit margin is low, and most drivers will have found out that at the end of the day, they have more money in hand from the airport run.

the alternative, putting drivers on the payroll would mean Nam would pay for downtime, which would bump up the prices considerably.

The day I was coming down, another BM had a pick-up in Bangkok.  I just assumed that meant it was less likely I could get one, so I looked elsewhere.

This also was in early Feb when things were very busy.

[butler]

On 24/03/2023 at 01:07, manni2011 said:

In my experience it’s almost always easier and faster to just walk up to the departures drop off  for a taxi. There are always taxis waiting there just for this reason.  Sometimes the lines at the taxi queue on the ground floor are ridiculous.  

Been doing this for years , depending on traffic the fare to nana using the meter is around 300 baht plus tolls most drivers try not using the tolls .

Always offer them 400 baht all in if they say no i ask them to turn meter on they never do , 95% of drivers always accept my offer if not say thanks and ask another taxi plenty there .