Baht bus routes

[riki]

Hi All

 

Just wondering if maybe I'm missing something here with regards baht bus routes

 

Seems to me you get on and hope for the best when they approach a major junction as to weather they op to go right,left or straight on.

 

Would it not be an idea to colour code on these buses and make available maps like on the london underground for example.

 

Or even numbering the buses would be quite a simple exercise would it not.

[prak]

You would think that they would adopt some reasonable method of determining where a baht bus will end up going, but TiT they probably never will. On the plus side, sometimes I just stay on if they take different direction and end up someplace I haven't been before - though other times, its a pain to have to change and pay the extra baht every time. Such things are both the curse and the charm of LOS.

[Nak Muay]

it part of the experience, and helps to get to know the area,

 

i mean you can hardly complain at 10 baht to explore half a city and another 10 to getback.

 

or get your TG to ask which way they are going.... just dont try it yourself

[Devil Plaything]

There is some degree of marking re: routes, e.g. presence or absence of a white stripe means something. Buggered if I can figure it out though, and most of the Thais seem equally oblivious. In some cases you can indicate with your hand which way you want to go, and they'll only stop if they're going that way. No idea how you'd indicate it if you're outside Royal Garden and wanted to go to Naklua, for instance... all part of the charm, and at least the Songthaews don't gouge on price like they do in Phuket or Samui.

[cjtrader]

The baht buses are for the most part an unregulated industry. Anyone who can afford to buy or rent a pickup truck can be a baht bus driver. Since they all are independent contractors, they don't follow an imposed schedule. They go where they think supply and demand will be best for them. This means their comings and goings are unpredictable, but it also translates to lots of baht buses and very low prices. As a previous poster put it: both a charm and a curse. Personally I think the pros far outweigh the cons. We travel to anywhere in town for 10 or 20 baht and rarely wait for longer than a minute on main routes. Compare that to catching a bus or taxi in any western city!

[lookingforit]

Hell, I thought all they did was go around in a circle all day long.