Pattaya NOT Via BKK

[kingdom1975]

So, I'm thinking Patts in November... But do I really want to be in BKK at all... ( not really )

 

So what are my alternatives????

 

Kuala Lumpur - Chiang Mai then Patts ( how to get from CM to Patts? ) or

KL - Phnom Penh then Patts ( how to get from PP to Patts? )

 

Previous experiences...???

 

What u reckon..???

[Mike Asia]

The airport is not even in Bangkok so i would not worry, you wont see the city.

 

i guess the bus from Chang Mai is 12 or 14 hours. too far

Edited May 15, 2010 by mike_asia

[Al.]

Fly to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is south of Bangkok as is Pattaya so you do not actually go to Bangkok itself.

 

The only other way of avoiding Bangkok would be if you could get a flight to U-Tapao Airport near Sattahip (Phuket to U-Tapao is one option) or even fly to Cambodia and travel overland avoiding Bangkok.

 

Flying to Suvarnabhumi is your best bet though.

 

Al.

[arbiez]

U-Tapao is probably the best option if seeking an alternative. That said, U-Tapao is small and only accommodates a few fights per day from Phuket or Samui on Bangkok Air. Don't know where you're flying in from, what I'll say is that you can route to Samui on Bangkok air from both Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Tapao_International_Airport

http://www.bangkokair.com/route-map/index.php

 

That said, if things get ugly and one of the major BKK airports gets shut down, you can pretty much bet that getting in/out of UT will be pretty chaotic. Being that UT is closer in Sattahip, expect taxi time should be around 40 minutes. (I don't think the taxi fare is any cheaper.)

 

In short, I'm with everyone else in that one of the two Bangkok airports should be open and flying into BKK shouldn't be an issue. (I can't imagine the Thai being unprepared for a 2nd attempt at shutting down the airport, but TiT.)

[BostonSteve]

So, I'm thinking Patts in November... But do I really want to be in BKK at all... ( not really )

 

So what are my alternatives????

 

Kuala Lumpur - Chiang Mai then Patts ( how to get from CM to Patts? ) or

KL - Phnom Penh then Patts ( how to get from PP to Patts? )

 

Previous experiences...???

 

What u reckon..???

 

The airport is south east of Bangkok. If it is open I am flying in come November. Unless there is a civil war I am sure that it will be ok.

[ingo67]

So, I'm thinking Patts in November... But do I really want to be in BKK at all... ( not really )

 

So what are my alternatives????

 

Kuala Lumpur - Chiang Mai then Patts ( how to get from CM to Patts? ) or

KL - Phnom Penh then Patts ( how to get from PP to Patts? )

 

Previous experiences...???

 

What u reckon..???

 

Answers as above. the airport is a good 30kms from the trouble in the centre of Bangkok. Alternatives are not really practical for someone on holiday.

Just keep an eye on the news and Foreign Office updates to see if things get worse.

If you are that worried don't come at all.

[chuckwow]

As said above..the airport is nowhere near the trouble. I live on Sukhumvit in BKK and the clashes taking place a few km's away have only affected me by closing down the BTS at times. Besides the BTS closure all seems pretty much normal in my area.

[Archer4]

November is some months ahead and the situation is very fluid, hold off your travel plans for awhile would be my advice. As if you cancelled or changed this far ahead, you would kick yourself is everything was OK in November and you had decided to do something else.

[thailearner]

You would have to fly to Phuket then fly on to Pattaya.

 

You can fly into Phuket from many different asian countries.

 

But you have plenty of time to decide so do not be to hasty

[magmag2]

Hi all,

Mate, BKK airport is on road to pats. Sadly, just came back from there.

Had no issues at all in or out, not even check point!! other than so quiet there was more concentarted attention from "Taxi Taxi" people.

City centre is a world away from airport.

There are flights from Phuket to Utapao "military" airport near Pattaya but only with Rubberband airline Bangkok Air-- don't do it!!!!

Good luck

[mic59]

Coming in September and I have a flight to Phuket. What's the best way to Patts from there, do you get a Pattaya bus from Phuket or do you have to go in and out of BKK? And if so, how do you do it?

[Scumbag]

Coming in September and I have a flight to Phuket. What's the best way to Patts from there, do you get a Pattaya bus from Phuket or do you have to go in and out of BKK? And if so, how do you do it?

You can fly with Bangkok Airways from Phuket to U-tapao near Pattaya. If you catch a bus from Phuket not only is it a long trip but you will have to change busses in Bangkok. Unless you are a soap-fearing backbacker the bus is not a viable option.

[banana]

I will be flying into U-tapao from Samui, is it easy to get transport into town from their? and what is the best option? any buses that go from their or will i be up for a taxi fare?

cheers

[thaitan]

Start with a map. BKK airport is South of the city. A taxi to Pattaya will cost 8000baht. But check Bell's buses, and book on the web for 200. Their service is airport to hotel door. If you don't have a hotel, they'll recommend plenty. Saved me heaps on a recent trip, suggesting i didn't need to spend the money I'd planned by selecting accommodation on the web. They were right! More to spend on girls and drink, instead of wasting it.....!

[stigga]

Hello

 

Whatever you do so dont trust the taxidrivers in BKK. Me and my GF went to BKK the 21th of april by bus to Ekamai bus station. I know the Sukhumvit part of BKK so I just told the driver to go to soi 7. He went crazy and started to tell me that Sukhumvit was the worst part to go to cause the red shirts demonstrations. I didnt believed him so I went to talk with another taxidriver and he said the same. He started to explain for my GF who is thai BTW and she never been to BKK before and of course she believed in him. He suggested that we should go to Silom area. I asked if we could take the way by Sukhumvit to check it up. He just said NO NO and started to explain for my GF again.

 

So, we ended up on a hotel in Silom and when were going to grab something to eat and got a few blocks away from the hotel we realized that we had been tricked like hell. There were Police and soldiers everywhere. We took a ride with a tuk tuk and we did a U turn just in front of the redshirts tyre and bamboo fences. The tuk tuk driver told us that it was pretty calm in the Sukhumvit area and wondered why we didnt stayed there. We were to lazy to change hotel that night and the morning after we went to MBK for some shopping.We stayed there for almost all day but I told my GF that I wanted to take the BTS over to Nana and see the situation there with my own eyes. On our way to BTS station we took a walk on the bridges outside MBK and at Saladaeng we were taking some pictures of the sleeping redshirt resting for the nights coming fight behind the barriers.

We went over to Nana and went to Beergarden on soi 7 for a couple of drinks. After that we went to Gullivers on soi 5 for some pool before I have to show here busieness in Nana Plaza. There were a lot of tourists in the area and no problem at all with redshirts.

 

In the mornig we get up early cause we were going to Phuket and the first thing I see when we go down for breakfast is the morningpapers front page shouting out "Bombterror grips Silom". We checked out and while we were waiting for the taxi we watched the news on TV. There had been 5 explosions at Saladaeng the evening before, at the same place there we have been taking the pics of the resting redshirts.

Well, it was time to leave BKK anyway.

 

When we went out on the highway the taxidriver asked if we had bought tickets for the flight to Phuket. I said no, we do that at the airport. He told it was impossible to buy tickets at the airport and wanted us to go with him to a traveloffice to buy tickets. I said NO......keep going to the airport. He didnt listen at all and he turned off the highway and started to try to convince my GF that it was the only way to get tickets for Phuket. I went crazy, at this time I was pretty tired at all taxidrivers so I just told him to not bother. I want to go to airport and your job is to get me there. Finally he listened to me but he was angry all the way and never stopped trying to convince my GF that I was wrong.

At the airport there was no problem to get the tickets and we got to Phuket with no problem.

 

He He, this almost ended up to be an trip report.....at least of some of the days of my monthly journey. What I want to say is that dont always trust the taxidrivers. The reason they wanted us to go to Silom was probably that the hotels there was pretty empty and they have commision to get people over there.

 

Probably a lot of you lads have been in simular situations.

 

Stigga