Newbie Guide to Baht Buses

[MY88888]

Is there a Baht bus map to show the routes of the baht bus system? Is there a Baht bus route no. system to identify where each bus goes? Last trip I was staying in Soi 1. After my usual walk at night in the Walking Street, I took a baht bus in Second Road. 90% of the time the baht bus I took did not turn to Beach Road.

[midge]

The cheapest and easiest way to get around town is on the Baht Busses. I know they have some other Thai name, but I don’t remember it.

 

What They Are: Basically, they are modified pickup trucks. There are two padded benches in the back along with a roof, a step to help you get in and some posts to grab hold of. See the photos below. There are hundreds of them driving around all day long.

 

How They Work: When you see one coming down the road in the direction you want to go, just wave or something and he’ll stop long enough for you to hop on the back. Sometimes if you’re standing there or just walking along they’ll slow down to see if you want a ride. Once you’re on, just ride along until you get where you want to go and hit the buzzer (you’ll see little buttons on the roof or the side poles—even if you don’t hear anything, they buzz up by the driver). He’ll pull over where it’s convenient. Hop out, go over to the passenger door and hand him 10 Baht through the window. It’s good to carry around some coins. Although I had no problems getting change, some have said the driver might claim he has none.

 

Where They Go: They mostly go in loops, but sometimes they branch off. They travel South on Beach road where they stop at Walking Street. I have seen, during the day, some of them going down Walking Street to the Pier at the other end, but those might be specifically hired. Usually, at Walking Street, they turn East (away from the water) and to up South Pattaya Road to 2nd Road. There, they mostly turn and go North on 2nd Road. Some of them may turn South. Some of them may continue East and go North on Buakow (the N/S road half way between 2nd Road and 3rd Road). If you want to be sure you’re going the direction you want, wait for a bus beyond the intersection where it’s already going your direction.

 

The ones that go North on 2nd Road mostly go all the way to the Dolphin roundabout at the North end of Pattaya. Most will turn South and go back down Beach Road (the loop). Some of them continue North.

 

Baht Busses go both North and South on Buakow. The ones going South turn West on South Pattaya Road and stop at 2nd Road. Just ahead and to the left is Walking Street. Some of these turn North on 2nd Road, some go South. If you don’t want to get off here, wait for the turn and, if it’s the wrong way, hit the buzzer and get off. Walk across the intersection and wait for one going your direction. Since Buakow kind of peters out in the North direction, I’m not sure exactly where they turn around up North.

 

If you want to go to 3rd Road and places East, I’m sure you can, but I don’t know how. I’m still enough of a newbie to just know the prime areas.

 

Busses For Hire: Mostly, if the bus is moving when you flag it down, it’s going along a fixed route and you’ll pay 10 Baht. You’ll find lots of them parked along the street, particularly late evening near Walking Street. You can always ask one to take you somewhere specific. It will cost more than 10 Baht, but might be worth it to you. For example, I was heading up to the Sanctuary of Truth. I took one North on 2nd Road, got off at the Dolphin Roundabout then walked a little farther North. When a Baht Bus stopped for me I showed him a brochure of the Sanctuary and he said, “50 Baht.” Fine by me. He dropped off his other passenger on the way and took me straight to the entrance. I knew it was out one of the Sois going West from Naklua Road, but wasn’t exactly sure how to get there. When done there, I just walked back to Naklua and grabbed a Baht Bus going South. I stayed on at the roundabout to see which way he’d go. When he headed down Beach Road I just stayed on. I took it all the way to Central Festival Mall. Since that was much farther than a normal ride on one of the circuits, I gave the driver 20 instead of 10. You might find, especially if you go around part of the loop instead of just a straight shot, that they expect a little more. It’s still a good deal.

 

Thanks for this informative post.Very good one for a newbie as well.Go on mate.Cheers.

[timmyg68]

thanks for the info very useful

[foz]

10 baht buckuao to Soi 6 does me

[Daveo]

Good stuff Phil.

One day we got on a baht bus on beach road and was going to get off at soi Honey on 2nd road, he went along beach road, up to the lights and turned left onto 2nd road and stopped, he said he finish now so we had to get off, I said but you have to go along 2nd road so why, he said no so we got off, I think the trick was expecting us to get on another thus another fare for another driver.

We walked anyway but they will try and catch you with the no change sometimes.

[hiky]

Thanks a lot, when I was over there for a couple of days I couldn't figure out where they were going so I didn't get on them. When I go back I'll just jump on and see where they take me.

[Plamen]

Are they working for 24 hours or do they have some breaks

[philkrenshaw]

Are they working for 24 hours or do they have some breaks

They're all independent, and probably some working at any time. But in the wee hours after midnight down around Walking Street, you will see many of them just parked by the side of the road. In this case, they are more like taxies and will take you directly where you want to go but for a higher fee. Make sure to stop a moving one if you want the 10 Baht ride.

[arsene]

The problem with bathbusses is that you never know where they are supposed to go

I understood there is some color code (red - yellow - white) on the front window of the bathbus but this is not very clear to me

I also experienced that if you ask something in advance to the driver the price wil rise bij the seconds

sometime you jump on a passing bathbus assuming he is going somewhere and the driver wil indicate you very ruffly that you have to get out?!

[little_me]

Sometimes they're hired by someone to go to a specific place for a negotiated rate, just like a taxi (with no meter). If you want to get one like this, you generally have to get one that's empty.

 

If your standing on the side of the road and they don't stop for you, chances are the people in back hired 'em taxi style. Jumping into the back of one at a traffic light, your assuming a bit...

 

Coming out of Walking Street at closing time, you best bet is to walk a block up past where they turn either up second road or down to Jomtien and get one there, not only do you already know which direction it's going, but you aren't going to be stuck in traffic along that backup.

 

And someone told me the numbers on the side indicated which routes they went on, but I could never figure that out. I found it rather annoying every time I wanted to get north up beach road to have to get out and find a new truck every time they turned right instead of left at the end of second street (that's second street, right?). If someone understand the system, please share.

Edited June 30, 2011 by little_me

[fonglong]

thanks for the advice looks like i need to get some change befor i set off

how would you break down a 1000B note

[Briankaplan]

baht buses r great to get around.just watch your step getting on and off

[milhouse7]

baht buses r great to get around.just watch your step getting on and off

 

If you're taller than 6'0", also watch your head too getting in/out if u have to climb to the front of the bus.

 

First time I took the bus, I was really confused between baht bus and taxi/tuk tuk. best way to know is wait until one honks, flashes its lights and stops to pick you up. They come every 5 seconds so shouldnt be too long a wait.

[Sabaiweb]

If you take a Baht Bus late at night, it might be a good idea to check out what kind of people it is on the bus. Example: is it 3 ladyboys sitting there i would think twice before entering Wait for the next bus...

[Mr. Tomm]

the fast way to travel from south to north ... is to hop on the waiting bath buses ... the buses who everybody hop in ... the bus depart when its full ... and drive very fast ... not so slow than many others

[prchunter]

Can someone post the Baht bus map that shows the numbers of the buses? I can't figure out which buses goes where so I usually just hoof it.

[momomo]

have a look here for a map: http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/91773-understanding-the-baht-bus/page__fromsearch__1 and for more info.

 

No need and no way to know where they are going beforehand although most (I'd say about 90%) will go the route on the map. Just hop on and hop off where you want. If one is diverting from the route you want to go, just hop off, pay the miniscule fee and take anotherone to continue in your direction. Easy.

[TheOldMan]

Note to all newbies: All baht buses do NOT stay in Pattaya!

 

I was under the impression that, eventually, the one I was on last night would turn around and bring me back to civilization. I was WRONG! I got on a baht bus at Central Festival that turned east at some point and went all the way to the main road into town ... the road on which the bus from the airport entered Pattaya. When we got there, the driver told me I had to get off, and he turned north. I caught another baht bus headed south, thinking it would come back into town, but he just kept going south ... and he kept going and going and going ...

 

We passed Nang Nooch Garden, and I remembered reading about that somewhere. The baht bus kept going south! We entered Bang Saray, and I decided I'd better get off and find my way back. (The sun had set.) Looking at the map this morning, it looks like the baht bus I was on was going all the way to Sattahip!

 

Maybe I was lucky (or unlucky) to catch that particular baht bus. Maybe it only runs at closing time to take locals back home. I really don't know. Just be aware that they don't all loop around Pattaya. (He charged me 20 baht for that trip, and the one I caught coming back to town also charged me 20 baht. Small change for such a long ride!)

[deejay1952]

To update the post there are also buses running along Sukhumvit Road in both directions but not often and they are either white or bright blue. You can go south to Ban Aphoe or Bang Saray or north to Bangkok Hostipal and beyond. I have paid 20 baht to go to Ban Amphoe and also the Floating Market.

Some will even take you as far as Nong Nooch Gardens for a little extra.

[Luv2Phuket]

My "well, that's pretty damn OBVIOUS!" contribution to this thread:

 

Be sure to duck or even put you hand on your head when getting on and off of the baht bus.

 

I'm 6'2" and banged my head about every other time I got on or off....then I did THIS getting onto one (I think I slammed my head directly into one of the rods that run along the ceiling that you hold onto)....16 stitches in my head later, I am now MUCH more careful getting on or off!

Edited January 2, 2012 by footypjman

[casinoclub]

*OUCH*

[anchor777]

Damn.....use a helmet next time! Looks like it hurt!

[sanj]

do they carry change?

[hoss21]

do they carry change?

 

Yes, but don't expect to get change. Some will give you change, but others will just drive off, leaving you standing there with your arm outstretched. Lol! Just carry a few 10 baht coins with you to keep things simple & avoid any headaches.

[barolo72]

Very useful topic for a newbie like me !

B.