The Baht Bus! It’s an amazing way to get round Pattaya. Cheap, frequent, and easy – IF you know what you’re doing. So what are they and how do they work?
They are converted pickup trucks with a roof, no tail gate, a back step and two bench seats. In fact the name in Thai – Song Taew – means two rows. They travel around with no set schedule and basically go where the drivers want to go. There are two ways you can get one. First is as a private taxi. Hail one with no passengers and talk to the driver. Tell him where you want to go and negotiate a price. Most places are between 100B and 200B. If there’s a group of you and the place you want to go to isn’t on a bus route, this is the cheapest way to get around.
But as I’ve already hinted they do have routes. Wave at one driving down a route, and if he stops, he will be looking for passengers. The standard fare is either 10B or 20B. 10B will take you from Jomtien Beach to Pattaya, South of Pattaya Tai Road. Cross Pattaya Ta and it’s 20B. You’ll get the idea. They don’t have stops. Just wave at one from the side of the road and they will pull in for you. When you want to get off, there’s a push-button bell in the roof – normally around 6 of them in different places. press that and the driver will pull over to the side of the road as soon as he can. Walk to his window and pay him and you’re done.
If it rains they sometimes put plastic sides on. And if the bus is full, you can travel on the back step. Just hang on! An average bus can take around 14 people this way, although they can be filled with more at a push. I’ve seen 29 Thais in one bus!
There are no real downsides. However watch out for pick-pockets who frequent the buses occasionally. The usual trick is for two or three ladies to get on, one with a baby. The lady with the baby sits next to you. At some point she drops something and you bend down to pick it up. They immediately get off and you’re left without your wallet, professionally picked when you bent forward. It’s the same in any city. Just be alert. And if the Thai boy sitting next to you starts rubbing your leg …
The most confusing thing is the routes. There are no maps published and the buses give no indication of where they are going. So if you’re on one and it turns a corner you don’t expect, just ring the bell, get off and pay the 10B. Walk back to the road you wanted and hail the next bus. Normally on all the routes there’s one every 3 to 5 minutes. Sometimes a great deal more! Here’s an idiot’s guide to some of the major routes in South Pattaya. Roadworks, marathons and flooding excepted!
Good luck!
- Jomtien Beach Road over the hill to Pattaya along Thappraya. Then along Second Road to the Dolphin roundabout. At the roundabout they can turn left to come back along beach road, go straight on to Naklua or go right up Pattaya Nua (Pattaya North) to the bus station.
- Pattaya Beach Road to Pattaya Tai (Pattaya South Road) (by walking street). Sometimes they stop there or they will go up Pattaya Tai. Occasionally in the day time they will go along Walking Street. When they get to the traffic lights at second road, they can go left back to the Dolphin, straight on up Pattaya Tai or turn right to Jomtien.
- Buses going up Pattaya Tai can turn left at Soi Buakhao when they go to Pattaya Klang (Pattaya Central Road), or go straight on to the Sukhumvit Road, where they turn round and come back. On the way back they don’t turn up Soi Buakhao, but you get the usual choice of left or right at second road.
- There’s a limited services along third road both ways.
- There’s a very limited service along Thepprasit Road.
- The Sukhumvit Road is served by a different, white, Baht Bus, which goes out of Pattaya.
The map might help or confuse you! Click on the small version below for a larger one in a new window.
