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Car Service to/from Pattaya

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Can anyone help with recommendations for car services between Bangkok and Pattaya? I have seen references in the forum in the past but have searched and can't find them.

 

My hotel in Bangkok just gave me an eye watering 9000Bt quote and the driver known to the person from whom I am renting a condo in Pattaya only does airport-Pattaya not downtown Bangkok.

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I used Mr Toom for a few years, but ancient taxis & drivers making separate full & pee stops between Pattaya and the airport put me off.

I now use The limo Pattaya, following recommendations here & they have been good for the last 2 years. Hopefully they will show in 3 hours time for the next trip.

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Like z909 I used Mr Toom for years but have now given up on them because over the last two year just about every journey involved a pee/coffee/fuel stop, too many of the drivers spent too much time focused on their mobile phones rather than their driving and increasing older vehicles - my last trip the driver was 30 minutes late (no call), had an old 6 seater minivan with the worst seats and worst suspension I have ever encountered, stopped for coffee (and looked like he needed it) then took the wrong expressway exit in BKK adding an hour stuck in traffic to an already tedious journey

 

yes some of their drivers and cars are OK and their prices are cheap but on average you very much get what you pay for and I have decided I would rather pay a few hundred baht more for a better experience

 

bkkguy

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just in case somebody new wanders here reminder that all indignities mentioned above may be avoided by taking a bus from either Ekkamai bus station or Airport itself, for truly economizing SRT provided daily weekday train from Hualampong ar 6.55 a.m. 

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just in case somebody new wanders here reminder that all indignities mentioned above may be avoided by taking a bus from either Ekkamai bus station or Airport itself, for truly economizing SRT provided daily weekday train from Hualampong ar 6.55 a.m. 

 

If I were moving from a hotel in Bangkok to one in Pattaya, then it would be perfectly satisfactory to catch a bus from Ekkamai. I have done this on some trips in the past.   

When time is more limited, due to flights, I think it's worth splashing out for a taxi.

 

As for the train, the last time I looked, it took several hours, which is just ridiculous.  Some of the other train routes leaving Bangkok have a more competitive service, which I have used & enjoyed, but the service to Pattaya does not look interesting. 

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I avoid taxis and mini buses, not on the grounds of cost, but for safety reasons. You are much safer on the big buses such as Bell Travel from the airport to Pats. Thailand has seven times the number of road deaths than the UK , with about the same population. I have heard people boasting that they did airport to Pats in less than 90 minutes. That would be travelling at 85mph plus, a few feet from the car in front weaving from lane to lane, with the driver talking on his phone.

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Reason I brought into thread  bus/train alternatives ( there are also vans ) was just to pont out that there are other options.

 

We , old hands know them but there are those who are planning excitingly their first trip to Thailand or in fact first foray to Pattaya, combing this forum among other sources and they can't be left with an impression that car / taxi are only option of getting to Pattaya

 

What we choose depends on parameters  like budget, time available, safety and fun factor ( chances your car driver will be eye candy are not that high ) which vary from person to person or even from  trip  to trip.

 

As a side note regarding train, I never took it but when one considers door to door timing and lives in Suriwong / Silom area it's not that absolute nonsense.

One of our readres left BBB Inn at 6.30, took MRT /subway from San Yan to Hualampong and was in his Pattaya hotel at 11.00,  4 1/2 hrs total, quite a bit but undersigned once waited 2 hours at Victory Monument for empty space in van to Pattaya.

 

Best thing is  - there are alternatives and plenty of them from 31 baht train to 9000 hotel limo 

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I avoid taxis and mini buses, not on the grounds of cost, but for safety reasons. You are much safer on the big buses such as Bell Travel from the airport to Pats. Thailand has seven times the number of road deaths than the UK , with about the same population. I have heard people boasting that they did airport to Pats in less than 90 minutes. That would be travelling at 85mph plus, a few feet from the car in front weaving from lane to lane, with the driver talking on his phone.

 

I agree that big buses are safer than those mini-buses.  For that reason, I would prefer a large bus over a mini-bus.  

 

As for the taxi, well on my trip earlier this week, I left Mosaik Pattaya at 8:30 am & arrived at BKK at 9:50 am, so 1 hour 20 minutes, exactly the same as the duration of the trip on the previous 2 years.  The driving was fine & I was wearing a seat belt in the back of a Camry.  Google has this as 120 km, so that's 75 miles.  Which means an average speed of 56mph.   I would have thought he was doing ~65mph on the dual carriageway.

 

Whatever you do, wearing a seat belt is important.

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hello,

 

normally i took always a regular taxi from the airport to Pattaya, but i own a little bus company so I´m always interested to go by bus in Thailand. My problem is - my bagagge is always huge with 23 kg plus a big hand luggage - would i have problems with that going by public bus?

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I always have a large bag travelling to Pats from the airport either via Bell Travel or the Public bus. There is never a problem although I believe they can make an extra charge if you have more than one large bag. Bell Travel is getting very popular, with the buses running full, and now advance reservation is required, which can be a problem,if your flight arrives late, as mine did in September.

I had to take the public bus sitting next to a talkative Belgium guy regaling me with observations about girlie bars. He became much quieter when I said I was gay !.

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They have luggage storage under the floor on the long distance buses, so it's no problem at all. Just keep valuables in your carry on luggage.

But yes, it can be a problem with many passengers. The solution is for them to stuff the luggage in front of the side safety door! And if an accident no way to exit the bus other than the windows. Also if the toilet is next to the exit door then no access to that either. But yes, much safer than the vans, which are a death trap.

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I avoid taxis and mini buses, not on the grounds of cost, but for safety reasons. You are much safer on the big buses such as Bell Travel from the airport to Pats. Thailand has seven times the number of road deaths than the UK , with about the same population. I have heard people boasting that they did airport to Pats in less than 90 minutes. That would be travelling at 85mph plus, a few feet from the car in front weaving from lane to lane, with the driver talking on his phone.

Thailand has a very serious road problem but the majority of them are motorcyclists, due to the lack of helmets, improperly laden vehicles, ignoring traffic laws. Pedestrians, through lack of adequate crossings, being forced to walk. In the road, sharing pavements with lunatic mopeds, etc. Car passengers through not using seatbelts, poorly maintained infrastructure, lack of child restraints. I really wonder how you get around while you are there if avoiding bikes/taxis/walking.
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. I really wonder how you get around while you are there if avoiding bikes/taxis/walking.

boys and food can be ordered to your room and sights  you  can admire on internet.

 

On serious note , while all that street chaos is dangerous and tiring it adds greatly to a charm of  the country and makes trip so interesting. Thanks God not all the world is Japan, Singapore or Switzerland  

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I had to take the public bus sitting next to a talkative Belgium guy regaling me with observations about girlie bars. He became much quieter when I said I was gay !.

while ago my cousin, tired with browsing through Patpong market with his wife left her shopping and sat down in one of bars just to pass the time. To fend off waiters molesting him to take a girl he jockingly said " I like boys" and without blinking an eye waiter pointed at one of his colleagues saying " we have boy for you".

 

Ever since when I'm in bar and want to be left alone for a while I use that line ' I like girls"  , everybody laughs and I'm left to myself even if nobody believes. 

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