Apr
6
Filed Under Transport, Travel |
There are a number of ways to travel from Bangkok to Pattaya but the price range is considerable depending on which level of service you are looking for. In this article we will look at the most popular modes of transport, look at the time schedules, prices and availability. The trip from Bangkok to Pattaya by road takes about 2 hours on a good day and maybe up to 3 or even 4 hours on a bad day.
By private limousine from either a hotel in Bangkok or Suvarnabhumi International Airport or the older Don Muang Airport to Pattaya it will cost in the vicinity of 3,000-4,000 baht. This is considered one of the most luxurious ways to travel by road but also the most expensive.
By regular taxi service from central Bangkok to Pattaya will cost about 2,500 baht on the meter but if the driver is willing to negotiate a deal with you and 90% of the time they are more than willing to negotiate, you might even be able to get a one way trip to your hotel in Pattaya for as low as 1000 baht. This is a pretty good deal especially if there is more than one person to split the cost. One piece of advice from experience is do not give the driver the money till you arrive at your hotel or where ever is your destination. If you give him the money any earlier he may very well kick you out before you get there, once he has your money he doesn’t need or want you in his cab so wait till you arrive to hand over the cash.
By bus you can either catch the bus at the Mor Chit bus terminal or the Ekkamai bus terminal on Sukhumvit road. The cost of the bus trip at the time of writing is about the same from either terminal at 120 baht. The bus takes about the same amount of time to get to Pattaya as by car and arrives at the Pattaya bus terminal at North Pattaya. From the Pattaya bus terminal you can catch a baht bus to central Pattaya via Beach road which is where most of the popular hotels are located, the cost of a trip on the baht bus is about 20 baht for a tourist at the time of writing. This is by far the most economical way to get from Bangkok to Pattaya and the buses are of a reasonable standard and relatively comfortable. I have taken the bus from Ekkamai to Pattaya and back to Bangkok on many occasions and have never encountered a problem. This bus service runs every half hour from very early morning to about 10pm at night.
There is a rail service that many people don’t know about that runs from Bangkok’s huge Hua Lamphong railway station to Pattaya once a day leaving at 7am and arriving in Pattaya at about 10.30am. This service runs through the country and is a nice alternative to the road route but it takes a little longer to get there.
You can also hire a car which will cost anywhere from 1000 baht per day for a small hatch back or more for bigger cars or pick ups. If it is your first time in Thailand I would catch some form of transport before I would hire a car but hiring is an option.
If you are really adventurous you can even hire a motorbike to get from Bangkok to Pattaya but I would advise against it. It’s much better to get a motorbike when you arrive in Pattaya as it’s the best mode of transport to travel around on while you are there. A small bike will cost you about 200-300 baht per day but you can negotiate a cheaper monthly rate if you are staying for longer periods. There are numerous places to rent motorbikes on Beach road Pattaya.
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