SOURCE: personalthailand.com/wordpress

Bell bus service to Pattaya is ding dong
March 4th, 2008 | Travel Warning

Going to Pattaya very often I must say I never used the “Bell” service from the Pattaya bus Station in Thailand. Last Sunday I got the first impression of their service and I can say if I do not have to use them I will never bother to visit them ever again.

First when we came there 30 min before the bus was going to the airport they just said to us to wait. We waited and waited and then finally one minute before the buss should leave they told us to wait to 11.00, now the time was 09.00.

How can they expect any passengers that need to get on a plane to wait for 2 hours and miss the flight? I was not alone I think it was 5 others that had the same problem as me.

I then called one of the taxi guys I know from Pattaya and arranged for them to come and pick us up and I asked the girls that were waiting if they wanted to come well. Then I got told off by the staff that I can not take their customers. Well do not let customers wait for nothing then it is so bad service. They could just hire a small van and brought the rest of the passengers in that, sure maybe no profit but at least a happy ending.

They are the same people that have the busses on the ground floor in the airport going to Pattaya so make sure you ask them if the buss is full or not before you wait 2 hours.

This post has been edited by libya 115: 2008-07-13 19:52:53

this is one of the things that winds me up about thai people......they do wrong and dont like it when you have a solution that doesnt benefit them.if they had any brains they would be dangerous haha(they are dangerous now without !)if the bus then they should have a back up plan..they could even have taxi they could ring and get a commision that way.

my little story:was about to buy a car and was seconds away from giving cash deposit ,a guy noticed i had a for sale sign in my current car that was parked outside the garage(not on there property and on the main road),i spoke to him and said it was for sale etc and the car sales lady went mental.....shouting,talking bad in thai and told old man security guard to throw me off there property then she walked away to the office.me and my girlfriend were a bit flabbergasted and i couldnt believe it so we fcuked off.she lost her boss a sale ,her commission and im pretty sure the guy who looked at my car wouldnt go back there again.i saw the car we were gonna buy still there on the forecourt for months after.....this made me smile.
there are just some things i will never understand about thai people......there service skills are zero.

Well, I don't know.

I've used Bell Travel probably a dozen times or more over the last 2 years, and NEVER had a single problem with them. The one time I thought I might have a problem making the bus in time, I called them and they said they would hold the bus for a few minutes if need be (turns out I was able to get there with a couple minutes to spare anyways).

From Pattaya to the airport, I generally make my own way to the Bus Station. Never had any problems with delays, or waiting for people, or not leaving on time.

So, you can take it from a guy that has used them many times without problem, or a guy who admittedly never used them before (which leaves me to wonder if maybe the problem wasn't with Bell. Maybe buddy never checked the schedule properly, and saw a different bus leave for a different destination. I've seen that, and most of the buses there look the same to begin with).

From the airport to Pattaya, fantastic service. From Pattaya to the airport? Why would ANYONE risk going with Bell when they can get a regular and reliable bus from Pattaya bus station to the airport for 150 bht?

Bell are very good. The government buses are very good. Shit happens, as is obvious in this case.

Nobody should be put off from using Bell by this thread.

Oops, should probably point out that I've never used Bell TO the airport, but would have absolutely no hesitation in doing so. They were very good when I used them - on time, comfortable, competent, efficient.

One thing about Thailand I've noticed: you often haven't a clue when you're going to get to the place you're trying to get to, but you always seem to get there in time regardless.

That last comment makes me wonder if the complaintant just showed up at 0830 and expected there to be room on the 0900 bus, WITHOUT A RESERVATION. I'd hardly fault Bell Travel for not doing backflips for a walk-in with no reservation when the bus indeed fills up with folks with reservations. Perhaps the Bell Travel folks thought there might be no-shows and that's why they let the complaintant wait until 0859 before telling them they'd have to wait another two hours for the next bus?

Possible, though every time I've done that (showed up unannounced) at either end, the bus has never been full.
I had the immediate suspicion that this story was similar in some aspects to the one about the guy who thought he got a ticket just because he was a farang (and not because he was driving recklessly with no insurance or registration, or whatever the pink tag is for). Another case of someone that, regardless of their own actions, seeks to blame someone else for their troubles.

Or it could be that this one time, for some reason, Bell just decided they didn't want this guy on their bus, just because they like to single out a farang once in a blue moon and treat him poorly for kicks ?

I expect I'll be using Bell's services a couple of times in the next couple of weeks. I'll show up at Gate 7 unannounced and see what kind of reception I get. A couple days later on my way back to Swampy, I'll do it again (at the bus terminal), then a week later at Gate 7 again, just to see what happens.

At the airport, I also have never been on a full bus, and I'm always a walk-up. But, I guess it could happen, and if it does I won't criticize Bell Travel for suggesting I wait two hours for the next bus.

In Jomtien, I always call so that I can get the complimentary van shuttle to Pattaya Nua Road.

I have used Bell Once from the airport to Pattaya, and twice from Pattaya to the airport. I never had any problem. I never had any reservation in advance. The bus in Pattaya seems to always just about get full, as if people know exactly how many seats there are. Anyway, I don't know what happened with that person, so I can't comment on it.

As far as the comment about finding an alternative solution. I must admit, there is a bit of a dark side to the wonderful LOS. People do not have a lot of money, and competition for services is tough. It is not the quiet, serene utopia all of the time. On my travels there, I have had a wonderful time and met some very nice people and enjoyed wonderful service. I have also experienced quite a bit of nastiness now and then. The world is not perfect and I do try to smile and walk away, but will admit it is not easy.

The history of Bell Service is: In the beginning there were few customers. Never a problem with getting a seat. Bell was always out of printed copys of their schedule(they did not promote the business enough). We are luck they did not go out of business. A scheduled run to the airport for B150B!!!!!!!!!!

I always made two trips to the bus station. One to buy the ticket and then later show up with the bags. This is my way of making sure I GO. Any other problems I have I chock up to an act of God and I dont worry because there is nothing I can do.

Now there are many customers and the bus is approaching FULLY OCCUPIED . Maybe this problem of no seat available is something new. The staff does not have a back up transportation plan. I guess if you raise hel_l enough they will then recognize there is a problem and have additional transportation.

When you first realized you might have a problem you could have walked out and found another way to the airport.

What size bus is it and is it worth buying a ticket the day before?

Plus, in the worst case scenerio, couldn't one jump on a bus to Ekkemai then jump off at On Nut and grab a taxi to Suvarnabhumpi?

Bell usually uses a full-size (60 pax ?) bus identical to the buses used on the regular routes.

And if you get stuck, yes, you probably could hop a regular bus to Bkk, then take a shuttle/taxi to the airport and not lose too much time.
I never leave so broke that I couldn't grab a cab and pay whatever is required, if I find myself in a bind for any reason. Same as whenever I arrive, I always have a sum of baht in hand (enough for taxi fare and a hotel/meals, etc), in case unforeseen circumstances occur.
(I once arrived late at night years ago. Currency exchange booths were closed. No ATM to be seen. Luckily the g/f was able to arrange a taxi to Pattaya. Soon as I got to the hotel, they pointed out the nearest ATM and I was able to pay the cabbie (and the hotel). Since then I always make sure when I leave, that I have enough to get me home again.

Thanks for that.

Yes; always best to have some cash (THB) at all times.

I think I will pre-book the Bells Bus early morning, then go back later and travel to the airport. With hand-luggage only it makes sense.

I forgot to mention that you can pre-book a seat (and a pick-up). I did it the first couple of times, and had them pick me up at a hotel across the street from my apartment.

I had sent them an email, told them which bus I wanted to catch, where I lived and my phone number. Next day I got a call from the driver confirming my location and soon after he was there to pick me up.

I haven't done that the last 3 times, as I've ended up going to the bus station with friends in their vehicle (or taken a baht bus with friends to get there).

I'm sure if you send an email and request they reserve a seat for you on a certain departure, there shouldn't be any problems.

There's also a more regular bus to the airport, isn't there? I got one a while back - by far the best bus I've been on - brand new, dam_n comfortable, a 'two and one' seat formation - no more than about 30 seats all told.

I don't think it was a Bell bus, or at least certainly not the Bell bus I got in the opposite direction, which was older and bigger.

Hi libya115, even here in Australia it is unlikely you get a seat on a full bus, unless you pre-booked. Probably the same the world over....except India or Bangladesh!

Plan ahead is the best option. Like, I will return to Pats in Jan 2009 on Jetstar and the flite gets in around 9.30pm so I need to find a bus around 10.15pm. What is the best option? Bell's last bus is 6.00pm!

no buses after about 7pm so about the only way to get a bus is to go to Ekkamai and get the "regular bus" to Pattaya. 3 ways more or less to get to Ekkamai - "airport bus" (150B); route 551 and then a cab from Rama IX (100B more or less); or "cab" (cheaper to go to the bus terminal and take it from there)

For those south, way down the beach road about 3km or so from the turn from Pattaya) 930AM, 1130 (I think) 3pm 5pm 130B or at least it was back in June (check the schedule outbound - both in and outbound are posted at the terminal - 30m from the beach road)

I agree! I booked with Bell Travel two days before and today caught the 1300 bus from the bus station. There were only three empty seats on a 67 seater bus. Some Aussie couple were moaning because they couldn't sit together! The bus was half full of Indians, they were in very high spirits, maybe they can't wait to get back to India/

Latest photo of Bell travel office attached.

PS. Free high speed wireless internet next to the Cathay lounge. (Seating available).

Photograph courtesy of Libya 115

Well I've just used Bell for the 3rd time in the last week.
Arrived on the 29th, showed up at door 7, got my ticket to Pattaya, got on a half full bus and 2 hours later I was home (including the trip from the bus station to my place).

On the 31st, showed up at the bus station (early) got my ticket and ended up at the airport right on time.

Then yesterday I arrived at the airport with my dad (brought him over for a month holiday), same same. Showed up, bought our tickets, caught the next bus (about a half hour wait), got the ride to my place (after two other stops), no hassles or complications anywhere along the way.

What times are the busses outside door 7 leave for Pattaya? I arrive about 6.30 am.

Here is a jpg of a schedule I had from some time ago.

 BellTransportPattaya.jpg ( 65.47K ) Number of downloads: 90

Have to put my hand up and say i have always found Bell buses to be very good.When i lived in Pattaya i used them often and thought the service to be very good,but i guess like anyone they too could have a bad day.In general the bus service throughout thailand is very good,IMHO.Unlike can i say the UK,where trains can be cancelled at a minutes notice,and they just dont care.

Does anyone have any updates on the Bell Bus travel service re: times and ticket prices? With Songkrawn festival just a month away I am making plans for an escape from Pattaya/Thailand.

I frequently use the Bell Bus, and as recently as last month, the schedule posted above by longball53098 was still current. The price is B200 one-way. I think the phone numbers on the schedule posted above are still current, as well.

I've also used Bell Travel on many times to go to the airport and will continue to do so - no trouble whatsoever and have never bought a ticket in advance