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[chicowoodduck]

Over the past several years, I've done the "adventure" bus trip from Bangkok's Ekamai Bus Station (Eastern Terminal) on Sukhumvit Road to Pattaya's North Bus Station on North Pattaya Road.  I say adventure, because the bus route to Pattaya is never the same.  Sometimes the route is via the motorway, sometimes through the rice fields or backroads, but never the same path twice!  I'm wondering if different routes are at different times?  I always leave BKK in the mornings between 9 am and 11 am and would like to believe that they have an express service directlly to Pattaya instead of a 12 ton Blue Taxi that seems to have multiple stops.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Take the Roong Ruang bus.  (Pretty much the first ticket booth). They have regular and Motorway buses, but the difference out of Ekamai isn't that great, you often get stuck on Sukhumvit.

Don't ever get stuck on one of the local buses that stop everywhere.  What should be a < 2 hour trip can turn into double that.

The direct service from the airport also deserves special mention; very convenient when flying in or out of Bangkok.

[IanForbes]

I know just what you are talking about and I've never been able to figure it out either. It NEVER is the same route twice. But the time difference only seems to vary about 1/2 hour. That is NOT what you get on the local bus though. That trip WILL take up to 4 hours or more... and all for the saving of about 30 baht.

[chicowoodduck]

IanForbes, on 2010-03-06 05:44:12, said:

I know just what you are talking about and I've never been able to figure it out either. It NEVER is the same route twice. But the time difference only seems to vary about 1/2 hour. That is NOT what you get on the local bus though. That trip WILL take up to 4 hours or more... and all for the saving of about 30 baht.

Been there and done that!   I somehow got on that local bus a few years back and remember that after FOUR PLUS hours we pulled into Pattaya.  It took me 30 minutes to get the feeling back in my legs!

[chicowoodduck]

WinnieTheKhwai, on 2010-03-06 05:37:48, said:

Take the Roong Ruang bus. (Pretty much the first ticket booth). They have regular and Motorway buses, but the difference out of Ekamai isn't that great, you often get stuck on Sukhumvit.

Don't ever get stuck on one of the local buses that stop everywhere. What should be a < 2 hour trip can turn into double that.

The direct service from the airport also deserves special mention; very convenient when flying in or out of Bangkok.

Thanks, I give it a whirl next trip home from BKK.  If nothing else, maybe have a change of scenery?   

As for the airport bus, it's run by Bell Travel from the North Pattaya Road Bus Terminal and I think they have a wbsite.  I like their service and I recall 200 baht for the 1 hour 30 minute trip from Pattaya (leaves at 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, 6).

[Thaifan2]

Its very easy .As you go into Ekkami station go to the first booth on the right .Buy ticket to Pattaya ,around 127 baht .This bus always goes the direct route with one stop at Bangna and the next stop at Pattaya north station .Takes an average of 2 hours .

[rak sa_ngop]

Thaifan2, on 2010-03-09 16:09:46, said:

Its very easy .As you go into Ekkami station go to the first booth on the right .Buy ticket to Pattaya ,around 127 baht .This bus always goes the direct route with one stop at Bangna and the next stop at Pattaya north station .Takes an average of 2 hours .

.........not to mention the half dozen random stops to drop other passengers off.  I think the location of these unofficial stops decides the final route.

[bartender100]

Thaifan2, on 2010-03-09 16:09:46, said:

Its very easy .As you go into Ekkami station go to the first booth on the right .Buy ticket to Pattaya ,around 127 baht .This bus always goes the direct route with one stop at Bangna and the next stop at Pattaya north station .Takes an average of 2 hours .

I think thats the bus the OP was talking about, but as he stated it often goes by a different route , sometimes actually going into Chonburi city

[WinnieTheKhwai]

For the Roong Ruangh bus (the best one), the route is sometimes tweaked depending on where people indicate they want to get off the bus.  Plus they somtimes have to pull into their designated gas station to fuel up, and/or to pick up more passengers.  Generally though this does not impact the overall driving time too much.

[Lantern]

Its very easy .As you go into Ekkami station go to the first booth on the right .Buy ticket to Pattaya ,around 127 baht .This bus always goes the direct route with one stop at Bangna and the next stop at Pattaya north station .Takes an average of 2 hours .


^^^ You sure. I have done this trip only three times and on the first two the bus stopped at North Pattaya Bus station.

On the third (last July) I was chatting to a guy on the bus and didn't notice the bus flying past the road to the bus station. When we eventually stopped, and with the aid of a map and a Thai who had a smattering of English, I realised we were on Theppasit Road. He only charged 200 Baht in his Songtow back up to the bus station where I was meeting my friend Samrong. As I was 30 mins early it was all ok.
Interesting start to the holiday though.

[thaibeachlovers]

Lantern, on 2010-03-10 03:59:20, said:

Its very easy .As you go into Ekkami station go to the first booth on the right .Buy ticket to Pattaya ,around 127 baht .This bus always goes the direct route with one stop at Bangna and the next stop at Pattaya north station .Takes an average of 2 hours .


^^^ You sure. I have done this trip only three times and on the first two the bus stopped at North Pattaya Bus station.

On the third (last July) I was chatting to a guy on the bus and didn't notice the bus flying past the road to the bus station. When we eventually stopped, and with the aid of a map and a Thai who had a smattering of English, I realised we were on Theppasit Road. He only charged 200 Baht in his Songtow back up to the bus station where I was meeting my friend Samrong. As I was 30 mins early it was all ok.
Interesting start to the holiday though.

Don't know which bus you took the last time, but it surely can't have been the one from bus stop #1 at Ekamai, as I have been on that dozens of times and always terminates at North Rd bus station.
It does however sometimes go different routes depending on where passengers want to get off. Have got to see the back roads of Chonburi several times.

As said before on this thread, don't get on the local bus, as takes hours longer. The bus "boy" sometimes tries to get passengers by telling people before they go to the ticket office that it's the Pattaya bus. I got conned that way once, and it cost 30 baht MORE than the proper bus- never again! Always get ticket from ticket office and use stop #1.

Edited by thaibeachlovers, 2010-03-12 08:07:51.