Ekamai Bus

[Gonzo 419]

looks like im wrong about Mor chit Gonzo states that buses do travel from there toPattaya by way of the express way. But why bother to mention it when BM is staying on Sukhumvit soi 11.

 

Who THe F#*k lives out in Mor Chit?

I don’t want to be impolite, but reading comprehension does not seem to be one of your stronger points.

[rubinjames 2]

I don’t want to be impolite, but reading comprehension does not seem to be one of your stronger points.

Its not

[Gonzo 419]

Its not

Sorry for the snide remark.

[Gonzo 419]

What time is the earliest bus from Ekamai

The first bus from Ekamai to Pattaya leaves at 5 AM. The last bus leaving Ekamai for Pattaya leaves at 11 PM. The wife went to Bangkok for the local election there yesterday and I asked her to have a look. If that is not 100% correct blame her.

 

On her way to Bangkok in the morning she and a falang asked the driver again if they could get off at On Nut to catch the BTS sky train from there. No such luck. It seems to be company policy now not to let anyone off at that place.

[gk10002000 0]

I took bus from pattaya to ekamie. nice ride. nothing special. bus was a bit aged, kind of like an older usa greyhound, but AC worked fine. seats were ok. No space in bus to store my carry on bag, no overhead and no underseat to mention. I did not want to put my bag outside in the external bus luggage areas, so just keep that in mind and keep an eye on your things. Bus made two stops along the way as i recall. Just over a two hour ride to the Ekamie bus station. I took a taxi from there to NANA. Next time, I will walk from Ekamie up to the BTS skytrain. It is not far.

 

Pattaya bus station is not far from the tourist area like SEcond road. I hopped on a motor scooter taxi as I only had one carry on luggage. Think I gave the kid 50 baht for the 5 minute scooter ride.

 

I like the bus because you can look out the window. I have taken taxis several times from and to the airport. I have taken mini shuttle from hotel to the airport. That is probably the best combination of price and speed because 4 or 5 people on the van make the cost about 300 baht.

 

On my first trip I took the shuttle from the airport to pattaya at the Thai airways terminal. IN 2004 the shuttle ran at 0900, 1200 and 1700. 300 baht. Not sure it still runs.

 

By the way, the skytrain is nice and easy to use. Good way to browse bangkok. But it doesn't go everywhere. maps are easy to get. barnes and noble or borders carries bangkok maps and of course they are online

[Emil 0]

No space in bus to store my carry on bag, no overhead and no underseat to mention. I did not want to put my bag outside in the external bus luggage areas, so just keep that in mind and keep an eye on your things.

A friend of mine solved that problem by purchasing 2 tickets and putting his bags in the seat next to him.

[kutetee 0]

Just came back from Pattaya yesterday. As this is my first experience (in the past I used to take taxi or mini van) I would like to share some of my experience for the trip to and from Bangkok to Pattya by bus from Ekamai :

 

I took the sky train from Nana station (I stayed at Ambassador Hotel) at 11.00 hr arrived at EKamai station 11.10 hr. Took only less than 5 min from the train station to the bus terminal. Bought the bus ticket at 11.15 for departure at 11.30 It is an aircondion bus at 117 bath per ticket. The bus departed punctually at 11.30 and arrvied at North Pattaya bus terminal at 13.20 (sightly less than 2 hous). The whole trip was quite comfortable.

 

At the North Pattaya bus terminal, there were already many Tuk Tuk there waiting for the passengers. I was directly to board into one which was heading for the same direction of the hotel I stayed (I stayed at Mercure). I stopped two streets after the Royal Garden Shopping Mall. Walked across the street toward Soi 15 and took the Mercure Hotel free shuttle bath bus and reached the hotel at 14.00

 

For the return trip from Pattaya to Bangkok I paid 121 bath which I also arrvied at Ekamai bus terminal in exactly 2 hours. I was very fornunate to baord into a very new aircon bus and the whole journey was even more comfortable than the first one.

 

Based on my experience, if you are already in Bangkok near the sky train staton, it is quite easy and comforable to take the bus from Ekami compared to taking a taxi (provided you dont carry much luggage). For taking a taxi, firstly, you are not sure of the skill of the driver (many of the drivers there are racing fanatic) secondly, many of the cars there are not really in very good condition. As a whole, I think there is not much different for the travelling time and the comfort level. better still, if you are lucky to get a newer aircon bus it will be even much better and economical than taking a taxi.

 

As the directly mini van service from Dynasty Inn has been raised from 350bath to 500 bath, it makes more sense for me to take the bus from Ekamai and I think before the opening of the new Bangkok airport I will in future stay in Bangkok and take this route for my next trip.

[growler 0]

I spotted an item on the Bangkok Post a few days ago which stated that there will be delays on Sukhumvit from On Nut outwards due to commencement of work on extension to Sky Train network beginning next week.

Edited August 5, 2006 by growler

[BigDUSA 71]

I spotted an item on the Bangkok Post a few days ago which stated that there will be delays on Sukhumvit from On Nut outwards due to commencement of work on extension to Sky Train network beginning next week.

Will the extension go to the new airport?

[Soi7 1]

Yes that's the plan Denny

[Emil 0]

Larry if thats the case then it sounds like they will have 2 lines going to the airport. I take the motorway which is north of the elevated toll road and they have been installing the pedestals for a skytrain line from the airport.

[Soi7 1]

Well as TIT I would not hold my breath that any of there plans come to be.

 

Have a safe trip home Sir

[Gonzo 419]

Well as TIT I would not hold my breath that any of there plans come to be.

 

Have a safe trip home Sir

They had grandiouse plans of extending the Sky Train when it first opened in 1999. It just never happened. There has been talk between government and business organisations of extending it all the way to the new airport. I would be very surprised if that will happen in my lifetime.

http://www.into-asia.com/bangkok/skytrain/

[Emil 0]

On the leg from Inchon to SFO I was reading a Singapore newspaper and they had an article about Bangkok. With a city around 10 million it appears that the governement has finally realized that they have a traffic problem. They are talking about adding 3 more subways lines and extending the skytrain lines. Regarding the airport line, when I arrived this past June I read an article in the Bangkok Post dated 27 June and they were talking about the new airport line. At that time they mentioned that it is scheduled to open in 2 years. They had completed 25 % of the pedestals and 25 % of the conections beween them. The bad new was that they had discovered that a few of the pedastals were faulty and needed to be replaced.

 

Sounds like a potential major fuck up, however being an American I can't critize as this project comes nowhere near the problem of the Big Dig in Boston. I don't know how long that project was delayed but the original budget of $2.5 billion came in at $15 billion and its already falling apart. You would think that a state with Kerry and Kennedy as their Senators could do better.

[elro 0]

You would think that a state with Kerry and Kennedy as their Senators could do better.

 

haha

[thailien 3]

A friend of mine solved that problem by purchasing 2 tickets and putting his bags in the seat next to him.

IMHO, this is the best idea on this thread. It is far cheaper to buy two tickets on the Ekamai bus to or from Pattaya than it is to take a taxi--safer too. The posters who have met bargirls in the seat next to them on the trip are luckier than me. When I used to buy only one seat, I was usually stuck in the back of the bus, where the ticket seller at Ekamai loves to stick farangs, and seated next to a fat German or a Thai guy. Very uncomfortable, no place to put luggage, and not much reason for conversation. The aircon on one of the older buses is often pretty weak, especially if you are stuck in an aisle seat.

 

The last couple of trips between Bkk. and Pattaya, I have been much happier buying two tickets, getting a guaranteed window seat, and a place to put my bags, safe and dry next to me. Total cost: 20 baht on BTS Skytrain from hotel to Ekamai station. 117x2= 234 baht for the two bus tickets, then 20 baht for the baht bus ride from Pattaya bus terminal to beachfront hotel. Total cost 274 baht. Total time about 3 hours.

 

I've taken a taxi 3 times, and only one was a pleasant ride. One driver from Pattaya got lost in Bkk.; another from Bkk. drove llike shit and couldn't find the way to get on the elevated highway to Pattaya, tho I told him repeatedly, in Thai, that I wanted to go that way. He ended up passing cement trucks on the left side by driving on the shoulder of the jammed road. That was an awful trip, and took a very long time.

 

When you buy your two tickets for the bus at Ekamai station, just be careful that they are for adjacent seats. Once, in the true Thai spirit of trying to screw farangs, the Ekamai ticket seller tried to sell me tickets for seats that were across the aisle from each other; ie. seats 32 and 33. I've been in Thailand long enough to know that they love to pull shit like that, so I demanded adjacent seats; ie. seats 1 and 2, or 3 and 4..... Be sure the lower numbered seat is an odd number, so you can sit next to your bags.

 

One poster's comment about checking out the chicks waiting to get on the bus, in hopes of chatting one up during the trip, is lovely, except that all seats are assigned, so you may well end up sitting far away from her lovely body for the entire trip. Sorry about that....

[whitespider 1]

I get the bus to Bangkok every week for work. It has NEVER taken more than 1 hour 45 minutes although I do go fairly early. and get off and On Nut BTS not Ekkamai.

 

If you are just heading into Sukhumvit with little luggage its a very easy and cheap option.

 

The Ekamai option is best for this BUT make sure you get off at On Nut NOT Ekamai as that last mile or so can take ages in traffic. The bus will stop at the bottom of the stairs up to the On Nut BTS if you ask the attendant (the one who sites next to the driver). Usually lots of people get off here and as its only one extra stop on the BTS you are in sukhumvit much faster by alighting early.

[Gonzo 419]

I get the bus to Bangkok every week for work. It has NEVER taken more than 1 hour 45 minutes although I do go fairly early. and get off and On Nut BTS not Ekkamai.

 

If you are just heading into Sukhumvit with little luggage its a very easy and cheap option.

 

The Ekamai option is best for this BUT make sure you get off at On Nut NOT Ekamai as that last mile or so can take ages in traffic. The bus will stop at the bottom of the stairs up to the On Nut BTS if you ask the attendant (the one who sites next to the driver). Usually lots of people get off here and as its only one extra stop on the BTS you are in sukhumvit much faster by alighting early.

You are (un)lucky having to go to work this early in the morning. I always go much later and the bus takes at least 2 hours and most of the time longer coming back in the evenening. The bus driver won't let you get off at On Nut as the coppers are waiting for him to collect their dues.

 

Some of the complaints about bus vesus taxi puzzle me. There is not that much difference in the time it takes from Pattaya or the other way. There seem to be a lot of girlie-boys asking silly questions (Schwarzenegger, my hero). Have any of you girlie-boys tried riding throgh the Sahara on a camel or at least tried sleeping through a flight without taking a Valium?

[don_dadda 0]

tried sleeping through a flight without taking a Valium?

Does booze count?

[Gonzo 419]

Does booze count?

Booze is a true friend. It will never let you down.

[don_dadda 0]

Booze is a true friend. It will never let you down.

Good, because it is my constant companion...and loves me no matter how many bottles were in my past

[David_Bekam 1]

Used this bus service twice in December to visit a girl in Bangkok and once you learn the routine it's a great and cheap way to travel. I was also impressed with the BTS as usual but also used the new Metro Subway and that's great too, it's also a lot quicker way of getting round the city than a taxi during peak traffic periods

[gunzel3808 113]

I have done the bus many times and I always find the return trip is much slower, because they do not use the elevated roadway on the run back to BKK. I have never worked out why this so. I have also got off the bus at On Nut a few times, when I have been travelling light.

 

The idea of a paid seat for your luggage is a good one, except if you have a big pack and as you drag it off the bus you crash against other passengers. That goes down real well with other pax, particularly Thai's - NOT!!!!!!

 

The bus is cheap and generally convenient, but if there are any delays as can often happen on Fridays, the trip can blow out by an hour with no trouble at all.

 

I have done the taxi a few times and in future I plan to make that my preferred way. It is not much money - less than the cost of a Pattaya Short time. You travel in much greater comfort, your luggage is secure, you don't have to put up with inane conversations (sometimes) going on around you.

 

With a good driver (there are many of them, believe me) you will get where you want to be - at Pattaya in double quick time, be at a bar or in your room (with your companion of choice) or just doing exactly what you travelled all that way for, much sooner than any other way.

 

You pays for what you get - put simply! Time is precious on a short trip, do not waste it on the 'bus tour'.

 

 

[Tengotodo 52]

i have always prided myself on mastering local customs and transportion modes, both for the price and for the "earthy" feel of being in a foreing country and doing as the native do. However, the bus experience is overated for those on a time budget of less than a month. Pay the friggin 1000B and get to the hotel in style and comfor, or pay the 150B and suffer for a 3 hour odyssey? hmmm. I can be very frugal when necessary at home but when I travel 12000 miles to be with beautfil ladies and only have 30 days or less to ge to it, I could care less about saving 1000B.

[MrMango 667]

i have always prided myself on mastering local customs and transportion modes, both for the price and for the "earthy" feel of being in a foreing country and doing as the native do. However, the bus experience is overated for those on a time budget of less than a month. Pay the friggin 1000B and get to the hotel in style and comfor, or pay the 150B and suffer for a 3 hour odyssey? hmmm. I can be very frugal when necessary at home but when I travel 12000 miles to be with beautfil ladies and only have 30 days or less to ge to it, I could care less about saving 1000B.

Agree. When I lived in Jomtiem, I used the bus whenever I had to go to Bangkok for business (Visit embassy, etc.) and it was fine. To take it upon arrival by airplane would be dumb.