Transport to East Pattaya

[Tel 0]

I have moved from the UK with my Thai wife and our 2 children. We just rented a villa in SP3 on Siam Country Club road and move in next week. It is about 4 km from Sirkhumvit. Initially I will not have a car, I need to get a driving licence and sort out a car.

 

Does anyone know how easy it is to get into town and back using baht busses or other means? How much to get from town to SP3 during the evening? Do buses regularly go down Siam Country Club road?

 

Even when I have a car I would not want to drive after a heavy nights drinking.

 

I would appreciate advice from anyone living down that way.

[elef 0]

You really need a car if you stay there, most thai-farang families have 2. We just have one car and one motorbike but I don't stay permanent in Thailand and also have a hotel room in Pattaya for late nights. A small motorbike can take you to the shop or one of the small markets, but for shopping in Carrefour and Naklua market (my TGF goes there almost every day) you must have a car. The traffic on Sukhumvit is damned dangerous and there're several accidents every day.

 

I haven't seen any baht bus line and friends without cars use bahtbuses as taxis, but I've never asked how much they pay - I guess 150-200-250 (depending on what time it is) baht from Walking Street.

Edited October 10, 2006 by elef

[MrMango 672]

I lived in Jomtiem without any transportation, and whenever we went to Big C, etc. we simply hired a Bahtbus outside and they drove us directly home. The fare was 150 Baht, as I remember, and the distance should be the about the same, I would think.

[jacko 8,823]

I have moved from the UK with my Thai wife and our 2 children. We just rented a villa in SP3 on Siam Country Club road and move in next week. It is about 4 km from Sirkhumvit. Initially I will not have a car, I need to get a driving licence and sort out a car.

 

Does anyone know how easy it is to get into town and back using baht busses or other means? How much to get from town to SP3 during the evening? Do buses regularly go down Siam Country Club road?

 

Even when I have a car I would not want to drive after a heavy nights drinking.

 

I would appreciate advice from anyone living down that way.

 

I live up Soi Siam CC, about 1 km up.

 

No baht buses to be had at this end. I have my motorcycle to get around. I could find a motorcycle taxi if I walk down my street to Soi Siam CC, normally some about. Another idea is to keep the mobile nos of several local MC taxi drivers to get them to come pick you up.

 

At night coming from Pattaya a MC taxi is about 80-100 baht, wouldn't like to ask a baht bus, especially in high season...expect 200-300 if he will even bother.

 

I get the TGF to come pick me up on our MC...or you could drink more local.

 

You should rent a car for a while until you get sorted, about 800-1000 baht/day. Getting down Soi Siam CC in a car can be a bitch too....at rush hours. Bet it could take you 20 minutes to do those 4km.

 

Short answer, crossing Sukhumvit suks, could be the death of you on a motorcycle.

PM me if you want more bad news!

Edited October 11, 2006 by jacko

[hwells 6]

Having a thai missus should enable you to find out fairly quickly pricing & avialability of Baht buses going into town. The white baht buses that run along Siam Rd will take you all the way in for a further fee. A special during the day should cost you no more than 200 -250 baht but have you missus check it out. When you find a good deal get their phone number & ring them when you need them.

Coming home at night is a different deal. I have lived out your way for the last 10 years & it has certainly got a lot more traffic on the rd than before & with all the building will get worse. Do the same in town ask around for a deal & get a contact number for the driver, they usually change shift at 1800 hrs but his relief may be avialable. Sometimes the bar you are in will have a baht bus driver they know that can take you. Coming from town at night will be around 300 to 400. Remember its still a lot cheaper running into someone when coming home after a night out. With the way parking is getting in town it is sometimes easier to just leave the car at home anyway. Remember to have your wife write your address in Thai for the driver so there is no misunderstanding.

Hope this is of some help. Good luck.

[Emil 0]

but for shopping in Carrefour and Naklua market (my TGF goes there almost every day) you must have a car.

 

Are you aware that Carrefour offers free dilevery if your purchase is 1000 baht or more. I think its good for up to 5 ks.

[elef 0]

Sure but it's on the way to the Naklua market...

[jacko 8,823]

You really need a car if you stay there, most thai-farang families have 2. We just have one car and one motorbike but I don't stay permanent in Thailand and also have a hotel room in Pattaya for late nights. A small motorbike can take you to the shop or one of the small markets, but for shopping in Carrefour and Naklua market (my TGF goes there almost every day) you must have a car. The traffic on Sukhumvit is damned dangerous and there're several accidents every day.

Pretty good assessment, although I don't know why your missus needs to go to Carrefour and Naklua market daily. (Boredom ) I manage pretty well with just the bikes, but it is just me and her, hardest thing is carrying the cases of beer. That said, recent rains have been a problem.

 

Naklua market is only needed once a week, when I fancy a fish.

 

I go to Big C once a week....

 

There is a market on Soi Muslim that the TGF goes to every day with a basket on the bike.

 

A car makes for slow but safer getting about, and if you have kids you sure will have more of a load.......

 

There are some pretty crappy roads on this side of suk too.

Edited October 14, 2006 by jacko

[whitespider 1]

Tel

 

We have been looking for a house in Pattaya for a few weeks now. I was attracted to East Pattaya as its far enough away to keep the kids out of the way and at the same time there are nice houses very cheap. We found a 3 bed where they were asking for 23k a month but he went down as far as 18k (shows how desperate owners are becoming I think).

 

An equivalent house in South Pattaya or Jomtien (on the baht bus route) would have set us back at least an extra 8k a month.

 

However this access issue has completely changed our thinking.

 

Between my wife and I we would have to make at least one return trip a day just for work, let alone if we go out again in the evening. We reckon we could easily run up 700 baht a day in travel expenses between us, either using taxis or hiring a car. Neither of us really likes motorbikes as we have 2 very young kids. Thats 21,000 a month!

 

We have now decided to pay an extra 8-10k a month to rent somewhere more central, or at very least on the baht-bus route itself. For an additional 10k we can have a 3 bed close to the beach in Jomtien, right on the baht bus route and only 10 minutes into Pattaya itself.

 

All in all I came to the conclusion that East Pattaya is a false economy (unless you already have a car) when you add all this up, especially if you are NOT just going to sit at the pool all day every day.

Edited October 14, 2006 by whitespider

[elef 0]

TGF had a restaurant before and wants everything fresh. She also must drive our son to his international school, but now our maid is driving in Pattaya too (before she didn't dare cross Sukhumvit).

[torrenova 644]

The economy of living further out is something few consider. Even for me, living in Jomtien as opposed to South Pattaya costs me money. With my girlfriend and myself, we probably spend an extra Bt5000 per month when adding up baht buses and motorbike taxis.

 

Living further out, it is impractical without transport as public transport is too expensive and totally inconvenient.

[Tel 0]

I have been doing more research and did a run today to the house. Taxis outside Lotus on North Road quoted me 200 baht. I got a taxi from outside Carrefour which was 200 baht one way - did a return with a half hour wait at the house for 400 baht. Carrefour taxis operate up to midnight.

I was told that a taxi about every hour operates along Siam Country Club up to 5pm and costs 15 baht. Yet to find out more about this.

I plan to get a car- probably a one year old 4x4, with the state of the roads round here. I am trying to learn the way to drive over here - it is something different. I think the best is to do 5 mph and let everything flow past you!?!?!?!

[jacko 8,823]

I was told that a taxi about every hour operates along Siam Country Club up to 5pm and costs 15 baht. Yet to find out more about this.

Yes I spotted a 'baht bus' on S S Country Club the other day, I thought perhaps he was lost. If they are hourly I thought I might have spotted more during my 5 months living here. Stopping at 5pm isn't going to help me get to the go-gos

Edited October 19, 2006 by jacko