Taxi's during Songkran?

[jamie392305 764]

I get into swampy on the morning of the 18th April, having contacted my usual taxi/Limo service I received an email stating that due to the festivities of Songkran they are not operating as roads in and around Pattaya will be gridlocked and at a stand still, surely there is some form of transport still operating during these last 2 days of madness?

Any ideas?????????

[puaa 1]

good luck.

[jamie392305 764]

Looks like I'm gonna need it :wacko:

 

If anyone is travelling southbound towards Pattaya and happen to notice a crazy falang running down the centre of the motorway wearing a Newcastle United top, cargo shorts, stupid lookin hat with back pack & dragging a case, well don't be alarmed, I've popped a Few tabs and taking matters into my own hand

 

 

:D

Edited April 3, 2011 by jamie392305

[ttk 236]

You could try the VIP bus departing every 2 hours from 0700 to 2200

http://airportpattayabus.com/Coachschedule.html

 

or

Bell every 2 hours 0800 to 1800 (no service to hotels on the 19th.

http://www.belltravelservice.com/routes_rates.php

 

or

 

Perhaps 2 nights in Bangkok if you do not have to be in Pattaya as it will be over in Bangkok on the 18th.

[shambley 109]

Heya jamie - im guessing ur staying at the duck - pattaya bus station to lk in a taxi might not be so bad

ps u cant walk it

I see many taxi at bus station - might charge a bit

I went from lk to bus station by moto taxi (oppersite way) - 180 baht with a teerack

central road to baukowe - to lk - should be ok,( but only from forums I wouldnt take moto taxi )- too many idiots with water pistols

I would guess real taxi from bus station to LK maybe 200-300 baht?

best guess m8 hopefully this will sponsor the experts with a more informed opinion.

 

regards

Shambley

[joekicker 53]

I predict you will be able to get to Pattaya fine. Even the most extended Songkran holiday ends on April 17, and the country will be entirely back to work. There will be some traffic in a couple of places around Pattaya only, for the "post-Songkran Songkran". It won't be gridlocked anywhere but a couple of Pattaya streets/roads at the most.

 

Get a taxi, a limo, a bus, whatever. Tell your usual taxi/limo service you'll never be using them again, and name and shame them here.

 

.

[bigstuy 8]

get herself to collect you in her auld lads pick up

[lovedog100 1,372]

You could try the VIP bus departing every 2 hours from 0700 to 2200

http://airportpattayabus.com/Coachschedule.html

 

or

Bell every 2 hours 0800 to 1800 (no service to hotels on the 19th.

http://www.belltravelservice.com/routes_rates.php

 

or

 

Perhaps 2 nights in Bangkok if you do not have to be in Pattaya as it will be over in Bangkok on the 18th.

This looks like the best advise. It's what I would have said if ttk hadn't beat me to it.

[shambley 109]

Oh should of said I was going from ttk's advise on the bus and from the bus station to LK,

I think it also stops at second road or beach road,

but I would think with luggage would you want the guantlet of second road water pistols

and as to joekickers advise about 17th

not sure I read 19th was always the BIG SPLASH DAY in pattaya but only going from posts about last year?.

[jamie392305 764]

I predict you will be able to get to Pattaya fine. Even the most extended Songkran holiday ends on April 17, and the country will be entirely back to work. There will be some traffic in a couple of places around Pattaya only, for the "post-Songkran Songkran". It won't be gridlocked anywhere but a couple of Pattaya streets/roads at the most.

 

Get a taxi, a limo, a bus, whatever. Tell your usual taxi/limo service you'll never be using them again, and name and shame them here.

 

.

 

If the taxi/Limo service had emailed me explaining that they were giving all their staff the remaining days of Songkran off. I would have accepted this, but to blame the festivities as an excuse to close for business is a bit much IMHO. So, named and shamed it is, the firm is called

 

Taxitopattaya.net

 

You will not be seeing anymore business come from me!!!!

Edited April 3, 2011 by jamie392305

[rightsaid 44]

I predict you will be able to get to Pattaya fine. Even the most extended Songkran holiday ends on April 17, and the country will be entirely back to work. There will be some traffic in a couple of places around Pattaya only, for the "post-Songkran Songkran". It won't be gridlocked anywhere but a couple of Pattaya streets/roads at the most.

 

Get a taxi, a limo, a bus, whatever. Tell your usual taxi/limo service you'll never be using them again, and name and shame them here.

 

.

 

 

Songkran ends on the 19th not the 17th.

[Grandpollo 366]

I am arriving on the 17th, 11 a.m. at BKK and Mr. T has already confirmed that he is picking me up.

[jamie392305 764]

I am arriving on the 17th, 11 a.m. at BKK and Mr. T has already confirmed that he is picking me up.

 

 

I'll give him a go then, cheers bud. J.

[jacko 8,813]

I predict you will be able to get to Pattaya fine. Even the most extended Songkran holiday ends on April 17, and the country will be entirely back to work. There will be some traffic in a couple of places around Pattaya only, for the "post-Songkran Songkran". It won't be gridlocked anywhere but a couple of Pattaya streets/roads at the most.

 

Get a taxi, a limo, a bus, whatever. Tell your usual taxi/limo service you'll never be using them again, and name and shame them here.

 

.

No it doesn't.

Naklua will have it's 'wan lai' festival day on the 18th. I normally avoid the area but I recall the TGF got stuck in traffic that very day last year. Likely just North Rd choked but that would impact the rest of town. I might be tempted to have a night or two in Bangkok.

[joekicker 53]

not sure I read 19th was always the BIG SPLASH DAY in pattaya but only going from posts about last year?.

 

INSIDE a small area of Pattaya, the 19th is the big day. Everywhere else in Thailand, the Songkran holiday is 13-15 April. Lots of people will take the weekend, but Songkran is completely over for Thailand except a tiny bit of Pattaya-Jomtien by Sunday the 17th.

 

That's why "roads in and around Pattaya" won't be gridlocked, even though in a part of Pattaya they might or might not be.

 

Songkran ends on the 19th not the 17th.

 

The Songkran holiday for Thailand ends on the 15th, not the 17th or 19th. That's why there will not be a problem getting transportation of your choice at the airport, why there won't be a driving problem TO Pattaya. Once in Pattaya, depends where you're going, and on which day of the 17, 18, 19. There WILL be traffic inside Pattaya, but not everywhere, and the problem -- if any -- will be centered in different places each of those days.

 

Naklua will have it's 'wan lai' festival day on the 18th.

 

Yes. It does not have its Songkran holiday on the 18th. The Songkran holiday is April 13 everywhere. The official Songran holidays are April 13-15 everywhere. Local people have local festivals, as said. It's a tag-on to Songkran but it's not Songkran. The Thai New Year (Songkran) is April 13.

 

.

Edited April 4, 2011 by joekicker

[Skate 9]

I'm flying out on the 19th at night.. So I decide to just stay in Bangkok to avoid the mess for a few days..

 

The girls luv me there too.

[Grandpollo 366]

Since it appears that the dates are fixed vs. astrological and are the 13-15th for most of Thailand and apparently different for Pattaya, what happened last year (since the dates are fixed, experience should tell)?

[plahgat 523]

Songkran festivities in Pattaya have been extended and will last until 21th of April!

The BIG SPLASH will be on 20th of April not 19th as usual!

 

Plahgat

Edited April 4, 2011 by plahgat

[chris2004 67]

I predict you will be able to get to Pattaya fine. Even the most extended Songkran holiday ends on April 17, and the country will be entirely back to work. There will be some traffic in a couple of places around Pattaya only, for the "post-Songkran Songkran". It won't be gridlocked anywhere but a couple of Pattaya streets/roads at the most.

 

Get a taxi, a limo, a bus, whatever. Tell your usual taxi/limo service you'll never be using them again, and name and shame them here.

 

.

 

I came into Pattaya last year on the 20th and it took me 5 hours to travel 2 miles from the outskirts of town to Beach road.

[cannonball83204 78]

I'll give him a go then, cheers bud. J.

 

Jaime, I don't know how you feel about Secret's taxi service, but I bet they are running that day if you can't find anything else. It would beat hitchhiking......LOL

 

Okay, Okay, don't kill me for mentioning SSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, inc on here! LOL

 

CB

[frostfire 1,279]

Its pretty obvious that most people posting suggestions here have not been here for Songkran.

 

Sukhumvit, as well as ALL roads in to pattaya, will be gridlocked with traffic moving slower than those walking on the side of the road on the 18th and 19th - moreso on the 19th.

 

Sukhumvit is gridlock from the second road in to Naklua (I forget its name) until around Soi 87 (opposite Makro shopping center - other side of Jomtien).

 

Not sure about the 18th, but on the 19th the regular bus service did not run last year. No big busses came down sukhumvit at all - so even the Rayong-bkk line must have taken an alternate route around pattaya. I was on sukhumvit for 2.5 hours last year on the 19th and saw no busses at all, and even on the motorbike I could not move much faster than those walking.

 

Of course those few hours may have been the worst of the worst... but there you are.

 

If I were you Jamie I would hire a taxi if nothing else to get you to Naklua.. there is a hotel there on Sukhiumvit just on the outskirts of it that you can stay for 2 nights, then you can motocy taxi it to pattaya... but not with your bags. You CAN get a taxi to go to DD... but from Naklua to DD will take 2+ hours most likely, and the best route would be Suk to Pattaya Klang, then 3rd road to Soi XZyte, then down to DD from there.

Edited April 4, 2011 by frostfire

[Parkwahn 61]

Jamie, stay in Bangkok I kid you not, a few years ago I went home from Bangkok and a girl wnet back to Pattaya on a Bus 6 hours,, total gridlock its a waste of your time.

 

Turn right out of Swampy and have 2 days in Bangkok...

[jamie392305 764]

Its pretty obvious that most people posting suggestions here have not been here for Songkran.

 

Sukhumvit, as well as ALL roads in to pattaya, will be gridlocked with traffic moving slower than those walking on the side of the road on the 18th and 19th - moreso on the 19th.

 

Sukhumvit is gridlock from the second road in to Naklua (I forget its name) until around Soi 87 (opposite Makro shopping center - other side of Jomtien).

 

Not sure about the 18th, but on the 19th the regular bus service did not run last year. No big busses came down sukhumvit at all - so even the Rayong-bkk line must have taken an alternate route around pattaya. I was on sukhumvit for 2.5 hours last year on the 19th and saw no busses at all, and even on the motorbike I could not move much faster than those walking.

 

Of course those few hours may have been the worst of the worst... but there you are.

 

If I were you Jamie I would hire a taxi if nothing else to get you to Naklua.. there is a hotel there on Sukhiumvit just on the outskirts of it that you can stay for 2 nights, then you can motocy taxi it to pattaya... but not with your bags. You CAN get a taxi to go to DD... but from Naklua to DD will take 2+ hours most likely, and the best route would be Suk to Pattaya Klang, then 3rd road to Soi XZyte, then down to DD from there.

 

I get into Swampy at 08:20am, i'm hoping to be out the airport and in 'A' taxi by 9am, so should hit outer Pattaya by 10:15am, will this make a difference? And before anybody jumps on me, Yes I have been to Patts at Songkran before, twice in fact, but never saw daylight until mid afternoon so unsure as to when it starts to get busy!!!!

Cheers for all your replys by the way, J.

[frostfire 1,279]

No idea mate. It may well do, but like you I never got out until afternoon... so I dont know for sure.

 

Be prepared for a long trip from Naklua to center pattaya tho... better prepared then annoyed :)

 

btw, I will be at Cherry Bar on the 19th... 18th ill be on Soi 6, and 17th am going to Ban Chang for their one day songkran. :)

[Stinky 12]

[/color]

 

I get into Swampy at 08:20am, i'm hoping to be out the airport and in 'A' taxi by 9am, so should hit outer Pattaya by 10:15am, will this make a difference? And before anybody jumps on me, Yes I have been to Patts at Songkran before, twice in fact, but never saw daylight until mid afternoon so unsure as to when it starts to get busy!!!!

Cheers for all your replys by the way, J.

 

You might be out of the airport at 9am, but you most likely wont hit outer Pattaya at 10:15am. You see, the motorway is free to all during Songkran. This means that most Thai people that normally wouldn't use it, are all using it. You will be lucky if the trip takes you less than 2 1/2 hours. You will most likely hit Pattaya at Noon, just as the festivities hit the street.

 

My suggestion is to get the taxi to Pattaya, no matter how long it takes. Then on the outskirts, hire a motorcycle for yourself, one or two for your bags, and make your way to the hotel that way. You will deffo get wet, and so will your bags. Be prepared.

 

Other thing you can do, is wait it out on the outskirts, and make your way into town later in the evening around 9 - 10pm. The traffic will have died down a little by then.