Pattaya to Don Maung

[teelack 9,640]

For whatever reasons I noticed recently that this service had been suspended. I took the following off their web site today.

Pattaya to Don Muang Airport & Don Muang Airport to Pattaya

are in sercive Now!!!

Pattaya - Don Muang (06:30 / 13:30) boarding at Bell Pattaya Office

Don Muang - Pattaya (12:00 / 17:00) meeting at Seating area near Gate No 2

Fare: THB 368 / person (No Pick-up or Drop-off service)

 

 

!!! Accept only advance bookings !!!

[nkped 1,208]

Apparently, the folks at Bell Travel are unaware that "are in sercive" is Kiwi for suspended. Or perhaps, it is just the Don Maung service which is suspended.

 

For more detail on this route, drill down to http://www.belltravelservice.com/pages/PageAboutSharedTransfer.aspx.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

In mid-March, I took the Bell D M - Pattaya bus to get back to Pattaya after a trip to Bali. I hadn't booked car service pick up in advance because I hadn't known on which flight or day I would return. I thought I'd just get a taxi at D M or possibly take the shuttle to Swampy and then the bus to Pattaya if the timing were right.

 

Wrong on both accounts. The taxi queue at D M was enormous and totally chaotic. There were five or six separate lines,but just a mass of people at the back of them, all pushing and shoving. Worst thing was the queue wasn't moving much; there weren't many taxis arriving at DM.

 

It looked like at least 90 minutes wait, so I went to the shuttle bus pick-up point, but they were carefully checking passengers for boarding passes or a printed itinerary for flights from Swampy that day. They weren't letting anyone on without proof of an onward flight.

 

Another option would be to take the city bus to the BTS station at Mo Chit and then get a taxi off the street, a bus to Pattaya or the BTS to Swampy and then a bus or taxi to Pattaya. But that seemed a lot of hassle, so I went back inside the terminal to check with the private "limo" counter. No cars available and they thought it would be at least two hours until one was back.

 

At that point, I saw a lady walking around holding the Bell Bus sign. I asked when the next bus to Pattaya was leaving. I was lucky, it departed in 30 minutes (only two a day, at noon and 5 p.m.). I paid her the 400 baht and boarded the bus. There were only two other passengers on a bus that seats 60. The bus departed exactly at noon and pulled into the North Pattaya bus terminal at 2.15 pm. There was no hotel dropoff, but it was easy to get a baht bus back to my condo.

 

I don't know if the service still runs today or if a lack of demand has led Bell to cancel it. According to the Web site, it still runs.

 

Evil

[Fireman Sam 336]

In mid-March, I took the Bell D M - Pattaya bus to get back to Pattaya after a trip to Bali. I hadn't booked car service pick up in advance because I hadn't known on which flight or day I would return. I thought I'd just get a taxi at D M or possibly take the shuttle to Swampy and then the bus to Pattaya if the timing were right.

Wrong on both accounts. The taxi queue at D M was enormous and totally chaotic. There were five or six separate lines,but just a mass of people at the back of them, all pushing and shoving. Worst thing was the queue wasn't moving much; there weren't many taxis arriving at DM.

It looked like at least 90 minutes wait, so I went to the shuttle bus pick-up point, but they were carefully checking passengers for boarding passes or a printed itinerary for flights from Swampy that day. They weren't letting anyone on without proof of an onward flight.

Another option would be to take the city bus to the BTS station at Mo Chit and then get a taxi off the street, a bus to Pattaya or the BTS to Swampy and then a bus or taxi to Pattaya. But that seemed a lot of hassle, so I went back inside the terminal to check with the private "limo" counter. No cars available and they thought it would be at least two hours until one was back.

At that point, I saw a lady walking around holding the Bell Bus sign. I asked when the next bus to Pattaya was leaving. I was lucky, it departed in 30 minutes (only two a day, at noon and 5 p.m.). I paid her the 400 baht and boarded the bus. There were only two other passengers on a bus that seats 60. The bus departed exactly at noon and pulled into the North Pattaya bus terminal at 2.15 pm. There was no hotel dropoff, but it was easy to get a baht bus back to my condo.

I don't know if the service still runs today or if a lack of demand has led Bell to cancel it. According to the Web site, it still runs.

Evil

 

The taxi queue at DM has been a nightmare for a while now. I always revert back to the old system of grabbing a taxi that has just dropped off passengers at departures. No turnstile gates at DM to stop you, never had a problem.

 

Regards

[misteregg 709]

Taxi to Mor Chit then bus to Patts is the quickest, but as EP says, a bit chaotic at times.