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Highlights
Money
Climate & When To Go
Flights
Airports & airport transfers
Accommodation in Bangkok and Pattaya
Hostel in Bangkok
Hotel on Khao San Road in Bangkok
Hotel at Sukhumvit in Bangkok
Hotel in Pattaya
Getting around
Dangers & Annoyances
Internet resources and guidebooks
Travel route alternatives
It is best to take a bus directly to Pattaya from the airport if you don’t arrive in the evening.
The opening of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport (located to the east of Bangkok, alongside the expressway to Pattaya) has made visiting easier than ever.
Only 110km from Pattaya (40km closer than Don Muang), transfers by road are inexpensive and quick (currently around 80-90 minutes in dry weather, 120 minutes in wet weather) and getting quicker as the upgrades to the connecting highway are completed.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pattaya has very good information.
You can choose between governmental busses and Bell travel busses.
Governmental bus, 124 bath (as of September 2010) to Pattaya: 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00 and 21:00. The bus departs directly from the airport at level 2 and makes stops along Sukhumwit rd at Pattaya Nua (north), Pattaya Klang (middle), Pattaya Tay (south), its bus station at the lower end of Theprasit rd and the bus station at Chaiyapreuk rd.
- or -
Bell travel Tel 038-370-0556, 02-747-4673
08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00. Their bus travels directly from the terminal building to the northern bus station. This service includes delivery/pick up to/from your hotel in the 200Bt price(Sep 2011), although they will not go to hotels located at Sukhumwit rd or at Chayapreuk rd or further. You need to go to Bell Travel's website, http://www.belltravelservice.com/, to book your travel from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya. They don't accept walk-in requests.
If you arrive in the evening you have to spend one or more nights in Bangkok before you go to Pattaya.
It is probably most convenient to take a taxi to the airport if you have an early flight.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok/Khao_San_Road
The Airport Express bus, including backpacker favourite AE2 to Khao San Road, stopped running in June 2011. Public taxi and Airport Rail Link services are recommended as an alternative. It is therefore more difficult to go to Khao San Road if you don’t take a taxi. Due to this we recommend that if you plan to visit Khao San Road you do that the last nights and take a taxi to the airport.
Coming from the airport, a metered taxi should cost no less than 300 baht, if using the toll roads (known by Thais as toll way) which cost up to 65 baht. Traffic during the day can make the toll roads very worthwhile, as they will save time and money. The trip takes around 45 minutes in good traffic, but allow considerable leeway during rush hour as the area around Khao San can get very congested. If you arrive after midnight, expect to pay around 500 baht. This 500 baht includes all tolls, the airport fee of 50 baht and the price stated on the meter. Taxis are your only option at night, as the Airport Rail Link stops running at midnight.
The following travel plan is based on a late arrival to Bangkok for instance after a visit to Australia. We therefore have to spend one or more nights in Bangkok before we can continue to Pattaya, or other places in Thailand.
TravelPlan
Bangkok ( 4 nights )
Flight: Sydney 12:30 => Bangkok 18:50
Suvarnabhumi Airport east of Bangkok.
Bus or Train: Airport => Sky Train
From Suvarnabhumi Airport, Take Airport Rail link (City Line located on airport basement) from Suvarnabhumi Station to Phaya Thai Station, Transit to BTS Sky Train from Phaya Thai Station. This train provides service between Suvarnabhume Airport station to Phaya Thai Station (30 minute, 90 Baht) which covers a distance of 28 kilometres and provide service from 6.00 to 24.00 everyday.
- or –
If you arrive at the new airport your
cheapest way to get here would be the 552 bus. 150 baht, but Longer time, about
an hour+. Take the bus to the Sky trains eastern most station called 'ON
NUT'.
Sky Train: Phaya Thai Station or On Nut Station => Phloenchit Station
Bangkok has two sky train lines.
http://www.bangkok-maps.com/bts.htm
Walk: Phloenchit Station or Nana Station => Hotel at Sukhumvit in Bangkok
Hotel
Activities:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293916-Activities-Bangkok.html
Accommodation: Hotel at Sukhumvit in Bangkok. See member information.
Pattaya ( 7 nights )
Walk: Hotel at Sukhumvit in Bangkok => Sky train station
Sky Train: Sky train station => Ekkamai station
Bus: Ekkamai station =>
1st class buses from Bangkok to the North Pattaya Road bus station are air-con, almost always have an on-board toilet, are essentially direct (ie no stops), and provide a no fuss, no frills, hassle-free service.
Departures from the Eastern (Ekamai) Terminal and Northern (Moh Chit) Terminal are frequent (every 20-40 minutes, depending on the time of day; more frequent still at public holiday weekends) and usually take 2-2.5 hours.
Departure times & fares (as at June 2006): Ekamai (East) to Pattaya - first 05:20, last 23:00 - 127 baht
Taxi: North Pattaya Road bus station => Hotel
- or maybe –
From the North Pattaya Road bus station songthaews (a cross between a pickup truck, a share-taxi, a local bus and two pews) depart when full (every few minutes). The fare to anywhere on Beach Road ("the beach") is 20 baht; press the buzzer button on the underside of the roof when you want to get off.
Activities:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293919-Activities-Pattaya_Chonburi_Province.html
Visit Hat Jomtien
Hat Jomtien, about 1km south of Pattaya, stretches for 6km and is quieter than its northern neighbour. You're relatively removed from Pattaya's sex scene at this beach.
Accommodation: Hotel in Pattaya. See member information.
Bangkok ( 3 nights )
Taxi: Hotel => Bus station
Bus: Pattaya bus station => Ekamai Terminal or Moh Chit Terminal
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok
The largest, busiest, and most modern terminal is the Northern Bus Terminal, ☎ +66 2 936-2841(-3), also known as Mo Chit. The upper floor serves the Isaan region in the northeast of Thailand; the ground floor serves Northern Thailand, and shares some destinations with Ekkamai (including Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat). The bus terminal is a fair hike from BTS station Mo Chit or MRT station Chatuchak Park.
The Eastern Bus Terminal, ☎ +66 2 391-2504, also known as Ekkamai, is a relatively compact terminal right next to Ekkamai BTS station in Sukhumvit. Ekkamai serves destinations in Eastern Thailand, including Pattaya, Rayong, Ban Phe (for Ko Samet), Chanthaburi and Trat.
Departure times & fares (as at June 2006):
- Pattaya to Ekamai (East) - first 05:20, last 21:00 - 127 baht
- Pattaya to Moh Chit (North) - first 05:20, last 20:00 - 113 baht (tollway route: 121 baht)
In Pattaya the aircon bus station is on Th Hat Pattaya Neua, near the intersection with Th Sukhumvit.
All 1st class direct services to/from Bangkok use the recently redeveloped bus station on North Pattaya Road. These buses are usually full when they depart, and must be boarded at the terminus. Tickets are sold at the bus station; it's not possible to pre-book these services more than an hour or so in advance. Usually, if the bus that's due to leave next is already full, there will be seats available on the next one. The longest queues are for the very early morning departures from Pattaya - to get a seat on the first bus of the day you need to be in the ticket queue at least 30-40 minutes early; however the bonus is that these pre-rush hour services can take as little as 90 minutes to get to Bangkok.
2nd class services (air-con, usually no on-board toilet) don't use the expressways, and make frequent (and sometimes lengthy) stops, hence they take considerably longer than their 1st class counterparts (which at worst will only halt momentarily once or twice to let passengers jump off on the final approaches to their destination). As at June 2006 the 2nd class fare is 100 baht, so the difference in price doesn't amount to much.
The terminus for 2nd class services to/from Bangkok and other short-haul destinations is on South Pattaya Road, but in practice these buses pick up and drop off the majority of their passengers en route. Tickets are sold both at the bus station (although advance booking may not be possible) and on the bus itself.
Taxi: Ekamai Terminal or Moh Chit Terminal => Hostel on Khao San Road in Bangkok
Even some of the metered taxis will try to charge you a flat rate of about 200-300 baht to take you to Khao San Road, rather than use the meter (which would mean no more than an 80 baht fare from Silom, or 100-150 baht from Sukhumvit). The drivers will claim that Khao San Road is "too far away" for the meter, but that's not true; the fact is, they can get away with overcharging tourists, and if you don't take it, the next one down the street might. You should refuse to pay that amount and find an honest driver — there is no shortage of taxis in Bangkok. There is no point trying to haggle, as the meter is always cheaper.
As a general rule, older drivers tend to be more amenable to the meters, while the younger ones tend to gun for big fares from tourists. Also avoid the parked taxis (dishonest drivers prefer to wait for gullible tourists) and hail a moving taxi (a red light on the dash board indicates if they are available). The majority of taxis are new (less than two years old), and its best to avoid the older taxis as their air-conditioners function poorly, and these drivers tend to be less reliable. The great majority of taxi drivers are reasonably honest though, so always opt for a taxi instead of a tuk-tuk.
Activities:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293916-Activities-Bangkok.html
Accommodation: Hostel on Khao San Road in Bangkok. See member information.
Home
Taxi: Hostel => Airport
Flight ( Finnair ): Bangkok 08:55 => Gothenburg 16:25