From Bangkok To Pattaya

How to get from Bangkok to Pattaya. Assuming that you do not own a car or plan on renting a car in Thailand, there are two main ways to go from Bangkok to Pattaya.

You can go from Bangkok to Pattaya by Bus or Taxi.  (trains are not discussed here)

Rather than bury the answer as to which is the best much farther down on the page, let me just tell you right here and now that the answer is “Taxi”.

A taxi is by far the best way to go from Bangkok to Pattaya.  Yes, it will cost you much more than a bus or train.  However, if you have just arrived in Thailand, even if you have been to Thailand before, you will be very tired and in real need to sleep.  A lack of sleep here will hurt you one way or the other.

After converting a few hundreds USD into Thai Bhat and passing through immigration, move directly out of the airport and you will come to long lines of taxis.  Give the driver the address to your hotel and ask them, “How much it costs to drive you to that address in Pattaya?”

A taxi from Bangkok Airport (BKK) to Pattaya should cost between 2100 and 2400 Thai Bhat.  You can spend the time trying different taxis looking for a lower price but really what you should do is take the first taxi that falls in that price range. (saving 100 or 200 Thai Bhat is just not worth that effort) 

One other thing to be aware of regarding taxis, is that prices, taxis, drive services like Grab and Bolt, vary depending on month, season and politics.

Explore bus and train travel in Thailand after you have been here a while.  It can be a bit adventure and fun.  

When you first land in Bangkok your real need is to get to your hotel and get a good night sleep.  Pay the price for the taxi.  You are in a different country.  You cannot read the street signs.  You do not know the language and many people only speak a tiny amount of English.  All this together means you need to get to your hotel quickly, safely and get that sleep before all else.

If you are coming from America, you have been traveling for more than 24 hours. Do you really want to try and think clearly after you land? Not to mention it is incredibly hot and humid.  Do you really want to spend a few hours more trying to save yourself $30 USD or would you like to get some sleep?

There are a variety of different taxi types and styles of vehicles at the airport.  They all function about the same.  You should absolutely double check and confirm with the driver that they are taking you to the address you have provided them and the total cost.

Do NOT depend upon an app on your phone to tell you what the cost will be.  ABSOLUTELY verify the cost with the driver face to face.  Sometimes they will not want to drive you for the prices shown on your phones app.

Something which I am sure you will fall in love with here in Thailand is that they do not tip. There is no expectation that you will tip your driver.  Tipping confuses most Thai people.  

They definitely like and want money, but the concept of tipping is pretty alien to them.  One street vendor explained it to me on day when I was buying food.

He said “The business owner makes money from you buying the food.  I make money from the business owner.  For what purpose is the tip?”  Frankly I both loved his answer and experienced profound confusion over my life in America with tipping.  His explanation was perfect.

Pay the fee to the taxi driver upon arrival at the hotel.  He will not ask for any money to cover toll fees or gas. 

There is nothing actually wrong with taking a bus from Bangkok Airport to Pattaya.  The buses are air conditioned and the cost is low,  between 4 and 6 USD depending on a number of variables.

You can catch a bus at BKK (Suvarnabhumi) Airport straight to Pattaya.  My issue with  the bus is the added complexity to you in a foreign environment while you are really tired.  I believe in keeping things simple, especially when you  are tired.

My other issue with taking the bus from the airport in Bangkok to Pattaya is the schedule.  Keeping to schedules and timelines is not something done all that well in Thailand.  A bus from the airport going to Pattaya will run every 4 hours or so.  Maybe

While the sign does say “Air Conditioned Bus Terminal Pattaya – Bangkok”  The reality is more open air and far less air conditioning.  There are several small areas about the size of a small convenience store where you can buy snacks and drinks.  

However, these small areas are not where people wait for buses.   The waiting area is outside in the open air.  It is shaded and that helps but when temperatures are running 90 to 95 during the day this is not the most pleasant place to sit for a couple hours.

Taking the bus is often shown in videos online but they seldom show the reality of the bus ride. 

In addition, a bus from the airport will drop you off at the North Pattaya Bus Station.  Most likely this is not close to where you will be staying.

From the bus station you will need to us the Bolt app (assumes you have downloaded the app and also got an internet plan on your phone that works in Thailand) on your phone to call for a car (do not get the motor bike) to pick you up and take you to your hotel.  Assuming it is day time the outside temperature is in the 88 to 95 degrees and humidity is making you sweat profusely, while you wait for your car. 

After waiting a bit in the heat your car will pick you up and take you to your  hotel.  This ride will cost from 100 to 250 Thai Bhat, the cost will depend on day and time of day.

**remember the guy that took the taxi from the airport?  Yea, he has been asleep in an air conditioned room for hours already.

A taxi from the airport (BKK) to Pattaya will take you about 1.5 hours and cost you from 2100 to 2400 Thai Bhat.  The taxi will also drop you off right at your hotel entrance.

The taxi driver will leave you alone, other than to ensure you are comfortable and the air conditioning is to your liking.  He will not try and hold a conversation with you.

A bus will be incredibly cheap compared to the taxi.  However, unless you are lucky, you might end up waiting for a couple hours before the bus departs.  During that time the person who took the taxi is already in their hotel room.

They bus will also have many other people on board, often the bus will not depart until every last seat is filled. (ignoring the departure time to maximize profit)

If it seems I am pushing  for you to take a taxi it is because I am.  You have flown to the other side of the world.  You owe it to yourself to have the first day in Thailand go smoothly.

If you cannot afford to pay 50 or 60 USD for a taxi on the one day it is called for, I think you might be in trouble.   

Allow me to give you an example why you need to take the taxi upon arrival in Thailand. When I am really tired my thoughts are not clear and also my body is really clumsy. 

On my second trip to Thailand I decided to get some food from a street vendor before going to sleep.  The walk was on a very uneven side walk.  Walking back from the vendor with food in hand, I stumbled.  I hit my foot hard upon an upraised brick and dropped my food.  Two of my toes really hurt for a couple days.  When you are really tired you must be extra careful.

Life is a gift and every day an adventure.