How to ride the Baht Bus in Pattaya

The Pattaya baht bus only costs 10 baht

The cheapest public transportation for getting around Pattaya is the Baht Bus or Songthaew as it’s called in Thai. The baht buses are those blue pickup trucks that you see driving around Pattaya with people riding in the back. The cost to ride a baht bus is only 10 baht. The only transportation in Pattaya that’s cheaper than a baht bus is to walk.

I don’t know exactly how they came to be known as baht busses. That’s a term that is only used in Pattaya and Bangkok by “farang” (foreigners). I’ve never heard them called that in other parts of Thailand.

The Thai name for the baht bus is Songthaew and I do know where that comes from. The word “song” is the number 2. The word thaew means “seat”. A songthaew is a two seater, literally. Take a look in the back of one of those pickup trucks  and you’ll see that, indeed they have two bench seats in the back, one against each side of the truck.

The most useful baht bus route for the visitor to Pattaya is the circular route that starts From Pattaya North Road and heads south on Beach Road all the way down to the entrance of Walking Street; turns left onto South Pattaya Road and continues east, one block to Pattaya 2 Road where it turns left again and heads back north all the way back to Pattaya North Road.

So, you can catch a south bound baht bus anywhere on Beach Road or a northbound baht bus anywhere on Pattaya 2 Road. The songthaew travel this circular route 24 hours a day.

To get on a baht bus you just have to hail it much like you would hail a taxi in any western country. Just waive your hand, palm down, at the truck as it approaches. Now, it’s important that you only hail the moving baht buses. Those are the ones that are on the regular route that will only charge you 10 baht.

If you try to get on a baht bus that is parked, then the driver is going to start negotiating a price with you which will be much higher than the normal fair. There are plenty of baht buses on the regular route that are moving, so there is no need to pay more than the 10 baht fare.

When the baht bus stops for you, just hop on in the back. There is no need to talk to the driver. In fact, it’s probably a good idea not to talk to the driver. He will only see that as an opportunity to negotiate a higher price for you. Just hop on the back and sit down.

Once you’re seated on the baht bus, look around the interior for a small button that looks much like a doorbell button. There will be several such buttons placed throughout the interior. They are usually located on the ceiling of the cab. Sometimes they are also located above the windows.

When you want to get off, just press the button. You should hear a bell ring or a buzzer sound when you press this button. This is the signal for the driver to stop.

Now let’s talk about the songthaew that are parked. Baht buses can also be chartered just like a taxi. They will take you to any destination within Pattaya on a “private” charter. The fare for a private charter is completely negotiable. Most drivers will start at 100 baht for just about anywhere within Pattaya. With a little bargaining you may be able to get them down to 50 or 60 baht.

If you’ve negotiated a private charter then the driver will take you directly to your destination without stopping to pick up other passengers. At least that’s what they’re supposed to do. Some unscrupulous drivers will stop for other passengers regardless.

You’ll notice a bunch of parked baht busses right at the entrance to Walking Street every night. As you leave the Walking Street area they’ll be shouting at you, “Taxi, taxi”. Some of the more aggressive baht bus drivers will get right up in your face and try to direct you to their awaiting cabs.

These sharks are there to take advantage of the horny punters who want to speed right back to their hotel rooms with there new-found Pattaya girlfriends. I have heard fares quoted as high as 300 baht for a ride no further north than Central Pattaya Road. I’ve also seen idiots who have accepted this price.

All you have to do to get a baht bus north from Walking Street is walk another 100 feet down the street to Pattaya 2 and there are plenty of moving baht buses passing by at the 10 baht rate. They’re just as fast.

Now, one thing about the corner of Pattaya 2 and South Pattaya Road is that there are baht buses that also queue up there that only charge the 10 baht fare. They will wait until they have a full load before they take off. You can still ride for 10 baht but you’ll have to wait until all seats are full. You’ll see other passengers patiently sitting in the back of these songthaew. They will be mostly foreigners.

If you don’t want to wait for the next baht bus to fill, just ignore the queue and catch one of the moving baht busses that are passing right by on the outside of the queue. That’s what the Thai people do.

There are other routes besides the popular north/south route. There are baht buses that travel up and down South Pattaya Road, Central Pattaya Road, North Pattaya Road as well as Soi Buakaow. They all charge the 10 baht fare. You can switch baht buses at all major intersections if you have to go a different direction. Of course, you have to pay the 10 baht fare every time you change songthaew.

If you want some cheap Pattaya sightseeing just hop on any baht bus and see where it takes you. You can always catch one back to where you started.