Don't let baht bus drivers cheat you

[Gaybutton]

That goes for taxi drivers too, especially motorbike taxis. It is best to agree upon fares before the ride or use apps such as Bolt where the app tells you the fare and any tips are at your own discretion.

On baht buses, unless you have hired the driver to take you to a specific location, the most the standard fare should be is 20 baht. Whenever I take a baht bus I always give the driver 20 baht even if it is a 10 baht distance. An extra 10 baht is not going to break the bank and the driver appreciates it. But for a standard fare ride I never give more than 20 baht.

By the way, I have never had a baht bus driver try to cheat me on the fare except one time, many years ago, in Phuket.
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High Season Prejudice – Foreign tourists facing unfair ride fees by baht buses in Pattaya

By Pattaya Mail

February 16, 2025

PATTAYA, Thailand – Foreign tourists in Pattaya are increasingly raising concerns about being charged unfairly high ride fees by baht buses (songthaew), a common mode of transportation in the city. While baht buses are an affordable and convenient way to travel short distances around Pattaya, some foreigners report being asked to pay significantly higher fares than what is typically charged to local residents.

Baht buses in Pattaya operate on fixed routes, with a standard fare of 10-20 baht per person, depending on the distance traveled. However, many tourists have complained about being charged as much as 50 to 100 baht for short rides, especially if they are unfamiliar with the local rates or appear to be tourists. This has led to frustration and confusion, with some foreign visitors feeling taken advantage of.

This practice is believed to be more common in popular tourist areas, such as Walking Street, Jomtien Beach, and the Pattaya Beach Road, where tourists are more likely to be unaware of the standard fare structure. Some drivers may even refuse to negotiate or explain the fare, demanding an inflated price upfront.

Tourists have expressed their dissatisfaction through online forums and social media, with many urging others to be cautious when using baht buses. Local authorities, including the Pattaya Tourist Police, have been made aware of the issue, and some attempts have been made to regulate baht bus fares more effectively. However, enforcement of fair pricing remains inconsistent, with many tourists still reporting incidents of being overcharged.

To address this issue, both tourists and locals are encouraged to be vigilant, ask about fares before boarding, and, if necessary, report instances of overcharging to the authorities. Efforts are also underway to increase awareness of fair pricing and improve the overall transparency of the baht bus system, ensuring that tourists and residents alike can enjoy affordable and reliable transportation without fear of exploitation.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... aya-490921

[Jun]

In recent years, I've only once had a songthaew try to overcharge. They failed.

I boarded near Boyztown and got off near terminal 21, where the lady in the cab demanded 20 baht. When I firmly said sip baht, she backed down and said "I thought you boarded in Jomtien".
Earlier on the trip, the bitch had successfully tried the same trick with 2 young European girls who looked barely old enough to be travelling without parents.

Problems are extremely rare.

Some might say they're due a price increase. I strongly disagree. They're supposed to function as the public transport and should be affordable to all users, including locals.
Also, the objective ought to be to get rid of them and replace them by more efficient buses, like any developed country would have. So it's best not to make the songthaew trade too lucrative before that.

[christianpfc]

The issue is a bit muddled by the fact that you can hire a baht-bus to drive you somewhere. In that case, the driver can quote a fare. If a tourist goes to the driver and asks if the baht-bus passes a certain place, that can be constructed as hiring him to go there.

I know lines and prices and pay get in on the back and pay the exact fare when I get off (important to have 10 THB coins, not to give 20 THB and expect change).

Years ago, a common issue was empty baht-buses preferring hiring over regular fare. The driver of an empty baht-bus would stop when I wave him down, and when I head for the back to get on, would drive away. (From opposite North Pattaya bus station to Dolphin Roundabout.)

I think the baht-bus has advantage over regular buses. Smaller in size, can move around quicker. Higher frequency with more vehicles. No doors, getting on an off quicker.

[Jun]

I think the baht-bus has advantage over regular buses. Smaller in size, can move around quicker. Higher frequency with more vehicles. No doors, getting on an off quicker.

Those are the advantages.

The disadvantages are:
1. Pitiful network. Only the main north-south route in Pattaya and Soi Bukhao has a regular service. The frequency on Pattaya Tai is worse. As bad as one every 30 minutes. The frequency on Sukhumvit is also low. Then, what about the rest of the city? Nothing.
2. Zero crash protection on the rear platform
3. High PM2.5 in the passenger compartment. As any aerodynamicist will tell you, there's a low pressure area behing the cab. Some exhaust gas gets sucked into this space. Going up the hill towards Jomtien, I've often measured PM2.5 about 50% higher than outside.
4. They create congestion by crawling around looking for passengers and stopping one or two abrest.
5. Small number of passengers per vehicle, so less efficient than a bus.
6. On some routes, they fill up before starting, so anyone who wants to get on later and sit down will be unlucky.

If you proposed, for example, ripping out the excellent bus & tram network in Vienna and replacing them with Songthaew, such a hideous idea would be swiftly rejected.