Random Observations of a Tourist 2025

[Jun]

Arrived in BKK. Immigration queue under 10 minutes. I had a visa, so was stamped in for 90 days and the visa type was written on the stamp.
A longer wait for baggage.
The airport rail link now accepts tapping in with credit cards, but I'd already bought a ticket before noticing.
Except it's a half baked implementation. I decided to try it on a trip back to the airport for the Jontien bus. However, Makkasan has not been upgraded yet, so I was sent away to buy a ticket.
The tannoy on the trains is constantly promoting this service.

I arrived at the airport by 12:30, in good time for my pre-booked Jomtien bus.
For those without pre-booked tickets, the next available buses were:
Jomtien 13:30, 1 hour
Sukhumvit 13:30, 1 hour and by 12:40 that changed to 17:30!!
North Pattaya: 15:00 (2.5 hours)

So, I continue to pre-book.

[Gaybutton]

So, I continue to pre-book.

When you pre-book do you also have to pre-pay? If you do have to prepay and for some reason arrive late, is it refundable?

Also, how do you pre-book?

[christianpfc]

Pre-booking is online and yes, you have to pay in advance, including a service fee that is not charged when booking at their counter.

[Jun]

TIT.
So, of course, no refunds.

I suspect the base fare might be regulated, but nothing stops them charging extra for an online booking fee.

When I travel from Bangkok(Silom) to Jomtien, a pre-booked bus from the airport is easily the best solution. I can't accept waiting for 1,2, 3....hours for space on a bus. I can show up right on time for a pre-booked bus.

If going directly from a long haul flight to Jomtien, I don't know what time to book the bus. So a taxi is probably optimum there. Which worked well in May.

[Gaybutton]

Can you post a link for pre-booking online?

[Jun]

https://airportpattayabus.com/

Googling "airport bus Jomtien" gets that. It's the best bus service I have used in Thailand. That's because it leaves on time and goes direct to the destination, with no unnecessary stops at low end service stations.

[Gaybutton]

One thing I have never understood about this bus service is why the last bus of the day leaves at 8:00pm when so many flights, especially international flights, arrive and depart at all hours. I don't know why they don't offer 24 hour service, but they don't.

[Jun]

They have been replacing the pavement at the top end of second road.

In true Pattaya style, the job appears to have been abandoned in a part completed state. Lots of trip hazards, missing ramps and big holes. Plus some of the new slabs are already loose, presumably as they always fail to fence the area off whilst the concrete is setting.
No sign of anyone working to finish off the job. TIP.

Silom in Bangkok seems to have better pavements, without the need for continual replacement.

And on the somewhat different topic of laundry, why do small convenience stores have such a huge range of laundry detergent? The Tops Daily near me has a whole aisle for them, about 6m long. I need one for colours and if I were fussy, another for whites.

Meanwhile, I visited the Otteri laundry in Jomtien complex. This is the first time I've seen a branch where they actually explain what the temperature settings are, with proper numbers. Progress!
Except, the machines have 3 settings, cold, warm and hot. Just like every Otteri I have been to.
The explanation on the wall covers 4 settings, cold, medium, warm and hot. Why?

[Gaybutton]

In true Pattaya style, the job appears to have been abandoned in a part completed state.

Are you surprised?

[Jun]

Are you surprised?

Not at all. I was going to write TIT, but that would be unfair, as not all of Thailand is constantly digging up pavements to leave them in a mess.
So it's TIP.

Meanwhile adjacent to this public sector shambles, we usually have all the private sector developments, who manage to have near immaculate pavements, without digging them up every 3~4 years. Can anyone remember Central, Royal Garden Plaza, The Avenue, Central Marina etc resurfacing all their pavements ? It looks like they just did the job properly and can leave it for a couple of decades.