Baht Buses

In spite of the militancy of some of the drivers, Baht Buses, also called ‘ Baht Taxis' (in Thai ‘ rot song taew ' which literally means ‘car - two rows'), are an efficient and cheap means of getting around. Tourists throughout the world are often advised to negotiate fares beforehand when travelling within a foreign country. This is good advice and is generally true. For travel on a Baht Bus within the confines of Pattaya City , if you know where you are and where you want to go, this is not necessary. In this respect, it is a good idea to quickly familiarize yourself with the routes the buses take. The system is not complicated.

Nevertheless, Baht Buses figure prominently in conversations amongst foreigners, both tourists and expats alike. For many years now, foreign language newspapers have printed letters to the editor from disgruntled foreigners complaining about being ripped off by Baht Bus drivers. Many complaints to the Tourist Police were about the same matter. The problem was the fare for travel within Pattaya was 5 baht per person but foreigners were consistently being charged 10 or 20 baht which many accepted as being the ‘ farang price' as opposed to the ‘Thai price'.

The fare anomaly was finally solved using brilliant Thai ingenuity. Inside each vehicle a sign appeared stating: ‘The regular fare of mini bus in Pattaya is not over 10 baht per person according to the law of enforced by the department of land transport' ( sic ). The solution was to simply double the fare. However, due to the generosity, benevolence and gooey-gooey niceness of Pattaya's Baht Taxi drivers, they still charge their Thai passengers only 5 baht .

No longer are foreigners expected to pay double fare simply because they are foreigners. They now pay the correct maximum fare and the hard-working, taxpaying, law-abiding Thai citizens are given a 50% discount. Naturally, a Thai travelling with a farang companion will also be required to pay the higher fare so the driver can be seen to be evenhanded and not because he knows the farang will be paying for his companion's trip anyway.

For people wishing to avoid any problems, simply pay the 10 baht per person. For those who believe there is a principle involved and resent being charged double simply because they are ‘different', it is still possible for farang to get away with paying the 5 baht ‘Thai price' on the Baht Buses. If you want to play this game, read on.

1. Many local Thais avoid getting on a Baht Bus that does not already have passengers on it - a good indication it is not a good idea. Perhaps the reasoning behind it is that the driver could request a higher fare by saying that he made a special trip for you and taken you somewhere that he had not intended to go.
   
2. Make sure that you always carry small change with you, particularly 5 baht coins. This is to help the busy drivers out because you would be surprised just how many drivers do not have change for your 20, 50 or 100 baht notes. If you hand over a 10 baht coin or note, you will definitely not receive any change.
   
3. When you reach your destination, press the buzzer as late as possible so that the taxi stops a short distance past where you actually wanted to get off. Pay for your ride by placing the exact fare into the driver's hand. Don't look at him, don't ask how much he wants, don't ask if the fare is correct, don't talk, don't discuss, don't argue, don't barter. Simply hand over the 5 baht, turn around, check for traffic and walk back to your destination. At this point, should he want to discuss the matter with you, he will have to either leave the vehicle or reverse against the flow of traffic. The drivers very rarely do this, especially if there are other passengers in the vehicle. If he does chase you, apologize politely and pay the extra 5 baht. NEVER get into an argument or altercation with the driver.
   
4. Avoid boarding the taxis waiting at supermarkets, shopping centres and bus stations, particularly those parked outside Royal Garden , Big C and the Jomtien-bound ones on Second Road outside the school at South Pattaya . Even though they will certainly take you where you want to go, they sometimes charge as if for a private hire. Other times they may wait until they have a full load of passengers. This can take a while. You are better off walking past them and flagging down a taxi already in motion.

For travel on a Baht Bus from Pattaya to Naklua or Jomtien, the fare is 10 baht for both Thai and foreigners. To hire a Baht Bus to take you to a destination outside the confines of the Naklua-Pattaya-Jomtien area, it is necessary to negotiate the fare beforehand. The driver will be only too happy to take you, even to wait and bring you back if you wish, so do a bit of haggling up front.