Heading To Pattaya

For those people arriving in Terminal 1, turn left immediately and walk through the barricades out into the public area. From Terminal 2, follow the signs to the nearest end of Terminal 1. If you do not already have some local currency on you, now is a good time to get some. The Thai currency unit is called the baht (pronounced as in Bart Simpson) and the notes come in denominations of 1,000 (highest); 500; 100; 50 (not very common); 20; and 10 (almost obsolete and you would be unlikely to ever see one). There are plenty of 24-hour ATM's and Currency Exchanges in the airport complex. The exchange rates do not vary between companies so change your money at any window. How much you need depends on whether you have already booked and pre-paid for your transport and/or hotel room. Anyone arriving unannounced and needing transport and a deposit for a hotel room should not require more than 5,000 baht at this time. When changing cash at a Currency Exchange, ask for some smaller denominations – 100's and 20's. ATM's will probably dispense 1,000 baht notes so you may have to buy a drink or some food to get change.

Heading direct from the airport to Pattaya without stopping over in Bangkok , there are several alternatives, with many options depending on your arrival time.

Limousine

If money is no object or you have a few people to share the cost, the most convenient way to travel is by the Thai Airways Limousine service available from Terminal 1. The trip is comfortable and the car will take you all the way to your hotel. The cost is around 4,000 baht which includes the motorway tolls. Check before you book.

Taxi or Private Vehicle

Taxis, with or without meters, and private operators will be only too happy to take you to Pattaya. BE CAREFUL if you travel in an unlicensed taxi or private car. Here is some advice:

1. As far as practicable, try to avoid travelling alone. Talk to other passengers on the plane or at the airport and see if anyone else is also going to Pattaya. There is bound to be someone to share the car/taxi as well as the fare. Safety in numbers.
   
2. Negotiate the fare before getting into a vehicle. The tout will begin by asking for something around 2,000 baht . At the time of writing, a reasonable fare to Pattaya by taxi is 1,500 baht which may or may not include up to three road tolls totalling around 135 baht . Check with the driver beforehand.
   
3. If the tout tells you to follow him to the vehicle, which will be parked somewhere in the vast parking lot, don't! Ask him to bring the car to you in the front of the airport. Never leave yourself open to be ambushed in some dark corner of the car park.
   
4. When the car arrives, ask the driver if it is the same vehicle that will be taking you all the way to Pattaya. It is common practice for the car waiting at the airport to be only the delivery vehicle to take you to their office in a less than populous area of town where you transfer to another car which then takes you the rest of the way. No real problem, just scary the first time.
   
5. If you do not have much luggage, do not put it in the trunk of the car. Keep it on the seat beside you and never leave it unattended.

Bus

Please note that all fares quoted below were correct at the time of writing but may have since risen sharply due to the escalating world oil price.

Air-conditioned buses go to Pattaya direct from the airport. The cost is 200 baht but at the time of writing there are only three per day, leaving at 9:00am, 12:00noon and 7:00pm. If this is convenient, book your ticket at the Airport Limousine Office, Counter 7 in Terminal 1.

From the Eastern Bus Terminal at Ekamai, air-conditioned buses leave for Pattaya every thirty minutes between 5:00am and 10:00pm. The current fare is 90 baht . The taxi fare to Ekamai from Don Muang airport is approximately 300 baht plus 50 baht airport surcharge. If you do not have a lot of luggage and it is before 8:00pm, take an airport taxi to Morchit Skytrain Station. This will cost around 100 baht plus 50 baht surcharge. (To avoid the surcharge, head up to the ‘Departure' area and catch a taxi that has just dropped someone off.) Morchit Skytrain station is equipped with escalators up to the platform and the comfortable, air-conditioned train takes about twenty minutes to travel across town to Ekamai Station for a fare of 40 baht . Ekamai Skytrain Station (Exit 2) is right beside the Bus Terminal.

Between 5:00am and 7:00pm buses leave for Pattaya from the Northern Bus Terminal at Morchit, departing every thirty minutes. The taxi fare from the airport is again around 100 baht plus 50 baht surcharge. Morchit Bus Station is quite large and there are actually two terminals within the complex. Buy your ticket from the booth just inside entrance Number 3 at ground level of Morchit 1. The current fare is either 94 or 97 baht depending on whether the bus takes the motorway or not. Next, walk through the exit directly opposite the ticket counter, turn right, squeeze between the first couple of rows of parked buses, slide through another row of parked buses and look for Gate 78 at the far right end of the platform. Seating is allocated with the seat number appearing on the back of each seat. Simple as that.

All the bus services mentioned above terminate at the bus station in Pattaya North Road . The three Airport-direct buses stop at the Limousine Service Office about 200 metres further down the road. To get to your hotel it will be necessary to catch a Pattaya taxi, commonly called a ‘ Baht Bus'. Many Baht Buses wait at the bus station and travel a set route for 20 baht per person.

If your hotel is on Beach Road or Second Road , this is a good option. Simply press the buzzer when you want to get out. If you don't have a clue where your hotel is located, ask one of the drivers who will take you directly for a fare starting at 40 baht . Negotiate. It depends how far the hotel is from the bus station, but the maximum fare for one-way group transfer from North Pattaya to anywhere else in the Greater Pattaya area is 120 baht . That is for a maximum of five people, NOT each!

Train

For rail fanatics who arrive at Don Muang airport in the early hours of the morning, do not have much luggage and are in no great rush to get to Pattaya, a very cheap alternative is to take the train. From inside the terminal building, follow the signs to the Railway Station across the elevated walkway and descend the ramp to the platform signposted ‘ Bangkok '. Buy a ticket to Hualampong Station at the ticket booth on the platform (regular services; fare 10 baht ).

At Hualampong , the only train of the day to Pattaya departs at 6:55am. The fare is 31 baht . (There is no train on weekends.) If you want a shower before boarding, there are good facilities in Hualampong for a cost of 10 baht . The journey time from the airport to Hualampong is between 45 and 90 minutes depending on whether you board an express train or the ‘milk run' so, if you are not on a train from the airport by 5:30am, you run the risk of being stuck at Hualampong .

The train to Pattaya takes about four and a half hours and Pattaya Railway Station is a little out of town but there is usually a Baht Bus hanging around the station at the time of arrival. The Baht Bus fare to Central Pattaya is about 50 baht . Like most people, if you have just got off a long flight, the thought of travelling for another six hours to get to Pattaya is ridiculous.