£3 bus from BANGKOK to PATTAYA - Worth it? ประเทศไทย
Hi everyone! This is episode four of my Thailand series. In this vlog, I leave Bangkok and travel to Pattaya, which is situated on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is also known for its party atmosphere and great beaches, and hence it is a very popular tourist spot in Thailand. In fact, it is the second-most visited city in Thailand after Bangkok!
I thought this might be a useful video for some hoping to do a similar journey between the two cities. I decided to travel by bus from Bangkok Eastern Bus Terminal, also known as Ekkamai Bus Terminal.
The vlog starts with me arriving at the bus station and without a ticket. I was told I could simply buy a ticket at the bus station and that there are many services to Pattaya on a daily basis. I was immediately struck by how long a particular queue was for buses to Pattaya, but another ticket officer grabbed my attention and said there is a bus leaving right away for the cost of 150 Thai Baht (currency conversion: 1 British Pound = c. 45 Thai Baht). I decide to buy a ticket but cannot help thinking why the other queue is so long!
Anyways, I get escorted onto the bus by another man and I manage to grab the back seat with a window - a huge bonus given my intention to vlog the journey! I have a brief conversation with other passengers asking why the queue was so long, but they also mentioned that they have not been to Pattaya before and, like me, were simply happy to take the first service possible.
We then drive from the bus station through the streets of Bangkok before getting onto one of the main roads towards the coast. I notice several nature scenes, impressive engineering, loads of trucks and a few toll gates!
As we drive into Pattaya, the weather starts to turn for the worst and it starts to rain cats and dogs! When I get off at the final stop, it is still raining and I quickly take shelter. At this point, I have no idea how to get to my hotel, as I do not have roaming or internet and have to rely on a screenshot of my hotel name and directions from the seafront. Luckily, a few locals help me out with directions towards the right alley, or soi as it is called in Thai.
I finally reach my hotel and check in, after which a hotel employee takes me to my room. I give a quick tour of the room and decide to rest for a bit after the two hour bus journey.
During my rest, the rain also stops and I go to the rooftop to get an idea of the swimming facilities and the view of the city. I also head out to get a glimpse of what the city holds, and treat myself to a delicious mango roti.
I then arrive back at the hotel where I talk about Thai money and give a useful travel tip in relation to currency notes.
Apologies for my ad hoc pronunciation of Pattaya - in same parts I get it absolutely spot on, but in other parts I butcher it! I do get better at it as you will see in upcoming vlogs. Also, my voice is steadily improving, day by day :)
I hope you enjoyed this vlog about travelling from Bangkok to Pattaya! As mentioned earlier, I also hope this gives you an idea of what to expect, but do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any further questions about the journey.
If you haven't done it yet, please press the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE buttons and also please leave a COMMENT for me in the comments section. This is all free to do and really helps me out in promoting the channel to other viewers. This in turn helps me to produce more free content such as this for you to watch! It really goes a long way to helping this channel.
Happy exploring!
Willie
Пікірлер: 49
Sorry for my late comment I watched the vlog since you uploaded good vlog and nice video shots for whole trip glad you made it to Pattaya stay safe my brother and enjoy your time 😊
@willieexplore
4 ай бұрын
Hi Mark, there is no such thing as a late comment - delighted to hear from you at any time! Cheers for the support and encouragement :)
Thanks for sharing the memories, Willie!
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Always a pleasure and a privilege, Jasper! Hope all is well on your side!
Hey Willie good to see you made it to Pattaya safely and I can't wait for you to show us more of pattaya keep it up brother 👍
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Thanks as always my brother, cheers for the support!
the long line was for the big bus that has a toilet.. it is so much better becasue I like to hydrate so I will drink about 3 bottles of water on that bus ride and use that toilet multiple times.. also the big bus has more space and comfortable seats..
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Ahh yes the one I took did not have facilities for numbers one and two, so that makes a lot of sense! I also saw some people in the line carrying lots of baggage (literally speaking, of course)
Nice that you traveled by bus! I also really like your old school approach not using roaming on your phone! I should consider this, I’m just a bit lazy, I guess! 😂 Cheers 🍺🍺
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Thanks Bip! Yes it was an easy journey, even if a little chaotic (well, maybe fast-paced is the better term) at the bus station. I need to seriously consider getting roaming!
@travel_and_explore_with_BIP
5 ай бұрын
@@willieexplore Because we are from the Uk, we have access to quite cheap roaming charges compared to many others! But because you’re travelling all the time it’s of course not cheap.
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
@@travel_and_explore_with_BIP that is very true!
Good stuff Willie, nice easy journey. Thailand is very well set up for tourists to get around. Pattaya looks exactly as I expected, apart from the weather 😅
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Cheers Matt! A bit chaotic at the bus station but super easy to get a transport option. I will show more of Pattaya in upcoming vlogs. I see your viral video is still going strong, excellent stuff!
I really don't think I could have done that bus journey, Willie! Just a bit too cramped for my liking. I did like the look of the mango roti with Nutella I have to say. Beautiful hotel room again 😊.
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
If it was longer than two hours, I don't think I would have enjoyed it Sheila! Really like the sweet desserts and treats in Thailand, including the roti. The hotel was a good deal for sure :)
@gmm5550
5 ай бұрын
he did take the pretty old cheap bus.. the longer line was for the more modern comfy and expensive busses =)
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
@@gmm5550 yes I think the bus with the long queue was more luxurious and allow for more luggage
@sheilam4525
5 ай бұрын
@@gmm5550👍
very nice trip 👍👍
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Thank you very much, Andre! Appreciate your unwavering support!
Howzit Willie my bru, heard the accent and was happy, I too started a channel recently for travel purposes.☺ Good video bru
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Howzit Reuel, nice of you to get in touch! Appreciate you checking out my content. Safe travels!
@reuelmaharaj
5 ай бұрын
@@willieexplore you too brother😇🙏
It's pretty much like a normal bus. You can't be late to these buses as they will take off wo ya. Some buses make stops along the way, some don't. The ones that don't usually say so, so be prepared *take a bio beforehand, don't bring liquid* The rides are around 2-3h long, depending on traffic and how many stops the driver makes.
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Some good advice there, thanks! Cheers for watching and commenting!
have fun, lived in thai for about 2 years..
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Cheers! Definitely a great place to explore!
Great video Willie thanks for sharing this opportunity experience it highly useful appreciated and helpful informative advice is necessary required to get rough idea about what services you get there once again thanks for showing interest place Willie try indonesia next thanks!
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Cheers Simon, always a pleasure! Hopefully this is useful for prospective travellers to Pattaya, or other parts of Thailand to get an idea of bus travel. Indonesia definitely on my list of places to visit one day!
@mayousimon1
5 ай бұрын
About currency what about card like atm and contact less especially when using in stores etc?
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
@@mayousimon1 I haven't used card in stores at all on this trip. I exchanged Pounds for Baht in England but in hindsight I got a really bad rate from the place I normally exchange - around 41 Baht for every Pound (and disappointing as I usually get a good rate from them). Had I exchanged in Thailand I would have gotten 43 or even 45. Cash is king is many countries, so better to have some cash on you at all times :)
@gmm5550
5 ай бұрын
@@willieexplore u can buy sim cards in 7 eleven (take passport or copy of it with u ) and plastic cards can be in most bigger stores and shoppingmalls..but cash is always king
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
@@gmm5550 didn't know about the sim card in 7Eleven, thanks!
Did you see the orange bus at bus terminal? That bus is a electrical bus I`m Thailand people
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Hi there! I didn't see an orange bus, does that also go to other cities?
Willie dankie ek kyk jou trip! Dis asof ek daar is myself! Groete
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Lekker dat jy virtueel saam reis! Ek waardeer jou ondersteuning baie Tosca, dankie
Never understand ppl taking taxis for pretty expensive fares for a short 2 hour trip ..just get a bus it so cheap ..and sleep ..only thing in buses in thailand is that the aircon is to chilly so a sweater or hoodie is smart to take. if u take a longer trip in thailand u get free water and a sweet custardbun and often a fleece blanket and the bus stops at a busstop market with toilets and food and shops =) The other bus line is more expensive and better standard and more modern..btw
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Taxis definitely not a good option between the two cities! Motorcyclists also charge 2000 Baht
@gmm5550
5 ай бұрын
@explore longest bus ride i've taken in thailand was between chiang mai and phetchabun in central Thailand. 6 hours..and i was a modern double decker bus with free wifi usb-outlets and toilet.. trip did cost about 450 baht and the bus stopped 2 times for food and toilet(eating a fried chicken with stickyrice and looking at cars farms and buildings passing by) ..as i said only downside was the freezing air-condition =)
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
@@gmm5550 sounds like a really good journey! Thanks for sharing your experiences and insight
All the trucks and tollgates reminds me ofthe N3 JHB-DBN
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
I've never been on the N3 myself, Witperd, but I've heard people complain about congestion and tolls! Cheers for watching and supporting my channel
Do you plan to visit all southeast asian countries?
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Hello my friend, not on this particular trip.
Willie ek sien jy is naby die 5000 intekenare sterkte vir daai laaste bietjie!
@willieexplore
5 ай бұрын
Dankie Tosca! Klein treetjies vorentoe, ek juig oor elke intekenaar! Groete daar in Peru