Transport from Tapau UTP airport.

Apologies in advance for not finding in Search but my question:
I'm in Koh Samui booking airfare to BKK and expected to take Bell Bus to Pattaya. However, I see Bangkok Airways has flights into UTP Tapau airport listed as Pattaya.

Is transportation from remote airfield of UTP into Pattaya easily available or does it make better sense to just fly into BKK and relax on Bell Bus or taxi.

[Patexpat]

Last time I was picking someone up from U-Tapao I noticed that there were taxi and mini bus services that greet each arrival for onward transportation to Pattaya. Can't remember the fares tho, sorry.

Personally I prefer U-Tapao and use it whenever flying to Samui or Phuket ....

[Beachlover]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Pattaya

---------

When booking flights to U-Tapao...
...consider pre-booking onward transport at the same time, as competitively priced door-to-door transfer services may not be available on arrival at U-Tapao on an ad-hoc basis.
---------

The easiest way to transfer between U-Tapao and Pattaya is by direct door-to-door minibus - driving time is normally about 30 minutes (200-250 baht per person for pre-booked services).
If speed and convenience don't matter, the ad-hoc option is to hop on virtually any bus on Sukhumvit Road. Going south, if it's a bus that terminates at Sattahip you'll have to swap buses or finish the journey by songthaew; if it's going further east (eg Rayong, Chanthaburi or Trat) it'll drop you off at the airport entrance as it goes by. Going north, wait for a bus that's going further than Sattahip and then you won't need to transfer. Alternatively, the white songthaews that ply Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Sattahip charge just 20 baht.
Or to buck the trend big time, go by rail (3rd class, weekdays only) between Pattaya and Sattahip, get off just before or after the line crosses Highway 3, and connect with the airport by songthaew or bus. The fare for the 40-50 minute train ride is 6 (yes, six!) baht - depart Pattaya 10:18AM, arrive Sattahip 11AM; depart Sattahip 1:30PM, arrive Pattaya 2:21PM - but don't forget, no trains on Saturdays or Sundays.

--------

[Patexpat]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Pattaya

---------

When booking flights to U-Tapao...
...consider pre-booking onward transport at the same time, as competitively priced door-to-door transfer services may not be available on arrival at U-Tapao on an ad-hoc basis.
---------

The easiest way to transfer between U-Tapao and Pattaya is by direct door-to-door minibus - driving time is normally about 30 minutes (200-250 baht per person for pre-booked services).
If speed and convenience don't matter, the ad-hoc option is to hop on virtually any bus on Sukhumvit Road. Going south, if it's a bus that terminates at Sattahip you'll have to swap buses or finish the journey by songthaew; if it's going further east (eg Rayong, Chanthaburi or Trat) it'll drop you off at the airport entrance as it goes by. Going north, wait for a bus that's going further than Sattahip and then you won't need to transfer. Alternatively, the white songthaews that ply Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Sattahip charge just 20 baht.
Or to buck the trend big time, go by rail (3rd class, weekdays only) between Pattaya and Sattahip, get off just before or after the line crosses Highway 3, and connect with the airport by songthaew or bus. The fare for the 40-50 minute train ride is 6 (yes, six!) baht - depart Pattaya 10:18AM, arrive Sattahip 11AM; depart Sattahip 1:30PM, arrive Pattaya 2:21PM - but don't forget, no trains on Saturdays or Sundays.

--------

hmmm .... have you been to U-Tapao? based on the circuitous options you lay out above how pray would you get from the airport to Sukhumvit? And if you did use the train you then have to get from Pattaya Station (Soi Siam Country Club) in to town ... not many realistic options for travellers lugging suitcases around me thinks. Not recommended IMHO

GDT
Ignore the garbage written above from Wikopedia.

I have done this trip numerous times, the last being a few weeks ago.

I use Gems and Phons taxi and they are the most reliable I have come across. They charge 800 Bt and WILL be there to meet you.

You cold take the minibus (2oo Bt) but they may drop off at all sorts of locations first and I have heard that they can take hours. For the extra 600 Bt is a no contest.

Try U Tapao once and you will never return to BKK!

Link here for Gems. Just e mail them and they will be there.

gems51_7@hotmail.com

Telephone: 0898332498 or 038734848 or 038734472

[colmx]

I use Gems and Phons taxi and they are the most reliable I have come across. They charge 800 Bt and WILL be there to meet you.


I have no info to add here... although I will be doing this route in 18 days time :blackeye:

But 800B seems like an awful lot of money for such a short journey... You could get all they way from Suvanabumi for that price!

But 800B seems like an awful lot of money for such a short journey... You could get all they way from Suvanabumi for that price!

Yes, and I queried it with them. The thing is that with Savanabumi they usually take one passenger one way and then wait at the Airport for the next one going back to Pattaya (however long that might be). As there are hardly any passengers going to U Tapao this is not possible and you end up paying a higher price.

Incidentally,Gems charge 1500 Bt to Savanabumi. I dont think you can get it for much less than 1000 off street taxis and then they charge motorway tolls on top.

But 800B seems like an awful lot of money for such a short journey... You could get all they way from Suvanabumi for that price!

Agreed. 800 baht is exorbitant for a 30 minute drive with no tolls, etc (as is 1500 baht Suvarnabumi-Pattaya with tolls, unless the taxi is something special).

Get a taxi or minibus on arrival; the minibuses will usually stop at the Ambassador to drop off the Russians on the way, then go on into Pattaya and drop you off wherever you want (within reason).

BL and his friend Wiki - forget it. Yes, you can get a songthaew for 20 baht or a bus for not much more (if you are prepared to wait for the latter, and you know where the bus stops are), but as Patexpat pointed out, first you have to get to Sukhumvit (with any baggage). On second thoughts, try it and let us all know what you think of BL's advice!

[Beachlover]

hmmm .... have you been to U-Tapao? based on the circuitous options you lay out above how pray would you get from the airport to Sukhumvit? And if you did use the train you then have to get from Pattaya Station (Soi Siam Country Club) in to town ... not many realistic options for travellers lugging suitcases around me thinks. Not recommended IMHO

No, I've never been to Tapau.

I posted wikitravel just to get the ball rolling... since no one else had posted anything useful yet.

And whoever wrote Wikitravel doesn't seem to be far off the mark... It suggests either the minibus... or arranging a car in advance... or ("if speed and convenience don't matter") going the long way with the public bus and all. The minibus/taxi advice is pretty much what other posters have done, albeit with more details on pricing and providers.

Glad someone in the know finally posted some good suggestions. It does sound like you either get the minibus... or you arrange a taxi pickup in advance.

[Patexpat]

I posted wikitravel just to get the ball rolling... since no one else had posted anything useful yet.

.

and I thought I had answered the OP question succinctly in one sentence!

and I thought I had answered the OP question succinctly in one sentence!

I thought so too.

It appears BL is as usual unable to read what anyone with personal experience has written ("It does sound like you either get the minibus... or you arrange a taxi pickup in advance"??) and is still going through Wiki. Sad ... so much better in his previous incarnation.

[rincondog]

I have seen signs advertising 400 B rates from Pattaya to U-Tapao.

[Beachlover]

I posted wikitravel just to get the ball rolling... since no one else had posted anything useful yet.

.

and I thought I had answered the OP question succinctly in one sentence!

You did, but perhaps some more defined detail or caution (as subsequent posts have) is helpful... It sounds like door to door taxis aren't always available, which is an important detail. Just thought I'd post the warning from Wikitravel.

[Beachlover]

so much better in his previous incarnation.

Which was?

[Diec]

Beachbore, it's obvious you are 16 years old and have never been to Thailand.

[lonelywombat]

I have used both the minibus and the taxi pick up but not for 2 years. Flying in you have no taxis waiting for you. Most are booked by phone or internet and you can be stranded if you do not want to use the bus.
Cost I thought was less than the 800 baht quoted.

The bus route comes into and along the Jomtien Beach road and turns as do the baht buses and proceeds along Second Road to North Rd and follows Beach Road Pattaya and similar to the baht bus on the way back to Jomtien.The agency for the bus is or was the travel agency on the NW corner of Second and South Rd. You can buy tickets at the airport. The trip is over an hour and we got off at the stop opposite VC Pattaya .
You waste a half hour at the airport so the trip can be frustrating. You can book a pick up to the airport at the agency along that route.

I have only used for flights to/from Koh Samui and Phuket. Friends of mine coming from London are planning to fly in from iSingapore but ATM I am not sure what airline.

[pong]

AFAIK the ONLY curent scheduled flights to/from UTP are to Samui-of course on BKK-air-with onward/connect or direct, to Phuket.
For a few monthes-just when they started up, JetStar flew SIn-UTP, but has soon changed it to BKK. At the mo no-one flies to SIN-unless I have missed something.
MOst of the other bigger planes you migth see at UTP are Russian charters.
In fact one major reason for many airlines to withdraw from UTP is the appalling state of onward transport. The baht-busmaffia rains. The bus to BKK (Swampy)-much further away-cost jyust 200 bt.-why anyone would call 800 bt ''reosonable'' is beyond me-even an overnight bus to ChMai cost less.
All in all it cost often more, and makes often more hassle, as it to use UTapao as it does to use Swampy as fly-in destination for Pattaya.
Nonetheless they have giant plans to enlarge and update the durrent terminal into a 18/20-gates-holding big international thing.

[Patexpat]

All in all it cost often more, and makes often more hassle, as it to use UTapao as it does to use Swampy as fly-in destination for Pattaya.

Against all my experiences I'm afraid. Kerb side to being checked in is usually less than 10 minutes; last time I flew to Phuket I was late (flat tyre) and the Bangkok Air staff actually phoned me to see where I was and held the check in open till I arrived. Don't think anyone at swampy would do that .... and as per my earlier post whenever I have arrived back there have always been taxis and minibus service waiting to take people in to Pattaya, but also as I said earlier I really can't remember what was being asked by way of a fare.

Never seen a Baht bus there tho - U-Tapao is a functioning military airfield so I guess that only registered commercial services are allowed on to the airfield.

I have used both the minibus and the taxi pick up but not for 2 years.

So you are 2 years out of date. Things change.


Beachbore, it's obvious you are 16 years old and have never been to Thailand.

You may be right about the latter, but probably not the former. Unfortunately BL has to remain dumb and dull to stay in character, while as Homintern he was crusty and caustic but at least he could be amusing.

[lonelywombat]

I have used both the minibus and the taxi pick up but not for 2 years.

So you are 2 years out of date. Things change.



Once again gonefishing makes a negative remark without explaining what the situation is. If we are to assume GF rebuttal of my comment re taxis waiting , why does he not say so.If the bus route has changed in two years why does he not say so. There are millions anxiously awaiting his wisdom.

things change, so what has changed.

Once again gonefishing makes a negative remark without explaining what the situation is. If we are to assume GF rebuttal of my comment re taxis waiting , why does he not say so.If the bus route has changed in two years why does he not say so.

I did (27 March 01:08). What part of "Get a taxi or minibus on arrival; the minibuses will usually stop at the Ambassador to drop off the Russians on the way, then go on into Pattaya and drop you off wherever you want (within reason)" don't you understand?

[Beachlover]

You may be right about the latter, but probably not the former. Unfortunately BL has to remain dumb and dull to stay in character, while as Homintern he was crusty and caustic but at least he could be amusing.

This would have to be in the top ten dumbest comments you've made. And you've made plenty.

[TrongpaiExpat]

, while as Homintern he was crusty and caustic but at least he could be amusing.

Was, was? You really believe he's dead? He's Copper Peal or has he died recently too? OK, do I have proof, nope, but I don't have any proof that he was ever alive either.

You may be right about the latter, but probably not the former. Unfortunately BL has to remain dumb and dull to stay in character, while as Homintern he was crusty and caustic but at least he could be amusing.

This would have to be in the top ten dumbest comments you've made. And you've made plenty.

That's true - as Homi you weren't that amusing.

[Beachlover]

You're a complete idiot. If you think I'm homintern than you may as well accuse cdnmatt of being Twat of all Twats/FF and accuse lonely of being smiles.