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.
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 ....
There are only 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pattaya
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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.
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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.
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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 IMHOOriginally Posted by Beachlover
There are only 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't.
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
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!
Buffalo me die! Send Money!
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.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!
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.
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!
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.
and I thought I had answered the OP question succinctly in one sentence!
There are only 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't.
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