zanemay Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Just one of those "heads up" posts. It's part of a trip report too, but this is the transportation portion. * * * * * I researched the transportation to and from Nong Khai with a post on this forum. The overnight train was pretty popular. I ended up taking a bus up because I ended up going with a girlfriend and got off with her in Khon Khen, a few hours south of NK. I was planning to take the train back. But if I was given correct info at the hotel, there are only night trains running to BKK. 6 PM and 8 PM approximately. This left me with a problem - check out time. What was I going to do between noon and 6 PM? If I just got on a bus I?d be most of the way back to BKK by 6 PM. I took the bus. The buses don?t leave Nong Khai as frequently as I?d hoped, and just going to the bus station wasn?t a good idea. I got there at 9:30AM. The last bus had left at 8:40 and the next bus was at 11:30. Ugh! I don?t mind the bus at all as long as I can get a seat to myself and I could. There weren?t too many stops, but it was a long ride. I got into Mo Chit bus terminal in BKK at 9:30PM. And then I had problems. First, the bus didn?t go into the terminal proper. It unloaded across the street a couple of blocks away in a bus parking area. I don?t know if this is because it was Songkran holiday and the terminal was jammed. It would have taken awhile longer to get in. The parking area had no information, but someone told me buses to Pattaya departed from the main terminal. This was a long walk with a heavy suitcase and it involved a very hazardous crossing of the six-lane road running past the station. Terrible! Just as I was about to lug my bag into the door of the main station, a guy came up and asked me where I was going. (Look out!!) I told him Pattaya. He told me the buses had stopped running for the day. I don't believe anything these guys tell me, so I went in to look for the ticket window. He took me to it. It was closed. He said 1,800 baht to take me by taxi. ?800 baht Pattaya to BKK; 1,800 BKK to Pattaya,? he chuckled. You know Mr. Fight-for-Your-Baht isn?t going for that. ?What about Ekamai?? (the bus station on Sukhumvit.) ?Moat laeow.? (Finished for the day.) How much you give me? 1,500 okay?? With him trailing me I headed for the info booth. ?Okay. I take you 1,200!? In the info booth they told me buses from Ekamai ran until 11:00PM but then gave a phone number and said they didn?t really have that info.? I went to find a phone, with the taxi guy still dogging me. I didn?t have change. He gave me two baht. I called. Last bus at 11 PM. I headed for the exit. ?1,000!? So I had a big problem. I was Buddha-only-knows how far from Ekamai and how much a taxi would cost. It was 10 PM and if you know BKK traffic, it sometimes takes an hour to go six blocks. But if you get into such a situation and you might be thinking of taking guys like this taxi driver up on an offer, I would suggest you think again. He was waiting for me. A guy who was going to Pattaya but was too late. I was pretty damned sure that if I agreed to 1,000 baht, we would not have gotten far before there would be a problem and I would be asked for more money. I could also envision worse things happening. I marched out the door and when it was obvious that I was going to take a taxi to Ekamai, he didn?t offer me the ride. He disappeared. I made it to Ekamai for about 130 baht on the meter of a perfect taxi fellow, with a pristine cab, fine manners and his license posted on the dash. He didn?t offer to take me to Pattaya, but I asked him how much it would be. 1,500 baht. We made it to Ekamai all right and I arrived in Pattaya around 1 AM. ***** Our member themayorofpattaya informed me elsewhere: "For future use, if you're stuck getting to Pattaya head to the airport, especially if you're alredy out in Mor Chit, and it will cost you 1,000 baht for a taxi to Pattaya." Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Why didn't you take the Skytrain to Ekamai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummigut Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 They should also move Mo Chit bus terminal back near the BTS station. <<burp>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zanemay Posted April 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 I had a small backpack and a large suitcase. The suitcase would not be allowed would it? Zane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMAN Z28 Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Prob not related, but I rode on a motorbike taxi from the bus stop in Pattaya to Dianna Inn with my big ass suit case. It was freakin huge, couldn't beleive the biker and me made it alive. ZMAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Says ZMAN Z28: Prob not related, but I rode on a motorbike taxi from the bus stop in Pattaya to Dianna Inn with my big ass suit case. It was freakin huge, couldn't beleive the biker and me made it alive. ZMAN Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 sure you can bring all you can carry in the BTS except smelly durian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMAN Z28 Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Because it was 5 in the morning and there were only motorcycle around when the bus dropped us off from Udon. I had to carry everything with me as I wasn't going back to Udon, but departing for Hawaii in a few days from then. Wish I coulda got a picture of that. ZMAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickfarang Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Thank you for that story. We need to keep these husslers in mind when traveling, and hearing a story like this every now and then keeps the memories fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2003 Report Share Posted April 19, 2003 Why didn't you just ask for a late checkout in Nong Khai? I've made this same visa run by train and have gotten a day rate at a riverside hotel in Nong Khai for 200 baht. Plenty of time to shower, eat lunch, watch a movie, shower again and head to the station for the early train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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