Cyborg Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 Hi, I`m planning on a side trip to Surin in about 3 weeks time and was wondering about what time the VIP bus from Bangkok leave ? And the cost ? Does it run from the same terminal as the bus from Bangkok- Pattaya does ? I`m travelling on my own so I don`t have a girl to ask Last time I was on my first trip to Buri Ram and then I ended up taking a taxi meter and that got rather expencive... oh yeah, I guess it`s not allowed to smoke on the bus, but is it possible to catch a smoke on the stops or is it just a quick stop? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgianBoy Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 Hi Cyborg, Another 3 weeks to go !!! I guess Thalenoi gave you fine info ( as usual for him ! ), but I have 2 more pieces for you : - find yourself a girl and dont get lost.... - quit smoking ! I did 14 months ago and feel much better ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 Cyborg, Hi! Sorry, just noticed this thread. While there are many busses to Surin I've found the best way to do this is to take the night VIP bus. Leaves around 9:30, gets into Surin around 4-4:30 in the morning. Less traffic, shorter trip due to that, sleep on the way up, finish sleepig a few hours in the hotel. Cost around 350/370 baht, one way. This bus leaves from Morchit Bus Terminal, NOT Ekami where the Pattaya bus leaves from. Just ask your Bangkok hotel to get you a taxi, and tell them you're going to Morchit Bus Terminal. Most taxi drivers will know where it is. When you arrive in Surin just grab one of the many tuk-tuks at the Surin Bus Terminal. I'd suggest using the Thong Tarin Hotel, which is 5 minutes away by tuk-tuk from the bus station, pronounced by the locals as the Tong Tahlin hotel. Haggle a bit for the tuk-tuk fare, the hotel ain't far at all! Good older place, (Taksin stayed here his last trip up there, so it's not a dump.) good food in their restaurant, swimming pool, nice staff, good free buffet type breakfast with your room, around 700/800 baht a night. I used to stay there all the time. Taking the bus on such a long trip during the day time is a waste of a day. Take the night VIP bus is my advice, and sleep most of the way. There is a sleeper train leaving Bangkok in the early evening. Nice private sleeper room where you can get laid during your trip up. Has its advantages and disadvantages. Cost is high, over a thousand baht per person one way. Plus it takes much longer as it stops at damned near every city on the way up. The VIP bus stops only once on the way up. BTW the VIP bus has a bathroom, ac, free water, cola, and a snack, a tv/vcr showing movies in Thai. If you need the contact info for the Thong Tarin Hotel get back to me and let me know. I have it here somewhere. You can rent a pick-up truck or mini-van at the front desk of the Thong Tarin to drive yourself around if you want. I'd only do this if you have a lass from the area with you who knows her way around some, and if you are a patient and careful driver. Otherwise hire a driver and van, or some motocykes maybe. The traffic in Surin can be daunting to a farang not used to driving on the left with a bunch of maniacs zooming everywhere around with no regard for their lives! But, I do it all the time. So maybe take a chance and just go for it! Just takes some practice, and nerves of steel. Whatever you do don't get pissed off or show anger to the other crazy ass drivers. Don't be flipping anyone the finger, they do know what it means, and don't like it at all! :-) Can be more dangerous than the traffic, getting in an argument with a local! There is a massage parlor behind the Thong Tarin Hotel, and a gogo bar nearby. Not a Bangkok type of gogo bar though. Also a good farang food restaurant the next street over, actually the Big Bite Restaurant on the corner in front of the Thong Tarin has some decent farang type sandwiches and stuff too, but they take forever to make them! At the front desk is a table where you can get info on the tourist type activities to see while up there. You can even get a tour of the places, mostly Khmer temple ruins and such, from there too with a mini-van and driver. If you need more info, or have more questions, just ask and I'll tell you what I know if I can. Cent p.s. Yes, when the bus stops about half way up, about 3 1/2 hours after leaving Bangkok, they stop for about twenty minutes for food in an area wih a bunch of other busses and a large complex with a restaurant, bathrooms, and other food stalls and barbecue pits. Here is when you can grab a smoke. All other stops are only for a minute or two to drop someone off or pick someone up. Buriram is the stop just before Surin, about a half hour or so away. So when you see you're in Buriram you'll know you are almost there. P.P.S. There are NO taxis in Surin! Tuk-tuks only, and the samlors, the tricycle pedi-cabs. I'll re-post a couple of trip reports here for you to read for further information and ideas, and delete them later. Have fun Cyborg. Cent (Oh yeah. You can get a lass for take out from the gogo, and I assume the massage parlor. These are the only two places I know. I'll give you directions for the gogo if you want. It's very near the Thong Tarin Hotel. BUT, be forewarned. You'll likely be the only falang in the joint. (Not many falang know where this place is.) The people are friendly enough though. It will be all Thai guys in there. Just find a dancer you like and ask the waitress to have her come to your table for a drink if she'd like. How's your Thai? Lao? Khmer? Most speak little or no English at all. :-) Should be an adventure Cyborg. Wish I was there so I could show you around and have a beer with ya! [ January 07, 2002: Message edited by: Cent ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 quote: Originally posted by BelgianBoy: Hi Cyborg, I guess Thalenoi gave you fine info ( as usual for him ! ), but I have 2 more pieces for you : - find yourself a girl and dont get lost.... - quit smoking ! I did 14 months ago and feel much better ! Maybe ask the girl if she "sa-moke?" (i stopped smoking 19 months ago but always ask TG's if they sa-moke) Thanks Cent, glad to have a Surin specialist on board. btw I avoided Surin around 15 november because of the elephant festival (I don't like crowds) Would you nevertheless recommend to visit Surin during the festival? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 see http://www.thailandday.com/TICKETS/Bus_Tickets/NorthEast_Bus.htm 24 seat VIP bus(Standard 1A), must be possible to find cheaper Standard 1B, 42 seats and Standard 2, normal aircon. "From Bangkok, there are daily buses leaving the Northern Bus Terminal. Traveling takes about 6 hours. For more information please contact Tel. 2710101-5 (Non air - conditioned buses) and Tel. 2794484-7 (Air conditioned bus)." By Train There are trains leaving Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lam Phong) daily. The distance is 420 kilometers. For further details please call Information counter, State Railway of Thailand, Tel. 2337010, 2337020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 Don't know if this is up-to-date: By Bus : Ordinary buses to Surin leave 17 times a day from Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal between 6 a.m. and 10.50 p.m. for 117B. Second class air-con buses cost 164B and leave nightly at 9 and 11 p.m., while first class air-con buses depart at 11 a.m. and 9.30, 10 and 10.10 p.m. for 211B. During the Elephant Roundup, there are many special air-con buses to Surin organized by major hotels and tour companies. Surin lies about halfway between Ubon Ratchathani and Khorat ; buses from either direction take around four hours and cost 52B ordinary, 96B air-con. By Train : Rapid train No. 135, leaves Bangkok at 6.50 a.m. arriving in Surin at 2.21 p.m.. The second class fare is 209B, including the rapid surcharge It is advisable to book seats at least two weeks in advance for travel during November. If one prefers night train travel, the rapid no. 141 leaves Bangkok at 10.45 p.m. and arrives in Surin at 6.40 a.m. Ordinary 3rd class train take around nine hours from Bangkok, cost 73B and leave daily at 3.25 and 11.25 p.m. Surin can also be reached by train from any other station along the Ubon line, including Buriram, Si Saket and Ubon Ratchathani. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyborg Posted January 8, 2002 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 Thanks Alot guys, this is GREAT info. As for my Thai, it`s simply not there.... But I manged a week in Buri Ram with a phrase book and a smile so I`m hoping that will be good this time also. I was wondering about one thing though, Is there a Thai-style disco in Surin ? Just love thoose Thai discos with no farangs and they only sell whisky or beer I had a hard time the first time I was there trying to order a B52 I know all about not getting upset while you`re up-country ( or anywhere else for that matter ). In Buri Ram there was a huge fight between some guys and thing`s got rather nasty. I quikly got my shit together and walked away.... It`s a long story, but the next day everything was good and some of the guys actully bought ME some beers. ( though, I think it helped that the owner of the disco became a friend of mine ( as I said, a LONG story ) But I`m a young easy going guy, and I belive that as long as I keep on smilling and not causing anybody to loose face, everything will be allright. Cent, I think that I`ve read every single one of your storys and they are a big reason why I`m going there in the first place. Cent, if you do have the email or the phone nr. to the hotel I would be great. Thanks for all the info. Cyborg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 Hi In addition to the trains thalenoi posted above, there is an express diesel car train EXP DRC #71, leaving Bangkok at 11:05 and arriving Surin, final stop, at 18:00. I took this train as far as Khorat in last October. There are reserved 2nd and unreserved (I believe) 3rd class seats, I bought my 2nd class ticket at Hualomphong (BKK central station) one day before. The fare was 225 bahts to Khorat, so a little higher for Surin, perhaps about 100 more? Not the most comfortable seats (I'm sure VIP buses are better), but I like the scenery from trains better (you can peep into people's backyards) and you can smoke on the deck by the doors at your leisure. On my next visit, I'd like to get out to Surin too, mainly for the Khmer ruins. Ciao! micsnee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted January 9, 2002 Report Share Posted January 9, 2002 quote: Originally posted by micsnee: Hi In addition to the trains thalenoi posted above, there is an express diesel car train EXP DRC #71, leaving Bangkok at 11:05 and arriving Surin, final stop, at 18:00. I took this train as far as Khorat in last October. There are reserved 2nd and unreserved (I believe) 3rd class seats, I bought my 2nd class ticket at Hualomphong (BKK central station) one day before. The fare was 225 bahts to Khorat, so a little higher for Surin, perhaps about 100 more? Ciao! micsnee How is the loo on the train? Any snacks and drinks available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2002 Report Share Posted January 9, 2002 quote: Originally posted by shygye: How is the loo on the train? Any snacks and drinks available? Fortunately for me who's very awkward at "3rd world" toilets (sorry for the offensive term, but I can't think of better description right now), I was able to hold off going in. But on same type of train (diesel railcars) going up to Chang Mai 2 years ago, it was basically just a hole in the ground -- dingy but not messy. Probably because no farangs including myself attempted more than pissing in there! You have to bear in mind that Thai railroad and railstock are not very smooth. Attendants came selling food (something over rice) and drinks on the train. I bought my supplies (breadrolls, water and fruit slices) at Hualamphong Station. Ciao! micsnee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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