Getting to Hua Hin from Pattaya?

[huanzhen]

really amazing, there is no bus between hua hin and pattaya..when there is one direct bus between hua hin and khorat

[Guest]

So much for the much anticipated ferry service

In other words.....no one daft enough to invest in the project during the current financial climate.

[laputanegra]

pentire nice avatar

[Guest]

Thank You

[EyeMahk]

Actually, never went to Hua Hin this trip.  I can't be arsed to make the long trip from Pattaya to Hua Hin, my "done" and "to-do" lists of GGs and LBs are getting clicked off very nicely, I'm alternating GGs and LBs on an even-day, odd-day basis, kind of like alternate day parking regulations.  

I did stop at the minibus office on the west side of 2nd Road just north of Pattaya Klang (next to Topps).  She said that the once-a-day direct minibus from Pattaya to Hua Hin does not run anymore, so as of now, you take one minibus 2 hours to Bangkok (Victory Monument) for 150 baht then change there for another minibus 2.5 hours to Hua Hin for 200 baht.  

Quotes from taxis around here in Pattaya are approx 2600-3000 for the one-way trip.

[EyeMahk]

I saw a sign two days ago at the Pattaya Bus Station advertising a direct bus from Pattaya to Hua Hin and onto Samui.  Googling it turned this link up:  http://yellowbusthailand.blogspot.co...blog-post.html

If someone is interested, here is a picture of the sign.  If you find out anything, please post the details here.

[EyeMahk]

Here is the information I got about the above bus service:

The bus from Pattaya North Bus Station (same one as Bangkok) to "Koh Samui" runs every day, it is called "the Yellow Bus". It stops at Hua Hin and Surat Thani.

You can buy a ticket at Pattaya Bus Station at the same window where you buy a ticket for the Southern (Mukdahan) Bus Station. Ask for a ticket for the "yellow bus to Hua Hin".

The schedule from Pattaya to Hua Hin is:
Departs Pattaya: 18:00 hrs
Arrives Hua Hin Clock Tower: approx: 22:30, depending on traffic

Hua Hin to Pattaya is a little more unpredictable, as the bus originates at Surat Thani during the day, so the departure time from Hua Hin is variable. I am told it usually departs Hua Hin for Pattaya about 00:00 or 00:30. If you want to depart from Hua Hin to Pattaya, you must call them in advance so they know to stop and pick you up!

Fare Pattaya to HH is 277 baht

FYI, I was told the fare to Surat Thani is 659 baht or 1025 baht, depending on if you have a VIP seat or not. So it is possible that some of these seats are "sleepers" of some kind.

This might be a good alternative to going into Bangkok, or going to Mukdahan and changing buses there. The times of operation are not the best, though, but they are like this because the final destination of this bus is Surat Thani Province; Hua Hin is just a stop along the way.

[azza33]

Personally I'd take the bus back to bkk, and spend a night having fun, then make my way to hh the next day. More than 2 hours in a bus in Los is too much for me to handle!!

[EyeMahk]

Just wondering if anyone has taken this, and knows if it is still running?

[perth_couple]

When we were in Patt's earlier this year it was not running. We asked around at a few bus stands outside Tops and all of them said it used to run but has stopped now...

The train trip between Bangkok and Hua Hin is a nice one though if that helps?

[EyeMahk]

The bus service I posted about in post #21 above IS running.  I know because I took it last night.

All the info I have in post #21 and 22 are, for the most part, correct.  I'll add that the bus starts in Rayong and ends in Samui.  A few stops along the way to pick up passengers.  Two 10-minute bathroom stops are near Chonburi and outside Hua Hin.  We arrived Hua Hin 22:35 so 4.5 hours total, with 2 stops. Not bad. The drop off in Hua Hin is alongside the road, at the clock tower.

The bus pulled in from Rayong about 17:50 and departed Pattaya 5 minutes later.  The guy I was talking to said the 18:00 Pattaya departure time is approximate, usually a few mins early.

All seats are reserved. When I got on, the bus was 1/4 full.  At Chonburi, it was full.  This bus is very, very roomy. Far more leg room and seat recline than the Bangkok-Pattaya bus.  There are only 8 rows of seats, two seats on each side of the aisle.  There are 2 rows of "VIP" seats in the front.  Roughly like a first-class airline seat, but not fully reclining.  I booked the 270 baht seat and it is OK, I might inquire next time about how much the front 2 rows are, or if they even sell them.

I was the only one that got off at Hua Hin.  And all customers on the bus were Thai except for one farang backpacker (fuckable too).     All announcements in Thai.  Soft Thai pop love songs played part of the way, no annoying soap operas or stupid movies.

I would suggest to buy the ticket a day in advance (like I did).  For information, I called 081-806-1050 - he spoke English very well.

I have no experience with the opposite direction (Hua Hin to Pattaya).  I was told departure is approx 00:00-00:30.  I am going to Bangkok in a few days, so I am not going back to Pattaya.

This is far better and more comfortable than going to BKK and changing there.

[perth_couple]

Thanks for the info EyeMahk - we really wanted to use the service last time and despite the three of us asking around (me Natalie and Lek) we all got the same answer.

Glad it's running again and glad it was so comfortable!

[EyeMahk]

(perth_couple @ Sep. 20 2010,16:20) Glad it's running again and glad it was so comfortable!

I was talking to the onboard agent on the bus and he said the service has been running every day, all year, without interruption.  But if Thai you ask don't know about it, they prefer to say "no, it's not running anymore" instead of "I don't know".

FYI, as a random test, today, I asked 2 travel agents here in Hua Hin about a big yellow bus direct to Hua Hin leaving Pattaya at 18:00, they both said it is not running anymore and you have to go to Bangkok first.   I smiled and said "thank you".  

Don't you love Thailand?  

[EyeMahk]

One additional note on this. There is ALSO a minibus service from Hua Hin to Pattaya, in addition to the big bus I took above. The office in Hua Hin is on Sa Song Rd 1/2 block south of Thanon Dechanuchit, roughly across from the bus station that handles the big buses to Bangkok South station. The girl that works there told me vans go every 2 hours throughout the day, and fare is 280 baht. You can book in Hua Hin by calling her at 088-709-2364. She said they start in Pattaya at Panklear Plaza on South Pattaya Rd (I do not know where that is). Pattaya departure info is available at 088-709-2365.

Here is the flyer she gave me, and a map of where the office is in Hua Hin.