Getting Around Pattaya - Songthaew

Otherwise known as Baht Buses, these are essentially nothing more than pickup trucks that have been converted into buses to ferry tourists around the city from various attraction points, and to and from their Pattaya hotels. While other cities in Thailand offer tuk-tuks as a form of transportation, for the most part they do not exist in this city, outside of a few privately operated examples that you can hire to pick you up outside of your Pattaya hotel and take you wherever you want to go throughout the city.

There are anywhere from 800 to 1,000 songthaews in operation around Pattaya, all of them coloured dark blue and easily recognizable. While the official bus fare is five baht for trips within the city itself, expect to pay more as a foreigner given the fact that there is a distinct rate difference between local fares and foreign fares. While you do not necessarily need to know the exact change, it can reduce potential hassles to a minimum, as sometimes you can run into drivers who either do not have change or will expect you to go to another vendor somewhere along the street in order to get exact change. Flat fees only apply when the bus is operating as a public transportation method, so if you see one that is empty and parked along the roadside, you could mistakenly give the driver the impression that you are looking to charter the entire songthaew for travel around the city or to your Pattaya hotel, in which case you could find yourself paying significantly more depending on your negotiating skills.

The busiest route is the beach circuit from the Pattaya hotels in that district, ranging from the junction of Second Road and South Pattaya Road and north along Second Road to the Dolphin Circle roundabout, then along the full length of Beach Road before it heads east along South Pattaya Road to complete the circuit. Because the service is nonstop you can easily find transportation even in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping. While the routes can vary from time to time, depending on whether or not the driver has decided to pick up a single fare for a taxi ride, for the most part the routes stay the same, other than little jaunts down side streets that you are not expected to pay extra for. If you feel that you have been overcharged by a driver, there is always a three digit vehicle number in the top left of the windshield which you can then report to the police or city manager, as well as the district bus cooperative. However, the chances of this happening are fairly rare as the fares are very cheap and dishonesty is incredibly unlikely.

Lek Boonlert is an editor and content reviewer at DirectRooms and is responsible for all Pattaya Hotels content. Visit Pattaya Hotel for more info.

By Lek Boonlert

Know About Thailand - The Exotic Destination of South-East Asia

Bordered on four sides by Myanmar, Loas, Combodia and Malaysia, Thailand is a fascinating country of Southeast Asia. The popularity of this country lies in its enchanting culture, great beaches and its tropical climate. The ecstatic city of Bangkok is the capital of this country, which is a conglomeration of 76 provinces divided into five geographic and cultural regions. These separate regions are namely North, Isaan, Central, East and South. Bangkok lies in the central part of the country. The country receives a large number of tourists every year. There is a wide range of hotels in Thailand to accommodate this emerging number of tourists coming to this city. Important cities and popular tourist destinations in Thailand are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Pattaya, Ayuttaya and Sukhothai etc.

Attractions in Thailand

Thailand is popular for its beautiful beaches and islands. Ko Lanta, Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui, Ko Samet, and Phuket are some renown beaches that serve as famous tourist spots. This country offers a large number of beautiful Parks and gardens including some great National Parks. Ang Thong National Marine Park in Surat Thani Province, Khao Yai National Park in Isaan, Tarutao National Park in Satun Province are few worth visiting National Parks in Thailand.

How to reach Thailand

Thailand can be easily reached by air, rail or road transport. The international airport at Bangkok receives flights from most of the important cities across the globe. There are also international flights directly to/from Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Ko Samui, Phuket, and Pattaya. For local traveling, there are different options like taxis, and local public vehicles like Songthaew and Tuk-tuk. Boats are also common mode of traveling here.

Hotels in Thailand

Accommodation in Thailand is ample. There are various Hotels in Thailand, lodges and guesthouses where you can fit in as per your budget and comfort. All the cities including Bangkok offer a good number of hotels to accommodate tourists in Thailand. According to your budget, you can choose to stay at the deluxe hotels with all the contemporary amenities. There are many boutique hotels, business hotels, budget hotels and cheap hotels that can be chosen. Besides, most of the reputed hotels have their chains in major cities of Thailand like Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and so on.

For more details on the Thailand Hotels you can log on to Asiarooms.com, which gives a complete guide on the Thailand. So go ahead now and reserve your hotel to get the best hotel deal with Asiarooms.

By Mahendrasingh Singh