Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

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Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by 404cameljockey »

Hi guys,

I think I'm decided on using a taxi service to get to HH from BKK airport for a 4 day trip to HH. Even though to hire a rental car in HH is twice as much as in BKK, I don't want the drive down and back this time, nor use minibus or coach.

On a weekday (Wednesday), what are the best times to use the road BKK/HH (or otherwise not to), and on a Saturday when should I try to travel HH to BKK please?

Thanks
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Dannie Boy »

The time taken in getting from the airport to HH is largely determined by how long it takes to get from the airport to the outskirts of Bangkok - early morning (6-9am) and early evening (4-7pm) rush-hours are the time to avoid, outside of these times, it shouldn't vary very much. Returning from HH to BKK on a Saturday shouldn't be as bad, but still better to avoid the early morning/evening peaks if possible.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Nothappyjan »

Best advice is to check that you are not travelling on a public holiday, especially returning to BKK on the last day of any holiday. A 3 hour journey can turn into a 6 plus hour crawl.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by BOZ »

I do 10AM either direction and find it the quickest possible... Avoid rush hour our you will almost add 50-75% to the trip....
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by 404cameljockey »

Superb, thanks a lot. An Estate agent friend in HH told me after 10 am too, so I'm confident now (no public hols in June that I can see, May was crawling with them!) I also know that Sunday HH to BKK is bad because of the locals returning to BKK after their weekend break in HH. :D

Cheers!
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Big Boy »

Be aware, there are roadworks, which always seem to delay the journey by about 30 minutes to an hour at the moment.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by 404cameljockey »

Big Boy wrote:Be aware, there are roadworks, which always seem to delay the journey by about 30 minutes to an hour at the moment.
Thanks Big Boy. By the way I just asked you in another thread about your limo service (not yours....) that does airport round trip for THB 2600.

I could use that if I can book it today, as I arrive tomorrow at 18.10h. :)
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by JamesWest »

you know, starting at midnight out of BKK/HH no traffic at all going south.
same same the other way. I made it from BKK to HH in 2 hours 45 minutes with a crazy taxi driver and wide open roads.

Weekends are hell. It can take 30 minutes sometimes just to get across HH.
Again weekend traffic drops off in the middle of the night.

Good luck.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by 404cameljockey »

JamesWest wrote:you know, starting at midnight out of BKK/HH no traffic at all going south.
same same the other way. I made it from BKK to HH in 2 hours 45 minutes with a crazy taxi driver and wide open roads.

Weekends are hell. It can take 30 minutes sometimes just to get across HH.
Again weekend traffic drops off in the middle of the night.

Good luck.
Cheers James!

Yes my dad was a London bus driver donkeys years ago, and he would only drive the night buses in the end, the daytime traffic just got him down, plus the money was better! :D
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Bristolian »

I drive regularly (weekends) between the two as I work and live BKK in the working week and. Live HH weekends

Already you have the best advice

I leave BKK around 15:00 on a Friday and can be in HH between 17:30 and 18:00. Traffic and road works dictate

I return to BKK on Monday morning 03:30 -04:00 and pushing hard I can do it In a little over two hours but often pay the speeding fine from cameras. (400 B) benefit is that the road is clear except for fish pick-ups and busses that stay in the outside lane.

Key for early mornings is to reach the Rama 9 bridge before 07:00.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by jumusman »

Bristolian wrote:I drive regularly (weekends) between the two as I work and live BKK in the working week and. Live HH weekends

Already you have the best advice

I leave BKK around 15:00 on a Friday and can be in HH between 17:30 and 18:00. Traffic and road works dictate

I return to BKK on Monday morning 03:30 -04:00 and pushing hard I can do it In a little over two hours but often pay the speeding fine from cameras. (400 B) benefit is that the road is clear except for fish pick-ups and busses that stay in the outside lane.

Key for early mornings is to reach the Rama 9 bridge before 07:00.

"I leave BKK around 15:00 on a Friday and can be in HH between 17:30 and 18:00"

I am confused. So on a Friday, the day that half of Bangkok hops in their car to drive to Hua Hin for the weekend you somehow manage to get their in 2.5 hours.

I believe the other post where someone said they left in the middle of the night and the taxi driver was going very quickly with no traffic at all going south in 2.45 hours but sorry.... your story is a little unbelievable. Especially as you would be arriving in the outskirts of Cha Am/Hua Hin around rush hour.

You know some secret road that the rest of us are not aware of ??
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Bristolian »

jumusman wrote:
Bristolian wrote:I drive regularly (weekends) between the two as I work and live BKK in the working week and. Live HH weekends

Already you have the best advice

I leave BKK around 15:00 on a Friday and can be in HH between 17:30 and 18:00. Traffic and road works dictate

I return to BKK on Monday morning 03:30 -04:00 and pushing hard I can do it In a little over two hours but often pay the speeding fine from cameras. (400 B) benefit is that the road is clear except for fish pick-ups and busses that stay in the outside lane.

Key for early mornings is to reach the Rama 9 bridge before 07:00.

"I leave BKK around 15:00 on a Friday and can be in HH between 17:30 and 18:00"

I am confused. So on a Friday, the day that half of Bangkok hops in their car to drive to Hua Hin for the weekend you somehow manage to get their in 2.5 hours.

I believe the other post where someone said they left in the middle of the night and the taxi driver was going very quickly with no traffic at all going south in 2.45 hours but sorry.... your story is a little unbelievable. Especially as you would be arriving in the outskirts of Cha Am/Hua Hin around rush hour.

You know some secret road that the rest of us are not aware of ??
I know of no secret road and I really don't care if you believe me or not!

If you know Bangkok, I live very close to Central Rama 3 which is adjacent to the toll highway to and very close to Rama 9 bridge. I therefore do not need to cross Bangkok or fight any heavy traffic in Bangkok. The only slowish part of my journey is normally Rama 2 until Samut Sakhon.

Providing that I leave my Bangkok home between 15:00 and 15:30 I can complete the journey in 2.5 Hours. believing it or not is your choice, it matters not a jot to me!
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Post by hhinner »

Agree with Bristolian. As long as you can get past the bottleneck where Rama II meets Kanchanaphisek before the evening traffic build-up (Fridays earlier and more intense than other days) the journey after that is pretty much OK.

Is there a rush hour in Cha-am? What rush hour there is in Hua Hin can often be avoided, depending on destination.
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by Bristolian »

I should have perhaps also mentioned that I live in soi 6 HH and therefore do not need to face any traffic in HH either. As for rush hour in Cha Am, as hhinner says "what rush hour?"
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Re: Time of day for easiest journey BKK/HH (also back)?

Post by jumusman »

Bristolian wrote:I should have perhaps also mentioned that I live in soi 6 HH and therefore do not need to face any traffic in HH either. As for rush hour in Cha Am, as hhinner says "what rush hour?"

What I mean't was just depending on what time of day you are going through Cha Am there can be a bottleneck at the main intersection in Cha Am. This is created by 2 things

1. Thais from BKK in town for the weekend driving at 5mph not knowing if they should turn left to find their hotel for the weekend or keep going straight.

2. Backed up traffic from Thais who are continuing on to Hua Hin for the weekend that have to wait for the Cha Am crowd to figure out where the fuck they are actually going.

I apologize Bristolian, yes if you are going from the outskirts of BKK to the outskirts of Hua Hin that would be possible. I take the taxi from a hotel on Sukumvit usually to my apartment across the street from Market Village so there is a little traffic on both sides that I deal with that you don't have to. That makes all the difference...
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