Mini-van speeds now..?

[usual suspect]

At the start of this year the Bus Co. installed (allegedly) speed-monitors into their mini-vans with a max speed limit of 100kph. Also a system whereby the driver got penalised when breaking the new laws the Gov. Bus Co. had laid down ..with me so far..??

So then, many months down the line..ARE these mini-vans sticking to a 100kph max..??
..or has this 'new rule' just fizzled, and mini-van speed is back to 'normal'..??

There was a time here on the forum when the general feeling about travelling in these vans was a big no-no..and not forgetting the monthly average for fatal accidents earlier this year..

[Pedro C]

I am among those who considered the mini vans a thread to life. Not only one's own life, but the whole van full, plus other innocent people on and around the roads. A system that pays the driver by number of trips made will inadvertently lead to speeding.
I have not taken a minivan for many months so I cannot comment on the present situation. I hate to say so but if it goes the usual Thai way, the rules introduced to curb their speed will soon be forgotten and everything will be "back to normal".

[bsdk1960]

I just drove from Bangkok - Hua Hin and was overtaken by these idiots while driving 120 kph.and i think
they where going at least 20-30 kph. faster than me.I think the 100 kph. they maybee practice through a town
I have been using these idiots a couple of times and always had the feeling ill never gonna see my loveones
again.
I prefer too walk before i put myself in a van again with a driver that speak mobile and text on another
with 130 kph. or more.
Have a save trip whatever you choose too go with.

[barrys]

I believe that the limit imposed on them was 90 kph. Anyway, I was driving back from Pattaya last week at around 110-115 kph and was overtaken a good few times by these minivans, some of them just roaring past me.

Also very common on the Pranburi to Hua Hin road and the Pranburi to Cha-am bypass!

[bsdk1960]

Also very common on the Pranburi to Hua Hin road!

We live in Kao Tao and the safest time to be one that road is in the night time when you only have to worried about the drunk drivers, and don't have the minivans and the concrete trucks make crazy manoevres and speeding.

[PooftersFrothWyoming]

Is there an alternative, safer, slower, bus service which doesn't end up at the Southern Bus Terminal? If I recall correctly the Dusit Thani had a daily service between the Dusit Thani in Bangkok and Dusit Thani in Cha-am, for guests and the public, seats permitting.

[bsdk1960]

Is there an alternative, safer, slower, bus service which doesn't end up at the Southern Bus Terminal? If I recall correctly the Dusit Thani had a daily service between the Dusit Thani in Bangkok and Dusit Thani in Cha-am, for guests and the public, seats permitting.

I think the only thing goes slow is the train,buffalo or a taxi with a driver who you know and it seems theres
a lot of people included myself who can give you such a tlf.no. to a driver

[Aussie Mark]

I have used the mini van service on two occasions .

All I did was ask the driver to stay on 90-100 ks an hour and tipped him 300 bht and no speeding or dramas at all

$10 aussie for everyone's safety a bargain me thinks

[Skmly]

My Mrs took the van last monday to Pattaya and I took one on thursday. Instead of the usual 4 hours its 6-6 1/2???
Seems like they stop for anthing and then drive like lunatics. The back seat was falling apart so the journey was to say the least uncomfortable. Never again for me. Ill take the slow bus to guarentee my wellbeing

[kendo]

Unless i hire the whole mini van you can keep them for me, we have done a lot of road miles around Thailand and have seen some really nasty accidents, my wife was on a mini van for less than five minutes and the driver knocked someone off a moped and killed them.

My mate Usual Suspect recommended the big orange almost VIP bus from the new bus station to Surin it was o.k but above all safe.

I like to sneak a couple of beers on board and kick back and take in the view, on this particular trip my wife and baby sat one side i had the window seat the other side and then i had a lady boy sit next to me that stank of garlic and sweat.

Even the large buses do some dangerous over taking when they get up into Issan you get these farm vehicals called Rotitan's that are like an old fashioned trucks with a Kabota donkey engine in the front and they chug along at a slow pace normally very over loaded with farm workers sat on top of the load.

Kendo.