That is too late I'm afraid santa.
The last bus from Bangkok to Hua Hin depart at 18:00 hrs.
What's up with the Bkk wans?
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JimboPSM
- Specialist
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- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:38 pm
- Location: Isle of Man, Udon Thani & HH
This may add some enlightenment to recent events - from Bangkok Post:
Special Branch keeping eye on van operators
SUNTHORN PONGPAO
Ayutthaya _ Special Branch police are keeping a close watch on about 5,000 illegal passenger van operators who are expected to rally in Bangkok today, in case they join anti-government protests in the capital. Natthaset Sariman, a Special Branch superintendent, said operators of unlicensed passenger vans in nearby provinces were expected to gather in Bangkok today to demand that police ease the pressure on them.
''Police are following the movements of some of these people in many provinces, especially in Ayutthaya, as some of these key figures actually neither drive a passenger van, manage any van queue nor engage in any van business,'' Pol Lt-Col Natthaset said.
''Some of these key figures have stood in elections in the past and are politicians. Possibly they have received orders from a political party to make their move.''
The van operators, who take passengers between Bangkok and central and eastern provinces, plan to gather at the Royal Plaza and at the police headquarters in the Pathumwan area and demand that acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej be more lenient.
Police began taking action against illegal passenger vans early this month after receiving a complaint from representatives of inter-provincial buses that the vans were taking passengers from them. Vans charge lower fares and their service is quick and available at crowded areas inside Bangkok, compared with passenger buses operating from terminals in outer suburbs.
Pol Lt-Col Natthaset said leaders of the passenger van operators included Samroeng Adisa, who was a close aide of a politician in Lop Buri province. Another is Sombat Thapprayoon, who previously led a rally of illegal passenger van operators in Ayutthaya province.
Songpol Phuangthong, also one of the leaders, said at a rally in Ayutthaya last week that his group had no links with any political party. He said that the van operators depend on their daily income and had never thought of transporting anti-government protesters from other provinces to Bangkok
In a previous life I tried my hand at running a van/minibus company, the van firm 'mafia' the rules the roost at victory monument wanted 500,000 baht as 'van registration' to work the monument!
Told them to fck off!
If they are cracking down on it I hope they get a decent replacement deal sorted out as they are damned handy to use
Told them to fck off!
If they are cracking down on it I hope they get a decent replacement deal sorted out as they are damned handy to use
Southern bus station is I belive still in the same place.
I had the misfortune of getting my bus from there last wednesday. Not one of my best options.
Arrived in the new airport at 11:50 am, on time, Got through Immigration, eventually. We were sent form a queue with about 25 people in it to a place further on that had about 50 to 60 in it in a one lane configuration which was different from the one we were told to leave.
Anyway I eventually arrived at the kerb to get the shuttle bus at about 1 pm. No problems there hoever, as we arriving at the Transportation centre I saw my 556 bus to the Southern Bus Station leaving. I said oh well I suppose a 30 minute wait at most.
No it wsn't. The 556 left at 2:30 pm and eventually arrived at the Southern Bus Station at 3:20.
I jumped off with 2 cases only to see a bus for Hua Hin leave. It stopped and I got on. Now I don't know if that was a good idea or now. I'm still trying to figure out if I got on a SLOW bus or do they all take the same route.
The end result is that I was dropped off in the centre of Hua Hin at 7:25pm.
I had little or no sleep over the previous 36 hours so I was well and truly knackered.
Anyway it was my decision to go that way becaue of the uncertainty with the mini bus from Victory Monument. I will be looking into the mini bus option for going back to Bangkok in a weeks time. At least Im here so it won't be a problem to ask.
For what its worth for anyone who is coming in this direction, there appeared to be plenty of 551 buses from the Transportation Area in the new Airport to Victory Monument - Id say they were every 10 or minutes.
I'll update here re the mini buses from Bangkok when I ask about the ones for my return trip.
I had the misfortune of getting my bus from there last wednesday. Not one of my best options.
Arrived in the new airport at 11:50 am, on time, Got through Immigration, eventually. We were sent form a queue with about 25 people in it to a place further on that had about 50 to 60 in it in a one lane configuration which was different from the one we were told to leave.
Anyway I eventually arrived at the kerb to get the shuttle bus at about 1 pm. No problems there hoever, as we arriving at the Transportation centre I saw my 556 bus to the Southern Bus Station leaving. I said oh well I suppose a 30 minute wait at most.
No it wsn't. The 556 left at 2:30 pm and eventually arrived at the Southern Bus Station at 3:20.
I jumped off with 2 cases only to see a bus for Hua Hin leave. It stopped and I got on. Now I don't know if that was a good idea or now. I'm still trying to figure out if I got on a SLOW bus or do they all take the same route.
The end result is that I was dropped off in the centre of Hua Hin at 7:25pm.
I had little or no sleep over the previous 36 hours so I was well and truly knackered.
Anyway it was my decision to go that way becaue of the uncertainty with the mini bus from Victory Monument. I will be looking into the mini bus option for going back to Bangkok in a weeks time. At least Im here so it won't be a problem to ask.
For what its worth for anyone who is coming in this direction, there appeared to be plenty of 551 buses from the Transportation Area in the new Airport to Victory Monument - Id say they were every 10 or minutes.
I'll update here re the mini buses from Bangkok when I ask about the ones for my return trip.
Minibus Update:
Got the minbus up to BKK from the usual place on Wednesday afternoon - everything normal except that we were not dropped off at Victory Monument, the driver came off the freeway one stop before the usual turn off and dropped us about 200 metres before the small bus station at VM, but right under the BTS station - so no problems accessing the BTS.
My girlfriend asked the driver where the bus would leave from to go back to Hua Hin and was told the pick up point was now at a PTT station round the corner.
Lunchtime today - went to the usual pick up point at Victory Monument, on the off chance things were back to normal. Bought tickets at the usual spot and we were on the bus on the way down the road within ten mins - two hours, thirty mins later we were in Hua Hin.
Absolutely everything appears to be back to normal - hope it stays that way.
Got the minbus up to BKK from the usual place on Wednesday afternoon - everything normal except that we were not dropped off at Victory Monument, the driver came off the freeway one stop before the usual turn off and dropped us about 200 metres before the small bus station at VM, but right under the BTS station - so no problems accessing the BTS.
My girlfriend asked the driver where the bus would leave from to go back to Hua Hin and was told the pick up point was now at a PTT station round the corner.
Lunchtime today - went to the usual pick up point at Victory Monument, on the off chance things were back to normal. Bought tickets at the usual spot and we were on the bus on the way down the road within ten mins - two hours, thirty mins later we were in Hua Hin.
Absolutely everything appears to be back to normal - hope it stays that way.
Never trust a hippy....
I have stopped using the mini vans, as I find the driving too dangerous.
I saw one overturned last Sunday near Palm Hills and later learned that it had come from Ratchaburi, 4 people had died and 3 were in hospital.
I used to use thwm If I needed to make a quick day trip up and back to Bangkok as it was so easy to connect to the sky train. But now I drive to Tesco Lotus on On Nut leave the car, and then get on the sky train to do my business.
I saw one overturned last Sunday near Palm Hills and later learned that it had come from Ratchaburi, 4 people had died and 3 were in hospital.
I used to use thwm If I needed to make a quick day trip up and back to Bangkok as it was so easy to connect to the sky train. But now I drive to Tesco Lotus on On Nut leave the car, and then get on the sky train to do my business.
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long-in-thailand
- Amateur
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- Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:26 am
- Location: Bangkok and Hua Hin
The New Southern Bus Terminal
There has apparently been an 'official' clamp-down on the van service from Victory. And it is almost certainly because the new southern bus terminal operation want to kill any potential opposition. Welcome to the Land of Monopoly.PJG wrote:Do not think it has happened yet but the Southern Bus Terminal is moving from its present location to nearer the Outer ring Road. That should shorten the journey time slightly as now the Buses from Hua Hin will not have to go almost to Pra Pink Klao Bridge and do a u-turn to get to the terminal.