Travel From Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya by Bus or Taxi

Many travelers arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand for the first time have no idea how to find the bus or taxi's to Pattaya.

This article will help the first time traveler to Thailand find the bus and taxi ranks in Bangkok international airport and how to find the meeting point where friends and private hire drivers wait to collect their friends, family and passengers. The first thing people notice when arriving at Bangkok international airport is how far it is from the plane to the customs control. Luckily Bangkok airport have many long moving walk ways which make the journey from the plane to customs much easier especially when carrying heavy bags.

Once you've collected your baggage and cleared customs then comes the problem of leaving the airport and finding your way to Pattaya. At first the size of the airport can be a little intimidating as with all large modern airports but Bangkok airport is not only modern and clean it is also very well sign posted. Look for the blue information signs they're located by all the main exits and above..

When leaving customs you'll enter the main arrivals hall close to Gate 8 on the second floor. To hire a taxi to take you from the airport to Pattaya go down to the first floor. There are plenty of escalators to take you or use the glass lift. On the first floor head for gate 4. Gate 4 is where the taxi rank is located. Just outside the gate is a taxi ticket booth. Go to the booth and tell the assistant where you want to go. The assistant will tell you the price and hand you a ticket. Give this ticket to the taxi driver who is waiting at the booth. The ticket tells the driver where your going and how much to charge. The average charge by taxi to Pattaya is 1500 Baht.

Also from the airport there is a non stop bus service that takes you straight into Pattaya and stops at the mini mart on Thappraya road Jomtien. The bus will also stop along Sukhumvit road in Pattaya if the driver is requested too. To catch the bus for Pattaya, go down to first floor and head towards gate 8. At gate 8 there are ticket booths offering taxi and bus services. The bus to Pattaya is clearly marked and is close to the Magic restaurant. The price of the bus ticket is 124 Baht.

The journey time from Bangkok airport to Pattaya is now only one and a half hours.

While on the first floor you can take advantage of the Magic restaurant. This is the coupon restaurant that mainly Thai's and those in the know use. It's a lot cheaper than the food emporiums found on the third floor. The magic restaurant is clean and cheap and serves a mix of Thai, Muslim and Vietnamese dishes. A meal will cost between 35 and 60 Baht. If you've never used a coupon restaurant before it's very straight forward. Go to the counter and ask for coupons to the value you want to spend in the restaurant. With the coupons go to one of the many food stations inside and order your meal. When finished, any coupons you have not spent are returned at the counter where you bought them from and change to the value of the coupons is returned to you.

So far this article has covered how to find the taxi rank and the bus to Pattaya and along the way somewhere cheap to eat. However! Some who arrive at the airport have a private car waiting to collect them or a friend to meet. To meet friends and relatives and pre arranged private hire cars go to gate 3. Gate 3 is also called the meeting point. All the exits have round numbers above them. As you leave customs control you will be on the second floor near gate 8. At gate 8 there are large blue signs giving important information such as where to find the meeting point. These signs clearly point to gate 3 and the meeting point. Here friends and pre arranged private hire drivers will be waiting to meet you holding up their white boards with their customer names written on them.

A quick re-cap. When leaving customs on the second floor go to gate 3 if your meeting friends or have someone waiting to collect you. Also to be found on the second floor are the Thai tourist police and the lost luggage office. Go down to the first floor to catch a taxi or bus to Pattaya. Also on the first floor is the coupon restaurant. Clean and cheap Thai food.: On all floors there are telephone cum internet stations which cost 10 baht a minute. A little expensive but if you need to make a phone call or use the internet there invaluable

What about the other floors? Well located on the third floor are the restaurants and drink vendors and up on the fourth is the international departures and check in control. This article has dealt with international arrivals and the various ways of traveling to Pattaya. This article has been written through many years of experience of meeting people at Bangkok international airport and listening to the problems they have had finding transport to Pattaya and locating the meeting point at gate 3.

Inside the the airport the floors are marked as Floor 1, Floor 2 and so on  James Lamborn

Visa Run From Pattaya Thailand to Ban Laem and Ban Pakard on the Cambodian Border

Cambodia visa run From Pattaya to Ban Laem and Ban Pakard border crossing control

For many who choose to live in Thailand and Pattaya and who are not over 50 nor have work permits the visa run is a necessary part of life, unless you want to run the risk of being caught by the immigration police for over stay.

From Pattaya the two most common border crossing points into Cambodia are Ban Laem and Ban Pakard. Both are only 20 Kilometers or so apart. Of course there is Aranyaprathet which is further up the Cambodian border. This article deals with Ban Laem and Ban Pakard. These are the Thailand border crossing names. Most Farang (Westerners) make the visa run to renew their Thai tourist visa, non immigrant "O" or "B" Visa and to extend their stay in Thailand legally by 15 days. Long gone are the days when you could get a 30 day visa from crossing the Cambodian border and returning the same day. It's and early start in Pattaya. Some visa companies tell you meet at a collection point while others will pick you up from where your staying. Either way it's an early start. You'll need to be ready by 6:00AM or before. Once you've been collected by the visa company you will be asked for your passport, a copy of your passport, copy of your visa and entry card and finally two passport size photos. At this point some companies ask you for payment while others will take payment in advance. The cost of a visa run from Pattaya to Cambodia will vary from 2000 Baht with lunch to 2800 Baht. It all depends whom you book with. Don't think you'll get the best service from the more expensive company. As with everything in Pattaya it's hit and miss. You need to try a few companies before you find one that your happy with, unless your first time lucky of course. The most common mini bus used for the border run is the Toyota Commuter, 11 seat. Comfortable, although not too roomy but normally with good air con. Most of these buses also have DVD players installed in them.

At 6 in the morning everyone is still a little sleepy so for the next two and half hours or so until the first stop everyone catching up on their sleep. Very quite and peaceful! There is normally one stop before reaching the border crossing at Ban Laem or Ban Pakard. Here you can get something to eat and drink and use the bathroom if needs be. It's also good time to say hello to your fellow travelers. A point worth mentioning! Etiquette on the bus. The trip is fairly relaxed and easy going but once you have chosen your seat in Pattaya then that's where you'll stay until you return to Pattaya unless you agree with another passenger to swap. Ask first! The break lasts about 15 minutes and then after it's back on the bus to the Cambodian border. As the border gets closer there is a small chance of being stopped by the Thai Army and being searched but this is very rare. Most times the mini bus is waved through the Army check points.

Once you arrive at the border crossing at about 10:00 You'll be directed by your visa guide leave the mini bus and head towards Thai customs control and immigration. Here as in an airport you hand over your passport to be checked and stamped. If all is OK you'll be waved through. However! If you've over stayed and your visa is out of date you'll be asked to go to another counter to pay a fine. At the moment the cost per day for over staying your visa in Thailand is 500 Baht.

Assuming you make it through customs this is where Ban Laem and Ban Pakard differ. At Ban Laem you cross the newly built concrete bridge into Cambodia and make your way to a casino where you can have lunch. The cost of the lunch should be included in the visa run as is the cost of the 30 Day Cambodian visa. Now in Cambodia you are in a small town called Daun Lem. The lunch here is a buffet of Thai Khmer food and American breakfast. Very good, sometimes a little cold but still none the less good. After lunch you can shop at the duty free where you can buy: Alcohol, cigarettes, perfume and male sexual enhancement medication at prices much cheaper than Pattaya. After the shopping is finished, you head back to the Cambodian border control to collect your passport ready to return to Thailand.

Lunch and shopping takes about 1 hour. During this time your visa guide will have filled in your passport details and all your immigration forms for Cambodia and Thailand. You have no forms at all to complete. All you will be asked to do is sign your name on various forms. It's easy.

At Ban Pakard it's the same except once you have gone through Thai immigration you do not have to cross the border into Cambodia. All your passport and visa forms are completed for you by your guide by the border crossing. If you want to do some duty free shopping then a mini bus will collect you and take you to the duty free shops just across the border in Cambodia.

From meeting your mini bus in Pattaya to returning from Cambodia you'll be escorted the whole way by a guide who will complete your immigration forms and help you with any questions or problems you may have.

Once through Thai immigration at Ban Laem and Ban Pakard, it's back on the bus to Pattaya. Again there is normally one stop. If you're coming from Ban Pakard then this is where you'll have your lunch and from Ban Laem it's a chance to have a break, something to drink and stretch the legs. After the stop it's straight back to Pattaya. The whole trip takes no more than 9 hours. After your visa run, your left feeling quite relieved.  James Lamborn

Best Places to Travel

There is no single answer to the question of where are the best places to travel on vacation. The first question to ask is not what place to go but instead what kind of traveler are you?


What Kind of Traveler Are You?

1. Are you a Phileas Fogg? Are you a world traveler who measures success by the number of countries visited?
2. Are you a Robinson Curuso? Do you enjoy the out of the way and off the beaten path?
3. Are you a Geoffery Chaucer? Is the trip more about the people you travel with than the destination?
4. Are you a Henry David Thoreau? Is your ideal vacation just a quiet place near home?

 There are many different traveling styles or different goals for travel.

1. You can travel to get away from it all.
2. You can travel to learn about a new culture.
3. You can travel to party.
4. You can travel to reconnect with family and friends.
5. You can travel for adventure.

 What is Your Travel Style / Budget?

Some people would rather stay home than stay any place that did not have 5 stars. Others could not imagine staying in any place more fancy than a youth hostel. Some who would love to stay at the fancy resort can't afford to.

Before you travel you need to figure out your travel budget and style. What kind of style you like will help determine where you can afford to travel and for how long. My wife and I planned a trip to Hawaii before our first child was born. After looking at our budget we had to decide that a road trip to San Diego would be a better option.

One if by Land, Two if By Sea... Three if By Air?

Do you like road trips? If so how about an domestic itinerary. If you like the outdoors or history you could visit national parks. If you like sports consider a tour of major or minor league ballparks. If you like big city lights would a trip to New York, Chicago or Las Vegas be within your range?

Do you like cruises? Consider only packing and unpacking once and letting your hotel (ship) travel from port to port. From the East coast of the United States Bermuda and the Caribbean are both easily accessible. From the west coast Mexico or Alaska offer very different vacations.

If you love to fly and can afford it then Europe, Africa, Asia and South America beckon.

Europe offers familiarity for American visitors but with loads of history. Europe offers destinations from the familiar London and Paris to less familiar destinations like Croatia, Slovenia and Estonia. You have to be willing to deal with another language or driving on the other side of the road.

Africa offers unforgettable wildlife experiences or the wonders of ancient Egypt. It also offers ancient churches dug into the rocks of Ethiopia or far off destinations like Timbuktu. It will require many travels to get further outside their comfort zone.

Asia offers ancient cultures and new economic powerhouses. Your trip might be to overwhelming places like New Delhi which will challenge even veteran travelers or safer more familiar destinations like Singapore.

South America offers better exchange rates than europe but less political stability. It offers European style cities like Buenos Aires or ancient Incan cities like Machu Picchu.

One thing I have learned from hosting the Amateur Traveler for over three years is that there are many more places to travel than I had originally considered. It had never occurred to me to:

1. Go to Tonga and swim with whales.
2. See the stone churches in Ethiopia.
3. Do a night tour of Petra in Jordan.
4. See the wild horses in Mongolia.

The more I learn about travel the more places I want to go. What is the best place to travel to? For me it is always the next place.  Chris Christensen

Cheap Australian Flights Online

Through online travel websites, you can easily search cheap Australian flights plus get customised Australian travel packages that best suit your budget. Find an array of exciting cheap flights and Australian holiday packages online.

Australia is a famous tourist destination known for its grandiose attractions - such as the incredible architecture evident in the iconic Sydney Opera house, the world renowned Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, the amazing wildlife in the Kakadu National Park, and the beautiful coastline located throughout Brisbane, Cairns, and Sydney. Find attractive activity packages in spectacular Australian destinations at a great price.

Cheap online travel websites are far more productive than the websites of individual airlines. Whether on business travel, weekend getaways or a long holiday trip, with the help of online travel searches, a traveller can easily search for the best Australian holiday. You can instantly book Australian flights and travel to some of the major Australian cities - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Alice Springs, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and the Whitsunday Coast. Along with cheap Australian flights, a traveller can customise an all-inclusive travel package based on their budget. Aiming to offer superior quality travel services to every passenger, online travel sites combine their travel expertise and innovative search engine tools to provide everyone with the opportunity to travel in luxury and comfort at a highly discounted prices.

Many online travel agents offer custom tailor made holidays experiences in domestic cities as well as overseas.

Take full advantage of the cheap Australian flights available online, and explore the magnificence of Australia.  Tariq Ansari