Mini-van direct to Jomtien?

[wpcoe]

I've used the mini-van from Soi 80 which passes through Jomtien on its way to Sattahip twice, as recently as June.

Today I called the two telephone numbers I gleaned from their signboard at Soi 80 (call them phones #1 & #2.) I had used them in the past to book my rides. #1 had no English speaker. #2 gave me another phone number (#3).

Phone #3 was not it service, so I called #2 again and got yet another phone (#4). I called #4 and it's the number for vans FROM Sattahip TO Jomtien and he gave me a phone number to call. Not realizing it was #2, I called it and asked him if he at least knew the schedule for tomorrow, and he asked me if I wanted to go at 1000. I actually wanted an earlier van, and they used to have one at 0800, so I asked if that one were available. He said he'd call me tomorrow at 0900 and then hung up. (!)

I decided to try #1 again, to see if an English speaker had returned, but nope, same guy, and he said in English "There are no more minivans to Jomtien. Before, but not now."

Crikey. That was a bunch of effort and got me nowhere.

So, now, running short on time, I thought I'd ask if anyone knows if any other mini-van from Hua Hin goes to Jomtien. My backup will be to get the usual one up the street from the clock tower to Pattaya, and then moto-sai taxi or baht bus it into Jomtien.

The Soi 80 mini-van was so convenient because it dropped me off on Sukhumvit in Jomtien right at the soi I wanted.

[johnnyk]

Check the minivan shopfront on Sasong Rd almost directly across from the bus station. I think I have seen Jomtien marked on their signboard.
Otherwise just head to Pattaya and take a songthaew from south Pattaya road near Walking St.

[TimandT]

Check the minivan shopfront on Sasong Rd almost directly across from the bus station. I think I have seen Jomtien marked on their signboard.
Otherwise just head to Pattaya and take a songthaew from south Pattaya road near Walking St.

HHF Van1.jpg (128.48 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

HHF Van 2.jpg (73.46 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

[wpcoe]

jonnyk: Thanks for the timely post! I didn't realize there were mini-vans to Jomtien from there, so I strolled over around 0730, hoping they'd have a departure around 0800-0900, and sure enough: 0800!

The van was fairly new, had USABLE seat belts (!), and the air con on low kept the van nice and cool.

And, since I was the last passenger in the van (there were only three of us), he turned off of Sukhumvit and down to Jomtien Beach Road right to my hotel. I gave him an extra B100, because not only was that nice of him, it saved me hopping on a moto-sai taxi from Sukhumvit, which was Plan A. It was worth B100 to stay in air conditioned comfort with a seat belt.

Although the signboard in TimandT's photo says "Start 06:00 am," on the signboard with the actual schedule, the 0600 departure is whited out. Surviving departure times seem to be: 0800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, and 1800.

[wpcoe]

Another travelogue experience:

I'm in Jomtien, so called the number that's the Jomtien counterpart for the Soi 80 minivan service for a ride back to Hua hin. They used to offer multiple departure times from Jomtien just like their sister operation in Hua Hin. "Have accident. No more van to Hua Hin." ??? Surely they had more than ONE van to operate multiple daily departures???

So, then I called the number for the Hua Hin Sa Song operation. Apparently, the van departs from Pattaya Tai Soi 10? After a lengthly conversation in his poor English and my poor Thai, he kept saying "Pattaya Soi 10," and I was resigned to going down Pattaya Second Road to Soi 10 to try to find the van. Then *once* he said "Pattaya Tai Soi 10," and I was like, what? Pattaya TAI Soi 10? That sure makes a difference!

Someone suggested I take a big bus from the Pattaya Nua bus station to Bangkok Sai Tai Mai and connect with the big bus from Sai Tai Mai to Hua Hin. I'm thinking I might do that. I'm not totally enamored of minivans. They were very convenient leaving to/from Soi 80 in HH since I live on Soi 80. Trekking from my Jomtien hotel to Pattaya Tai Soi 10 (strange location?) is about as convenient as using the big bus (more comfy, feel safer) via Sai Tai Mai, I think.

[Takiap]

Another travelogue experience:

I'm in Jomtien, so called the number that's the Jomtien counterpart for the Soi 80 minivan service for a ride back to Hua hin. They used to offer multiple departure times from Jomtien just like their sister operation in Hua Hin. "Have accident. No more van to Hua Hin." ??? Surely they had more than ONE van to operate multiple daily departures???

So, then I called the number for the Hua Hin Sa Song operation. Apparently, the van departs from Pattaya Tai Soi 10? After a lengthly conversation in his poor English and my poor Thai, he kept saying "Pattaya Soi 10," and I was resigned to going down Pattaya Second Road to Soi 10 to try to find the van. Then *once* he said "Pattaya Tai Soi 10," and I was like, what? Pattaya TAI Soi 10? That sure makes a difference!

Someone suggested I take a big bus from the Pattaya Nua bus station to Bangkok Sai Tai Mai and connect with the big bus from Sai Tai Mai to Hua Hin. I'm thinking I might do that. I'm not totally enamored of minivans. They were very convenient leaving to/from Soi 80 in HH since I live on Soi 80. Trekking from my Jomtien hotel to Pattaya Tai Soi 10 (strange location?) is about as convenient as using the big bus (more comfy, feel safer) via Sai Tai Mai, I think.

I'd use the big bus if I were you......those minivans scare the crap out of me. Well, not the vans, but the lunatics who drive them.

[wpcoe]

I did end up using the big bus. I do feel safer, and more comfortable, on them.

The big appeal for mini-vans was when they left right from my soi in HH and dropped me off at my soi in Jomtien. Now that that is not an option (at least until they get the van fixed?), mini-vans lose some of their appeal.