New Songthaew services around Hua Hin

[wpcoe]

I took the new Suvarnabhumi-to-Hua Hin bus yesterday afternoon -- the 4:30pm departure which arrived just a few minutes after 8:00pm at the bus station near Soi 96.

Since I was traveling light -- just a backpack -- I decided to just catch a songthaew back into town. I reached curbside on Petchkasem Road at 8:08pm and waited for 35 minutes and not a single songthaew came by. Finally, I just decided to walk and as I got to Bangkok Hospital I heard a beep-beep-beep and some fellow in one of those smallish songthaews pulled up. It was not a standard green one nor one of the newer white ones. This seemed to be some enterprising fellow with his own truck. Had there not been a few passengers already on board I might have thought it was not going to be a B10 ride, but there were and it was.

Does the regular songthaew service shut down by 8:00pm on a week day? If not, what is the frequency -- once per hour?

I apparently have bad karma to always just miss a songthaew, as every time I go to catch one, even mid-day, I routinely wait 20-30 minutes for one when my friends seem to think they run in 15-minute intervals.

So, what is the "official" schedule of these handy (if you can find one) transport vehicles?

PS: The airport-to-Hua Hin bus is a bargain for B305 -- quite clean and almost luxurious with large comfortable seats.

[lomuamart]

I believe it's every 10 minutes from when they start in the mornings (6am?) till 6pm. Then it's every 15 or 20 minutes to 9pm when they finish.

[Pleng]

Does anybody know anything about the Orange Sangtheaw? Frequency, route, etc??

I saw it in going along the highway between soi 80 and 94 for the first time last week and buy the time I'd finished pondert "Hmm and Orange one... never seen that before..." to myself, it was too late to read the route going along the side. I did notice immigration on there, but nothing else.

[hhinner]

Hi Pleng. I mentioned it a while ago in another thread. I know it runs along the khlong road in both directions. The sign on it says it passes Makro so I think it possibly goes as far as Soi 2. The sign also mentions the Night Market. It's not very frequent though - I can walk from Smor Phrong to Tan Samai without seeing one in half an hour. And drinking beers outside CJ supermarket on the railway road the other evening, only saw one in one direction in over two hours. Maybe they only have two vehicles? I was driving behind one today and noticed it had Nonthaburi plates - not exactly local.
Cheers.

[expatsally]

The main hub seems to be the driving range on Klong Rd. They are seen everywhere now advertising 10 bt. Pattaya has had the same thing for years now, seems it's finally come to our ever growing town and much needed!

[hhinner]

Those are white (although the bonnet (hood) is orange). They are good, but unfortunately only go as far north as Tan Samai.

[Big Boy]

I've been to Makro this afternoon, and took the opportunity to snap one of these buses through the fence. There were 2 waiting there. You can read the major stopping places on the side of the truck and the side of the canopy.

Maegep to Makro. Calling at Tesco Lotus, Bangkok Hospital, San Paulo Hospital, Sa Mauprong, Immigration, Bau-Fai.

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[Big Boy]

Here's another new sangthaew service that I've noticed recently.

Hua Hin to Huay Mongkol. Circular route, starting at Hua Hin Railway Station, then calling at Market Village, Ban Hua Na, Hua Hin Floating Market, Samphannam Floating Market, Wat Huey Mongkol, Huey Mongkol Floating Market, Majestic Golf.

DSC09232b.JPG (146.66 KiB) Viewed 2614 times

[richard]

Be interesting to see if these new facilities continue after the end of the high season

[Big Boy]

I certainly see the Maegep to Makro doing well year round. I'm not so sure about the Hua Hin/HuayMongkol service. However, it'll be a lot cheaper than the alternatives (taxi/tuk tuk). Comfort and safety wise, there'll be little to choose. If they were relying on my money, I think I'd be more worried if I provided a taxi or tuk tuk service,

It's about time Hua Hin offered some cost effective alternatives to get around.

[buksida]

Also about time the tuk-tuk mafia were knocked off their perch!

[Phil D]

So what are the costs of these new services?

[Big Boy]

That is my challenge, together with frequency for today ........... watch this space.

Certainly with the orange bus I would expect 10 or 20 Baht.

[wpcoe]

Thanks.

I guess I really do have horrible songthaew karma then. I don't think I have ever waited less than ten minutes for one. And, between city center and Market Village so many of them are full that I simply start walking. I live on Soi 80 and even though it's only about a 12 minute walk to MV, it would be nice to have dependable *and available* public transport available, especially in the summer heat (i.e now). Maybe in my next life.

Having read the other thread on the new orange songthaew, I think maybe that's what I caught by Bangkok Hospital on my walk back to town the other night.

[wpcoe]

I caught an unidentifiable songthaew the other night by Bangkok Hospital and it was B10 to city center. I can't recall the color, but it sounds like it might have been one of the new orange ones.