BKK minivan hassles

[VincentD]

Johnnyk,

there is competition even among the minibus queues. Two services go to Lopburi, one is from the Victory Monument circle, the other is parked under the expressway. While they both go to town, the one under the expressway charges a little extra to bring you to the military gate at Saotong. They park at the PTT petrol station on the corner, and I believe the first service in the morning starts at 4 am.
They are convenient and go the back route through Bang Pahan, while the regular bus service goes through Saraburi. What I do not like about them is, they are almost always on the wrong side of the road, and I'm sure you know how many blind corners there are between Lopburi and Bang Pahan...


The Hua Hin route is more straightforward, so I'd suspect the big bus is the better option. Not sure if they operate a few services out of Morchid, though I know the Eastern seaboard is serviced by both Ekkamai and Morchid. There is competition among these operators, too.

Many years ago, I had to go to Chiangmai practically weekly and would take the overnight VIP bus. Several companies did this route, and they were not created equal... I found my favourite and could even do a phone booking (except for major public holidays).

Hobie,
I don't know how you preserve your sanity by driving yourself. Most of the drivers on the roads these days send me around the bend...

My two cents.

[flyboy747]

Hi Im arriving late into BKK, anyone know the time of the last few mini vans to HH from Victoria

[Bamboo Grove]

Used to be 6 p.m. Suppose it´s still the same. The last blue bus from the Southern Bus Teriminal leaves about 10 p.m.

[hollygolightly1]

The busses from here seem to be haphazard as far as amenities.. you risk your life trying to use a bathroom if they even let you, you get a bottle of water and a bun (sometimes.) Seat may or may not be broken and reclining is about two inches from upright. AC works or it doesnt. TV blasts or it doesnt. Is there any sort of "luxury" bus plying the HH to BKK route? Say you want a nice seat, a blanket, AC,peace and quiet etc.. . .and are willing to fork out 100 extra baht for it.

I wrote about this when I was planning an R &R trip to the city and figured I deserved a comfortable trip up and back and a bit of pampering.

Yes there is! The Dusit bus. Price is steep at 600 baht but the Dusit willsend a taxi (free) to collect your from your house and the bus goes from the Dusit hotel Hua Hin to the Dusit in Bangkok (near Lumphini Park.) It's a Mercedes mini-van so sturdier; the driver doesn't drive like a maniac or spend his time texting and driving; it's obviously air-conditioned and you get newspapers and free water. Most importantly, every seat has a seatbelt and there's space for luggage. Maybe too pricey if you go to Bangkok regularly, but for the occasional splurge definitely worth it. The only drawback is there is only one bus a day - leaving Hua Hin at 11a.m. and Bangkok at 3pm last time I used it.

[Chas]

Thanks Holly! This is an excellent piece of information and I may take advantage of it this very weekend! We often stay at a hotel near Lumpini so the destination is even more convenient than the vans. I had been considering a taxi so 600 baht is not bad by comparison.