Against my better judgment, my son and a friend will be going to Pattaya during their school break 11Nov. Have reviewed the threads and see that there is a new airport location for international flights, and I haven't found much discussion yet regarding what services you can get from the new airport. Specifically, my son will arrive late (9pmish) and they intend to go to Pattaya. My guess is that they could take a taxi, though sounds like there is some chaos surrounding taxi access. Or, they could stay at a local hotel and go the next day, probably via bus. I would think it unlikely that bus service would be available late at night from the airport.

I guess any updated info from anyone who has used the new airport as a starting point for travel to/from Pattaya would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

Specifically, my son will arrive late (9pmish) and they intend to go to Pattaya. My guess is that they could take a taxi, though sounds like there is some chaos surrounding taxi access.

Been there, done that...

Contact the hotel where they will be staying and have them send a car to get your son. Car service is very inexpensive and it puts the responsibility on the hotel to make sure that their guest arrives safely.

While taxi service would be OK, why risk it.

Pattaya is beautiful and your money goes very far. Dinner on "Walking Street" will cost about 5 dollars with drinks.

Absolutely arrange for a car. You may wish to try http://www.julietaxi.com/

To level set your son's expectations. Awaiting him will be what seems to be a thousand cab touts. He should patiently find the one that is his. He will then have about a 10-minute walk with the driver to the car. (Or at least this was my experience.)

As long as your son has a hotel reservation for that evening in Pattaya it would be best to head straight there from the airport via a taxi, or car/limo service. Travel time will be 90 - 120 minutes.

Negotiating with a taxi, I might offer 1,000 baht and I would also pay any tolls.

A car service will cost more, maybe in the 1,500 - 2,500 range. As mentioned, I would ask the hotel in Pattaya to see what types of services they offer, and then check some on-line options.

http://www.airporttaxithai.com/

Going back to the new BKK from Pattaya will be easier. Near your son's hotel there will be people hawking rides on the sidewalk in small booths. A car back should be 1,000 baht or less.

... my son will arrive late (9pmish) and they intend to go to Pattaya. My guess is that they could take a taxi, though sounds like there is some chaos surrounding taxi access. Or, they could stay at a local hotel and go the next day, probably via bus. I would think it unlikely that bus service would be available late at night from the airport. You don't state anything about your son's age or his travel experience.
Let's assume worst case: inexperienced traveller and first time in Thailand.

Take that excellent advice above and pre-arrange a hotel car and driver to meet him at the airport and deliver him directly to his hotel.
Especially important at night.
If the hotel is not capable of arranging a car to "meet and greet" an arriving passenger, then find a different hotel.

Trying to stay at some hotel near the airport, and then getting on a bus the next day, will cost about the same total amount, but carry much higher risks of confusion.

There will be no problem with the hour:
At 9:00 PM, the airport is going strong and Pattaya is just starting to open for business.

Now a side note about Pattaya:
Please advise your son, that his first adventure on arrival in Thailand should be to the local pharmacy or "7-Eleven" to buy Imodium, antacid tablets, and condoms.
In Pattaya, the most important are the condoms.

- Peter
.

Think Peter's advice is basically sound. Don't know your son's age, but Pattaya is quite the "liberated" place. Like the Wild West, pretty much anything goes, especially all along Walking Street and in the sois off Walking Street and Beach Road. If not careful, especially at night, one can acquire lots of unwanted temporary or longer lasting souvenirs, if you will, and it's plenty easy to get into trouble or throw away a lot of money. Easy to succumb to the warm weather climate, the easy going attitudes in the bars, the seductive come-ons everywhere, etc., and the power of strong beer compared to most US beers.

New airport is much closer to Pattaya, maybe an hour or hour and a half closer, depending on traffic all along the way.

the "rip-off rate" from the airport to pattaya is 1500+ baht (approx. $40 US).

hotels will charge an even higher rate.

you don't need to worry if you grab a metered taxi (which won't turn on the meter to pattaya, they'll charge a set rate of about 1600 baht) or limo at the airport, and even an inexperienced tourist will be able to negotiate a fare under 2000 baht. frankly, even the ripoff rate isn't too much to worry about, especially if shared among friends.

note: do not view the links below in a "sensitive" area, such as work.

but i personally would arrange through "Mr Toom" in pattaya:
http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=26751

1200 baht from the airport to pattaya
800 baht from pattaya to the airport

those are the old prices for don muang airport, but he hasn't lowered them for the new airport, even though the new airport is much closer to pattaya.

have your son peruse pattayatalk.com in the forums section so he knows what he's getting into... but he'll be fine if he keeps his head about him. and the cab ride from bkk to pattaya is now well under 2 hours... haven't heard of anybody getting into harm's way from the ride, just the occasional price gouging.

thaivisa.com (this website is safe) has been reporting on all kinds of issues with the new airport... bathrooms, lost luggage, the kingdom all of a sudden actually enforcing its customs laws, taxis, etc... he should check that out too.

another option is to stay the night in bkk... metered taxi to BKK from the new airport is about 300 baht ($8 US). the air-conditioned nonstop bus from BKK to pattaya is 110 baht and runs from something like 6AM - 11PM each day.

In case anyone is interested I posted information about traveling from BKK to Pattaya on my Pattaya/Jomtien condo rental web site: http://www.ViewTalayCondos.com It's the last link on the left.

Since there is now a new airport, the information is a old, (from last Feb 2006) but may be of some use!

The few times I took a taxi from the airport to Pattaya, I went to the departures level and took a taxi there. This was of course, at the old airport. The new airport is closer to Pattaya. I've never paid more than 1000 baht, usually 800 baht. If this is your sons first trip, the negotiating might be much. You can take an aircon bus during the day quite cheaply. $2-$3 if I recall right.

You always have to negoiate, of course.

You can take an aircon bus during the day quite cheaply. $2-$3 if I recall right.

The OP mentioned his son and friend are arriving ~ 9 PM so a bus is out of the question. The last bus to Pattaya departs the airport at 17:30.

Bus service is limited between the new BKK and Pattaya...then you have to get from the bus station in Pattaya to your hotel.

Bangkok Airport – Pattaya is 200 baht.
Booking recommended Tel: 02-747-4673
Timetable
09.30 am
13.30 pm
17.30 pm


Pattaya - Bangkok Airport is 150 baht.
Booking recommended Tel: 038-370-055-6
Timetable
06.00 am
09.00 am
13.00 pm
17.00 pm

The OP mentioned his son and friend are arriving ~ 9 PM so a bus is out of the question. The last bus to Pattaya departs the airport at 17:30.

As I mentioned, if they were going during the day, that they could take the normal bus. Sometimes if they're quite tired from the long plane ride, a night in a hotel can be much better. Taxi's into BKK are quite cheap, I wouldn't bother staying near the airport, myself.

Thanks all! Plan is for the guys to stay in BKK at the Hilton Millenium (award stay.. thanks Dad!) for 2 nights then go to Pattaya. The 5pm bus back from Pattaya to BKK looks like a good plan for return.

Appreciate all the advice!!

Thanks all! Plan is for the guys to stay in BKK at the Hilton Millenium (award stay.. thanks Dad!) for 2 nights then go to Pattaya. The 5pm bus back from Pattaya to BKK looks like a good plan for return.

Appreciate all the advice!!

Since there are two of them, the bus back from Pattaya is 300 Baht (150x2) vs a taxi which can be booked the day before at any of a dozen places along 2nd road with no bargaining for 800 Baht. The buses are good but given the choice of bus or pay 500 baht more for a taxi that will pick you up at the hotel and drop you at the airport, it seems not worth it just to save 500 baht on the ride back.

Thanks all! Plan is for the guys to stay in BKK at the Hilton Millenium (award stay.. thanks Dad!) for 2 nights then go to Pattaya. The 5pm bus back from Pattaya to BKK looks like a good plan for return.

Appreciate all the advice!!

The Millennium is nice. I found the exec floor staff very helpful. My taxi driver didn't know where it was, so make sure you have a printed map. (It's just over the bridge, close to the Peninsula.) Always insist that the taxi driver use the meter, as they will try to round up by a couple of hundred baht if you give them the chance. :)

Since there are two of them, the bus back from Pattaya is 300 Baht (150x2) vs a taxi which can be booked the day before at any of a dozen places along 2nd road with no bargaining for 800 Baht. The buses are good but given the choice of bus or pay 500 baht more for a taxi that will pick you up at the hotel and drop you at the airport, it seems not worth it just to save 500 baht on the ride back.

Agreed, especially when you factor in the logistics and cost of getting from your hotel to the bus station on North Pattaya Road. There are no taxis so you have to take a baht bus or motorcycle taxi. A baht bus can take a long time to make its way to the bus station.

The bus is OK for going to Bangkok (Ekkamai, Mo Chit, Sai Tai Mai).