Bangkok airports to Pattaya: bus, taxi, transfer and train

Pattaya has no large airport of its own, so most visitors land in Bangkok. Suvarnabhumi (BKK), east of the capital, is the closer of the two: about 120 km from Central Pattaya down Motorway 7, a straight run south-east past Chonburi and Si Racha. Don Mueang (DMK), the low-cost airport north of Bangkok, is about 160 km away and on the wrong side of the city. From either airport you can be on the beach within two to three hours without going into Bangkok at all.

What is the cheapest way from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya?

The direct airport bus. Roong Reuang Coach sells tickets at its counter on Level 1 of the passenger terminal, by Gate 8, one floor below arrivals. The coaches are air-conditioned, have a luggage hold and leave from the kerb outside the same gate. Two routes share the counter, so say which part of Pattaya you are going to when you buy.

• Luggage: one small bag and one suitcase of up to 20 kg travel free. Heavier bags cost 50 to 200 THB, a golf bag 100 to 200 THB.
• Tickets are for a fixed departure and are not refundable. If your flight is late, the counter moves you to the next bus with free seats for 50 THB per person.
• On busy days buses sell out an hour or more ahead. You can book the same seats online with the operator and show the confirmation on your phone.
• Be at the counter 15 to 30 minutes before departure.

A second, state-run service (Transport Co., route 999) leaves from the airport's Public Transportation Center, reached by the free shuttle bus from the terminal. It runs four times a day at 07:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 17:30, costs 139 THB at the counter and sets passengers down on Sukhumvit Road at the North, Central and South Pattaya junctions and at Thepprasit.

Where does the airport bus drop you in Pattaya?

Not at your hotel. Sukhumvit Road is the highway that runs behind the city, 2 to 3 km inland from the beach, and both terminals are a short ride from most hotels. Choose the route by where you are staying:

• Naklua, Wongamat and North Pattaya: take the 135 THB bus to the North Pattaya terminal, or get off the Jomtien bus at the first Sukhumvit stop.
• Central Pattaya and Beach Road: either route works. From the North Pattaya terminal, shared songthaews wait for arriving buses and charge about 50 THB per person to hotels in the centre.
• South Pattaya and Pratumnak Hill: the Jomtien bus, getting off opposite Big C South Pattaya.
• Jomtien: stay on to the Jomtien terminal on Jomtien Second Road.

An app ride from any of these stops to a hotel near the beach costs about 80 to 120 THB. How the songthaews, apps and motorbike taxis work is explained in getting around Pattaya, and if you have not picked a base yet, compare the districts in the best areas to stay in Pattaya.

How much is a taxi from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya?

Budget 1,000 to 2,000 THB for a car that takes up to three passengers with luggage, door to door, in about 90 minutes on a clear road. There are three ways to get one, and the difference is mainly in who sets the price.

The public taxi stand issues a queue ticket from a machine. For a 120 km run out of the province drivers quote a flat fare instead of using the meter. Agree the total, and whether it includes tolls, before the luggage goes in the boot. Refuse offers from people who approach you inside the terminal: licensed taxis only load at the stand. With two or more people and suitcases, a pre-booked car costs little more per head than the bus plus a local ride at each end.

How do you get from Don Mueang to Pattaya?

Don Mueang is about 160 km from Pattaya and the road has to cross or skirt Bangkok, so allow 2 to 2.5 hours by car and 2.5 hours or more by bus. There are three workable options.

1. Direct bus: Transport Co. route 999 runs six times a day at 06:30, 07:30, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 17:30 for 167 THB. Tickets are sold at the Bus 999 counters in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It stops on Sukhumvit Road at the North, Central and South Pattaya junctions and at Thepprasit.
2. Car: a pre-booked sedan costs from about 1,400 THB with tolls, and a taxi or app ride 1,500 to 2,200 THB. This is the sensible choice outside bus hours or with a family.
3. Via a Bangkok bus terminal: city bus A1 links Don Mueang with Mo Chit, where Pattaya coaches leave hourly until 18:00.

Can you take a bus or train from central Bangkok instead?

Yes, and if you are spending a few days in the capital first it is the cheapest route of all. Roong Reuang coaches leave the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai), next to Ekkamai BTS station, every hour from 05:00 to 22:00. The fare is 144 THB and the trip takes 2 to 2.5 hours to the North Pattaya terminal. From the Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) the same company runs hourly from 05:00 to 18:00 for 155 THB.

The train is slow but pleasant. Ordinary train 283 leaves Hua Lamphong station daily at 06:55 and reaches Pattaya station at 10:34; a third-class seat with open windows and fans costs 31 THB. On Saturdays and Sundays the air-conditioned train 997 leaves at 06:45, calls at Lat Krabang (one Airport Rail Link stop from Suvarnabhumi) at 07:28 and arrives at 09:13 for 170 THB. Pattaya station is east of Sukhumvit Road, so add a songthaew or app ride into town.

The same buses and trains work in reverse for a day in the capital: see the Bangkok day trip from Pattaya guide for timings.

What if your flight lands late at night?

The last airport bus leaves Gate 8 at 22:00 and the first at 06:00. Count at least 60 to 90 minutes from touchdown to the kerb for immigration, baggage and customs, so a flight landing after about 20:30 is unlikely to make it. After that the options are a car or a night near the airport.

• The public taxi stand on Level 1 and the ride apps work 24 hours. Night prices on the apps run higher than daytime.
• A pre-booked transfer is the calm option after a long-haul flight: the driver tracks the flight and the price does not change if you land late.
• The road is at its emptiest at night: about 90 minutes to Central Pattaya.
• Tell your hotel you will arrive after midnight so that reception expects you.

How do you get back from Pattaya to the airports?

Roong Reuang runs the same routes in reverse: from the Jomtien terminal hourly from 06:00 to 22:00 for 158 THB, and from the North Pattaya terminal at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 21:00 for 135 THB. The Transport Co. 999 buses leave from Sukhumvit Road near Soi 45: to Suvarnabhumi at 06:30, 10:30, 14:30 and 16:30, and to Don Mueang six times a day between 07:00 and 17:00.

Local transfer companies charge about 1,000 to 1,200 THB for a sedan to Suvarnabhumi with tolls included, and hotels arrange cars at slightly higher rates. Leave Pattaya four and a half to five hours before an international departure: two hours for the road with a margin for traffic, three at the airport. On Sunday afternoons and at the end of long weekends, when Bangkok residents drive home, add another hour.

Flying within Thailand? The small airport south of the city saves the trip to Bangkok on a handful of domestic routes: see U-Tapao Airport to Pattaya.