Ekkamai Bus Station

Tracey Brown December 4, 2015 Tourism

If you are backpacking or wanting to travel on the cheap in Thailand then the Ekkamai Bus Station is one location you will see during your tour of Thailand. Bus fares in Thailand is very cheap. For less than 150THB you can still get from Bangkok to Pattaya.

The Ekkamai Bus station is also called the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Eastern) as it takes you to the Eastern parts of Thailand. The Bus Terminal is located next to the BTS Ekkamai Station which makes it very easy to move around. Note that these are fixed bus routes from Bangkok to the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand as well as the Cambodian border on the Eastern side of the country. The buses are air-conditioned and better than most buses you will find in South East Asia. You can purchase your tickets online now or in the old fashion inside the bus terminal. The bus terminal is very humid if you are new to Thailand.

Note also that there are two options with the buses. You get a Category 1 and a Category 2 bus route. The Category 1 is normally more expensive than the other. If you are out to see Thailand then the cheaper Category 2 tickets are more fun as they stop all over the place. They also stop to allow people to eat on the longer over trips and to use the toilets at the gas stations.

A good example of cost is the trip to Pattaya on the coast. The direct bus takes 2.5 Hours for 120THB while the Category 2 takes 3.5 hours and costs 100THB. The same with the longer trips down South. The direct bus to Rayong would take about 3.5 hours and costs 150THB while the slower Category 2 option takes about 4.5 hours and costs about 130THB. There are about 10 different bus companies operating from the Eastern Bus Terminal (29 ticket selling counters).

Note that there are two main bus terminals in Thailand. Ekkamai (Eastern Thailand) and Morchit bus Station (North and North Eastern Thailand) and the new Sai Tai Bus Station (Southern Thailand). The are also other private operators such as Roong Reuang Coach Co which runs from all terminals to Pattaya. Note that the terminal is close to the BTS Ekkamai Station as well as the Major Sukhumvit and the Gateway Ekkamai.

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