The fastest way from Bangkok to Pattaya is by car: about 1.5–2 hours, depending on traffic. The daily train is cheapest (about 31 THB, 3 h 39 min); a Roong Reuang coach from Ekkamai bus terminal is the cheapest frequent option, about 144 THB and about 2 hours. For a door-to-door trip, a Smile Taxi Service private transfer costs a fixed 1,500 THB for a sedan from central Bangkok or 1,200 THB from Suvarnabhumi Airport, per vehicle, one way, with expressway tolls included.
Distance and travel time overview
By road, Pattaya is about 150 km from central Bangkok, about 127 km from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and about 162 km from Don Mueang Airport (DMK). U-Tapao Airport (UTP), the airport on the Pattaya side, is 39.1 km from Pattaya.
By car the trip takes about 1.5–2 hours, and by bus about 2 hours (about 2.5 hours from Don Mueang). The daily train takes 3 h 39 min.
Bangkok to Pattaya: all options compared
| Option | Travel time | Approximate price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smile private transfer | about 1.5–2 hours | fixed 1,200–2,300 THB per vehicle, tolls included | families, groups, luggage, door to door |
| Coach from Ekkamai or Mo Chit 2 | about 2 hours | about 144–155 THB per seat | budget travellers in central Bangkok |
| Airport bus from Suvarnabhumi | about 2 hours | about 135–158 THB per seat | budget travellers landing at BKK |
| Transport Co. bus from Don Mueang | about 2.5 hours | about 165 THB per seat | budget travellers landing at DMK |
| Bell shared minibus to your hotel | varies with hotel stops | about 210–475 THB per person | solo travellers who want a hotel drop-off |
| Shared minivan | about 2.5–3 hours | about 150–250 THB per seat | travellers near the bus terminals |
| Train from Hua Lamphong | 2 h 28 min to 3 h 39 min | about 31 THB (daily) or 170 THB (weekends) | slow travel on a small budget |
| Grab or Bolt | about 1.5–2 hours | roughly 1,000–2,000 THB per car | travellers who prefer an app |
| Queue taxi from the airport | about 1.5–2 hours | about 1,220 THB on the meter from BKK, plus tolls | arrivals without a booking |
Third-party prices and timetables in this guide were checked in September 2026. Bus fares in Thailand were adjusted five times between April and September 2026 because of diesel prices, so confirm the fare with the operator before you travel.
Private transfer with Smile Taxi Service
The driver picks you up at your door in Bangkok or at the airport and drops you at the door of your hotel in Pattaya. You travel only with your own group.
Fixed fares (THB per vehicle, one way)
| Route | Sedan | SUV | Van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok → Pattaya | 1,500 | 1,700 | 2,000 |
| Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) → Pattaya | 1,200 | 1,500 | 1,800 |
| Don Mueang Airport (DMK) → Pattaya | 1,500 | 1,700 | 2,300 |
| U-Tapao Airport (UTP) → Pattaya | 800 | 1,000 | 1,200 |
The price is per vehicle, not per person, so it is the same for 1 passenger or a full car. Expressway tolls are included. There is no meter, and the price does not change with traffic.
- Sedan (Toyota Camry or similar): up to 3 passengers and 2 bags.
- SUV (Toyota Fortuner or similar): up to 5 passengers and 4 bags.
- Van (Toyota Commuter or similar): up to 7 passengers and 5 bags.
What is included
- Airport pickups: 60 minutes of free waiting, counted from the time your flight actually lands. A person on the team checks your flight.
- Suvarnabhumi: the driver meets you on Level 4 (Departures), near Gate 4; the car stops in the pickup lane.
- Don Mueang: Level 3 (Departures). The airport has two terminals, so the exact door comes with the driver's details.
- At Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, send a message on WhatsApp or LINE once you have your bags; the car pulls up in about 5–10 minutes.
- U-Tapao: outside the arrivals exit. Hotels and other addresses: at the door.
- Before the trip: the team sends you the driver's name, the car and its plate number.
- Free 500 MB Thailand eSIM with an airport pickup, on request (ask when you book).
Options on request
- Name sign at the arrivals gate: +100 THB.
- Child seat: +100 THB.
- Extra stops on the way: +250 THB per hour.
- Pickups or drop-offs in Bangkok west of the Chao Phraya River (the Thonburi side): +100–200 THB.
- An English-speaking driver, subject to availability (not every driver speaks English).
Payment and cancellation
You pay the driver in cash (Thai baht) at the end of the trip. The website takes no online payment and no deposit. If you can only pay by card, for example because you have not changed money yet, message the team and they will send you a PayPal payment link; a 5% fee is added. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Smile Taxi Service works 24/7 in 9 languages and is rated Google 5.0 and Tripadvisor 5.0.
- Book a sedan from Bangkok to Pattaya
- Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya
- Book a sedan from Don Mueang to Pattaya
- See all Smile Taxi Service fares
Coach from Ekkamai or Mo Chit 2 (Roong Reuang Coach)
From central Bangkok, the scheduled coaches to Pattaya are run by Roong Reuang Coach (RRC). In September 2026 Transport Co., the state bus company, listed no Pattaya trips from any Bangkok bus terminal, including Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal).
- Ekkamai (Eastern Bus Terminal): on Sukhumvit Road, about 50 m from Exit 2 of BTS Ekkamai. Tickets at counter 13 on floor 1; buses leave from platform 1. Departures at 05:00, 06:00, then every hour from 09:00 to 22:00. About 144 THB.
- Mo Chit 2 (Northern Bus Terminal): tickets at counter 34 on floor 1; buses leave from platform 42. Every hour from 05:00 to 18:00. About 155 THB.
Both routes end at the North Pattaya Road bus station, near Sukhumvit Road. From there, shared songthaews (pickup trucks used as buses) run along North Pattaya Road towards the beach. The coach is cheap and frequent but stops at a bus station, not at your hotel.
Airport bus from Suvarnabhumi
Two companies run direct buses from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya. Both board on Level 1, Gate 8.
Roong Reuang Coach has two routes:
- To Jomtien bus station: about 158 THB, every hour from 06:00 to 22:00. On the way, it stops on Sukhumvit Road between North and Central Pattaya, and opposite Big C South Pattaya. The 22:00 bus ends at the North Pattaya Road bus station instead.
- To the North Pattaya Road bus station: about 135 THB, 7–8 departures a day between 06:30 and 18:30.
The fare includes one bag up to 20 kg and one small bag; larger items such as golf bags or strollers cost extra. Allow about 1 hour for immigration and baggage claim. Tickets usually sell out at least 1 hour before departure, so book in advance on the Roong Reuang booking site and check in at the Gate 8 counter 30 minutes before departure. Tickets are not refundable. If your flight is delayed and you miss your bus, the counter moves you to the next bus with free seats for 50 THB per person.
Transport Co. (BKS, บขส.) leaves Suvarnabhumi at 07:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 17:30 for about 135 THB and stops at intersections on Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya. Book on the Transport Co. website or at a BKS counter.
Shared minibus to your hotel (Bell Travel Service)
Bell Travel Service, a sister company of Roong Reuang, sells shared minibus seats with drop-off at Pattaya hotels: from Suvarnabhumi (check-in at Level 1, Gate 8) at 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:30 and 18:00 for about 210 THB per person, or from a Bangkok hotel at 10:00 and 14:00 for about 475 THB per person. For two or more people, compare the total with a private transfer, priced per vehicle. Bell showed no trips from Don Mueang in September 2026.
Bus from Don Mueang Airport
Transport Co. runs a direct bus from Don Mueang to Pattaya at 06:30, 07:30, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 17:30, for about 165 THB. The trip takes about 2.5 hours. The bus boards at the Service Hall building next to Terminal 1, on its north side, and there are Transport Co. ticket counters in both terminals.
Otherwise, take city bus A1 (30 THB, about every 15 minutes) from the same Service Hall to Mo Chit 2 (about 30 minutes), then a Roong Reuang coach. The last coach from Mo Chit 2 to Pattaya leaves at 18:00.
Shared minivan
Shared minivans (rot tu) to Pattaya leave from Ekkamai, Mo Chit 2 and Central Rama 2. Operators include Wongsaithong Tour, T.Tour, Punnipa Pattaya Tour and PBM. Fares are about 150–250 THB, and the trip takes about 2.5–3 hours. Vans run from about 05:00, every 30–60 minutes, until about 20:00–21:00.
Train from Hua Lamphong
Trains to Pattaya still leave from Bangkok's old Hua Lamphong station, on the MRT Blue Line, not from Krung Thep Aphiwat.
- Ordinary train 283, daily: leaves at 06:55 and arrives at 10:34. Third class only, with fans and unreserved seats, about 31 THB. Tickets are sold only at the station, shortly before departure.
- Air-conditioned train, Saturdays and Sundays: leaves at 06:45 and arrives at 09:13. Reserved second-class seats, about 170 THB, bookable online at dticket.railway.co.th. Its train number may change after 30 September 2026, so look for it by departure time.
Pattaya railway station is east of Sukhumvit Road, a few kilometres from the beach, and songthaews wait for arriving trains.
Queue taxi and ride-hailing apps
Queue taxi. The public taxi counters at Suvarnabhumi (Floor 1, between Gates 4 and 7) and Don Mueang run 24 hours. A 50 THB airport surcharge is added, and you pay the expressway tolls. Calculated from the official meter rates, Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya comes to about 1,220 THB including the surcharge, before tolls. For trips outside Bangkok the driver may legally offer a fixed price instead of the meter, so agree the total, and who pays the tolls, before you leave.
Grab and Bolt. The app shows the fare before you book; 2026 guides report roughly 1,000–2,000 THB, more at busy times. At Suvarnabhumi, Grab picks up at Level 1, Gate 4; at Don Mueang, at Terminal 2, floor 1, Gate 14. Grab rides booked for immediate pickup can be paid by card or cash, but rides booked in advance must be paid by card. Bolt XL takes up to 6 passengers.
Arriving at U-Tapao Airport
From U-Tapao, a minibus leaves at 12:30, 14:00 and 17:00 for about 150 THB per person to Big C South Pattaya, and a taxi co-operative works 24 hours from the car park in front of Terminal 1. Smile fares from U-Tapao are in the fare table above: book a sedan from U-Tapao to Pattaya. From Pattaya to U-Tapao the fare is 800 THB (sedan), 1,000 THB (SUV) or 1,500 THB (van).
Practical tips for this route
- Traffic: Friday evenings leaving Bangkok and Sunday afternoons and evenings returning are the slowest times on the road.
- Landing late: the last airport bus leaves Suvarnabhumi at 22:00, and the last Transport Co. buses leave both airports at 17:30. After that, your options are a queue taxi, Grab or Bolt, or a pre-booked transfer.
- Where to get off: if you stay in Central or South Pattaya or in Jomtien, take the Jomtien airport bus; the cheaper route ends at the North Pattaya Road bus station.
- Children: Thai law requires a child seat for children up to 6 years old in a car. Taxis are not required to provide one, so ask for a child seat (+100 THB with Smile) when you book.
- Small notes: Pattaya songthaews charge 15–20 THB per ride.
The return journey: Pattaya to Bangkok
The same options work in reverse. Smile Taxi Service fares from Pattaya are:
| Route | Sedan | SUV | Van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattaya → Bangkok | 1,500 | 1,700 | 2,000 |
| Pattaya → Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) | 1,200 | 1,500 | 1,800 |
| Pattaya → Don Mueang Airport (DMK) | 1,500 | 1,700 | 2,300 |
A discount is available on return trips; ask by message. Book a sedan from Pattaya to Bangkok, a sedan from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi or a sedan from Pattaya to Don Mueang.
By bus, Roong Reuang coaches leave the North Pattaya Road bus station for Ekkamai (04:30 to 22:00), Mo Chit 2 (05:00 to 18:00) and Suvarnabhumi (about 135 THB). Coaches to Suvarnabhumi also leave Jomtien bus station every hour from 06:00 to 22:00 (about 158 THB). Transport Co. buses board on Sukhumvit Road between North and Central Pattaya: to Suvarnabhumi at 08:00, 10:30, 14:30 and 17:30, and to Don Mueang at 07:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:30, 16:00 and 17:00. The daily train leaves Pattaya at 14:21 and reaches Hua Lamphong at 18:15; the weekend train leaves at 16:26 and arrives at 18:55.
The first airport buses leave at 06:00 from Jomtien and 07:00 from North Pattaya, so a very early flight needs a car. For more detail, read how to get from Pattaya to Bangkok Airport.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya? A queue taxi comes to about 1,220 THB on the meter, plus tolls, and drivers may offer a fixed price instead. A Smile Taxi Service sedan costs 1,200 THB with tolls included.
Do I need to pre-book a taxi from the airport? No, the airport taxi queue runs 24 hours. Pre-booking gives you a fixed price with tolls included, and Smile includes 60 minutes of free waiting after you land.
Does the train to Pattaya run every day? Yes. Train 283 leaves Hua Lamphong every day at 06:55. The faster air-conditioned train runs only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Is the Smile fare per person? No. The fare is per vehicle, so four people in an SUV pay 1,700 THB in total from Bangkok.
Can I pay for a Smile transfer by card? You normally pay the driver in cash (Thai baht) at the end of the trip. If you can only pay by card, message the team for a PayPal payment link; a 5% fee is added.
To book your transfer from Bangkok to Pattaya, choose your car on the booking page or message us on WhatsApp or LINE.