Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya: taxi, bus or private transfer?
Pattaya is about 120 km southeast of Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The drive follows Motorway 7 and takes around an hour and a half in light traffic, or two to two and a half hours on Friday and Sunday evenings. There are three practical ways to make the trip: the airport bus, a public taxi from the taxi stand, or a private transfer booked before you fly.
At a glance
| Option | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Airport bus | Under 200 baht per person | Stops in Pattaya and Jomtien, not at your hotel |
| Public taxi | About 1,200–1,500 baht per car | Queue at the taxi stand, small cars |
| Private transfer | From 1,000 baht per car | Driver waits at arrivals and takes you to your hotel |
Airport bus
Roong Reuang Coach runs buses from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya roughly every hour from early morning until late evening. The ticket counter and the departure point are on level 1 of the airport, at Gate 8. The trip takes about two hours and costs under 200 baht per person.
It is the cheapest way to Pattaya, but the bus stops at bus stops in Pattaya and Jomtien, not at your hotel, so most people take a songthaew (baht bus) or a taxi for the last part. Space for luggage is limited.
Public taxi
The public taxi stand is on level 1. You take a queue ticket at the kiosk and are given a car. On the meter, the fare to Pattaya plus the 50 baht airport surcharge and the motorway tolls usually comes to 1,200–1,500 baht.
For long trips like this one, some drivers ask for a flat price instead of using the meter, so agree on the meter or the price before you set off. Most public taxis are small sedans: a family with several large suitcases may not fit in one car.
Private transfer
With a private transfer the price is fixed before you travel, and it is for the whole car, not for each person. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name, helps with your bags and drives you straight to your hotel. Our fixed fares from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya are:
- Toyota Camry, 1–3 people: 1,000 baht
- Toyota Innova, 4–5 people: 1,200 baht
- Toyota Fortuner, 4–5 people: 1,300 baht
- Toyota Commuter van, for larger groups: 1,800 baht
You pay the driver in cash at the end of the trip. For a family of four with luggage, a private car costs about the same as a public taxi, and you skip the taxi queue after a long flight.
Which one should you choose?
- Travelling alone with a backpack: take the bus.
- Landing late at night, travelling with children, or carrying a lot of luggage: book a private transfer.
- Five people or more: a van takes everyone and all the bags in one trip.
Whichever you choose, keep your hotel’s name and address saved on your phone, ideally in Thai as well as English. It helps any driver find it.
See the fixed fare for every car on our fare board, or send your flight details on WhatsApp and we reply with your price.