Two operators offer direct services from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya. They differ in ways that affect total cost and arrival location. The decision comes down to how much you value hotel drop-off versus saving money.
Comparing the Options at a Glance
| Factor | Roong Reuang Coach | Bell Travel Service |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | 130–162 THB (depending on destination station) | 300 THB |
| Journey time | Approximately 2 hours | Approximately 2–2.5 hours (including transfers and hotel drop-off) |
| Departure point | Level 1, Gate 8 | Level 1, between Gates 7 and 8 |
| Pattaya drop-off | North Pattaya Bus Terminal or Jomtien office | Your hotel in most Pattaya areas |
| Frequency | Hourly, 06:00–22:00 | Six departures daily |
| Onward transport needed | Yes (Grab, Bolt, songthaew, or motorbike taxi from station) | No |
| Luggage allowance | 1 checked bag (20 kg) + 1 carry-on | 1 checked bag (20 kg) + 1 personal bag |
Where to Find the Buses at Suvarnabhumi Airport?
After clearing immigration and collecting your luggage, head down to Level 1 of the arrivals hall. Both operators have counters between Gates 7 and 8. The Roong Reuang Coach counter sits at Gate 8. It is branded as Airport Pattaya Bus. The Bell Travel Service counter is between Gates 7 and 8. Signage is clearly marked in English. The walk from the baggage claim area to Level 1 takes only a few minutes.
If you are arriving at Don Mueang Airport (DMK) instead, the situation is different. Transport Co., Ltd. runs four daily departures from DMK to Pattaya at 06:30, 10:30, 13:30, and 17:30. The trip takes about 2.5 hours and costs 155 baht. There is no direct bus from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi Airport. If you land at DMK and want the Suvarnabhumi bus, you must cross town.
The Two Bus Options Compared
Roong Reuang Coach: The Cheapest Direct Option
Roong Reuang Coach is the main operator on the Suvarnabhumi–Pattaya route, running large air-conditioned buses in a 2-2 seating configuration with 36–40 seats per coach. The fare is 130 baht (some sources list 139 baht) for the North Pattaya bus terminal, or 162 baht for the Jomtien terminal. Journey time is approximately 2 hours, depending on traffic on the Bang Na–Chonburi route.
The trade-off for the lower fare is that the bus does not deliver you to your hotel. It makes stops at North Pattaya, Central Pattaya, and South Pattaya intersections before terminating at one of two stations: the North Pattaya Bus Terminal on North Pattaya Road, or the Jomtien office on Thappraya Road near Jomtien Beach. From either station, you will need to arrange onward transport—a Grab or Bolt ride typically costs 50–100 baht depending on distance, a motorbike taxi around 100 baht, or a shared songthaew roughly 50 baht.
Luggage allowance is one checked bag up to 20 kg plus one carry-on per passenger, with under-bus storage compartments available. Buses depart roughly hourly from 06:00 to 22:00, though the last bus to Jomtien may depart earlier than the last bus to North Pattaya.
Bell Travel Service: Hotel Drop-Off Included
Bell Travel Service charges 300 baht per person and includes hotel drop-off in Pattaya. The journey uses a combination of vehicles: a 10-seater van collects passengers from the airport, transfers to a larger bus at a staging point, and then a smaller van delivers passengers to their hotels. Drop-off coverage includes North Pattaya, South Pattaya, Central Pattaya, Na Kluea, Jomtien, and Khao Phratamnak.
The convenience of door-to-door service comes at a premium of roughly 140–170 baht over the Roong Reuang fare, but it eliminates the need to find onward transport after arrival. Bell Travel operates six departures daily from Suvarnabhumi: 08:30, 10:30, 14:30, 16:30, and 18:00 (some schedules also list 12:00). The return service from Pattaya runs at 06:00, 09:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, and 19:00, with hotel pick-up available.
Bell Travel’s luggage policy allows one checked bag up to 20 kg and one personal bag free of charge. Extra bags are permitted for an additional fee. Children under 8 years old and under 110 cm tall may sit on a parent’s lap without a separate ticket, though purchasing an extra seat is recommended for comfort.
Comparing the Options at a Glance
Which One Fits Your Trip?
The right choice depends on your arrival time, budget, and how much you value not having to navigate onward transport after a long flight.
Roong Reuang makes sense if you are traveling alone or as a pair on a tight budget, arriving during daytime hours when onward transport from the bus station is readily available, and staying in an area where a short Grab ride from the station is acceptable. The savings of 140–170 baht per person add up for groups.
Bell Travel becomes the stronger option if you are arriving in the late afternoon or evening and do not want to negotiate a taxi at the bus station after dark, traveling with family or heavy luggage where door-to-door service removes friction, or staying in a hotel that is not within walking distance of the North Pattaya or Jomtien bus stations. The hotel drop-off means you step off the van at your accommodation rather than at a station across town.
travelers arriving after 22:00 will not find either bus available. Taxis from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya cost 1,200–1,500 baht for a metered taxi, or 1,100–1,400 baht via Grab or Bolt. Private transfers with meet-and-greet start from 1,500 baht. If your flight lands late, these are the only options until buses resume in the morning.
Booking Tickets
Both operators sell tickets at their airport counters, but booking online in advance is advisable during high season (roughly November to February) when seats on the next available departure can sell out. If you book online, allow at least 2 hours after your scheduled landing time before the bus departure to account for immigration queues and baggage collection.
For Roong Reuang, tickets can be purchased at the counter in front of the bus stop or booked through online platforms. Bell Travel accepts bookings through its own website, with confirmation and a service voucher sent by email. You must present the confirmation or voucher to staff in exchange for a ticket and baggage tag before boarding.
Third-party platforms like 12Go and Bookaway also list both operators, though the ticket price may be slightly higher than buying directly to cover platform fees. One traveller review noted that the online price was higher than the offline price for the same journey.
What to Expect on Board
Both operators use air-conditioned coaches. Roong Reuang’s buses have 36–40 seats in a 2-2 configuration, while Bell Travel uses VIP three-row seating on some services. Reviews of both operators consistently mention comfortable seats, good air conditioning, and sufficient legroom. Under-bus luggage compartments handle large suitcases on both services.
One recurring point in traveller reviews of Roong Reuang: the airport counter staff may not always give clear directions to the actual boarding point. The bus is sometimes parked further down from the counter, so it is worth confirming with staff exactly where to stand and watching for the bus to arrive. Several reviewers noted that they only found the bus after asking around.
Arriving in Pattaya: Getting to Your Hotel
If you take Roong Reuang to the North Pattaya Bus Terminal, you will arrive on North Pattaya Road near Sukhumvit Road. The station has waiting areas and convenience stores. From here, options to reach your hotel include calling a Grab or Bolt (50–100 baht for most central Pattaya locations), taking a motorbike taxi (roughly 100 baht), or using the shared songthaew (baht bus) that runs along Pattaya’s main routes for 10–15 baht. The songthaew is the cheapest but requires knowing which route passes your hotel.
If you take the Roong Reuang bus to Jomtien, you arrive at the office on Thappraya Road near the Government Savings Bank. This is convenient for hotels in the Jomtien Beach area, which is walkable from the station. For South Pattaya or Central Pattaya hotels, the North Pattaya terminal is usually the more practical drop-off point.
Bell Travel passengers skip this step entirely. The van delivers you to your hotel lobby or the nearest accessible point, with coverage across North, Central, and South Pattaya as well as Jomtien, Na Kluea, and Khao Phratamnak.
Practical Notes for the Journey
The distance from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya is approximately 120 km. The bus takes the Bang Na–Chonburi route (National Road 34), which is the most direct highway connection. Journey time of 2 hours is typical, but traffic on the Bang Na expressway and around the Chonburi bypass can extend this to 2.5 hours during peak periods or holiday weekends.
Money exchange at the airport: if you need Thai baht for the bus fare, the best rates are at Superrich, Happyrich, and Kasikorn exchange booths on the ground floor near the Airport Rail Link entrance. These are open from 6:30 to 22:00. Airport currency exchange counters in the arrivals hall typically offer less favourable rates.
If you are continuing from Pattaya to other destinations in Thailand after your stay, the North Pattaya Bus Terminal connects to Bangkok’s Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) and Mo Chit, as well as services to other provinces. This makes the Roong Reuang drop-off at North Pattaya convenient for onward travel planning.
