Songthaew Minibus in Hua Hin

What is a fixed-route taxi (Sonthaew) and how to use it

Songthaew minibus (also known as Baht Bus) – the most affordable the way to travel around Hua Hin. It is cheaper to travel only on foot.

If you still don't know what Thai Songthaew is (it reads roughly like "songteo"), then it's something like our fixed-route taxis, only they are made in the form of small trucks with a body converted for passenger transportation. For what it has two parallel benches. Songthaew translates from Thai as "two benches". They ply on certain routes and transport passengers along them.

In general, Songteo is an amazing transport. You can stop him with your eyes! One has only to look at them as they stop, and the driver with a smile invites you to take a ride. This is, of course, a joke :-). This does not always happen, sometimes you have to stop them with your hand. In order to get into Songteo, you do not need to look for a stop. They really stop at any place that is not forbidden, you just have to raise your hand or wave to them. In the same way, they are ready to drop off passengers anywhere, for which you need to press the bell inside the body. After that, you need to get out of the body and pay the driver the fare through the cab window in front.

When using Songteo, you should know that they ply not only the established routes, but are also ready to get off the route at any time to take you anywhere as a taxi. The fee, of course, will also be charged as a taxi, and not as a minibus. Keep this in mind when you find out from the driver where he is going before boarding. Most often, the Songteo driver will gladly accept such a question as an offer to hire him as a taxi.

The fare in a fixed-route taxi in Hua Hin starts from 15 baht (0.45 USD, see Thailand's currency and exchange rate). The price depends on the route and distance, you can always find out before boarding from the driver. Inside the body there is a table with prices between different points of movement, but they are usually in Thai.

Almost all Songteo drivers in Hua Hin do not speak English, but they know the names of the main tourist places in English.

Hua Hin Songteo Routes

Minibuses in Hua Hin run on four main routes. They differ in body color, but we recommend that you still check with the driver before boarding if they are going where you need.

Theoretically, all minibuses run according to schedules every 10-30 minutes, but in practice the schedule is not observed in any way. The opening hours of the routes are from 6:00 to 21:00, but some routes start at 8:00 and end at 18:00. After that, they continue to work on the routes, but they transport passengers already as a taxi.

• Khao Takiab - Hua Hin Airport Route

  Perhaps this is the most popular and most convenient route for tourists. It allows you to move through the whole city along the coast along the main road, which is very convenient if you know at least approximately where you need to go. After reaching the desired area, then any place within the city can be reached on foot.

  You can determine this minibus by the green color of the body (this is the one in the photo at the top of the article). They follow from the foot of Khao Takiab Mountain to the city center (in the area of Hua Hin Night Market), and then further to the airport. They can take you to Khao Takiab Mountain, Cicada Market, Hua Hin bus station, Plearnwan, Hua Hin Market Village shopping center. The fare costs from 15 baht (0.45 USD), run approximately every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00 (in high season until 21:00, but the information has not been verified by us). In the evening they are carried only at the prices of a regular taxi.

• Urban ring route

  White minibuses with red stripes (the route is shown in red on the map) follow the circular route in both directions along the main street Thanon Phetkasem, Soi Hua Hin 94, Prapoklao (street along the railway), Soi Hua Hin 41. They go two or three times an hour, from 07:00 to 21:00, cost from 15 baht (0.45 USD).

• Maegep - Makro route

  These are orange cars. This route is not as convenient for tourists as the green Songteos. The fact is that even though he passes through the whole city and goes to the airport, basically his way around the city passes through all sorts of small streets, and in general the route is complicated. The fare costs from 15 baht (0.45 USD), walk 2-3 times an hour, from 07:00 to about 21:00.

  This Songteo takes you to the Sitting Buddha Wat Bo Fai

• Route Hua Hin Railway Station – Huay Mongkol Temple

  These are white Songteos, do not confuse them with the white ones with a red stripe on the ring route. They run approximately every hour from 08:00 to 18:00.

  Their route is very long, and almost suburban. They can take you to the floating markets and Wat Huay Mongkol Temple. They start from the parking lot a hundred meters south of Hua Hin railway station; drive past Hua Hin Market Village shopping center; then the floating markets Huahin Floating Market and Sam Phan Nam; Wat Huay Mongkol temple, floating market Huay Mongkol, Majestic Golf, and arrive again at the railway station. Their route is not marked on our map.

  Is it worth 20 baht to the market (0.6 USD), 40 baht to the temple (1.2 USD).

Songteo routes in Hua Hin on the map