A songthaew is a pickup truck fitted with a pair of benches that works as a shared bus or a shared taxi. In Pattaya and Hua Hin it follows a fixed road and you pay a set fare of 15 to 20 baht; in Chiang Mai you name your destination first and pay about 30 baht inside the city; in Phuket the blue ones run from the town market to the beaches.
The name means "two rows" in Thai, after the two benches facing each other. Most have a roof and open sides, a step at the back to climb on and a buzzer to ring when your stop comes. They are the cheapest way to get around most Thai towns outside Bangkok, and locals use them every day. The rules are simple once you know which of the two kinds you are dealing with, and that depends on the city.
Songthaew fares by city (October 2026)
- Pattaya baht bus
- 15 baht on the main city routes, 20 baht on longer runs, since 10 April 2026
- Chiang Mai red truck
- About 30 baht per person within the city; longer trips by agreement
- Phuket blue bus
- About 30–50 baht from Phuket Town to a beach
- Hua Hin green songthaew
- About 15 baht per leg on Phet Kasem Road (local guides, 2026)
- Payment
- Cash, ideally coins or a 20-baht note, paid to the driver
Route trucks and shared taxis: the two kinds
Every songthaew is one of two things. A route truck drives up and down a known road like a bus: you wave it down anywhere along the way, ride as far as you like and pay a fixed fare. Pattaya, Hua Hin and the Phuket blue buses work like this. A shared taxi has no fixed route: the driver collects people heading roughly the same way and drops each one at the door. Chiang Mai's red trucks work like this.
The same truck can also be hired privately. Naming an address off the route to the driver of an empty truck turns your shared ride into a private hire, priced like a taxi. Nobody is cheating you, it is simply another kind of trip, so settle the price first whenever you are not obviously on the route.
How to stop one, ride and pay
Stand at the side of the road and wave with your hand low, palm down. If there is room, the driver pulls over. On a route truck you just climb in at the back. On a shared taxi, lean in at the passenger window first, say or show your destination and wait for a nod; if the driver shakes his head, he is going elsewhere.
To get off, press the buzzer, usually a button on the roof or a bell cord, and the driver stops quickly. Once you are back on the pavement, step up to the cab and hand the money through the window on the passenger side. Drivers rarely have change for a 500-baht note, so carry coins and small bills; cards and QR payment are not something to count on. Where cards do work, and where they do not, is set out in paying by card in Thailand.
Nobody collects fares in the back of a songthaew. On fixed routes you settle up at the cab once you are off, so have the exact fare ready before your stop.
Chiang Mai's red trucks (rot daeng)
Chiang Mai has no city bus network to speak of, so the red trucks, called rot daeng ("red car"), fill the gap. They circulate around the Old City moat, Nimman, the night bazaar area and other busy streets, and pick up anyone heading the same way. According to TAGTHAi, the national tourism platform, the usual fare is a flat 30 baht per person within the city. Expect to pay more for longer runs, at night or if you are the only passenger and the driver has to go out of his way.
Because the route depends on who is on board, a ride can wind around a few stops before yours. For a group, hiring the whole truck for a trip out of town is often good value; agree the price, the stops and the waiting time first. The red trucks are also the usual cheap way up to Doi Suthep.
Trucks in other colors (yellow, green and white) run fixed routes to districts and neighboring towns from the Chang Phuak bus terminal and the Warorot market area, with fares set by distance; TAGTHAi gives 15 to 103 baht. The destination is usually painted on the side in Thai only, so ask the driver. Our Chiang Mai guide has the sights, areas and food.
Pattaya's baht buses
In Pattaya the songthaews are called baht buses and run fixed loops. The main one goes along Beach Road in one direction and Second Road in the other, and there are routes over Pratumnak Hill to Jomtien and north to Naklua. Hop on anywhere on the route, ring the buzzer at your stop and pay.
The fare went up on Friday 10 April 2026, the first rise in many years, after operators cited rising costs, Pattaya Mail reported. It is now 15 baht on the main city routes and 20 baht for longer runs such as Jomtien and Naklua. The old 10-baht fare is no longer charged, whatever older guides say. Our guides to Pattaya's neighborhoods and Jomtien Beach show which areas the routes link.
Arriving by coach? At the North Pattaya bus terminal, confirm that a truck is heading to your area before you load your luggage, since several routes leave from the same curb.
Phuket's blue buses and the new EV buses
Phuket's blue buses are wooden-sided trucks that start from the Ranong Road market terminus in Phuket Town and run out to individual beaches, roughly every 30 minutes in daytime. They link town and beach, not beach and beach, so going from Patong to Kata means changing in town or taking a car. The local guide Phuket 101 lists fares of about 30 baht to Patong, Karon, Kata and Chalong, 35 to Rawai and Nai Harn, and 40 to 50 to Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao (July 2026).
The small pink songthaews that used to circle Phuket Town stopped in June 2025. The provincial administration replaced them with air-conditioned electric buses on three routes, with fares of 15 to 40 baht. If you are based in town, our guide to Old Phuket Town helps, and Phuket's beaches compared shows which beach suits you. From the airport, the blue buses are no use; the airport transfer guide covers the Smart Bus and cars instead.
Hua Hin's green songthaews
Hua Hin's songthaews are green and follow Phet Kasem Road through town, between the airport area in the north and Khao Takiap in the south, with the night market as the midpoint. Local guides put the fare at about 15 baht per leg in 2026, so a ride across the midpoint can cost twice that. We found no official fare table, so have small change ready and watch what other passengers hand over.
Service is frequent by day and thins out in the evening, when you will usually need a taxi or Grab to get back to your hotel. Our Hua Hin area guide explains which parts of town lie on the route.
Islands and smaller towns
On Koh Chang, Koh Phangan and in Krabi, songthaews work as shared taxis along the main roads, often with a price list at the pier or a fixed rate for each beach. Prices are higher than in the cities because the roads are hilly and the passengers fewer. Agree the fare before you get in, and expect a surcharge after dark. On Koh Chang's steep west coast, a songthaew is safer than riding a scooter yourself unless you already ride confidently on hills.
Safety in the back of a pickup
There are no seat belts, the sides are open and the driver cannot see you well. Sit down and hold the rail, keep bags on your lap and arms inside, and do not stand on the rear step unless every seat is taken and the truck is moving slowly. Keep small children seated between adults, away from the open back. If you ride a scooter yourself, our sister site explains why songthaews stop without warning and how to keep your distance.
Songthaew, tuk-tuk, motorbike taxi or Grab?
A songthaew is the cheapest choice for a trip along its route. A tuk-tuk is a private three-wheeler that costs more and needs bargaining. A motorbike taxi is quicker in traffic but riskier. When you want a door-to-door price before you set off, especially at night, Grab is the simplest option in all four cities.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a songthaew in Thailand?
Prices vary from city to city. In October 2026 a Pattaya baht bus costs 15 or 20 baht, a Chiang Mai red truck about 30 baht per person within the city, a Phuket blue bus about 30 to 50 baht to the beaches, and a Hua Hin green songthaew about 15 baht per leg.
How do you stop a songthaew and get off?
Wave it down from the roadside with your hand low. To get off, press the buzzer or button on the roof; the driver stops almost at once. Then walk to the front passenger window and pay the driver in cash.
Is the Pattaya baht bus still 10 baht?
No, that fare is outdated. Operators raised the fare on 10 April 2026 to 15 baht on the main city routes and 20 baht on longer routes such as Jomtien and Naklua. If you ask the driver to leave the route, it becomes a private hire with a higher price.
Do Chiang Mai's red trucks have fixed routes?
No. They act as shared taxis: tell the driver your destination before you get in, and he takes you there along with other passengers going the same way. The colored trucks from Chang Phuak and Warorot, by contrast, run fixed routes out of town.
Are songthaews safe?
They are slow and widely used, but there are no seat belts and the back is open. Stay seated, hold the rail, keep children away from the rear step and avoid riding on the step yourself, especially on hills and fast roads.
Sources
- Pattaya Mail – Cost burden forces Pattaya songthaew fare adjustment to 15–20 baht (11 April 2026) (checked October 2026)
- TAGTHAi – Getting around Chiang Mai (checked October 2026)
- Phuket 101 – Phuket blue bus and EV bus (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – Transport services and cities (checked October 2026)