Thai buses are sexy, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Smooth curves. Flawless style and grace. A beautiful exterior that conceals the workhorse within. The envy of every foreigner. And the ability to fit 38 people comfortably inside. Yes, the magnificent buses of Thailand are some of the fanciest in the world.
But first a gift for all you Pinners 😉
Karaoke + Angry Birds = Thai First ClassThink Karaoke Bar On Wheels
Food. Alcohol. Wifi. Television screens. And a surprisingly loud sound system (which unfortunately is sometimes used for karaoke). And of course countless flashing, spinning and whirling neon disco lights. (Admit it, until the disco lights, you were kind of actually looking forward to these buses, no?) The buses in Thailand turn an ordinarily fast and reckless bus ride into a drunken party on wheels…that also happens to be a fast and reckless bus ride, you just don’t really care as much because you’re getting hammered and belting out off-key tones in what you think is a good voice.
Locals laughing at my fascination with Thai buses
These buses tower over everything around them, especially when they roll into small Thai coastal villages and piers.
Colorful artwork is mandatory on all the fancy Thai buses.
The VIP buses of Pakistan may not be as flashy outside but they are much more decadent inside, even more than the Delhi-Kathmandu Express Mecredes buses with all of their electrical outlets and ability to turn off the speaker to your seat. Some of the VIP buses in Pakistan apparently even include a waitress to serve you!
What does the inside look like?
Stepping into the driver’s cab, there is a staircase on the wraps that leads to the upstairs. Behind the driver’s seat is a large cab with bed, electrical outlets and storage. It takes a three-person team manage these buses, which is why there are two seats up front in addition to the sleeping quarters.
The driver’s area resembles a space shuttle cockpit
Let’s go upstairs….
Normal lights Party lights
Every bus in Thailand loves to brag about how VIP it is
Apparently this bus is the 21+ only bus 😉
This busy may claim to be VIP but given the half-assed job they did fixing the mirror, not so sure I would trust this one
Imagine seeing this in your rear-view mirror
When this bus honks at you, you hear it! Thankfully here in Thailand no one uses their horn as relentlessly as they do in India or Indonesia
The Michelin man is everywhere
For some strange reason the Michelin man adorns every single fancy bus in Thailand despite the fact that most Thai buses either use Maxxis or Bridgestone tires.
What powers these asphalt monsters?
This beast of an engine. To facilitate airflow the back of Thai buses is designed with large openings that will allow you to see the engine running while driving down the highway. When stopped the doors are fully opened to allow for maximum cooling.
Travel Bloggers + Thai Buses
Back in February I flew in to Thailand for a conference on adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Along with several other bloggin’ buddies, including @XpatMatt and @GlobalHelpSwap, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand was nice enough to rent a couple of these party buses for us 😉
Those are some sexy busses
Damn sexy Kenin — everybody wants a ride
so im the only one that thinks they are all a bit garish? and also that karaoke on a bus could quickly descend into a living sort of hell?
Ohhh there is no doubt that everything about these buses — from the artwork to the massive speakers molded into the front cab — is over the top Andrew. Often times they travel in packs of 6 or 8 as well, making them a real sight to see when they come cruising down the tight roads of these little villages with their music and lights blasting. Over the last few months I’ve been in and out around Thailand but regardless of where I am, I always know when the weekend has arrived because all these VIP buses come out to play.
As garish as they may be, they are certainly fun for a short few hour trip — definitely not a 12-hour overnighter 😉
These buses look great! Very colourful OK! Very bright OK. And possibly, ear-piercingly loud very OK, to experience once in a blue moon lol! However, if you’re going to be in a “VIP” bus, I’d pick any of the above, forget a bit of a nap, and make a party out of it!
‘Love it!
Exactly 😉 Not the place to nap but definitely a way to make a short road trip go by even faster! Cheers 😀