As backpackers, we spend a lot of the time on buses, trains, boats and planes.
Although the photos we upload to Facebook show is sipping a cold beer watching a sunset on the beach, what you don’t see is the downtime spent waiting at bus stations and going from travel agent to travel agent in the heat trying to get the best price on a bus ticket!
Sometimes, booking transport can be a hassle. There are so many different companies, so many options and so many eager salespeople urging you to buy their ticket! So how do you avoid getting scammed? Despite the fact that the guy in the travel agent is very friendly – how do you know that this is a safe, official company that you are booking with? The fact is you don’t.
Waiting at train stations.
New Online Booking System to book buses and trains!
Recently, we discovered an online transport booking website called 12GO.Asia that allows you to book buses, trains and flights to hundreds of destinations in Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia online. You can even search departures that are leaving the very next day and be certain that you are booking with an official company at a really good price!
You can view the up to date timetable for buses in Thailand here.
Search Departures Now!
Download the app to Your iPhone
You can download the app to your phone via Google Play or the App Store – and book straight from your iPhone or Android. It’s so easy. Click the link here or search 12GO Asia in your application centre – the app is completely free. You can use 12GO.ASIA from anywhere as long as you have Internet access and you can pay quickly and safely by credit or debit card.
So how does it work?
After successful booking of a bus or ferry ticket via the 12GO.Asia website, you’ll receive a booking confirmation number by email or by SMS. All you need to do is print off the PDF file of the e-ticket and show this number to the bus operator. You will also need proof of identity such as a passport or Driving license.
If you are booking a train ticket, as Thailand’s State Railway does not yet accept e-tickets, you need to pick up your ticket at the office. If you like – you can also have the train ticket delivered to your hotel anywhere in Thailand for just 150 baht or $5 USD.
Sleeper Train from Bangkok to Chang Mai, Thailand
Unlike in Europe and the USA, South East Asia has never before had a comprehensive online system to book buses, ferries and trains and that’s why this system is pretty cool, saving backpackers precious time and money.
Stressful haggling over buying a bus ticket to the islands has just become a thing of the past. Waiting in a tuk tuk in a traffic jam to get to the train station just to purchase your ticket direct – you’ll never have to do that again.
And all this means is that you can spend more time relaxing on the beach!
Get to the beautiful Thai islands faster!
Opportunity for Travel Bloggers:
At the moment, 12GO.Asia are looking for travel bloggers to write reviews of their service on their own blogs. They will fund the transportation (bus, ferry, rail, flight) in exchange for honest, full-weight reviews of the journey and destination written up on their personal blog. Can you help? Get in touch with them through their website.
This is a sponsored article.
I went to Thailand in November and booked a train ticket with 12 go Asia to take me from Chiang Mai to Ayuthaya. I arrived on my train to find a young man in my seat. Turned out 12 goasia had booked me a ticket for December NOT November. There were no seats available on the train I had booked and the next train was the night train which went to Bangkok not ayuthaya. I had planned this in advance and didn’t know what to do. How was I to got to Ayuthaya? I couldn’t. I went back to the ticket office and the woman tried to help me but the only option I had was to cancel Ayuthaya (losing 2 days hotel which was not refunded ) a flight and two more hotel rooms in Bangkok. This added approx £150 which I had not budgeted for. I got a refund and then after emailing the company, they asked for the booking flight and hotel info. They lead me to believe they we’re going to compensate me for THEIR mistake. After then saying they won’t and then changing their minds again, I was asked to go to their shop and pick up the money. I’m back in the uk so gave them my PayPal details. I have chased a few times and they are now ignoring me !
Be careful using this company. Booking me on a train a month after I booked it for ruined part of my trip and cost me a lot of money. Maybe worth looking at other options.
This has now been resolved and I have been compensated for their error. A full apology has been received from them and I am now very happy with their customer service.
Thanks, Vanessa, that’s very good to know! We like to hear feedback from companies that we recommend on our website and we’re glad that you had a good experience with them in the end. Happy Christmas! 🙂
NOT RELIABLE AT ALL. Do not book from them. I booked a minibus from Hat Yai Airport to Pak Bara Pier and we’ve been looking for someone to pick us up since 12:30 and no one showed up with no contact information. The last ferry departs at 15:00 and we would surely miss the ferry if we waited more. The trip takes 1.5 hours minimum so at latest we needed to leave at 13:10 from Hat Yai airport and we took taxi, which was a way more expensive option but we were out of choice. We contacted the company and requested for refund from the minibus and they found ALL KIND OF excused and tried to push the responsibilities to us but IT SURELY WAS THEIR ISSUE and refused to give us the money back. horrible customer experience and service. Do not rely on the company at all.
We bought tickets through green bus in thailand online and pay at seven eleven to go from Chiang Mai to the border of Laos. It was heaven. No problems at the bus station and we got to the correct destination, unlike other times.
Where did the Adventure go?
In Thailand- if you have to get it from the office.. WHy not just get it direct at the train station, MRT (Underground) goes Directly there. If you book at the Ticket window It’s a set price. Go secure your place a few days early and walk to china town for lunch and some shopping.
That’s a great day in Bangkok. Come home for a rest… then out for the night.
What else ya going to do? Sit in the room with Jaz?
Soi1david
*As it says above, My chance to be heard, Let’s see how that goes.
Wow. This will potentially save so much hassle and haggling, especially for us newbies embarking on our travels to Asia! Thanks for sharing the website/app. It will definitely be a go-to during my travels 🙂