All Bangkok-Phuket buses cancelled

PHUKET: All interprovincial bus services between Phuket and Bangkok have been suspended, effective today (July 10), as all bus services between Bangkok and Southern Thailand have been cancelled.

The cancellation of bus services was announced by Sanylak Panyawatthanalikit, President of the Transport Co Ltd (BorKorSor), the public company that oversees all interprovincial bus services.

Mr Sanylak said the cancellation follows the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announcement yesterday (July 9) designating Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla as dark-red “highest control” provinces.

As such, all travel within the hours of 9pm to 4am in those provinces is now restricted, Mr Sanylak said.

Hence the cancellation of bus services between Bangkok and anywhere in Southern Thailand came in accordance with instructions from Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob for the relevant agencies to adjust the public bus schedule accordingly and inform the public.

As such, with immediate effect, from today (July 10) until further notice, all southern route bus services are to stop.

Only three bus services from Bangkok to Northern Thailand are to be provided, each providing only one round-trip service a day: Bangkok - Khlong Lan, Bangkok - Lom Sak and Bangkok-Uttaradit.

Northeastern and Eastern routes are open for service on 10 routes: Bangkok - Nong Bua Lamphu; Bangkok - Nakhon Phanom; Bangkok - Loei - Chiang Khan; Bangkok - Surin; Bangkok - Buriram; Bangkok - Ubon Ratchathani; Bangkok - Mukdahan; Bangkok - Rattanaburi; Bangkok - Trat (round-trip); and Bangkok-Saraburi, five round-trips per day.

Bus passengers who booked tickets in advance for travel between July 10-25 and do not wish to travel during that period can contact the BorKorSor to postpone their trip or obtain a full refund at no fee at the ticket office of the bus station of departure at least 3 hours before the departure time, Mr Sanylak said.

Passengers who have used their state welfare card to buy bus tickets will not be granted a refund, but can postpone their trip. Such passengers must inform the relevant BorKorSor office at least three hours before the bus is to depart, he added.

Passengers affected by the cancellation of bus services were advised to call the 1490 hotline or the relevant BorKorSor bus station.