plenty of room in the seats,the staff were friendly and helpful at all times, so thats why i gave it 5 stars no complaints at all off me and will use them again next time i go 2 Mukdahan for sure.
First of, technically this wasn't a VIP trip, but a 1st class - don't know what the difference is, could just see from the counter that VIP is 150 baht more than the one I had.
Regardless of the status, these busses are just not comfortable. It may look luxurious and the seats are wider than standard (only 3 per row), but they are hard and extremely uncomfortable. They cut off the blood from your legs and it's impossible to find a good position for sleeping, since the back is just not made for human anatomy. And not sure what designer still thinks that leather is a good idea...
On the upside, the bus left on time and arrived only 20 mins late, according to schedule. The staff was friendly and professional.
If you're doing a night ride then bring ear plugs and eye mask, as they tend to start letting people off every so often for the last couple hours. Neck pillow goes without saying. Blankets were provided along with a bottle of water and a snack. 20 min. break halfway.
Seat did not lay flat as I have had in the past, food awful, driver too fast and my case was temporarily stolen by people boarding the bus to Savannaket at Mukdahan. Luckily I recognised it
Buying a ticket online meant a) I paid 2 extra service fees, and b) that when I went to check in at the desk at Mo Chit station, nobody knew what to do. I was literally sent to 8 desks before someone just told me to go to Platform 47 to wait for my bus. Turns out my bus was coming to platform 49, but luckily the lady at 47 was able to help me. Also, seats are designed for short people, so anyone over 5' 5", be ready to be uncomfortable the whole time. They include a sandwich with the ticket, but honestly I would have rather had a slight price drop and no food. This bus cost 150 baht more than "Gold" service bus, as it's supposed to be VIP, but I saw literally no difference between the 2 levels of service (I took gold last time). Bus was supposed to arrive at Mukdahan at 0600, we arrived after 0715. Not a big deal, except that i needed to be in line at the Thai embassy as early as possible, and being delayed over an hour makes a huge difference where/if one will get a spot in line (because from Mukdahan there are still several more processes and buses to to go through before finally arriving to the Embassy or wherever the final destination is.)
Adequate. Usb chargers worked, water and snacks ok. Safe trip was had, early arrival. More expensive than Nakhon chai air, but not a better product. Bus was old.
I have always used this bus service. It was just so comfortable with all the comforts one would need. However I stepped on the bus on Wednesday night and couldn't recognize it anymore. I had no television screen and charging port for my phone. The massage chair wasn't working and the aircons were leaking. The only reason I have given two stars is because the onboard staff and service still remains top notch. Come on Sahaphan Tours please maintain your buses and keep your passengers comfy on those long trips.
They told me they were overbooked ( I purchased my tix several days before and had seat assignment). They wanted me to sit in the seat next to the driver. Which I did for a moment bc I needed to get to my destination. Then I realized I paid for vip and should receive some sort of refund-discount. I spoke with the woman at the desk and she confirmed my seat. She then told the driver and then I was allowed to go to my seat. I am truly confused as to why they would not let me go to the top of the bus. When I got to my seat and we left ... there were two open seats.
Disappointing. Old bus old chairs. Airco too cold. Chairs too small. Blankets to sort. Ceiling was wet because the airco. Drups of condensatie water kept falling from the ceiling on my body at a rate of about 1 per five minutes..... disturbing my sleep.
The bus and the journey were excellent. But the conductor could learn at least some english words, I suggest : stop, ten minutes, where do you get off, meal...
Thank you.
Alena
The VIP24 is pretty disappointing, it appeared that the VIP32 buses were much newer and from the outside did not appear much less spacious. But the only seats available via 12go are right above the toilet, so you get intermittent bus-toilet stench. Does not begin to compare with Nakhonchai Air, next time I’ll choose less space without the toilet stench.
No bad surprises, easy trip. Blankets are provided so you don't need to pack any clothing for the extensive A/C
...though not every seat has a usb-charger.
We missed our bus, our fault. In spite of that, they went to incredible lengths to get us on another bus and to arrive at Mukdahan as quickly as possible. The bus was extremely comfortable, very well driven and we were very well cared and catered for. They were exceptional.
The host in the bus was a very rude young kid. The blanket smelled so bad that I wanted to vomit the entire time we were traveling. The TV wasn't working properly and the AC was turned on very high while it had need raining all night.
Clean, comfortable and such good service. Each seat has its own screen so you can enjoy the onboard entertainment. Felt like you on an international flight. Will use this bus service again.