Bus No. 8 (Bangkok)

2-38 (8)
Overview
Operator	Private Joint Companies (Ordinary Bus) THAI SMILE BUS Company Limited (Air-Conditioner Bus)
Route
Start	Happy Land Village (Ordinary Bus) Kheha Romklao (Air-Conditioner Bus)
Via	The Mall Lifestore Bangkapi Lat Phrao Road Lat Phrao Intersection   BTS    MRT   Chatuchak Weekend Market Victory Monument   BTS   Ramathibodi Hospital Wat Saket Sampheng
End	Memorial Bridge
Service
Level	Daily
Frequency	5-15 minutes
Operates	04:00-24:00 (Ordinary Bus) 04:00-23:00 (Air-Conditioner Bus)
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Bangkok Bus Line 2-38 (8) operated by Thai Smile Bus Co., Ltd. (TSB)

Bangkok Bus Line 2-38 (8) is a bus route in Bangkok, Thailand. Running between Happy Land Village and Memorial Bridge via Lat Phrao Road, Phahonyothin Road, and Worachak Road. It is operated by many private-joint companies since 1955. ^[1] and Thai Smile Bus Co., Ltd. (TSB) since 2022.

Bus Line 8 is notorious for reckless driving and atrocious customer service. ^[2] Riders filed 345 complaints about the poor services of No. 8 buses in 2015, the highest number of BMTA complaints. ^[3] On average, Bus line 8 receives about 20 complaints per month. ^[4] In informal polling, it has been ranked as the worst bus service in Bangkok. ^[5]

Current route

Bus line 8 operates via these primary locations: ^[6]

• The Mall Lifestore Bangkapi   MRT  
• Vejthani Hospital  MRT  
• Imperial World Ladphrao  MRT  
• Chok Chai 4 Market  MRT  
• Ratchada-Ladphrao Intersection   MRT    MRT  
• Lat Phrao Intersection   BTS    MRT  
• Chatuchak Weekend Market   BTS    MRT  
• Soi Ari   BTS  
• Channel 5 Headquarters   BTS  
• Victory Monument   BTS  
• Ramathibodi Hospital
• Mahidol University Phaya Thai
• Saowani Junction
• Yommarat
• Saphan Khao
• Wat Saket
• Worachak Road
• Sampheng
• Memorial Bridge

Fares and payment method

Bus line 8 is operated by several private companies under concessions from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA). No. 8 line bus drivers are not paid a salary, but rather are paid a percentage of each day's receipts. This motivates them to make as many runs during their shifts as possible to earn more money. ^[3]

Incidents

• The BMTA punished two drivers of the No. 8 bus service for fist fighting on 14 May 2018. A dispute arose over whose bus would get more passengers. The two drivers confessed to having engaged in a fist fight, which was caught on camera and posted online by a Thai social media user. The BMTA fact-finding committee fined the driver who started the fight 5,000 baht and suspended him from work for seven days. His employer, Sap 88, was held accountable for the driver fighting in public and fined 5,000 baht. The second driver was fined 2,000 baht. Both men also received formal warnings. ^[7]
• On 25 March 2016, a No. 8 bus crashed with a motorbike taxi, running over the head of the taxi's female passenger, killing her instantly. This prompted the BMTA to warn operators of No. 8 buses to improve services and ensure passenger safety or lose their concessions. BMTA officials briefed drivers and attendants of No. 8 buses at their terminals before the start of their shifts. They were told to stop at bus stops, not to race against one another, to follow traffic rules, and not to leave the slow, left lanes. ^[3]
• On 23 June 2015, a No. 8 bus crashed headlong into a pickup truck, two cars, and a BTS Skytrain pillar. Two passengers and the driver sustained injuries. The driver was charged with reckless driving. ^{[8] [9] [10]}
• In March 2014, a No. 8 Bus hit and crushed a motorcycle, instantly killing a 13-year-old boy. ^[11]
• In 2011, a person was killed and another injured while waiting at a bus stop when a No. 8 Bus was vying with another bus for space at a bus stop. ^[11]
• In October 2019, the driver of a No. 8 bus was sacked for "...slamming his way past level crossing barriers..." in Bangkok. The incident was captured in a video that went viral on social media. The bus is operated by 39 Group Ltd. which was fined 5,000 baht. ^[12]
• During 16 July 2021 - 31 October 2022, BMTA operates air-conditioned buses, Line 8, on the route "Kheha Romklao - Memorial Bridge"
• In July 2022, private bus line 8 did not pass the service quality assessment from the Department of Land Transport. After this, the line number will be changed to 2-38, serviced by Thai Smile Bus Co., Ltd., which will switch to EV air-conditioned buses instead.
• On 19 August 2022, the Ministry of Transport (Thailand) held a ceremony to open EV bus service, Line 8, by Thai Smile Bus Co., Ltd. ^[13]

Route Map

Reception

Bus line 8 appears in a few video game mods.

• Left 4 Dead 2 ^[14]
• Grand Theft Auto V: The mod that showcase the bus went viral due to a YouTube video uploaded On 30 June 2015. The video shows the bus running amok on Bangkok streets, speeding and hitting buildings, until a final collision sends the bloodied driver flying from the bus. ^[15]

References

1. "ตำนานสาย 8 สุดซิ่งจาก พ.ศ. 2498 สู่รถแบบใหม่ล่าสุดของไทยโดย ขสมก" [Legend of Line 8, super racing from 1955 to the latest model of Thailand by the BMTA]. Urban Creature (in Thai). 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
2. Parpart, Erich (20 August 2018). "Dark enough for you?". Opinion. Bangkok Post. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
3. Mahitthirook, Amornrat; Fredrickson, Terry (22 August 2018). "Bangkok's fearsome No.8 bus line ordered to improve". Bangkok Post.
4. Jitsamruay, Patranit. "Fast & Furious Bus Line 8: An investigation into poor service". Pratchatai English.
5. Phooriphokhai, Krit (December 2016). Bangkok Bus Service Improvement; A Case Study of Bus Line 8 (Thesis). Bangkok: Thammasat University. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
6. Archived 2020-02-15 at the Wayback Machine BMTA Site, Bus Line 8
7. "BMTA punishes rival Route 8 bus drivers after fist-fight". The Nation. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
8. "Fast & Furious: Bus No. 8 slams into skytrain pillar, 3 injured". Coconuts Bangkok. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
9. "เมล์สาย8พุ่งอัด"ตอม่อ" เก๋ง3คันยับ-เจ็บระนาว". เดลินิวส์. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
10. "Anything but lucky, Bangkok's No 8 buses given a "last chance"". The Nation. 2016-04-04. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
11. Jitsamruay, Patranit (2015-08-04). "Fast & Furious Bus Line 8: An investigation into poor service". Pratchatai English. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
12. Charuvastra, Teeranai (10 October 2019). "NO. 8 BUS DRIVER FIRED AFTER IGNORING RAILWAY CROSSING". Khaosod English. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
13. "สาย 8 โฉมใหม่ 'ฟาสต์ ทูฟีลกู้ด' แตะจ่าย พร้อม กัปตันเมล์-บัสโฮสเตส 10 บาทตลอดสาย" [Line 8, new look 'Fast to Feel Good', tap pay with Captain Mail-Bus Hostess, 10 baht throughout the line]. Matichon Online (in Thai). 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
14. "Thailand bus line 8 รถเมล์สาย 8 (Mod) for Left 4 Dead 2 - GameMaps.com" . Retrieved 2024-08-16.
15. "Bus No. 8 finds game fame". Bangkok Post. 2015-07-02. Retrieved 20 August 2018– via PressReader.

External links

• Madness and Mayhem—Bangkok's Fast & Furious Number 8 Bus (good photos)