More than 90% of advance bus tickets, for travel from Bangkok to other provinces on December 28^th and 29^th, have been sold.

Managing Director of the state-run Transport Company, Sanlak Panwatanalikit, said Thursday that he estimates that about 55,000 people will use the company’s buses and passenger vans for travel from Bangkok each day on December 28^th and 29^th, an increase of about 5% over last New Year.

On the return trips to Bangkok on January 2^nd and 3^rd, about 53,000 passengers will use the company’s services each day. Altogether, there will be 3,300 bus trips per day for the return trips and 3,500 trips for the travel from Bangkok.

To supplement the company’s bus fleet, to cope with the demand, Sanlak said the company has sought permission from the Land Transport Company to allow private companies to operate 600 buses and passenger vans on Transport Co. bus routes.

He advised passengers to buy tickets from the company’s ticket booths at bus terminals only, to avoid being cheated, and to arrive at bus terminals 2-3 hours in advance.

Most advance bookings are for travel to Chiang Mai, Nakhon Phanom in the Northeast and Hat Yai in the South.