At first, it was intimidating because of the language barrier and not knowing what time I should be at the pickup point but in the end, it was so easy. There is only one route the bus takes so there is no way to get lost. It drops you off at the same place at which it picks you up. My first time taking the van, I was with my new Thai friend, Palmy, and she explained what to do on the bus. First, you go to the counter and pay the 15 baht to the driver of the bus who sits at the desk. Then when the bus is full, he will get in and start driving. It usually takes 30 minutes to get to the mall from the University because it is not a straight highway to the mall. He has to circle the small town and then go on his way to the mall. Plus, traffic in Thailand is always bad. The roads are always packed with cars, buses, trucks and scooters. So it takes a while to get to the mall. The vans are also on a cycle. If you miss the van, there will be another one in 30 minutes. It is a system the University has perfected over time. The vans seat 13 people and have air conditioning inside which is always great in the hot Thai weather.
I believe that using vans strengthens the Thai culture. Not only are university students riding this van, but also local residents. The University is a meeting point for people near Rangsit. It is a huge building with its own food vendors and 7-11 grocery stores so it creates a meeting space for people, both students and regular people. I have ridden the van with both University students and ordinary people who need a ride to the mall. I say the mall because I only go to Future Park (the mall) to go shopping.
