Tara Tour and Travel vs Glassflower
Compare Tara Tour and Travel and Glassflower — routes, service areas, and coverage across Thailand. See where they overlap and where each operator goes its own way.
Operator A Tara Tour and Travel vs 
Operator B Glassflower What travellers say: Tara Tour and Travel vs Glassflower
Reviewers give Glassflower consistently higher marks than Tara Tour and Travel for reliability and comfort on Thailand routes. Book either operator through ThailandBoatTickets.com and reach our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram or Facebook for help.
Tara Tour and Travel
Tara Tour and Travel earns a 3.76 average rating, with travellers noting it usually gets them to destinations like Chiang Mai or Koh Chang at a low price and sometimes with extras such as water, snacks or a burger, yet complaints about delays of 1-3 hours, confusing minivan-to-bus transfers, rude Khao San office staff, overcharging compared with station tickets, poor English communication and uncomfortable older vehicles dominate the feedback.
Glassflower
Glassflower holds a 4.66 average rating, with reviewers praising punctual or early arrivals, friendly and helpful drivers, clean comfortable vehicles and door-to-door service on routes including Bangkok to Koh Chang, though occasional issues like driver phone use, fatigue on long trips, vehicle mismatches and separate ferry-fee disputes are mentioned.
Glassflower draws far more consistent praise for service quality while Tara shows greater variability, so travellers seeking smoother experiences tend to favour the former when arranged via ThailandBoatTickets.com.
Pros & cons
Tara Tour and Travel Pros
- Cheap fares and good value for money on many routes
- Friendly and helpful individual staff and drivers often praised by name
- Complimentary extras including water, snacks, McDonald's burgers, blankets and meal vouchers on longer routes
- Comfortable reclining seats, USB ports and AC on better buses and vans
- Safe arrivals and smooth rides especially on Van Standard class (e.g. Chiang Mai–Pai)
Cons
- Frequent lateness and delays of 1–3 hours or more, with journeys often exceeding advertised times
- Confusing minivan-to-bus transfers and hand-offs to other operators, leading to expectations not met
- Feeling overcharged compared to booking directly at stations
- Poor communication, minimal English and disorganized boarding or overbooking
- Variable vehicle condition including old buses, cramped seats, non-working AC/USB and stinky toilets
Glassflower Pros
- High average rating with 92% positive reviews and strong punctuality, often arriving early
- Friendly, polite and helpful drivers who provide flexible stops and good after-service
- Comfortable, clean vehicles with good AC, especially in premium classes like Luxury SUV and Comfort Car
- Safe and smooth driving on most trips with door-to-door convenience and free water
- Proactive communication and reliable service on core routes like Bangkok–Pattaya and Bangkok–Koh Chang
Cons
- Occasional driver phone use while driving and fatigue on long routes raising safety concerns
- Lateness, no-shows or trips taking longer than advertised
- Vehicles sometimes not matching booking photos or class, especially on Cambodia legs or basic vans
- Ferry-fee disputes on Koh Chang/Samet routes where drivers request extra payment
- Meeting-point confusion at airports and language barriers causing occasional wrong drop-offs
Service areas at a glance
Based on currently active routes for each operator.
Both operators 26
Only Tara Tour and Travel 10
Only Glassflower 38
Routes & coverage compared
Both operators run head-to-head on dozens of routes including Bangkok to Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, Khao Lak, Koh Chang, Koh Phangan, Koh Samet, Koh Samui, Krabi, Mae Sot, Nong Khai, Pai, Phetchaburi, Phitsanulok, Phuket, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Sukhothai, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Trat and Udon Thani, plus Chiang Mai to Bangkok/Pai/Phitsanulok, Kanchanaburi to Bangkok/Chiang Mai, Nong Khai to Chiang Mai/Phuket, Pai to Chiang Mai, Sukhothai to Ayutthaya and Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chanthaburi. Book any of these shared routes at ThailandBoatTickets.com where our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) is available on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook.
Tara Tour and Travel alone covers Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai/Kamphaeng Phet/Lampang/Mae Sot, Bangkok to Cha Am/Kamphaeng Phet/Koh Kood/Koh Lipe/Koh Phayam/Lampang/Phayao/Phrae/Tak/Uttaradit, Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya/Tak, Nong Khai to Hua Hin and multiple Pathumthani departures to northern destinations. Glassflower alone provides extensive additional links such as Bangkok to Buriram/Chaiyaphum/Chumphon/Hat Yai/Kalasin/Khao Sok/Koh Lanta/Mukdahan/Nakhon Pathom/Nakhon Phanom/Nakhon Ratchasima/Nonthaburi/Pattaya/Phetchabun/Ratchaburi/Rayong/Roi Et/Sakon Nakhon/Samut Prakan/Samut Songkhram/Sattahip/Sisaket/Songkhla/Surat Thani/Surin/Ubon Ratchathani/Vientiane/Yasothon plus numerous island, airport and southern connections like Chalong to Khao Lak, Chiang Khong to Chiang Mai, Donsak to Krabi/Phuket and many Pattaya/Koh Samet/Koh Chang loops. Plan and book these unique options at ThailandBoatTickets.com with help from our 24/7 VTA on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook.
Routes both operators run
Same departure and destination — true head-to-head options.
Price distribution
How ticket prices spread across each operator's routes (THB).
Tara Tour and Travel tickets usually fall between 680 THB–1,070 THB (median 880 THB), while Glassflower between 3,610 THB–10,350 THB (median 5,660 THB). On the whole, Tara Tour and Travel offers the cheaper tickets.
Which should you pick?
Frequently asked questions
Tara Tour and Travel vs Glassflower