Pattaya: New motorway set to open! Free in May - 130 baht from Bangkok to U-Tapao in August

[Rimmer]

A personal attack has been removed.

[Leaver]

21 hours ago, steve187 said:

what you think its only guests in the country that drive on the toll roads, the Thais built it so the Thais will come

You misunderstand my question.

 

There is a price point for these things?

 

Would you pay 200, 300, 500, 800, or a 1000 baht to use this road?

 

There is a price point when Thai's will not use it, and a price point when even farang will not use it.

 

This price point may not be what Thai's are prepared t pay, or can afford. 

[steve187]

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

You misunderstand my question.

 

There is a price point for these things?

 

Would you pay 200, 300, 500, 800, or a 1000 baht to use this road?

 

There is a price point when Thai's will not use it, and a price point when even farang will not use it.

 

This price point may not be what Thai's are prepared t pay, or can afford. 

all tolls are priced the same i believe, tolls will continue to be used, as it speeds the journey and misses most of the traffic

Edited February 16, 2020 by steve187

[Leaver]

Just now, steve187 said:

all tolls are priced the same i believe, 

i only ever get a private driver to Bangkok, so I have never taken any notice of tolls.

 

Are you sure all tolls, for all roads, in Thailand, are the same price? 

[digbeth]

On 2/14/2020 at 10:36 AM, bkk6060 said:

I guess if one is driving to Rayong or Sattahip, this will save some time.

But, I do not get the excitement of their comments of taking it from BKK to UTP.

Maybe I am missing something.  If a person is in BKK with 2 much larger airports and flight options, why drive 90 minutes+ to UTP for a flight?

 

Parking almost makes it worth it, I regularly fly to Chiang Mai from UTP, having moved to Bangkok, arranging transfers from central Bangkok to Donmueang or Swampy is a pain, and the drive from Bangkok to Pattaya is 1 and half hours tops, I've been stuck in front of Donmueang for longer 

[balo]

A bus ticket from Pattaya to Bangkok is 130 baht, same as the new toll fees.  If you visit Bangkok several times in a month I would just take the bus and meter taxi in Bangkok.   

[bkk6060]

9 hours ago, digbeth said:

Bangkok to Pattaya is 1 and half hours tops, I've been stuck in front of Donmueang for longer 

Really?

Waiting at the front of DMK for 90 minutes for what?

There are several efficient ways to get quickly to DMK I have never waited more then a few minutes.

But, if wasting time, paying tolls, gas driving to Rayong (hope there is not an accident delaying an extra hour or so) for a flight is best for you, great.

[longball53098]

They are reporting "Free" until August so does that mean if I collect the toll card at the first booth in Bangkok when I exit at the Ban Chang end the whole trip is "free"? I don't think so! Or If I enter at the BC end going all the way to Swampy the trip is "free"?  I don't think so.

How are they going to collect for the portion that is not free? The new toll booths at the south end are not ready yet.

[jonclark]

On 2/14/2020 at 10:13 AM, murikamba said:

Police vistims becuase many tourists want to drive motor cycle without a license. Yes, yes, yes many Thais also don't have licenses. But it is their country and they should get some concessions. Why farangs will enjoy they same concessions?

Lol - Great post.  Thank you. Comedy Gold. A true modern day classic. 

[sandyf]

19 hours ago, Leaver said:

You misunderstand my question.

 

There is a price point for these things?

 

Would you pay 200, 300, 500, 800, or a 1000 baht to use this road?

 

There is a price point when Thai's will not use it, and a price point when even farang will not use it.

 

This price point may not be what Thai's are prepared t pay, or can afford. 

It is all relative, if you want it you will pay, you only have to look at the Bangkok expressways.

[sandyf]

On 2/15/2020 at 11:57 AM, bkk6060 said:

Driving to UTP for what?

The flights are very limited from UTP.  Why would someone spend 1000 b + on a taxi and 90+ minutes when 20 times the number of flights (chiang mai for example) to similar and many more destinations are leaving from BKK airports?

But, good luck with it if it makes sense to you.

 

Depends where you live and where you want to go, certainly make a big difference to those that live in that direction. The stretch between Sattahip and Pattaya can be a real nightmare at times.

If I remember right there was talk of more international routes from UTP once the infrastructure was in place, so it is a bit of wait and see.

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

It is all relative, if you want it you will pay, you only have to look at the Bangkok expressways.

A road's toll is supposed to be at a price point that pays for the road's construction, whilst still being affordable for the masses to use. 

[phetchy]

There are approximately 30 Kms of practically dead straight motorway between Pattaya and U-Tapao.  There are three very slight bends.  It's going to hurt the income of the nearby Bira race circuit, 130 Baht against 3,500?   William Hill are offering longer odds on Liverpool winning the Premier League than there not being a fatality on the new road within a week.

Edited February 17, 2020 by phetchy
additional info

[Golden Triangle]

There are probably loads of people that travel from Bangkok and that sort of area that come for the weekends and/or the long holiday weekends who have their own condos or favourite hotel out the other side of Pattaya, Bang Saray, Sattahip, Rayong etc who will use it regularly, at the moment the only option, unless you know the area well is to go to the end of the 7 where it joins the Sukhamvit road, which can be a nightmare on a Friday or any other busy time, and then face umpteen sets of lights and other hazards to get along to Sattahip / rayong etc.

 

I think it will be well used, and yes a bad smash and a few fatalities in the first couple of weeks is par for the course here.

[androokery]

On 2/15/2020 at 5:57 AM, bkk6060 said:

Driving to UTP for what?

The flights are very limited from UTP.  Why would someone spend 1000 b + on a taxi and 90+ minutes when 20 times the number of flights (chiang mai for example) to similar and many more destinations are leaving from BKK airports?

But, good luck with it if it makes sense to you.

 

Are there no exits/connections on this stretch of road between UTP and Bangkok? Can it only be used for transportation between these two points?

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

the only option, unless you know the area well is to go to the end of the 7 where it joins the Sukhamvit road, which can be a nightmare on a Friday or any other busy time, and then face umpteen sets of lights and other hazards to get along to Sattahip / rayong etc.

Why don't they head up Hwy 36 and/or 331?

Most people have the phone to show them the way now.

[longball53098]

10 hours ago, androokery said:

Are there no exits/connections on this stretch of road between UTP and Bangkok? Can it only be used for transportation between these two points?

Yes there are 2 exit/entries between Ban Chang and north Pattaya. Going south from Pattaya the first exit will get you to Sukhumvit just south of the Ambassador Hotel area opposite Ocean Marina and the second exit further south will take you to Hwy 331 as another means of getting to Utapao 

[steve187]

11 hours ago, androokery said:

Are there no exits/connections on this stretch of road between UTP and Bangkok? Can it only be used for transportation between these two points?

the new extension to the 7 road will go to mataphut,

 

so coming from mataphut the new road goes over the sukhumvit road ( 3 road ) at ban chang with entry and exit roads,

 

it then crosses the 331 road again with exit and entry roads,

then on towards Bangkok then there is a left turn off toward pattaya ambassador ( sukhumvit road), it looks like at this junction you can only stay on the 7 road, no exit/entry onto minor roads,

 

it then has another junction where there is a left exit to north pattaya and straight on with a right bend to wards Bangkok,

 

then after a few kilometres there is the existing junction with the 36 road( which is the junction where traffic from sattahip, ban chang, mataphut etc, now joins the 7 road and the start of the existing 100 baht charge)

 

map here - https://bit.ly/3bNt9Zx centred on the sukhumvit bang chang junction

[Toosetinmyways]

Took a taxi from Pattaya to Ban Chang last week. Exited Sukhumwit somewhere (I don't know Pattaya) and managed to get on to the motorway. Exited at 331. At the junction of 331 and 332? they are constructing a flyover. So going to Utapao from 331 motorway exit the only bottle neck will be the crossing Sukhumvit at Kilo sip.

[sandyf]

13 hours ago, Leaver said:

A road's toll is supposed to be at a price point that pays for the road's construction, whilst still being affordable for the masses to use. 

And how does that relate to the opinion by some that the Thais do not want to pay to use what has been provided.

Do the Thai tolls fall outside your definition of what they should be?

When they put the toll on the stretch between Chonburi and Pattaya I thought the 40 baht quite reasonable. My wife disagreed and started taking routes to avoid it but after returning to the congestion that posed, soon changed her mind. Convenience is a great motivator. 

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, androokery said:

Are there no exits/connections on this stretch of road between UTP and Bangkok? Can it only be used for transportation between these two points?

Of course there are. The No 7 tolls start at at Lat Krabang just south of the airport and I think there are 7 exits between there and Pattaya. Don't know about the Pattaya to UTP section yet.

[Fruit Trader]

On 2/17/2020 at 9:22 AM, longball53098 said:

They are reporting "Free" until August so does that mean if I collect the toll card at the first booth in Bangkok when I exit at the Ban Chang end the whole trip is "free"? I don't think so! Or If I enter at the BC end going all the way to Swampy the trip is "free"?  I don't think so.

How are they going to collect for the portion that is not free? The new toll booths at the south end are not ready yet.

EXAT on 1543 should provide latest info on which new exit tolls will be active during the free period. A recent inquiry at the Nongprue M1 toll office suggested tolls will be collected and tickets issued at H3 exits during the free period.

 

Example - If a ticket is picked up at the Ladkrabang toll the exit machines at highway 3 U-Tapao will charge the same as if you exit at Pattaya during the free period.

There will be three toll gates Sukhumvit H3 + Highway 331 + Sukhumvit H3 final.

[androokery]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

Of course there are. The No 7 tolls start at at Lat Krabang just south of the airport and I think there are 7 exits between there and Pattaya. Don't know about the Pattaya to UTP section yet.

I thank you and others for answering. I figured this new road can be used for a lot more than just transport one way from Bangkok to U Tapao airport, as @Bkk6060 seemed to suggest. ????

[sandyf]

27 minutes ago, androokery said:

I thank you and others for answering. I figured this new road can be used for a lot more than just transport one way from Bangkok to U Tapao airport, as @Bkk6060 seemed to suggest. ????

It was misleading for anyone to suggest it was a new road, the first stretches have been open for about 20 years. The stretch from Chonburi to Pattaya has been in use for several years but the tolls have only been introduced fairly recently. Up until then the toll barrier was right across the motorway near Chonburi and it was free going south from there.

It is only the extension from Pattaya to UTP that is new.

[Leaver]

6 hours ago, sandyf said:

And how does that relate to the opinion by some that the Thais do not want to pay to use what has been provided.

Do the Thai tolls fall outside your definition of what they should be?

When they put the toll on the stretch between Chonburi and Pattaya I thought the 40 baht quite reasonable. My wife disagreed and started taking routes to avoid it but after returning to the congestion that posed, soon changed her mind. Convenience is a great motivator. 

Your wife could afford it.  She has a farang.  

 

The question is, can / will the average Thai pay it?  They may have to put up with the inconvenience of congestion because they simply may not be able to afford it, especially if it's a daily commute. 

 

Even in western countries people detour tolls. 

 

Some harsh economy times are coming to Thailand.  It will be interesting to see if locals are prepared to pay this toll. 

[tinca tinca]

On 2/18/2020 at 7:40 AM, jacko45k said:

Why don't they head up Hwy 36 and/or 331?

Most people have the phone to show them the way now.

i use the sun to help guide me !! and time !!

[sandyf]

On 2/18/2020 at 4:46 PM, Leaver said:

Your wife could afford it.  She has a farang.  

 

The question is, can / will the average Thai pay it?  They may have to put up with the inconvenience of congestion because they simply may not be able to afford it, especially if it's a daily commute. 

 

Even in western countries people detour tolls. 

 

Some harsh economy times are coming to Thailand.  It will be interesting to see if locals are prepared to pay this toll. 

"The question is, can / will the average Thai pay it? " 

As I said before , you only have to look at the gridlocked expressways to see how many Thais are quite prepared to pay the tolls.

Of course you could maintain that it is not average Thais that pay the tolls, maybe they all have a falang.

 

[Leaver]

9 hours ago, sandyf said:

"The question is, can / will the average Thai pay it? " 

As I said before , you only have to look at the gridlocked expressways to see how many Thais are quite prepared to pay the tolls.

Of course you could maintain that it is not average Thais that pay the tolls, maybe they all have a falang.

 

Are you suggesting there are no "rat runs" to avoid tolls here? 

[bkk6060]

On 2/18/2020 at 3:03 PM, androokery said:

I thank you and others for answering. I figured this new road can be used for a lot more than just transport one way from Bangkok to U Tapao airport, as @Bkk6060 seemed to suggest. ????

Wrong and no.

It is being advertised as a route from Bangkok to UTP airport.

My point was why drive 90 minutes, pay a taxi or transport, pay tolls, to an airport that has minimal options compared to Bangkok.

Of course common sense would dictate there are other links coming off this road.  But, that was not my point...

 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by bkk6060

[Don Mega]

On 2/18/2020 at 3:03 PM, androokery said:

I thank you and others for answering. I figured this new road can be used for a lot more than just transport one way from Bangkok to U Tapao airport, as @Bkk6060 seemed to suggest. ????

Hopefully it eases the congestion on Sukhumvit road with al the people that head to Sattahip.