Roadblock Watch

[brucec64]

2 hours ago, SidJames said:

I'm looking to do some shopping.

Any update on 8?

Checkpoint 8 was moved a few kms closer into the city as of 1pm today. Very light traffic and I was able to get through with a blown up (back and front) copy of my drivers licence.

[johng]

22 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

Checkpoint 8 was moved a few kms closer into the city as of 1pm today

Strange I wonder why they did that ?

[brucec64]

45 minutes ago, johng said:

Strange I wonder why they did that ?

I heard the traffic got backed up a lot yesterday evening.

[johng]

Well if they moved it then now it seems there is a way to sneak in/out I'll investigate that tomorrow.

[Kerryd]

21 hours ago, AtlasAus said:

I hope they keep them past this mess.... Gets very hot sitting there awaiting the light change ????

Lol - once the restrictions are lifted those canopies would be trashed in hours by the mass of overloaded trucks that'd be crashing through them !

And those canopies aren't some new thing they just had built for this occasion. They use those for a bunch of different events and then they go back into storage. 
You've probably seen the same ones at political events and music events and maybe fireworks events and so on, just never really noticed them before because they weren't set up across a highway before. (Also, notice how they aren't big enough to cover all the lanes ?)

There are companies that supply those types of canopies and others for various events, just like the companies that set up stages and lighting for various events.

And the lights in Pattaya aren't that bad. Sheesh, try upcountry where you see a light turn red and then realize you've got 3+ minutes to wait. I recall one intersection I went through that seemed to take forever. We got there just as the light went red and I swear we had time to go grab a coffee and come back before it changed again.

On the way back we hit the same intersection again and that's when I noticed, each direction had a 90 second timer, regardless of how much traffic there was. So if you hit it like we did, you had a 4 1/2 minute wait until you got a green.

So glad I wasn't on the bike then. Much nicer in her air conditioned car !
 

[prk888]

if the checks at #8 have been moved northwards on Suk then it will allow north bound traffic to turn right (east) to railway road, then left (north)  and then off and away …… wont it?

[topt]

 

7 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Went up to the hardware store this morning and checkpoint 8 was starting to back up a fair way.

 

3 hours ago, brucec64 said:

Checkpoint 8 was moved a few kms closer into the city as of 1pm today. Very light traffic and I was able to get through with a blown up (back and front) copy of my drivers licence.

Curious - are they asking to see the form you are supposed to fill in or not? (my gf got stopped on Friday coming from dark side back into Pattaya and was told to go to the 7/11 but she just followed the other traffic and nothing happened......)

 

 

[brucec64]

2 minutes ago, topt said:

 

 

Curious - are they asking to see the form you are supposed to fill in or not? (my gf got stopped on Friday coming from dark side back into Pattaya and was told to go to the 7/11 but she just followed the other traffic and nothing happened......)

 

 

They did not ask to see my form, even though I did have one signed by the condo manager. They did however give the thai guy in front of me a form and told him to have it filled in next time. Not sure if he was a pattaya resident or not.

[Don Mega]

8 minutes ago, topt said:

 

 

Curious - are they asking to see the form you are supposed to fill in or not? (my gf got stopped on Friday coming from dark side back into Pattaya and was told to go to the 7/11 but she just followed the other traffic and nothing happened......)

 

 

No idea,I live khao noi...and was heading to Thaiwatsadu... noticed the mess at checkpoint 8 so just went to Hardwarehouse instead.

[SidJames]

Does anyone know what time they man these checkpoints?

I mean actual police officers on duty rather than the time that they are supposed to be on point.

[Susco]

1 hour ago, topt said:

 

 

Curious - are they asking to see the form you are supposed to fill in or not? (my gf got stopped on Friday coming from dark side back into Pattaya and was told to go to the 7/11 but she just followed the other traffic and nothing happened......)

 

 

I went into town this afternoon, I live East of Pattaya.

 

I went for the checkpoint at Pattaya Klang and had my pink id card and first page of my passport printed on an A4 and on the dashboard.

 

The policeman didn't look at it but asked for driver licence and passport. I gave him driver license and pink ID.

 

He then asked if I was a tourist, as if they would have a pink ID, so I told him I live here.

 

He let me continue on my way to big c, without checking my temperature.

 

That was at 4.30pm and there were only 2 cars in front of me

[fforest1]

So sometimes they take your temperature sometimes they dont...

Sometimes they want to see that form sometimes they dont

Sometimes they look at your id sometimes they dont

Sometimes they care about masks sometimes they dont

Edited April 19, 2020 by fforest1

[fforest1]

Has anyone noticed anyone on motorbikes just ignoring the checkpoints and driving through them....

[Guderian]

18 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Lol - once the restrictions are lifted those canopies would be trashed in hours by the mass of overloaded trucks that'd be crashing through them !

And those canopies aren't some new thing they just had built for this occasion. They use those for a bunch of different events and then they go back into storage. 
You've probably seen the same ones at political events and music events and maybe fireworks events and so on, just never really noticed them before because they weren't set up across a highway before. (Also, notice how they aren't big enough to cover all the lanes ?)

There are companies that supply those types of canopies and others for various events, just like the companies that set up stages and lighting for various events.


 

 

It's a pity that they've just finished resurfacing a large part of Sukhumvit and now they've drilled dozens of holes into it so that the canopies won't blow away.

[SidJames]

Has anyone been through today?

[johng]

2 hours ago, Guderian said:

 

It's a pity that they've just finished resurfacing a large part of Sukhumvit and now they've drilled dozens of holes into it so that the canopies won't blow away.

Not to worry the upcoming floods  will cause more damage ????

[Kerryd]

27 minutes ago, johng said:

Not to worry the upcoming floods  will cause more damage ????

Or they'll fill in the holes and we'll have a bunch of small bumps on the road that are annoying to cars and trucks and deadly to motorcycles.

Or they'll do that thing they love to do where they end up with a long, raised bump in the middle of the lane, 2 inches (5 cms) high and however long/wide, with no markings or warnings until you are almost on top of it and have no time to react.

[SidJames]

23 hours ago, johng said:

Well if they moved it then now it seems there is a way to sneak in/out I'll investigate that tomorrow.

Did you have a look see John?

[Pilotman]

On 4/18/2020 at 3:05 PM, brucec64 said:

Checkpoint 8 was moved a few kms closer into the city as of 1pm today. Very light traffic and I was able to get through with a blown up (back and front) copy of my drivers licence.

where to exactly, a few kms could mean anywhere? 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Pilotman

[johng]

7 minutes ago, SidJames said:

Did you have a look see John?

No I forgot that today is Sunday  my wife's day off  so spending time with her, however she  just told me that they are giving out (WuFlu) freebies near the Na-Jomtien police station ( furniture  warehouse)  which  is on the  sneak in/out road.

[Pilotman]

Is the Pattaya Floating Market site in or out of the road blocks? 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Pilotman

[SidJames]

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Is the Pattaya Floating Market site in or out of the road blocks? 

As far as I know it's inside if you are going North on the 3 & outside if you are going South.

Does that make sense to you as I know it sounds odd but the middle grass verge acts as a border?

[Jai Dee]

19 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Is the Pattaya Floating Market site in or out of the road blocks? 

 

It is inside checkpoint 8 and it is closed for business.

[Kerryd]

12 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

 

It is inside checkpoint 8 and it is closed for business.

Still a star ! ????

 

[fforest1]

13 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

 

It is inside checkpoint 8 and it is closed for business.

Thats what the Floating market gets for making farang pay 200 baht but letting Thais go free...lol

[treetops]

On 4/19/2020 at 5:37 AM, Guderian said:

It's a pity that they've just finished resurfacing a large part of Sukhumvit and now they've drilled dozens of holes into it so that the canopies won't blow away.

I don't think there's any.  The supports are anchored by huge water containers.  Going by the size of the big ones, they could be about 2 or 3 tonnes each if full.

 

[johng]

22 hours ago, SidJames said:

Did you have a look see John?

So I just went and "had a look"    and they are not half as daft as I had thought ????

turning left (when heading north) at the old Number 8 checkpoint traffic lights at Na-Jomtien temple and then onto  "Loong Sawai" and "Pboo ben"  restaurants onto Jomtien beach road  and voilà ( near the old police box)

 

so thought maybe could get onto Jomtien second road  but foiled again !!  <deleted> ????

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by johng

[Kerryd]

It's almost like they know where those roads are !!

I didn't think they'd be able to block them all though, and surely there are a few "trails" one could use to sneak through (until the cops see those being used and block them as well).

Looking at Google maps and there does appear to be a few dirt trails that might get you onto Jomtien 2nd road but there must be some more barricades as well, like where # 2 road joins Sukhumvit.

Wouldn't make sense to have a barricade at the Chaiyapruek Intersection if everyone could just use the #2 Road to go around it.

[johng]

There is still one or 2 roads  around the "Chocolate factory" but probably has barriers as well.

[Jai Dee]

On 4/20/2020 at 2:39 PM, johng said:

So I just went and "had a look"    and they are not half as daft as I had thought

 

Just as well I didn't try your alternative route... I had to visit the bank in Central Festival earlier this afternoon, and was considering your route, but decided to press on along Sukhumvit instead.

 

Coming up to checkpoint 8 I was in the left most lane (2, as 1 is for motorcycs) then too late the missus said I should be in lane 3 as 2 is for Banglamung residents. I had my driving licence (Sattahip Chonburi) enlarged to A4 size in B&W on the dashboard and after the temperature check was just waved through by the soldier... so it's pretty haphazard as to documentation checking.

 

No further issues on the way into town.

 

Getting out however is a bit tricky! After exiting from Central Festival (onto second road as the beach road exit is blocked) turned right onto Pattaya Klang and on up to Sukhumvit. The right hand turn lanes are blocked so so option but to turn left then perform a U-turn just before Soi Siam Country Club traffic lights. If you wish to continue south on Sukhumvit you must immediately manoeuvre into the left hand lane as all the other lanes are blocked for temp/doc checks and a right turn into Pattaya Klang... no options to go straight. The same for Pattaya Tai and Thepprasit. 

 

Not a big drama, just a bit tricky the first time you do it.

 

And be wary of motocycs... they still want to go where they think they can go without signalling and sometimes against traffic flow... so take it easy.