16 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

Always use the toll roads to get through Bangkok. Never descend to the local roads unless you are familar with them and know exactly where to go. Otherwise you will get lost, stuck in traffic jams, get frustrated and loose an hour or more.

 I would never use a toll road from Nakhon Pathom to head his way so the same applies from Phuket. There's no 'local' roads to speak of. It just makes sense travelling on Phet Kasem to Rama 2, to Kanchanapisek, to 1, 2 and onwards. The only spot I see that could cause confusion is the signage getting on road 1 from Kanchanapisek road (9), but that's not a toll issue. 

 

While I understand the OPs anxiety about the tollbooths, some will be slightly different, but they are mostly signed well in advance to 'keep right' for easy pass /MPass (makes sense considering the right lane is the fast lane on the road and using those passes is meant to be faster). If the road is painted blue, then move out of that lane as you're in the wrong one. The booth itself will also have a blue sign saying easy pass on it which is easy to spot. I really dont see what toll road you would use though in bkk. You'd just be going through the center for no reason. If the new one has opened at the number 2 section,then I wouldn't use it either. The original road isn't busy unless you're travelling at a holiday time. 

 

3 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

Hahaha, I'm sorry, I saw Korat on the google map, it should have course said Buriram.

 

But the same sentiment applies, I haven't been there for over twenty years but back then it was the pits.

Avoid farangs?

Regarding point 4. My easy pass has worked on all toll roads for many years. You can buy one immediately after a tollbooth (stay far left). Take your passport and give them some cash to put on it. Normally though you'd have to wait a few hours for it to activate, or that's what they told me anyway and they were right. I had to reverse out. 

12 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

Hahaha, I'm sorry, I saw Korat on the google map, it should have course said Buriram.

 

But the same sentiment applies, I haven't been there for over twenty years but back then it was the pits.

Nothing wrong with Buriram,  infinitely preferable to Phuket.