Pattaya’s traffic nightmare: Deputy mayor tackles commute delays

[webfact]

 

In a bid to combat the chaos caused by the never-ending construction along Sukhumvit Road, Pattaya, Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai took matters into his own hands, leading a team on a mission to bring relief to frustrated commuters.

 

Accompanied by reps from the contracted company, Pattaya police, and Engineering Office staff, the Deputy Mayor rolled up his sleeves and descended upon the North Pattaya traffic lights intersection on January 23. The mission was to tackle the prevailing traffic congestion issue, unleashed by the ongoing 700-metre construction project.

 

The solution is to adjust traffic signal timings to get the vehicular flow moving at a more acceptable pace. Moreover, the contracted company was swiftly ordered to install informative signs. These signs not only update the masses on the ongoing construction saga but also provide a glimmer of optimism with the promised completion date.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of Pattaya Mail

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-25

 

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[ezzra]

Pattaya is a small congested town with badly constructed roadside dwellings and shops, never ending

road works which leads to one lane traffic with huge busses everywhere and hardly a policemen in sight,

it's a mad, messy place, so now wonder why all this is going on, and let me clue ya, it's not going to end any time

soon either...

[Chris Daley]

Went there a few times.  A boring place with a strip of sand beside it.  Saw some people eating out of bins.

[bkk6060]

They really needed to do all this in the middle of high season?

It is a bad mess.  Sukhumvit's issue is the lack of proper warning or coned lane changes to get traffic thru.  Just big holes in the ground find your way around it.  It is these type of stupid issues lack of common sense that make this place 3rd worldish. Broken windows can't get the simple things right the rest goes to S.

[JensenZ]

11 minutes ago, Chris Daley said:

Went there a few times.  A boring place with a strip of sand beside it.  Saw some people eating out of bins.

Yet you visited more than once. Not enough museums for you?

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Moreover, the contracted company was swiftly ordered to install informative signs. These signs not only update the masses on the ongoing construction saga but also provide a glimmer of optimism with the promised completion date

Expect delays for the next few months..

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, Chris Daley said:

Went there a few times.  A boring place with a strip of sand beside it.  Saw some people eating out of bins.

Perhaps you were actually in Hua Hin?

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They really needed to do all this in the middle of high season?

It is a bad mess.  Sukhumvit's issue is the lack of proper warning or coned lane changes to get traffic thru.  Just big holes in the ground find your way around it.  It is these type of stupid issues lack of common sense that make this place 3rd worldish. Broken windows can't get the simple things right the rest goes to S.

The alternative, to head North on The Railway Line Bypass, is of course now getting a lot more traffic on it. Sadly, these morons here still have not grasped the concept of keeping a crossroads clear, and insist on driving half way across on The Waterworks Road junction... Railway Line Rd was tailed back 1/2km due to a couple of such idiots!

[ross163103]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai took matters into his own hands, leading a team on a mission to bring relief to frustrated commuters.

Sorry, but I don't see how his "mission" would bring any relief! In fact it probably added to the chaos as I'm sure him and his entourage came in many vehicles that added to the problem. If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

[newnative]

    All show, nothing more.  They need to eliminate all the parking on North Pattaya and enforce the no parking all the time with traffic wardens and stiff fines.   The problem is way too long waits at traffic signals because there is simply way too much traffic now for just 2 lanes.  Three lanes lets many more cars get thru a signal so the signal cycles can be shorter, helping to eleviate long backups.  

    The markings now are just ludicrous.  For example, by Bangkok Bank near Terminal 21, it's all red and white no parking except for a small stretch of yellow and white temporary parking in front of the bank.  Yesterday, wasn't there one truck parked in the yellow, making all the cars using the lane have to try to merge into the lane to the right, greatly slowing everything down.  So, allowing one car to park fouls everything up for many other cars.  Ludicrous.  It's the same all down the road on both sides heading east and west--allowing a few parking spaces here and there fouls up the whole flow.  True also for most of the other major roads.   None of this is brain science or rocket surgery.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The alternative, to head North on The Railway Line Bypass, is of course now getting a lot more traffic on it. Sadly, these morons here still have not grasped the concept of keeping a crossroads clear, and insist on driving half way across on The Waterworks Road junction... Railway Line Rd was tailed back 1/2km due to a couple of such idiots!

     I have to disagree.  This driving technique at intersections is called 'Be a Train' and it works well in managing traffic where there are no signal lights.  Basically, you be a train of cars, following closely together so no gap is left.  This allows a number of cars going north ans south to travel through the intersection without the stopping and starting that slows everything down.  They go through the intersection like a train. 

    Eventually there will be a gap, and then it's the turn of the traffic going east and west to be a train going through the intersection.  It's the best way to manage taking turns with 4 Way Stop not being used. Sometimes, as you say, the traffic does get stopped in the middle of an intersection but it then flows and gets sorted.

   'Be a Train' also works well with turns at intersections without signal lights.   At our new house on the Darkside, we have to make a right turn against sometimes busy oncoming traffic on Road 3240.  When three or four cars have built up waiting to make the right turn, Be a Train allows them all to make the turn because there is no gap left for the waiting traffic to resume.  A car not being a train--leaving a big gap that allows the ongoing traffic to move again, fouls up the line of cars waiting to turn.  So, be a train when you can--you'll see it helps traffic flow.

[Guderian]

Why make such a fuss about a recently started project? The neverending traffic mess on Sukhumvit by the Soi Wat Bun junction has been going on much longer, causes just as much delay, and shows no sign of ever ending.

[kimothai]

I agree that this road construction could be better coordinated but that’s only half the problem (in my opinion).  The other half I’m referring to is all the double parking.  I see it everywhere and it creates every bit as much chaos/backup as the road work (especially on narrow roads such as Soi Bukaow).  The shame of it is that it could be alleviated by law enforcement which require more police presence on the roads but sadly, most know what the odds of that is.   This whole double parking, running red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, etc, etc is like an endemic road disease in Pattaya.  I don’t expect anything to change.

[CharlieH]

Reported post removed 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:28 PM, ezzra said:

Pattaya is a small congested town with badly constructed roadside dwellings and shops, never ending

road works which leads to one lane traffic with huge busses everywhere and hardly a policemen in sight,

it's a mad, messy place, so now wonder why all this is going on, and let me clue ya, it's not going to end any time

soon either...

We first visited Pattaya in 2017 - it was awful - as a car driver.

We visited again last year twice - it was even worse.

In between 2017 and 2023 I read numerous media stroies about how it was all going to be fixed and this is just another one.

 

There is no real journalism in Thailand and never will be, while the defamation laws remain as they are now. Meanwhile, to avoid being sued, all media outlets publish PR Annoucements as if they are news stories. This is just another one. IMO what is holding Thailand back from progressing to a modern society is corruption, and the 'control' of the media that enables that corruption to continue.  All media stories about corruption are PR Annoucements by the Police/Govt - there is no journalism in Thailand exposing potential crime and corruption - because they cannot do that.

 

[In Full Agreement]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:47 PM, Chris Daley said:

Went there a few times.  A boring place with a strip of sand beside it.  Saw some people eating out of bins.

 

 

Did you find anything negative to say about the place?

 

Traffic delays due to construction are essential in order to improve things for the future.   No one likes them but they're a part of life.

 

Thank goodness no one is forced to remain in Pattaya or Thailand  for that matter unless they're remanded to do so by a court of law.

 

[morrobay]

1 hour ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

 

Traffic delays due to construction are essential in order to improve things for the future.   No one likes them but they're a part of life.

 

 

 

Improve things for the future?? - Your looking at it. The whole place is going to have to be dug up. (over and over again) . Then all this  deconstruction/construction...

Edited January 26 by morrobay

[quake]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:47 PM, Chris Daley said:

Went there a few times.  A boring place with a strip of sand beside it.  Saw some people eating out of bins.

 

Bet you get invited to all the best parties.

[quake]

4 hours ago, kimothai said:

I agree that this road construction could be better coordinated but that’s only half the problem (in my opinion).  The other half I’m referring to is all the double parking.  I see it everywhere and it creates every bit as much chaos/backup as the road work (especially on narrow roads such as Soi Bukaow).  The shame of it is that it could be alleviated by law enforcement which require more police presence on the roads but sadly, most know what the odds of that is.   This whole double parking, running red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, etc, etc is like an endemic road disease in Pattaya.  I don’t expect anything to change.

 

Could have just said, selfish Thais cause half the traffic problems in pattaya. 

[morrobay]

16 minutes ago, quake said:

 

Could have just said, selfish Thais cause half the traffic problems in pattaya. 

Right , and driving around in circles all day. 

[thailand49]

9 hours ago, ross163103 said:

Sorry, but I don't see how his "mission" would bring any relief! In fact it probably added to the chaos as I'm sure him and his entourage came in many vehicles that added to the problem. If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

So true months back the Mayor with all his staff shut the tunnel down so they could walk through it to make a photo op the reason complains motorbike using the tunnel then claim 2-4 thousands were using daily 🤣

They dont care the worse they not have a clue how address the problem signs cones not a clue where to put them.

Timing is always bad the work should be done at night on major roads. Give that a thought!

Edited January 26 by thailand49

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, newnative said:

 I have to disagree.  This driving technique at intersections is called 'Be a Train' and it works well in managing traffic where there are no signal lights. 

Nonsense.... it blocks the junction completely and everyone stops, with lane and yellow box behaviour at least Northbound /Southbound traffic could move until the crossing traffic clears. As it is, it all gets entangled and nobody moves. Where your approach works well, and I saw this last night, is U-Turns.... the train was started by a fearless water tanker pulling in front of fast moving traffic, bringing 3 lanes on Hwy 36 to a halt, and then the 2 lanes  awaiting U-Turns,(should have been one of course) all did their turn like a train. I would have been there ages had not that happened. 

[newnative]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Nonsense.... it blocks the junction completely and everyone stops, with lane and yellow box behaviour at least Northbound /Southbound traffic could move until the crossing traffic clears. As it is, it all gets entangled and nobody moves. Where your approach works well, and I saw this last night, is U-Turns.... the train was started by a fearless water tanker pulling in front of fast moving traffic, bringing 3 lanes on Hwy 36 to a halt, and then the 2 lanes  awaiting U-Turns,(should have been one of course) all did their turn like a train. I would have been there ages had not that happened. 

Yes, it also works well with U turns against busy traffic.  We'll have to agree to disagree regarding north/south and east/west at busy intersections without traffic lights--I find it works.  Also useful if a traffic signal is not working at a busy intersection.  

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, newnative said:

Yes, it also works well with U turns against busy traffic.  We'll have to agree to disagree regarding north/south and east/west at busy intersections without traffic lights--I find it works.  Also useful if a traffic signal is not working at a busy intersection.  

I speak solely about one junction, the one on The Railway Line Bypass, at the Waterworks Rd One I use a lot..... so much traffic with a presumed right of way on The Watereworks Rd at rush times..... they form your train, but unfortunately it is stationary! I look at a clear Southbound Railway Line Rd, that I can't get across to.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I speak solely about one junction, the one on The Railway Line Bypass, at the Waterworks Rd One I use a lot..... so much traffic with a presumed right of way on The Watereworks Rd at rush times..... they form your train, but unfortunately it is stationary! I look at a clear Southbound Railway Line Rd, that I can't get across to.

Okey dokey.

[morrobay]

Meanwhile back at the ranch . Pattaya Tai @ 2nd rd

[ross163103]

On 1/26/2024 at 4:10 PM, morrobay said:

The whole place is going to have to be dug up. (over and over again) .

Exactly the point! Then the brown envelopes for future contracts will just keep coming and coming; if they fix the problems..........no more brown envelopes!