Worst Traffic Jam Ever In Bkk?

[Dr. Burrito]

I officially had my worst traffic jam ever today in Bangkok. Well, ever being since I moved back here in 2000 and after the skytrain. The bad old days don't count for this discussion.

My was on the bridge in Khlong Ton, coming from Srinakarin over to Phrom Pong. Usually, even when that bridge looks jammed, it flows decently, the police on the other side usually moving things alone.

Today? Today, I sat for a full hour getting over that damned thing and to Thong Lor. After Thong Lor, it flew, as if the jam had never happened.

My other worst traffic jam here was on the Outer Ring Road a few months back. From Lam Lukka into Phrom Pong was 2.5 hours. A horrifying mess that almost stunted my growth, except for around the middle of course, and drove me to drink as soon as I got into work.

I know traffic can truly be horrible, but have usually had a bit of luck avoiding the worst of it. I've also been lucky and mostly avoided major tie-ups from accidents.

Today was a reminder that payback is brutal.

Dr. B

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I officially had my worst traffic jam ever today in Bangkok. Well, ever being since I moved back here in 2000 and after the skytrain. The bad old days don't count for this discussion.

My was on the bridge in Khlong Ton, coming from Srinakarin over to Phrom Pong. Usually, even when that bridge looks jammed, it flows decently, the police on the other side usually moving things alone.

Today? Today, I sat for a full hour getting over that damned thing and to Thong Lor. After Thong Lor, it flew, as if the jam had never happened.

My other worst traffic jam here was on the Outer Ring Road a few months back. From Lam Lukka into Phrom Pong was 2.5 hours. A horrifying mess that almost stunted my growth, except for around the middle of course, and drove me to drink as soon as I got into work.

I know traffic can truly be horrible, but have usually had a bit of luck avoiding the worst of it. I've also been lucky and mostly avoided major tie-ups from accidents.

Today was a reminder that payback is brutal.

Dr. B

Such is one very good reason to keep your car radio tuned to Jor Sor Loy, FM 100, the 24 hr traffic station.  You have to be a bit lucky to have a situation reported on air before you get stuck in it with no options of using other avenues of escape, but it has saved my bacon 3-4 times.

One grand jam I happliy missed was on the Expressway coming in to town from Bang Na in 1991.  I heard a report, got off and headed up to the Texas Lonestar for some Singha refreshment.  Quite a while later a couple friends arrived from the long "parking lot in the air."  Seems like the baht takers at the entrance booths kept letting people

on, and collecting their baht.  That makes some sense, I guess, 'cause if you tell them about the jam, they'll not pay and the Expressway company looses.

Wonder if that's about when the "Comfort Loy" term came into use?  Available from Jor Sor Loy initially.

Mac

Mac

[ColPyat]

17/18 years ago - three to four hours from the airport to town. Once during those days i walked from Silom to Banglampoo because the traffic didn't move one inch.

Today's a breeze.

[rak sa_ngop]

17/18 years ago - three to four hours from the airport to town. Once during those days i walked from Silom to Banglampoo because the traffic didn't move one inch.

Today's a breeze.

So why is it better these days. Fewer cars on the road???

[soundman]

Four & a half hours from Sukhumvit 11 to Suttisarn on a Friday afternoon / evening in 2002.

[Plus]

17/18 years ago - three to four hours from the airport to town. Once during those days i walked from Silom to Banglampoo because the traffic didn't move one inch.

Today's a breeze.

So why is it better these days. Fewer cars on the road???

More roads.

[pop_corn]

3 n half hours from phrakagnon to luang suan! 2 years ago, was raining or something!

[ColPyat]

17/18 years ago - three to four hours from the airport to town. Once during those days i walked from Silom to Banglampoo because the traffic didn't move one inch.

Today's a breeze.

So why is it better these days. Fewer cars on the road???

Better roads, more expressways, public transport. If you are stuck you have more options of evading the jam. And the jams are not as frequent. In those days it was every single day the same, and some days worse.

And the air quality has definitely improved compared to those days, mostly better engines and such.

[Bangkok Barry]

I have two memories. One was taking 45 minutes just to get around the roundabout/traffic circle arrangement near Central Lad Phrao, coming from Chatuchak towards Phahonyothin.

Another was to take an hour and a half sitting on a microbus going between Rama 4 and Sukhumvit, a brisk 10 minute walk at most. I was in no hurry so was curious to know how long it would take. The bus was supposed to cross Sukhumvit and go past Central World (then the WTC), but instead the driver did a left and went round via MBK. People still hailed the bus, even though it was off-route.

I believe that quite often these hold-ups are caused by police stopping traffic for VIPs/royalty to pass. Same as anywhere.

[Marcan]

I truly think that the traffic is in average better every year. The new fly-overs on Srinikarin are just great!

Sending all bus and other mini-van drivers to a good driving course would help as well.

Have fun

[Florin]

Traffic has definitely gotten better, I remember in '96ish that I spent 2 <deleted>' hours just to get from one end of Asoke to the other, which made the overall car trip something like 3.5-4 hours (Saphan Khwai - Phrom Phong). Have had many other irritating jams on Asoke, though it doesn't help that my office is here

Edited August 1, 2007 by Florin

[Valjean]

A year or so ago. One hour and a half on Phaholyothin. From the Mo Chit BTS station to around Central or Index Mall one and half hours. Coming back the other way the same distance was five minutes with the traffic light.

My worst mistake was coming off the expressway at Rama IV to Sathon heading south. When you get off the expressway and go under it you head down to Sathon. There is a little Soi you must turn left on then right on another road then left on Sathon to go over the Saphan Taskin bridge. I missed it by a hair. Sathon and over this bridge a the end of the day is bad. I forgot the little left turn so I had to go up Sathon to a u-turn then back down. There is an "intersection of death" you must get through two times. THis little mistake cost me about an hour... Next time I will just back up on the sidewalk to the Soi I want to turn on.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Valjean

[t.s]

Four & a half hours from Sukhumvit 11 to Suttisarn on a Friday afternoon / evening in 2002.

yes, it is always asoke that gets me too. it was horrible before the roadwork completed and has remianed horrible since.

[Neeranam]

Rama 7 bridge to Democracy Monument - 6 hours - 1995.

Sanam Luang to Suk 1 - 4 hours - Queen Mother's funeral, can't remember the year.

[Austhaied]

17/18 years ago - three to four hours from the airport to town. Once during those days i walked from Silom to Banglampoo because the traffic didn't move one inch.

Today's a breeze.

So why is it better these days. Fewer cars on the road???

The skytrain and underground (MRT) plus the new flyovers have contributed to that. I lived on Ratchadapisek Rd for 3 years and noticed the improvement the day the underground opened. Hopefully with the cities plans to expand the network (currently under construction) it will improve things even more.

[JetsetBkk]

Sukhumvit Road soi 3, BKK, from New Petchaburi Road end to Sukhumvit end - about 2 1/2 hours. The jam started as soon as the taxi turned into soi 3. Didn't even get over the klong.

Don't know what the problem was. Just rush hour I think. People were getting out of their cars, taxis, etc., going to the shops to get some food, having a meal, sleeping, etc., etc.

I was late for a date so called the girl friend. She came on a motocy taxi and I guided her to where I was by looking for her out the back window and saying stuff like "One lane over to the right, fourth taxi in front". Funny thing was, as soon as she arrived it all started moving again, although very slowly.

[qualtrough]

Today (Wed) it took me at least 30 minutes to travel from Sathorn to the Immigration Dept! Impossible to park there, so I parked in a Soi and hoofed it. The place was a Zoo, never seen it so crowded.