Pattaya's Pedestrian Perils: Crumbling Walkways and Traffic Chaos

[kevinsan]

Drinking generates government revenue, and government revenue builds beautiful cities. So get out there and do your part gentlemen.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

Just for the kind information of all the distinguished readers here, this mess is the same in the great Hua Hin, across the bay. So it may be worse here, but on the other side of the bay, depending on where, it is just as bad. To the sole exception that here in Pattaya things are far cheaper compared to Hua Hin that is becoming a full time racket,  price wise.

[Kinok Farang]

22 hours ago, baansgr said:

Foreigners come here and lose all sense of reality, walk about with their heads in the clouds..plebs the lot of them

Congratulations,you must be Thai.

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, terryofcrete said:

If I trip on broken pavement at home I can sue the council...I tried to explain that to a Thai person...they thought it was a joke...if that was the case in Thailand the dangerous sidewalks would be fixed rapidly...dream on I tell myself. 

It sort of is a joke really, that back home nobody is responsible for themselves and can use the legal system to blame and extort from others. 

[JimHuaHin]

Same in Hua Hin now, with the current almost 1 kilometre of sidewalk works along Phetchakasem Road, forcing people to walk (and others in wheelchairs) on the very busy road, further worsening motor traffic congestion.

 

Why do this work in peak tourist season??  And what is worse, some of this work is in front of a large school (next to Hua Hin Market Village), thus endangering the lives of school children.   Why not do this work during the coming long school holidays??

 

Planning, logic, safety first????

[Patong2021]

16 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

Same in Hua Hin now, with the current almost 1 kilometre of sidewalk works along Phetchakasem Road, forcing people to walk (and others in wheelchairs) on the very busy road, further worsening motor traffic congestion.

 

Why do this work in peak tourist season??  And what is worse, some of this work is in front of a large school (next to Hua Hin Market Village), thus endangering the lives of school children.   Why not do this work during the coming long school holidays??

 

Planning, logic, safety first????

 

The school work was started 3 weeks ago. IMO poor construction quality. looks like they  are trying to have this done for Songkran. I have never seen such watery cement and it is not poured on gravel, but direct on the dirt and is a fraction of the depth we see in places like Singapore, Miami,  Lisbon etc. 

They were pouring cement during the peak tourist season in the block south of  Market Village, and you don't need to be a genius to know what happened next: people walked into the cement. There are footprints through one stretch. They don't even properly  mark off the work so the clueless people just wander on through.  They are trying to bring in  lowered sections at each end of the block. Unfortunately, they didn't take into consideration the width of child strollers or wheelchairs, so they are not compatible, They are not even standardized. I don't know what they were thinking. Doesn't look like there were engineers supervising either, otherwise the defects would have been addressed.

[Franky0815]

I recommend people in Pattaya to spend 2 weeks on holiday in Samui. After that you will love your sidewalks in Pattaya!

[bendejo]

I haven't spent that much time in Pattaya, but over the years passed through quite a few times.  

I have never been there when Beach Road was not under repair.

 

[superal]

In a nut shell , Thai walkways are acceptable to Thai folks . They know no better . 

 

Walkway tiling around shopping malls may look nice but come the rain it turns into a slippery surface because non slip tiles were not used .

Below are extracts from the Tourism authority of Thailand .

 

   

The vast majority of physically challenged Thai people live in rural areas. Generally, it is the responsibility of families to care for and provide for their disabled relatives, and there is very little government help available. This includes a lack of services for physically challenged travelers, such as wheelchair ramps and elevators, and consequently, those who attempt to travel with disabilities in Thailand can have a challenging time 

 

 

Travel & Getting Around

Thailand is not an easy place to visit for people with reduced mobility or other physical challenges. The larger resorts and tourist attractions provide facilities for disabled people, but in rural areas public transport is limited and often inaccessible to wheelchair users. 

Moving around the city can be extremely difficult for disabled people. The streets and pavements are uneven and few buildings provide ramps and handrails to aid disabled access. Guide dogs are rare and there are few audio signals for the blind at traffic crossings. 

Nonetheless, a project has been announced by the Bangkok governor along with the Disabled People International Asia-Pacific Region to ensure that Bangkok pavements are easily navigable for those with reduced mobility. A commitment has also been made to make public transport more accessible. 

 

So by their own admission they are aware of the hazards for pedestrians but as yet I have not heard of any plans to make improvements . Maybe the TAT should conduct a survey of tourists opinions of Thailand to include questions on health & safety .

 

 

[Presnock]

On 2/11/2025 at 8:12 AM, lordgrinz said:

 

Foreigners don't come because it's a "family friendly" place, they come to get stupid drunk, maybe get high, chase after younger women (or ladyboys), and indulge all kinds of perverted fantasies. These same people go home and brag about their stay and how it's a lawless society where anything goes, then the cycle repeats itself. I mean people aren't seriously deluded into believing that Pattaya is anything more than a World Class City of Sin, right? 

Based on a lot of the stories we read each day, not only is it a male oriented search for something out of the ordinary but many young ladies too seem to be chasing something and many times leading to much worse than they or their family can imagine.

[Presnock]

3 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

The school work was started 3 weeks ago. IMO poor construction quality. looks like they  are trying to have this done for Songkran. I have never seen such watery cement and it is not poured on gravel, but direct on the dirt and is a fraction of the depth we see in places like Singapore, Miami,  Lisbon etc. 

They were pouring cement during the peak tourist season in the block south of  Market Village, and you don't need to be a genius to know what happened next: people walked into the cement. There are footprints through one stretch. They don't even properly  mark off the work so the clueless people just wander on through.  They are trying to bring in  lowered sections at each end of the block. Unfortunately, they didn't take into consideration the width of child strollers or wheelchairs, so they are not compatible, They are not even standardized. I don't know what they were thinking. Doesn't look like there were engineers supervising either, otherwise the defects would have been addressed.

advance planning of work projects is the same as "preventive maintenance" in the Thai mind.

[newnative]

    Police presence being reduced at intersections.  What a joke.  I've lived in Pattaya for 14 years and I have never seen any police presence at any intersections--ever.  The only police I have ever seen is police at the front of Central Festival by the beach side.  Now and then you see them collecting for their retirement fund from helmetless riders but certainly no traffic enforcement being done.

[Seppius]

31 minutes ago, newnative said:

    Police presence being reduced at intersections.  What a joke.  I've lived in Pattaya for 14 years and I have never seen any police presence at any intersections--ever.  The only police I have ever seen is police at the front of Central Festival by the beach side.  Now and then you see them collecting for their retirement fund from helmetless riders but certainly no traffic enforcement being done.

Taking bikes away parked on the crossing at this very moment Pratumnak 5 beach end , the crossing where drivers drive straight though without stopping

 

[Mason45]

I go for an early morning 90 minutes walk every day, The footpaths are a total disgrace, the quality of proper paving is totally ignored. Just take a look at the quality of paving outside of the recently constructed high rise resort hotels, Just prior to completing constructing the resort they get their workers to rip out all the old pavers and replace them with larger square pavers and install them properly. It's definitely obvious that the more qualified workers do the job properly. Another thing being married to a Thai lady for 22 years I soon learnt  that Thais have a short cut for everything, even if it's unsafe they will go for it. Hence the deaths and serious injuries in Thailand.

[eastlight]

On 2/11/2025 at 12:19 PM, Taboo2 said:

Such is life in Patts!

Patts?

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, newnative said:

    Police presence being reduced at intersections.  What a joke.  I've lived in Pattaya for 14 years and I have never seen any police presence at any intersections--ever.  The only police I have ever seen is police at the front of Central Festival by the beach side.  Now and then you see them collecting for their retirement fund from helmetless riders but certainly no traffic enforcement being done.

I have recollections of them being at the Dolphin roundabout, and the North Rd/Suk junction. The latter is rather a lot of years ago. Also used to get pulled over for document checks on Suk between the Klang and Tai junctions.... foreign volunteers were often employed there. Just seemed to stop happening a decade or so ago. 

[Woke to Sounds]

The issue is one of expectations.

 

You cannot come to Thailand (or to VN or Cambodia, or anywhere in S.E. Asia apart from Singapore)  with expectations to enjoy walking on footpaths like we do back in the West.

 

If you approach your time in Thailand with reasonable expectations, e.g. you will never be able to go for a pleasant stroll except maybe on a stretch of beach at daybreak, then you won't be disappointed.

 

Walking anywhere in urban S.E. Asia is a nightmare at the best of times and Patts is no better or worse.

[lordgrinz]

2 hours ago, eastlight said:

Patts?

 

One syllable is hard enough to get out when you are sitting on a barstool every day getting <deleted>faced, have some compassion!

[henryford1958]

3 hours ago, eastlight said:

Patts?

 

He was too lazy to type another 2 letters

[Johno57]

On 2/11/2025 at 8:52 PM, HappyExpat57 said:

And your inability to make valid points and instead just cast childish insults shows you're MAGA.

Obviously I think his best choice as do millions  but still fools back democrats who ar now nowhere to be seen or heard so is that a valid point ???

[Johno57]

On 2/11/2025 at 9:53 PM, baansgr said:

Can't you read, tell me where in the world you can you walk in the middle of the road, step out in front of traffic, basically be a total <deleted> and it's OK???

Don't no what you talking about mate..l am talking about road crossings  and the inability of Cars and bikes to show some common sense, as they do in other countries.. you no what common sense means,  it means liability for human life..

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Walking anywhere in urban S.E. Asia is a nightmare at the best of times and Patts is no better or worse.

 

I walk 10kms around my village every morning at 6:30am and even though it is a large, private, gated village, and there are toddlers wandering around at that time (kids of the maintenance staff), motorists cannot seem to keep to the 20 km/h speed limit within the village gates.

 

Many Thais have a belligerent and malevolent nature behind the wheel of a vehicle it seems.

 

The grounds are well maintained so it really is the only place I would walk here.

[Woke to Sounds]

On 2/11/2025 at 9:19 PM, superal said:

Walkway tiling around shopping malls may look nice but come the rain it turns into a slippery surface because non slip tiles were not used .

Bang on.

 

I had to get a new pair of sneakers at Decathlon in BKK because the treads on my old pair were too worn and I was heading for a wipe out on those IDIOTIC no grip tiles!

 

Tis the same story in Hanoi by the way... rain + greased tiles = wipe out

[Woke to Sounds]

35 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The grounds are well maintained so it really is the only place I would walk here.

I can understand that, and the only other place I could recommend would be a deserted (or semi deserted) stretch of beach.

 

Chance of motorbikes there is pretty low. For now.

[terryofcrete]

On 2/11/2025 at 11:38 PM, jacko45k said:

It sort of is a joke really, that back home nobody is responsible for themselves and can use the legal system to blame and extort from others. 

I understand, yes, but you have to consider the elderly, very young, and vulnerable who can't be held responsible for themselves and are entitled to venture outside. Also, it keeps the council "workers" busy looking into holes...a pastime for many in LOS !

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, Johno57 said:

Don't no what you talking about mate..l am talking about road crossings  and the inability of Cars and bikes to show some common sense, as they do in other countries.. you no what common sense means,  it means liability for human life..

What ones where as a pedestrian you wait for the vehicles to stop or slow down before just walking out in the road???..mate

[Johno57]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

I walk 10kms around my village every morning at 6:30am and even though it is a large, private, gated village, and there are toddlers wandering around at that time (kids of the maintenance staff), motorists cannot seem to keep to the 20 km/h speed limit within the village gates.

 

Many Thais have a belligerent and malevolent nature behind the wheel of a vehicle it seems.

 

The grounds are well maintained so it really is the only place I would walk here.

You could call it a jekll & Hyde approach as soon as they get behind the wheel or on a m.bike they change..as it's a chance to air their frustrations  or show they are superior to other road users..the only way to stop this is to fine them money or take their car away for awhile or both..