Pictures courtesy of The Pattaya News

 

Pattaya has unveiled a groundbreaking traffic safety initiative that promises to improve road safety in the city. On Wednesday, 23 July, the city introduced an innovative pedestrian crossing system on Second Road near Soi 6, North Pattaya, designed to enhance safety for both locals and tourists.

 

This cutting-edge crossing features a push-button system that activates flashing lights, alerting oncoming traffic to slow down or stop. The aim is straightforward: reduce pedestrian accidents in high-traffic, tourist-frequented areas.

 

"Crossing the road used to be risky because cars wouldn’t stop," shared Sompong Phurimanak, a local vendor positioned near the new crossing. "Now, with these flashing lights, drivers will hopefully stop."

 

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with both residents and visitors noting improved visibility and enhanced safety. This is the first of several planned installations, with city officials aiming to roll out similar smart crossings on Beach Road and Walking Street. This is part of a larger initiative to create a safer, more pedestrian-friendly Pattaya.

 

“Our goal is to make Pattaya a safer and more walkable city,” stated a spokesperson from Pattaya City Hall. The focus is particularly on areas bustling with tourists and significant foot traffic.

 

Some residents have raised concerns about whether drivers will obey the new system consistently. In response, city officials have promised that traffic police will be deployed to enforce compliance and issue fines to those who don’t adhere to the rules.

 

This project is a key part of Pattaya’s broader effort to modernise infrastructure and implement smart city technologies. By enhancing pedestrian safety, officials hope to improve the overall visitor experience and establish a new benchmark for road safety in Thailand.

 

Costing approximately 1.5 million THB, the new system represents a significant investment in public safety and urban development. The initiative is a testament to Pattaya’s commitment to becoming a safer and more innovative city, underscoring the importance of embracing technological advancements for the benefit of its residents and visitors alike.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-25

 

 

Don't need Smart Crossings, you need Smart drivers, and that's not happening any time soon.

I was thinking maybe those steel posts that come up out of the ground would do it.

What you really need is "smart  pedestrians" crossing a busy road...

follow the green cross code (Darth Vader)   

look left,  look right  wait for a clear space then continue to look right and left whilst quickly crossing the road...addendum for Thailand   look up and down and behind too...😛

Hopeless decoration as usual. Very dangerous because giving a false sense of security to pedestrians

10 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I was thinking maybe those steel posts that come up out of the ground would do it.

Unfortunately they'd have to renew them every 5 minutes 

21 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"Crossing the road used to be risky because cars wouldn’t stop," shared Sompong Phurimanak, a local vendor positioned near the new crossing. "Now, with these flashing lights, drivers will hopefully stop."

Hopefully being the key word here

2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Unfortunately they'd have to renew them every 5 minutes 

 

Yes...but imagine the fun with a decent CCTV focussed on the crossing......or a bar right next to it....555

Smart people are what is needed, both driving the vehicles and crossing the road.

32 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Don't need Smart Crossings, you need Smart drivers, and that's not happening any time soon.

 

Exactly. The 'smartest' crossings don't help as long as drivers refuse to stop, and it is not enforced...

Pedestrians would need to be very dumb to believe this new scheme protects them on crossing. You're on your own. In a way these schemes can potentially increase the risk because many people actually do believe they're fool proof. 

Do not " jump as you go " blindfolded for the green light as some motorbikers are not yet used to follow the red light as i already found out 2 times .....use it by caution !!

 

 

 

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"Now, with these flashing lights, drivers will hopefully stop."

I just wet my pants.........

A perfect example of road law breaking is at the Dolphin Roundabout. Motor bikes speed down Naklua Road in the beach direction. Just before the roundabout they swerve to the wrong side of the road so they don't have to turn left and do a U turn at the rear of Terminal 21. Most times there's BIB's on duty there and of course they do nothing. There's going to be a fatality there one day, as not only they are breaking the law but they never reduce their speed.

Smart crossing doesn't equal smart drivers. Basically traffic lights are the ideal but even then running reds is less of the exception here and more of the norm..

12 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I just wet my pants.........

I promise you I won't mum in your couth. 

1 hour ago, johng said:

What you really need is "smart  pedestrians" crossing a busy road...

This is a good comment, so many pedestrians holding amulet in hand, crossing the road hoping for the best. 

 

I see similar reckless foreigners crossing the road at times. 

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

This cutting-edge crossing features a push-button system that activates flashing lights, alerting oncoming traffic to slow down or stop. The aim is straightforward: reduce pedestrian accidents in high-traffic, tourist-frequented areas.

Cars and MC won't have a clue, the lights will confuse them, and they'll wipe out a few dozen pedestrians as they are dazzled by the lighting  before the government realizes that "smart" cross-walks...aren't. 

There is no such thing as "road safety" in Thailand and there never will be.  

1 minute ago, connda said:

Cars and MC won't have a clue, the lights will confuse them, and they'll wipe out a few dozen pedestrians as they are dazzled by the lighting  before the government realizes that "smart" cross-walks...aren't. 

There is no such thing as "road safety" in Thailand and there never will be.  

 

Only safe way is a footbridge....otherwise..........wait for a gap and run.

and they introduced hundreds of cctv cameras, and so many other things.  But if they do not actively enforce actions and ticket violators nothing will change.

Man time has gone real quick.

Already 1st April again.

T.I.T.

Drive the Beach Rd-Second Rd circuit and count how many dead traffic lights there are at the fancy pedestrian crossings with warning lights, etc, that they installed a few years back and then just shut them off because drivers just ignored them.

It's just a constantly churning, greedy, corrupt, money-sucking machine, like buying new trees for Beach Rd from Nong Nuch and giving them the old trees, or installing "drainpipes", or replacing the Walking St sign, or the hillside PATTAYA sign, or upgrading the facilities at Bali Hai pier, or installing new docks at the far side of Pattaya Bay, or repairing Soi Pothole, or putting in handicapped ramps for beach access, or building the new stadium outside town, or or or ...

Just give us farang the ability to turn in video evidence, collect a bounty for our troubles, and start revoking licenses and impounding the cars/motorbikes of repeat offenders.

7 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Yes...but imagine the fun with a decent CCTV focussed on the crossing......or a bar right next to it....555

 

That would be the Crash Bar, right?

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

Just give us farang the ability to turn in video evidence, collect a bounty for our troubles, and start revoking licenses and impounding the cars/motorbikes of repeat offenders.

 

Way, way too law-and-orderly there Pilgrim. Just allow us to pull 'em outta the car, kneecap 'em, then torch their rides.

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Crossing the road used to be risky because cars wouldn’t stop,"

It still is and they still won't! 

Such efforts have been made on both 2nd at Central and 3rd near Soi 21, still can't get across and the lights are not working!

12 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

and they introduced hundreds of cctv cameras, and so many other things.  But if they do not actively enforce actions and ticket violators nothing will change.

'Costing approximately 1.5 million THB,'-- How many new police could this buy?

7 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Way, way too law-and-orderly there Pilgrim. Just allow us to pull 'em outta the car, kneecap 'em, then torch their rides.

 

If only, I'd be up for this, it would be better if they broadcast it on national TV though. They could use it like a public service announcement, "don't be like Somchai, drive smarter".

Waste of money until Thais  and foreigners know that red means stop and not carry on driving 

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

'Costing approximately 1.5 million THB,'-- How many new police could this buy?

That's only if you believe the money would actually get to the BiB and not siphoned off in brown envelopes.