Pedestrianisation And Pedestrians

[Super Hans]

Why is the walker so marginalised in Patong? It's virtually impossible to walk anywhere easily, even Beach Road. There are always obstacles in your way if you fancy a relaxing stroll - hawkers, bins, mopeds etc etc. If I were in charge of planning I'd make the pedestrianisation of Ratuthit and Beach Rd the number one priority for the resort. I feel this would give everyone a little more breathing space, something the resort badly needs in my view - somewhere to go that's quiet, relaxing and comfortable would be very nice indeed as well. Nanai and the "road" behind Junceylon should be sufficient for traffic, shouldn't they?

On a more general note, why don't Thais walk anywhere? I have real trouble convincing my Thai friends to walk even just a few hundred yards. I know it's hot etc, but I walk everywhere and get no end of odd looks, like there must be something wrong with me or something. As I hate mopeds and can't afford tuk tuks, I have to walk. Some decent pavementing wouldn't go amiss either.

[donna]

i dont think its limited to just patong, Super Hans. the whole country is like this. everywhere from bangkok to phuket to chiang mai to a degree.

to make the beach road and the back road pedestrians only would not really be possible, but if they got rid of those bloody tuk tuks and illegal taxis, the cars on those two streets would be halved.

but i do agree with you that it is hard to walk the street without weaving around various obstacles for most of the way.

[dogblower]

If you're on foot it means you are poor. If you are poor than you don't count. QED/TIT

[Super Hans]

i dont think its limited to just patong, Super Hans. the whole country is like this. everywhere from bangkok to phuket to chiang mai to a degree.

to make the beach road and the back road pedestrians only would not really be possible, but if they got rid of those bloody tuk tuks and illegal taxis, the cars on those two streets would be halved.

but i do agree with you that it is hard to walk the street without weaving around various obstacles for most of the way.

Sure, I know it's the whole country, but an "island paradise" like Phuket could lead the way in making it more peaceful and relaxing. I'm pretty sure all of Beach Rd and much of RatuThit could be pedestrianised without too much difficulty - certainly from the Subway junction to just past Christins. Baht buses could ferry people around quickly and cheaply - predestrianising would eliminate the tuk tuk mafia at a stroke.

Tuk tuks and taxis are more annoying than space wasting. It's the bloody mopeds that get me. Patong is a small place - I just can't see why it can't be almost entirely traffic free.

[Macx]

At times I'm uncertain which is more dangerous here, riding a motorbike or walking. In all my time here, I think I saw a traffic cop stop traffic for pedestrian, maybe, two or three times. One of the closest calls I had on the road in Phuket while riding a bicycle was with a police car with four cops inside. It was thundering down a crowded street with total disregard for all.

[K2K]

To make the beach road and the back road pedestrians only would not really be possible, but if they got rid of those bloody tuk tuks and illegal taxis, the cars on those two streets would be halved.

but i do agree with you that it is hard to walk the street without weaving around various obstacles for most of the way.

Sure, I know it's the whole country, but an "island paradise" like Phuket could lead the way in making it more peaceful and relaxing.

Tuk tuks and taxis are more annoying than space wasting. It's the bloody mopeds that get me. Patong is a small place - I just can't see why it can't be almost entirely traffic free.

I'm guessing you've been living here not so long ... <2 years ... in the beginning we all wish for common sense things like safe pedestrian x-ings, good internet connections, laws that are enforced uniformly ... just like back home right... but in time you will get used to the way things are here ... This is Thailand (TiT) ... and your living in the Thai's country and things must be done the Thai way ... get used to it .. chill out .. you can moan all you like and things 'could' be better ... but thats not why we chose to live here!

[LivinginKata]

New wide sidewalks are prime real estate areas for all sorts of vendors.

[fiddlehead]

If I were in charge of planning I'd make the pedestrianisation of Ratuthit and Beach Rd the number one priority for the resort. I feel this would give everyone a little more breathing space, something the resort badly needs in my view - somewhere to go that's quiet, relaxing and comfortable would be very nice indeed as well. Nanai and the "road" behind Junceylon should be sufficient for traffic, shouldn't they?

The beach is a great place for leisurely strolls, or jog. Quiet, natural, safe, full of eye candy, and no obstacles except for the occasional jet ski vendor or paddle ball game.

It's certainly not easy to please all.

Thais have to make a living too.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that.

[LivinLOS]

Theres no way the volume of traffic of beach Rd (one way so all transiting traffic) could be shifted to Nanai.. Nanai is already crumbling under the increase of people skipping the Karon to Kathu way through it.. Simply not viable. It honestly took me almost 15 mins to get from south end to the north end temple in a car due to traffic and the continual digging up of the soi.

They HAVE to get the through Rd finished ASAP. I hear one major power player is sitting on a small piece of vital land at the north end and wants truly multi multi millions for it to be purchased. He knows it has to be at some point so wont budge. If I had any say I would force it through a compulsory purchase order and pay him a fair return on the value it was registered at with the land office for duty / taxation at last sale. Tho TiT and so the benefit of the few outweighs the needs of the many.

Once that road is active, all of Rat U Thit and beach Rd will become the tourist suburb and the traffic volume will shift to the middle of town with Nanai and Baanzaan being the expat / long stay suburb on the other side hemmed in by the hill.. Both 'burbs' would benefit enormously in the lowering of useless through traffic and ease of transit for local use. Jungceylon will have a frontage on both sides. Baanzaan will link into Nanai middle. It all just makes such sense it should be towns number 1 priority.

[geriatrickid]

superhans you are 100% correct. If the local municipality had any business sense they would realize that reducing traffic on the Beach road would benefit all the shop owners and other businesses. As it is, the road at night is unpleasant and stinky from all the idling vehicles. Imagine how much more tourist friendly the place would be with pedestrian lights at key intersections.

To those that say, it's not the Thai way, I say BUNK. I remember when Bangla Rd. was a choked noisy dangerous strip. When they blocked it off , people said it wouldn't work, it would be horrible, tourists would go away. Guess what? The opposite happened. It was packed with spending tourists.

As for those pushy tuk tuks p*ss on them. Taxi drivers are the same worldwide The difference between Patong and Moscow is that they smile when they cheat you.

[DrDave]

Normally I'd agree that as expats, we should realize that things work differently here, and not expect that things should be done "the way things are done back home". This is part of living in a different culture. There are many things in Thailand that expats find annoying because they could be "improved", but we need to recognize and accept differences, rather than trying to press our ways and views on our hosts. That's part of the bargain.

With that said, though - I think that the OP has a some very valid points because they deal with issues of Tourism, and not the every day annoyances and inconveniences faced by expats. The Thai government spends millions of baht each year to promote tourism, for which Phuket receives the majority of the benefit. Additionally, anyone watching the course of events in Patong over the past few years surely has noticed that the local government has been listening to suggestions regarding improving tourist areas. Regular cleaning of the sewers along BangLa road has reduced the foul smells that used to waft up every night. The tailor touts are not nearly as aggressive as they used to be, and the beachfront was re-built to be more pedestrian friendly after the tsunami. Two things that were planned, but never happend due to the funds not materializing are the installation of crosswalk lights, and burying the overhead electrical cables underground on the beach road. These are things that have been suggested by foreigners for quite some time.

The area of the first two roads in Patong ( the beach road and Rat-U-Thit / 200 Pii) mentioned by the OP are all about Tourism, and I would not be surprised to see the local officials listen seriously to sugestions from foreigners for this area, and take some action. I agree that clearing the sidewalks on the beach road would go a long way to make the area more attractive for tourists, but this is a difficult problem to solve. The off-street OTOP shopping area, which concentrates many vendors similar to those on the beach road sidewalks) doesn't appear to be very successful, possibly due to its location. Relocating the sidewalk vendors somewhere else will most certainly affect their business, as I suspect that most of their business is "impulse buying", which would be lost in any other less congested location. I also suspect that most short-stay tourists never venture beyond Rat-U-Thit/200 Pii, and a significant number never get past the beach road and BangLa. It would be interesting to know the mechanics behind the "leasing" of these sidewalk spaces along the beach road. Is it private or public property? Tea money or real leases? Just curious.

Moving east of Rat-U-Thit/200 Pii, the area becomes a mix of long-stays, expats and locals, and not nearly as involved in the bigger tourism picture, so I wouldn't look for any significant changes there anytime soon. (It would be nice to get the new Sai 3 road completed, though. Based on the number of S turns now in that unpaved road, I'm guessing there's more than one land owner who doesn't want to give up any land to the road.)

[Dupont]

To make the beach road and the back road pedestrians only would not really be possible, but if they got rid of those bloody tuk tuks and illegal taxis, the cars on those two streets would be halved.

but i do agree with you that it is hard to walk the street without weaving around various obstacles for most of the way.

Sure, I know it's the whole country, but an "island paradise" like Phuket could lead the way in making it more peaceful and relaxing.

Tuk tuks and taxis are more annoying than space wasting. It's the bloody mopeds that get me. Patong is a small place - I just can't see why it can't be almost entirely traffic free.

I'm guessing you've been living here not so long ... <2 years ... in the beginning we all wish for common sense things like safe pedestrian x-ings, good internet connections, laws that are enforced uniformly ... just like back home right... but in time you will get used to the way things are here ... This is Thailand (TiT) ... and your living in the Thai's country and things must be done the Thai way ... get used to it .. chill out .. you can moan all you like and things 'could' be better ... but thats not why we chose to live here!

K2k is right here.

After years of living here, not only do you accept things as they are, you really miss them when you visit your home country.

Last time I was back, I felt lonely after 6pm on a week night and had the whole street clear to myself when I walked back to my brothers house where I was staying. As I walked, I missed the street food stalls, the throngs of motorbikes, the smells, the noise, the heat and the sights. I felt threatened as I was so alone at such an early hour of the evening and missed the warm feeling of the company of strangers that I enjoy here.

Part of living here is that we are visually stimulated every waking moment of each day. I can sit outside my house every night and enjoy watching life in front of my eyes. So much more interesting than TV. Every mundane trip (shopping, bank, TOT, bill paying etc) becomes an interesting (sometimes difficult) adventure in a foreign land. Lets face it, Patong is no Island Paradice and the fact that holiday makers come in droves and return year after year, means the chaos is part of the experience.

People are not visiting Patong for its pristine desert Island beaches. There are many people love this rich chaotic raucous crowded resort. Enough of us not only to sustain it but to increase the size of it every year. People who like to lie on quiet beaches reading books should understand that many of us would die of boredom if we had to do like wise. I don't see an exodus of people from Patong anytime soon!

As for the "if they did this, they could make more money" brigade, most Thais are much richer than they ever thought they were going to be 15 or twenty years ago. Their status has improved and they are generally (PLEASE note generally, not every last one of em!, not your wifes sisters husband etc. etc. generally) happier with life. Just compare them to the richer westerners over here. How many miserable Thai faces do you see compared to white ones?

For me, I have never had trouble walking on patong beach or the new promonade. Accross the road however.... you may have a point.

[Super Hans]

As for the "if they did this, they could make more money" brigade, most Thais are much richer than they ever thought they were going to be 15 or twenty years ago. Their status has improved and they are generally (PLEASE note generally, not every last one of em!, not your wifes sisters husband etc. etc. generally) happier with life. Just compare them to the richer westerners over here. How many miserable Thai faces do you see compared to white ones?

I'm a fully paid up member of the "if they did this, they could make more money brigade" - why shouldn't I be? Maybe they are happier now than they were 20 years ago, but they'd be even happier with more money, surely? Everyone I talk to would like more sleep and less work, fewer bills and more material goods.

Ok, TiT, but so what? Maybe an acceptance of the concept of TiT is part of the problem? I presume there are local authorities to lobby? Is there an equivalent to a Town Hall?

ps Bangla smelled worse? The suit sellers were even pushier?

[DrDave]

As for the "if they did this, they could make more money" brigade, most Thais are much richer than they ever thought they were going to be 15 or twenty years ago. Their status has improved and they are generally (PLEASE note generally, not every last one of em!, not your wifes sisters husband etc. etc. generally) happier with life. Just compare them to the richer westerners over here. How many miserable Thai faces do you see compared to white ones?

I'm a fully paid up member of the "if they did this, they could make more money brigade" - why shouldn't I be? Maybe they are happier now than they were 20 years ago, but they'd be even happier with more money, surely? Everyone I talk to would like more sleep and less work, fewer bills and more material goods.

Ok, TiT, but so what? Maybe an acceptance of the concept of TiT is part of the problem? I presume there are local authorities to lobby? Is there an equivalent to a Town Hall?

ps Bangla smelled worse? The suit sellers were even pushier?

Yup - I agree with you within the context of Tourism. The Thai government has demonstrated that its serious about the business of tourism, and recognizes that there is a lot of competition for tourists in SE Asia. In order to attract more tourists (and their cash) to Phuket, they need to make to tourist zones more attractive to the people they are targeting. If they don't, these tourists will go elsewhere (Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore come to mind). Some may argue that a complete sanitization of Patong will be a turn-off to many tourists, and I agree with that. The trick is to find the right balance of what the majority of potential tourists want and need, in terms of aesthetics, conveniences and personal safety, without losing the culture and general feel of the area. This requires some different thinking, and I agree that within the realm of developing/improving tourist zones, the acceptance of TiT can stand in the way of what the government is ultimately trying to acheive.

Now... this might sound like a double standard, but outside the realm of tourism, I think that the acceptance of TiT is valid. Those of us who have chosen to live here as long-stays, expats or permanent residents generally don't fall into the "tourist" category, and need to accept the concept of TiT as part of our daily lives. We don't fly in, drop a big bag of cash, and fly out a week or two later. As I mentioned before - that's part of the "package" and the decision to live here.

As to whether the majority of Thais are happier/wealthier now than they were 20 years ago, I really can't say. Happiness and wealth are not as tightly linked here as they are in the west, so I'm not sure that it's fair to assume that people are happy because they have money. I've known some locals who often didn't know where their next meal was coming from, but seemed basically happy. I also know that the overwhelming majority of Thais don't earn enough money to pay income tax. In the west, this threshold is generally around what's known as the poverty line. I don't recall the actual percentage of people who don't pay income tax, but I remember that it was very, very high.

And yes - BangLa road was even smellier before, and the suit guys were even worse. Hard to believe sometimes. Each night, the bargirls on BangLa would cover up the sewer grates with wet towels or cardboard to help keep the stench down. Sometimes they still do that, but before it was necessary every day before. And... walking down the beach road, you couldn't walk more than 25 meters without some guy jumping out in front of you and either trying to shake your hand, or shoving a placard advertising his wares in your face. I think the authorities made an example of a few of these touts by deporting them, and the shop owners got the message that they had better tone it down, or all of the touts will be sent packing.