Driving From Suvarnabhumi To Rayong

[Felt 35]

I’m not familiar with driving in Bangkok. (Driven through once and years ago) but as far as I understand the location to Suvarnabhumi I will avoid Bangkok when driving towards Rayong!

Which route (number) to drive from the airport when heading to Rayong. Is the roads marked Chonburi or Pattaya! How far in distance and how many hours should I expect to use from Suvarnabhumi to Rayong.

I will have to go from Suvarnabhumi Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning. Which time is worst!

Thanks & Regards

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I'm not familiar with driving in Bangkok. (Driven through once and years ago) but as far as I understand the location to Suvarnabhumi I will avoid Bangkok when driving towards Rayong!

Which route (number) to drive from the airport when heading to Rayong. Is the roads marked Chonburi or Pattaya! How far in distance and how many hours should I expect to use from Suvarnabhumi to Rayong.

I will have to go from Suvarnabhumi Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning. Which time is worst!

Thanks & Regards

Yes, you'll avoid Bangkok completely.

Out of the airport take Motorway Hwy 7 towards Chon Buri.  It'll bypass Chon Buri so look for the Pattaya signs.  When the motorway ends down near Pattaya take the turnoff towards Rayong on Hwy 36.

Time?  2 hrs or a tad more, depends on how many trucks are on the N-S portion of the route.  It's a busy stretch of highway.

Saturday morning might be better.

Mac

[Felt 35]

Mac, many thanks, it looks almost easy!

[percy2]

Mac, many thanks, it looks almost easy!

Felt,

If you are going to LMP then you take the signs from the airport for Highway 7 to Chonburi/Pattaya.

Take the turn for Ban Bung after the toll booth, Road 344 to Kleang.

Continue along the 344 until you reach Kleang/Sukhumvit road(AKA Highway 3).

Turn right on Sukhumvit keep your eyes peeled for the turn off to Sunthorn Pu/ Leam Mae Phim Beach(blue and white signs , approx 2km from your last turn.\\

It will save you around 1 hour if you don't have to go to Rayong first.

Cheers

[Tony Clifton]

Be very careful on the motorway. There is construction going on and they are making a long stretch very dangerous!

Road crews have no safety training whatsoever

STAY OUT OF THE FAST LANE AND HANG IN THE MIDDLE.

Motorway death traps everywhere:

Newly paved lanes about 10 cm/4 in. higher than adjoining yet unpaved lanes. Can pull your car to one side quite violently.

Fast lane is often shut down for repairs but when coming at 120 and the sign is 15 meters before the hole, not much chance to react.

Long trucks execute u-turns from one side to the other during construction. Watch out for the Thai road version of a guillotine.

Some newly paved areas are totally black, no lighting and no painted lanes. Your headlights don't do much for you on fresh pavement without lines.

Some areas have seen newly painted lanes but the old lanes were left there. Total confusion.

Watch out for trucks that tailgate and change lanes with about the same abrupt technique as Formula 1 drivers pulling out from behind the car in front. The turn signal of course comes on as the lane change begins, not before.

Watch out for small bridges all along, the elevate abruptly at both ends, higher than the motorway and no smooth slope on and off. Some can knock hard over 100kph

Edited October 23, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[percy2]

STAY OUT OF THE FAST LANE AND HANG IN THE MIDDLE.

IMHO this is a stupid practice.

[Tony Clifton]

STAY OUT OF THE FAST LANE AND HANG IN THE MIDDLE.

IMHO this is a stupid practice.

Not on this section of the motorway it isn't.

[Jai Dee]

Having made 6 trips to and from the airport in the past 2 weeks I'd second Tony's advice.

I'd like to add that if it's raining, it is impossible to see the limits of those unlit areas of new unpainted bitumen.

The entire motorway between Bangkok and Highway 36 is currently one of the most dangerous roads in Thailand.

Please take extra care.

[torrenova]

I concur with the lack of road markings. I flew in from Singapore one night and drove back to Pattaya and in the dark, it was the worst I have driven, perhaps anywhere, ever.

Total blackness, no lights and no road markings. People with high beams on. Undulating roads. Sometimes 2 lanes, sometimes 5 lanes. You cannot tell.

If like that, get some idiot to act as pacemaker for you. Follow him at a safe distance and if he crashes and burns, wait for someone else to take his place. Not worth the risk, especially when tired.

[Cuban]

The Southern end of this run from BKK down Highway 7 on the map marked as Road 36 is fairly nasty at the moment, I drove down the 331 last night going to Laem Chabang. As the overpass of 36 is not yet finished you are left to your own devices to travel South for about 2 or 3 Km, cross to the Northbound carriageway via rough mud pot holes and tight U turns vs oncoming traffic.