Beach Road Will Be Closed To Weekend Traffic Starting From January 1

[PhilHarries]

The garbage will stagger back to their hotels as they run out of money or find other things to entertain themselves.

PhilHarries, Trop, ...: Closing beach Road will NOT close all the sois.

They just became two-ways when beach Road is closed.

Same as Soi 14 every night when Walking Street is closed to cars/motorbikes.

So no problem for tourists to be deposed at their hotel.

Soi 7 & 8 two way? Soi Yamato (13/1) and Post Office (13/2) two way? To name but 4 that are congested enough with one way traffic. The second two you could clear the street vendors and ban parking one side but how much success do you think you'd get?

Make the sois two way? You're having a giraffe (laugh). And, bearing in mind Beach road is closed, how the hel_l is the traffic gonna turn around at the bottom of the soi.

Now that someone mentions it I too vaguely remember that experiment a while back closing Beach Road from Second to South. I think it was weekend afternoons so quite often I got caught out by misjudging my drive down to soi 13. The idea was to create a street market atmosphere with stalls, cafes and entertainment. <deleted>' disaster it was too, utter chaos ruled.

[Mobi]

Is there no-one in the entire province who can go to the Governor, and suggest to him that it's just possible that he might have made a small error of judgement here?

After all, he may be the best Governor in the world, but I didn't know that Thai political bosses also had degrees in traffic management

But maybe it's like "The King's new Clothes".......

[tropo]

Hi,

I do not really understand the reaction of many guys here.

Closing Beach Road between Pattaya Klang and Pattaya Tai is nothing new.

I remember Beach Road being closed for 1 week or so at many events between 2000 and 2004.

I do not remeber that to be a big problem for circulation,

but it was great to have a big pedestrian promenade, even if to many sellers occupied it.

They already tested these solutions : 2nd Road in double-way (all long or to Pattaya Klang only),

or sending back traffic in Soi Boakao to make a loop to come back via Pattaya Tai.

Chang_paarp: Why are you talking of 3rd road ? Nobody ever speak to go in this taxi-desert area.

PhilHarries, Trop, ...: Closing beach Road will NOT close all the sois.

They just became two-ways when beach Road is closed.

Same as Soi 14 every night when Walking Street is closed to cars/motorbikes.

So no problem for tourists to be deposed at their hotel.

Kopite: The pier ? Why do you want they have problem to access.

The Arthachinda Road will always be 2-ways.

They probably will send all Chinese/Japanese/Koreans buses there too.

The only big concern for me is that it become VERY difficult as a pedestrian

to cross 2nd Road when it's in 2-ways mode.

One way is already difficult; 2-ways is dangerous

Pattaya46

I believe you're totally out of touch with reality, but please explain how the Sois can operate as 2-way streets? Apart from the fact that many of them are too narrow for just one vehicle running one way, how will cars turn around at the end?

[Humphrey Bear]

If it were actually a good idea, it would have been implemented a long time ago

It was and it was abandoned after a month or so, 4-5 years ago, it was tagged amazing pattaya weekends or similar and was supposed to attract a street party on the pedestrianised beach road.. never hapened and all of the beach road vendors complained of lost business and closure with the threat of making beach road a ghost street.

You only have to see how many people the Song Thaews drop off and collect each day in beach road to understand what an impact removing them will have for the local businesses.

There were Singing shows and so on when Beach Road was closed.

All Thai songs, Thai music and thousands of farang tourists trying to push through the crowds.

Absolute disaster - but then that;s what Thai politicians love to repeat, time and time again.

[barryofthailand]

They closed Beach road one afternoon in the beginning of this month for a parade. Second road was nade into two way traffic, and was just jammed. The traffic will be backed up on second road, Central road, North Pattaya road and third road. This is where the traffic will go.

I'm not one to tell Thai people what to do, but to me the most desirable decision would to ban tour busses from beach road especially in the evening. This would help the traffic congestion.

They will live and lear. Pattaya is in need of a good traffic engineer.

Barry

[kopite]

Kopite: The pier ? Why do you want they have problem to access.

The Arthachinda Road will always be 2-ways.

They probably will send all Chinese/Japanese/Koreans buses there too.

the point was that 50-70% of dive shops are located from pattaya tai to north pattaya road in between beach and 2nd road.

how the hel_l can a few people move 40 plus tanks and sets of equipment plus organise the customers at 8 o'clock in the morning it the soi's are closed off

[Tolley]

It wont work and it wont last.

Sheer lunancy.

How will tourists get to their hotels?

How will businesses get deliveries?

How will second road cope when it is already overloaded?

Don't worry when influential Thais start losing money they will kick up such a stink that this trial will be aborted quick smart.

[Jareddiving]

Well crossing second road for pedestrians will be easy..

Because the traffic wont be moving.

CHAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rdrokit]

Two way traffic on 2nd Rd and Beach Road closed. Dolphin Circle should be fun navigating. Should change the name to Suicide Circle.

[barryofthailand]

Two way traffic on 2nd Rd and Beach Road closed. Dolphin Circle should be fun navigating. Should change the name to Suicide Circle.

Well I won't be driving that way on the weekends. At least in my car that is.

Barry

[Woody1]

Does anyone know the exact time on the Friday that this closure of the Beach Road will take place?

I think I will take a look at the ensuing carnage that resulst....ONCE........and on foot of course!

I suppose a good vantage point would be around TOPS or Dolphin Roundabout.

[thaieagle67]

They closed Beach road one afternoon in the beginning of this month for a parade. Second road was nade into two way traffic, and was just jammed. The traffic will be backed up on second road, Central road, North Pattaya road and third road. This is where the traffic will go.

I'm not one to tell Thai people what to do, but to me the most desirable decision would to ban tour busses from beach road especially in the evening. This would help the traffic congestion.

They will live and lear. Pattaya is in need of a good traffic engineer.

Barry

The core issue here is the reluctance of the local officials to clamp down on various areas of concern. The amount of Song Thaew's plying their trade in Pattaya, I mean 700 of them in a city this size, come on that is shear lunacy!

As "barryof thailand" mention's, a stronger arm is needed on the tour buses that double park on the busiest areas of beach road, allowing the idiot guides to stream clueless numbers of Chinese, Korean, etc, tourists across the road. Not forgetting they then park down the small sois blocking the way for delivery vehicles, etc.

Now the motorbike hire companies! Well they were moved before and it made a big difference but once again the local officials buckled and allowed them all back again and look what's returned, utter chaos.

Last but not least is the mob from Bangkok that decend on Pattaya (rightly so, this is their country). They seem to have a free run to park wherever they want (like they do back in the smoke), with double parking a big favorite. The local boys in Brown just appear to have no interest at all in controlling this kind of behavior.

Closing beach road will achieve nothing, its the control of the above which will start to bring some reprieve from traffic problems. I read the Chonburi Governor will come down hard on the beach vendors who don't comply, so why doesn't he do the same with the Song Thaew owners, tour bus owners, etc, or are they just too big to take on?

Edited December 29, 2007 by thaieagle67

[gharknes]

This will cause deaths, 2nd road, soi buokeow, 3rd road all conjested, also how do you make soi 7 and 8 two way, soi's like these need to be closed to all traffic

[Binkie]

Traffic control Haaaaaaa!

More like population control. Not only will this cause chaos (remember Thai Wisdom at weekends before when they tried something similar) what a farce fiasco and general f@#k up!

Driving over here is not the best I am sure all know and when something changes they tend to resist that change so I can forsee a few head-ons over this. And as stated previously what about the poor tourists arriving and having to hike to their hotels. That'll show them for coming to sunny Pattaya. Should have stayed in your own country, just send your money.

Was that a little contraversial, who cares anyway not the indigenous population for sure.

Sorry if I have offended or upset any one just speaking as I find.

Happy new year.

[moo9]

I still can't believe that it will be done. I will be "fun" in city. Even yesterday night there was a lot of traffic on Sai Sam and Pattaya Tai. I can't imagine how it will be when Beach Road will be closed for traffic. Amazing Thailand, the land of surprises!

[Rdrokit]

As we use to say in the military, F.U.B.A.R.

[innovator]

This is a great idea.....for those who enjoy walking. It will be quite easy to cross the roads because they will all be jammed with cars, buses, motorbikes, street cart vendors, fruit stands, stuffed animal carts, taxis, songtows, people, construction trucks, cement trucks, ATV's, Tuk Tuk's, dogs, homeless people, beggars, bicycles, boats, trailers, and drunk lunatics.

Did I miss anything?

This should cut down the walking time from 3rd Road to beach road by 15 minutes or more.

The best part about it is that the beach will be empty for the walkers to enjoy because nobody else will be able to get down to the beach, unless they give up their wheels.

Congrats to City Hall for this wonderful idea. Thank you very much and Happy New Year.

[Jareddiving]

Yeah you missed a few but we get your point

[tropo]

This is a great idea.....for those who enjoy walking. It will be quite easy to cross the roads because they will all be jammed with cars, buses, motorbikes, street cart vendors, fruit stands, stuffed animal carts, taxis, songtows, people, construction trucks, cement trucks, ATV's, Tuk Tuk's, dogs, homeless people, beggars, bicycles, boats, trailers, and drunk lunatics.

Did I miss anything?

This should cut down the walking time from 3rd Road to beach road by 15 minutes or more.

The best part about it is that the beach will be empty for the walkers to enjoy because nobody else will be able to get down to the beach, unless they give up their wheels.

Congrats to City Hall for this wonderful idea. Thank you very much and Happy New Year.

Don't be too quick to congratulate anyone just yet. It won't last long.

[NanLaew]

The core issue here is the reluctance of the local officials to clamp down on various areas of concern. The amount of Song Thaew's plying their trade in Pattaya, I mean 700 of them in a city this size, come on that is shear lunacy!

The 700 baht buses are totally adequate for a city of this size if they served the entire city. But as we all know, they cruise the beach road / 2nd road circle with odd forays to Naklua and up P Klang and P Tai while Sai Sahm and Jomtien is devoid of them. They need regulating and routing to better serve the whole city.

As "barryof thailand" mention's, a stronger arm is needed on the tour buses that double park on the busiest areas of beach road, allowing the idiot guides to stream clueless numbers of Chinese, Korean, etc, tourists across the road. Not forgetting they then park down the small sois blocking the way for delivery vehicles, etc.

There's loads of linear meters of yellow/white marked kerbstones reserved as 'bus stops' that are for the most part clear of parked vehicles. However, the tour buses, like the baht buses stop and double park wherever they need to pick-up or drop-off. If traffic regulations were enforced where buses may only stop in their demarcated areas and people learn to walk a few hundred yards, it would help. Once again, an argument for simple traffic management by enforcing laws.

Now the motorbike hire companies! Well they were moved before and it made a big difference but once again the local officials buckled and allowed them all back again and look what's returned, utter chaos.

Yes, they were first moved up the sois off the main roads and then they were limited on how many bikes they could display. Both attempts at control and regulation have gradually been eroded through lack of enforcement and they have reclaimed acres of kerb space, mostly on corners. Witness the veritable forests of machines on the Beach Road corner of Soi Post Office and on the corner of Pattaya land 2.

Last but not least is the mob from Bangkok that decend on Pattaya (rightly so, this is their country). They seem to have a free run to park wherever they want (like they do back in the smoke), with double parking a big favorite. The local boys in Brown just appear to have no interest at all in controlling this kind of behavior.

These local visitors mostly come from a lot closer than Bangkok; there's acres of factories and dormitory towns out beyond Mabprachan. I can't claim to have seen rampant double parking except on Jomtien beach road where they have those bizarre nose-to-kerb parking zones where someone can parallel park with the kerb and block you in. But you are correct that there is absolutely zero enforcement by the local police of any laws.

Closing beach road will achieve nothing, its the control of the above which will start to bring some reprieve from traffic problems. I read the Chonburi Governor will come down hard on the beach vendors who don't comply, so why doesn't he do the same with the Song Thaew owners, tour bus owners, etc, or are they just too big to take on?

Agreed! It's all curable with a bit of REGULATION. I add my pet peeve about the sidewalk vendors on beach road between soi 10 and the entrance to walking street. They hang their tat on walls and set tables on the sidewalk so people are forced to walk on the street. Then they set their chairs and motorbikes in the yellow/white 'bus stops' and mostly sit eating, reading and fiddling with cell phones, not watching if anyone is actually looking to buy their crap.

It's ignorance and apathy; the buggers in city hall don't know and don't care

[Mobi]

There's an interesting report in the Jan1-15 edition of Pattaya Today, which I can't cut and paste as it's not on line yet.

It is a report of the Chonburi Governor's remarks at a recent meeting. Here's some snips:

..He is not at all pleased with the mess he saw, in particular Beach Road, concessions, Baht Buses and the traffic situation...

...He explained in no uncertain terms that Niran (the Mayor) had best get on with the job without delay if he wanted to see his term of office fully completed...

...Beach chair vendors care only about profit and not about the public interest or environment....

too many deck chairs cluttering the beach at Pattaya and Jomtien, trespassing on government land, dirtiness, staff dressed inappropriately, overcharging and low quality food...

...On the subject of Baht buses, the Governor said that they are one of the main reason why there are so many snarl ups on the roads.... baht buses parking in prohibited areas...

...2008 would see some big changes on the roads and parking fronts...

...We are not making optimum use of the road space available because of illegal parking and chaotic "free-for-all".....

...local government intervention was long overdue to sort matters out.....

...There will be restrictions on large tour buses dropping off their passengers on Beach Road....

Sounds like he means business

We may be in for some interesting times - or will the Mafia get to him ?

Edited December 30, 2007 by Mobi

[grahamhc]

PhilHarries, Trop, ...: Closing beach Road will NOT close all the sois. They just became two-ways when beach Road is closed.

Soi 7 & 8 two way? Soi Yamato (13/1) and Post Office (13/2) two way? To name but 4 that are congested enough with one way traffic. The second two you could clear the street vendors and ban parking one side but how much success do you think you'd get?

Think of this realistically, and not as knee jerk "Cannot be done". The 4 sois metion will become SERVICE ROADS and not RAT RUNS between Beach and second road. Let up take them one at a time:

Soi 7: Most traffic uses this as a way of avoiding Pattaya Klang traffic lights were you CANNOT turn left on red. Hotels are at the top end and you can turn RIGHT out of Soi 7 at 2 locations. The bottom end is small bars and businesses only.

Soi 8: Most the traffic is through traffic just cruising to "View the bars" and pose. The hotels have forecourts for their customers to turn. Soi 9 is a clear road and far better to use,

Soi 13/1 Yamoto is mainly used as a cut through from Second To Beach Road, as the first road after Pattayland 1 (Soi 13/3) for trafiic wanting to go southbound.

Soi 13/2 Post Office is mainly used as a cut through from beach Road to second Road, other Sois being a long way done Soi 9, and Soi 12 (for Mike's buses) for trafiic wanting to go northbound. Most of Soi Post office beach end is clogged by motorcycle rental bikes.

With ALL these sois, just count the vehicles and you will find very few stop and most are just passing through.

The main traffic affected are the beer and ice delivery trucks and 7-11 / Family Mart deliveries.

[chuckd]

PhilHarries, Trop, ...: Closing beach Road will NOT close all the sois. They just became two-ways when beach Road is closed.

Soi 7 & 8 two way? Soi Yamato (13/1) and Post Office (13/2) two way? To name but 4 that are congested enough with one way traffic. The second two you could clear the street vendors and ban parking one side but how much success do you think you'd get?

Think of this realistically, and not as knee jerk "Cannot be done". The 4 sois metion will become SERVICE ROADS and not RAT RUNS between Beach and second road. Let up take them one at a time:

Soi 7: Most traffic uses this as a way of avoiding Pattaya Klang traffic lights were you CANNOT turn left on red. Hotels are at the top end and you can turn RIGHT out of Soi 7 at 2 locations. The bottom end is small bars and businesses only.

Soi 8: Most the traffic is through traffic just cruising to "View the bars" and pose. The hotels have forecourts for their customers to turn. Soi 9 is a clear road and far better to use,

Soi 13/1 Yamoto is mainly used as a cut through from Second To Beach Road, as the first road after Pattayland 1 (Soi 13/3) for trafiic wanting to go southbound.

Soi 13/2 Post Office is mainly used as a cut through from beach Road to second Road, other Sois being a long way done Soi 9, and Soi 12 (for Mike's buses) for trafiic wanting to go northbound. Most of Soi Post office beach end is clogged by motorcycle rental bikes.

With ALL these sois, just count the vehicles and you will find very few stop and most are just passing through.

The main traffic affected are the beer and ice delivery trucks and 7-11 / Family Mart deliveries.

Most of the vehicles on these Sois don't stop because there is no place to park. The parking places on Soi 13/1 and 13/2 are taken up by rental motorbikes or bar owners that put potted plants or chairs to reserve the parking places for themselves.

Soi's 7 and 8 are too narrow to park anything larger than a motorbike.

[tropo]

These local visitors mostly come from a lot closer than Bangkok; there's acres of factories and dormitory towns out beyond Mabprachan. I can't claim to have seen rampant double parking except on Jomtien beach road where they have those bizarre nose-to-kerb parking zones where someone can parallel park with the kerb and block you in. But you are correct that there is absolutely zero enforcement by the local police of any laws.

The local police are too busy looking for Farang motorcyclists not wearing helmits to have any time to do anything useful. It wouldn't be so pathetic if there weren't so many Thais not wearing helmets and carrying 3 and 4 up on their motorcycles...and dangerously running red lights....right in front of the police too!

You'll notice they always make a point of nabbing some Thais at the same time in order to make it less obvious what they're really up to.

[tropo]

The 4 sois metion will become SERVICE ROADS and not RAT RUNS between Beach and second road. Let up take them one at a time:

Sois 7 & 8 cannot be used as service roads. They would have to be 2-ways if Beach Road is closed which is impossible because they are far too narrow. How would a vehicle turn around at the beach end of these Sois?

Edited December 30, 2007 by tropo

[NanLaew]

Think of this realistically, and not as knee jerk "Cannot be done". The 4 sois metion will become SERVICE ROADS and not RAT RUNS between Beach and second road. Let up take them one at a time:

Soi 7: Most traffic uses this as a way of avoiding Pattaya Klang traffic lights were you CANNOT turn left on red. Hotels are at the top end and you can turn RIGHT out of Soi 7 at 2 locations. The bottom end is small bars and businesses only.

So the sorry buggers at the 'bottom end' are irrelevant? It's too narrow for 2-way traffic and you cannot turn at the beach road end so it's UNUSABLE.

Soi 8: Most the traffic is through traffic just cruising to "View the bars" and pose. The hotels have forecourts for their customers to turn. Soi 9 is a clear road and far better to use,

Irrelevant and incorrect observation on what 'most' traffic is. I would like to see a tour bus make a turn in some of those hotel "forecourts!" But like Soi 7 it is too narrow for 2-way and turning at beach road end. UNUSABLE.

Soi 9, once again is too narrow for 2-way and unless the BIB clear out their parking lot, there's no turnaround at the beach road end. UNUSABLE.

You missed the skinny Soi 11 that exits Beach Road at the Nautical Inn. Never mind though because it's too narrow for 2-way and turning at beach road end. UNUSABLE.

You missed Soi 13 as well. Now that may take 2-way traffic but only if the AA hotel is as generous with their parking lot as the BIB on Soi 9. Unlikely, so UNUSABLE.

Soi 13/1 Yamoto is mainly used as a cut through from Second To Beach Road, as the first road after Pattayland 1 (Soi 13/3) for trafiic wanting to go southbound.

And... therefore...? With removal of rental bikes, noodle carts, obstructions placed by bars and stopping angle-parking, you may get some 2-way flow here but they won't be able to turn around at the beach road end. UNUSABLE.

Soi 13/2 Post Office is mainly used as a cut through from beach Road to second Road, other Sois being a long way done Soi 9, and Soi 12 (for Mike's buses) for trafiic wanting to go northbound. Most of Soi Post office beach end is clogged by motorcycle rental bikes.

Same as Yamato... it's buggered. UNUSABLE.

With ALL these sois, just count the vehicles and you will find very few stop and most are just passing through.

As remarked in another post, they are looking for a place to park, not 'posing'!!!

The main traffic affected are the beer and ice delivery trucks and 7-11 / Family Mart deliveries.

At last!!! You have made a credible statement!

I hereby nominate you to city hall as Traffic Management Mayor along with Jingthing as Bangkok-style Taxi-meter Mayor.

Both about as much use as tits on a boar pig.

[monty]

There's actually 2 sois usable!

Soi 2, you can drive down, cut through the parking lot under the A1 cruise hotel (or something like that) and up soi 3 again.

Of course the hotel will only allow that for their own guests...

Now I'm going to shoot my fireworks

Happy new year...

[ACMIKE]

I don't understand why most of you are upset with this....it appears you set at home in front of your computers all day complaining about Thailand. Now exactly how will this affect you?

[justanotherguy]

I don't understand why most of you are upset with this....it appears you set at home in front of your computers all day complaining about Thailand. Now exactly how will this affect you?

Guess you never taken the baht truck

[Chang_paarp]

I don't understand why most of you are upset with this....it appears you set at home in front of your computers all day complaining about Thailand. Now exactly how will this affect you?

Unlike you some of us live here. It is a concern to anyone who uses or intends to use these roads.

I must make a note to visit dolphin roundabout on the first weekend this all happens, it should be good for a laugh. As to crossing 2nd road, I like to live dangerously, so I'll give that a go too.

Harking back to the post by Mobi citing quotes from the governor, some of the ideas are long overdue, and the enforcement of existing regulations that is proposed is LONG overdue.

It will interesting what the reality is for these proposed changes.

Edit

As an interesting note, on Sunday I was travelling down Beach Road and a number of bikes were being removed by officials in pick-ups, at one point there were officials checking some bikes, loading some into a pick-up, and further down the road there were a couple of official pick-ups full of bikes going some where. I did not note which department the pick-ups were from (lord knows I had plenty of time the traffic was going nowhere), but some very interesting negotiating was happening at the place where they were loading the bikes into a pick-up. I wonder if this is part of the clean up Beach Road campaign or another crackdown.

Edited January 1, 2008 by Chang_paarp