Pattaya Bypass

[farangtingtong]

Use the Pattaya Bypass almost on a daily bases.

From the 36 down South, crossing: Soi Chayapornviti (Soi Crocodile Farm) and some minor crossings.

The problem starts at the crossing with Soi Siam Country Club: a lot of traffic from and to Sukhumvit and of course, give way is not something that seems to appear in the Thai vocabulary.

Once crossed this Soi, the next one is Soi Neun Pleb Waan, but before reaching the crossing, you have the struggle a way through the parked motorbikes on both sides of the road; same story for Soi Cow Noi.

At the crossing with Soi Khao Talo I usually turn left.

If it appears at the Soi Siam Country Club that it is very busy on Soi Neun Pleb Waan, I turn right towards Sukhumvit, and follow Sukhumvit until Soi Khao Talo. There I can que up for about 1 km until I reach my home.

Chonburi (Amata Nakorn) to Soi Khao Talo/Sukhumvit Intersection: approx. 45 mins. (72 km)

From that point to Aekmongkol III: 25 mins. (1 km)

I suppose that things will change, don't they?

Who knows more?

[Mobi]

These cross roads are effectively "Mexican Standoffs". No one has the right of way.

The major bi- pass (the one you drive down) has single flashing amber lights at the crossroads. The narrower road (on the other side of the tracks) has proper sets of 3 traffic lights at each junction, but as yet, they haven't been turned on (it's been about 2 months now).

I have already seen some horrific accidents at these junctions - mainly motorcycles. The problem is, that at the "Mexican standoffs" - a line of cars will stop, and let a line from the left turn in front of them, but then some bloody stupid motorcyclist will tear down the outside line of halted traffic and plough straight into right turning traffic, which he doesn't see until it's too late.

This bi-pass is not for the feint hearted.

BTW, if you turn right when you hit Siam Country Club road, and then turn left onto the smaller road on the other side of the tracks, you will avoid all those parked vehicles at the Neun Plub Wan crossing.

[PattayaParent]

I heard that it's going to be a tollway when it's finsihed. That's guaranteed to keep a huge amount of traffic off of it.

Plus as you say Thais don't know what 'right of way' or 'give way' means and traffic lights will be needed at all the crossings to avoid numerous accidents.

[patsfangr]

At present, the road east of the tracks is torn up at Soi Kao Noi. I have been using that as my preferred route from my home in Nongprue, to get to Sukhumvit. (Soi 24 off of Nernplubwarn, past 'Sure Park' restaurant; then a right turn; and left at the next intersection. That takes you to the junction with Kao Noi, and there is very little traffic to that point. A right turn onto Kao Noi, and it's still light traffic until a couple of hundred meters short of the RR.) But, as I said, that's now a dead end at the east side of the RR.

Anybody know how long that will be closed to auto traffic? (There is a narrow bypass that bikes can use.)

By the way, Mobi, save yourself the keystrokes of the redundancy of "stupid motorcyclist". Since the overwhelming majority of Thais on motorbikes are more than deserving of that description, there's no need to add it!!

Yesterday, I was approaching a 'T' interesection near my home. As I reached a point about 20 meters from the crossroad, a young Thai (without helmet, of course) came tearing around the corner from the left, on the usual "cut" route, directly into my path! I had to brake HARD to avoid a collision, and he had to swerve sharply and quickly to get around me. Unfortunately, he did not fully lose control of the bike, and smash into the concrete wall on the other side of my road. That would have MADE MY DAY! Instead, the fuc_king cowboy just continued speeding down the road behind me. I run out of words and profanities when trying to express my feelings toward Thai motorbike drivers!!

[Cuban]

I heard that it's going to be a tollway when it's finsihed. That's guaranteed to keep a huge amount of traffic off of it.

With all due respect I think this is unlikely, too many access/exit points to cover - despite it being busy (when I have used it) I doubt there is enough traffic to make any money from installing and staffing toll stations.

I was down that way on Tuesday last week (no sure of the day) to see a mate in he area (after looking up his house on Google Earth), I got caught up in a tail back across some of those roads mentioned above, I was stuck for about 45 minutes with no chance of a U turn or short cut, only to get to the cause of the problem - traffic police standing in for traffic signals - but simply standing watching the chaos - or when they did try to help there was no co-ordination between the policemen leading to grid lock.

When the traffic signals are working, the fact that many will creep through on the first few seconds of red will lead to grid lock still - making (enforcing ! ) yellow box junctions would help.

I would have thought Thais would like painting the road junctions yellow.

[tattoodrob]

THE ROAD IS A JOKE........but im not laughing as i live up soi khao noi.

now i try to avoid going out between 5 and 8 pm coz its ridiculous and a waste of time.not only is it usually gridlocked with idiots who all want to go at the same time but now theres a big hole and traffic is diverted making it twice as bad.....its easier to drive in any street in town now than it is to live on the dark side(east pattya) and get about.why cant someone with half a brain be put in charge of traffic works etc.the ideas they have just get worse and the works on the roads seem to go on forever...next big downfall and there will be another big hole somewhere needing to be fixed at tortoise rate.i wish i hadnt moved to the dark side as town traffic is a lot less stressful.also i know theres just gonna be so many accidents on this bypass as its already manic now......maybe they will just close it after a couple of yrs of tragedies and mayhem along it or expect us just to get used to it that way ....keeps the hospitals in good business.

all i can say is arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[kurgen]

I've heard a rumour , yes from the fella down the pub , that when it's finished it will be one way( Dual carriageway) which should ease the problems.

I'm going to the bar tonight so I'll find out the truth for you all

[Chang_paarp]

I've heard a rumour , yes from the fella down the pub , that when it's finished it will be one way( Dual carriageway) which should ease the problems.

I'm going to the bar tonight so I'll find out the truth for you all

One way on each side of the railway would make sense. BUT do you really see it happening in reality, even if they put up the signs? The only ones who would obey them will be the farangs.

Kepp us posted from your will intentioned source.

[kurgen]

I've heard a rumour , yes from the fella down the pub , that when it's finished it will be one way( Dual carriageway) which should ease the problems.

I'm going to the bar tonight so I'll find out the truth for you all

One way on each side of the railway would make sense. BUT do you really see it happening in reality, even if they put up the signs? The only ones who would obey them will be the farangs.

Keep us posted from your will intentioned source.

Will do.

For your information, in Thailand, 'one way' means each person only goes one way at a time

[JohnC]

The point that has been missed here is The ROAD IS NOT OPEN, thats why the lighst are not switched on, if you come down our end by Soi 89 they are still building yet people insist on using the track plus the bit that is finished has a solid white line at the junction where the traffic is supposed to stop and check it is clear to procede but no one does they just race down as if it is a race track. I predict that this road will be worse than Sukhumvit and we will see an escalating death toll in the not too distant future.

As an aside line, on this forum some time ago it was mentioned that if a road is not offically opened or adopted by the lcoal authority then your insurance is invalid if you ahve an accident on that road! Not that it will bother the Thai motorbike drivers who do'nt bother with things like insurance and driving licences!!

[doctormann]

I've heard a rumour , yes from the fella down the pub , that when it's finished it will be one way( Dual carriageway) which should ease the problems.

I'm going to the bar tonight so I'll find out the truth for you all

This would indeed be the sensible option, if anyone actually used it as a dual carriageway. Looking at how the road to the west of the railway at the Soi Khaotalo crossing has already been marked though it seems that this road, at least, is intended to be 2-way. I'm also confused by the appearance of a set of traffic lights (non-operational) at this junction. Which of the two roads are these lights going to control? Or maybe they're to tell you when a train is coming?

Right now the situation is chaotic. It's bad at any time of day as no-one seems to know who has priority at the crossing. Stop signs have been installed but seem to be facing the wrong way!

DM

[Mobi]

If you look carefully you will see that at every road junction there are thick white 'stop' lines on every road. There is no right of way - all traffic is supposed to stop. Then, if clear, you can proceed - exactly the same as on many 'minor' roads in the USA. Of course it is complete nonsense in Thailand, where many drivers won't stop or will play "chicken" with the rest of the traffic, but that is the way they have set it up at the moment.

The road builders (the Thai army), probably just told the guy who paints the white lines to mark it up 'as he sees fit'.

John, you may be right that the roads are not open yet, but you could have kidded me. The roads are complete in every respect , including road markings and, warning signs and sign posts, (with the exception of the non- working traffic lights) from route 36 all the way to Neun Plub Wan, which is quite a long way, and are used by an increasing amount of traffic. If the roads are not intended to be used yet, why are they not blocked and why are there no signs advising this?

If you drive carefully, and keep your eyes at the back of your head, It is still quite a quick journey from route 36 down to Siam Country Club or Neun Plub Wan - I rarely have much traffic problems. I have also driven all the way through to Chaiypruk 2 (Jomtien) several times, by judicious use of the roads on either side of the railway tracks.

I suspect that a few more bad accidents may prompt the powers to be to revise the "rights of way" and road markings.

[hanibal7]

What infuriates me is that the people responsible have these jobs and a brain the size of a pea.just glad i dont live on the dark side and have bought property because i have not spoken to anybody for ages who would go and live there.property must be going down in price due to the mayhem over there.

[longball53098]

All I can say is "I told you so",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2 years ago when they started to build this fiasco called a Bypass I knew this would be the results,,,,,,,,,,,the road is not 100% yet and already its happening,,,,,,,TIT is the motto,,,,,,,,,amplified in Pattaya,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well the new mafia mayor should be able to sort it all out after he closes the red light area,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good luck to all on "the dark side"

Traffic here in Baan Chang is normal,,,,,,,,,,no gridlock and typical for LOS

[Chang_paarp]

The funny (?) thing about the army making this road is that, they were given the job after the original contractor lost the job for not doing anything. At least the army has built the road. They mayhem that follows is the result of normal practices here, the support for chaos theory is living and breathing in the realms of this road.

[Cuban]

....oh the army built it - that explains why part of it resembles a tank driving range - my Ranger 'enjoyed' a little off-roading a few months ago when the Suk was stuffed - pity it was raining, I'll not be trying that again.