Sukumvit Relief Road

[dalmatian]

As I live off Soi Khoi Noi (East Pattaya/Darkside) I am still wondering when they are going to paint (if at all) the white stop lines on the relief road. This is the road that runs along the railway. I am aware that the west side of the tracks appears finished but the east side is not. I am only knowledgable of the intersections with Soi Khao Noi and Soi Khao Talo, maybe others are still not completed.

There have been various accidents (not aware of any fatal ones yet?) because nobody knows whose right of way it is although I do get the impression those cars on the relief road believe they do have right of way. The way some cars, vans etc drive straight across the intersections without slowing down is criminal. I always slow down when coming down these sois but it is only a matter of time before somebody becomes involved in a really bad accident with loss of life.

Does anybody know if there are any updates on the painting of these stop lines. If so please advise; would also appreciate any locals who may have council influenceif they would mention this in the right circles.

[MeetJohnDoe]

The general rule in Thailand at these uncontrolled (no sign or light) would be the same as in the West, whoever gets there first has the right of way. However, in practice, it's generally the soi with the heavier traffic flow that has the right of way (like on my soi, Nernplubwan, NPW has the right of way no matter that there is a stop sign).

Believe me, waiting for lines, signs, or lights would make little difference, the above rules would generally prevail

[basjke]

The general rule in Thailand at these uncontrolled (no sign or light) would be the same as in the West, whoever gets there first has the right of way. However, in practice, it's generally the soi with the heavier traffic flow that has the right of way (like on my soi, Nernplubwan, NPW has the right of way no matter that there is a stop sign).

Believe me, waiting for lines, signs, or lights would make little difference, the above rules would generally prevail

Couldn't have said it better.Why put traffic lights and signs if they will be ignored anyway.

I have always said that thailand can make a fortune by selling those useless things(also known as traffic lights) placed at crossroads etc to another country.

[LennyW]

They have been busy painting the road lines this past week around the chaiyapruek 2 area, although i fear they will make little difference.

In theory you would expect the "right of way" to be the roads crossing the railroad tracks so as to keep the railway clear at all times, but alas no, i have seen traffic straddled across the tracks waiting to proceed many times!! Complete chaos!

However, there is no right of way as such, as all junctions are to be traffic light controlled!!!! , a pig just flew past my window!!!

Dalmation, i know of at least 5 fatalaties and this is just at two junctions near my home, Toongklom Tanman and Pattaya RC(Nonghin), and many many more serious accidents at the same two junctions! I think if you talk to some of the locals near you, sadly you will find there have been fatal accidents in your area too!

I feed a lot of stray dogs every day on waste ground near the Pattaya RC junction, and in about half an hour you loose count the number of times you hear the screech of brakes there, every other day there is fresh white paint from the police attending accidents!

You see the cement trucks speeding through these junctions, they could not stop if they had to anyway - fkn bampots!

This road is really diabolical at present, time will tell if the trafic lights, stop lines, rumble strips etc. make any improvement, i seriously doubt it though!

In the meantime everybody please take extreme caution at these junctions!

[PattayaParent]

Why do you think a few inches of paint will make any difference to the drivers going straight through the junctions?

It will just be ignored as it is everywhere in Thailand.

[patklang]

This has made the east side undesireable to live.During the building of this road,it was awful to drive over to the eastside for ages,now many of the holes in Siam Country Club rd are causing accidents too.The area is disgusting considering all the house constructions over the years and this must have an effect on the cost of property.No way would i live there and have to endure the drives west.

[Lagoud]

Sukhumvit Relief Road............poor choice of name. Can be more stressful than driving Sukhumvit.

Use this road almost daily and like some of you have already said.... I just slow down at every junction.

I think the Siam Country Club Road and nern Plubwan are the worst but it's a relative call.

See the aftermath of accidents loads of times.

[barryofthailand]

This is a five year project, so as this is just the third year they have plenty of time to complete the project. Yes their have been plenty of accidents on the roads known as soi Rot Phi.

Barry

[dalmatian]

I agree that Thai motorists are sometimes likely to try to ignore white lines especially if the car in front has gone ahead but I can asure you the white lines in Soi Khao Noi on the west side have made a difference.

I have noticed that having no lines on the east side does make for a free for all but most cars on the west side do slow down and usually give way to traffic coming down Soi Khao Noi. I am not saying every car but there is a marked difference between the boldness of cars going across the east side as opposed to the west side and most of those I have spoken to agree.

Nothing will be perfect but having white lines will make a vast improvement for what is on offer now.

What is also noticeable is the lack of drainage on the road between Soi Khao Noi and Soi Khao Talo, if it rains heavily then it is almost impossible for cars, even 4 by 4s to negotiate this stretch of road. The inevitable u-turns helps the build up of traffic around the Soi intersections to an almost unmanageable situation.

The only good thing is that during heavy rains Soi Khao Noi (east of the railway) is only unpassable for about 20 minutes after the rain has stopped instead of the few hours that it is used to take for the water to drain away.

Now if only the Thais could stop throwing all their rubbish down the drains.

[Phil Conners]

On SSCC and Neunplabwan the crossings have full stop signs to all sides, i.e. nobody have right of way from anywhere....

[basjke]

I was just wondering what will happen with the extended highway.I read before that they would extend one leg into pattaya and one leg to hua yai.However I haven't seen any building yet in hua yai.Does that maybe mean that they will have an exit on this road which leads to hua yai anyway.

[myfriendyou]

A case of who dares wins, its still a great improvement on Suk for me, and when you see what the Army did in 3 years mostly from dirt tracks it really shows what a complete scandal Thappaya Rd is, over 3 years and a bigger mess than ever, maybe the Army builders don't drink tea like the friends of City Hall who are working on Thappaya!!

[craig]

basjke, I'm a bit confused over your post. I live in Huay Yai and use this road often. Presently, I can exit the road coming from Pattaya at Huay Yai...Near Pattaya Air Park is the beginnings of a major construction...the locals tell me that is will be an aquarium..they say there is one in Kanat...buri (the river Kwai town)...and it will move here...trucks are dumping lots of earth, a spirit house is up, temporary construction quarters are put up and a dedication ceremony took place.

[basjke]

basjke, I'm a bit confused over your post. I live in Huay Yai and use this road often. Presently, I can exit the road coming from Pattaya at Huay Yai...Near Pattaya Air Park is the beginnings of a major construction...the locals tell me that is will be an aquarium..they say there is one in Kanat...buri (the river Kwai town)...and it will move here...trucks are dumping lots of earth, a spirit house is up, temporary construction quarters are put up and a dedication ceremony took place.

What I mean is that they are extending the highway that comes from Bangkok and untill now stops at the road36 near the regents school.One exit will be on sukhumvit between north and central pattaya.

As there supposed to be an exit at hua yai but no construction works over there I'm afraid that they gone use the bypass road as an exit from that highway to hua yai.If they do so the junctions with the smaller roads will be an disaster.

[LennyW]

I was just wondering what will happen with the extended highway.I read before that they would extend one leg into pattaya and one leg to hua yai.However I haven't seen any building yet in hua yai.Does that maybe mean that they will have an exit on this road which leads to hua yai anyway.

When it was being made wider i was told that Chaiyapruek 2 from the sports stadium to Sukhumvit would have something to do with a link to the motorway 7 ???

[LennyW]

basjke, I'm a bit confused over your post. I live in Huay Yai and use this road often. Presently, I can exit the road coming from Pattaya at Huay Yai...Near Pattaya Air Park is the beginnings of a major construction...the locals tell me that is will be an aquarium..they say there is one in Kanat...buri (the river Kwai town)...and it will move here...trucks are dumping lots of earth, a spirit house is up, temporary construction quarters are put up and a dedication ceremony took place.

Where exactly is this craig? Is it on the Pheonix to Ban Amphur road, In the air park road, on the road from Ban Amphur to Thoonghan??

Edited May 15, 2009 by LennyW

[LennyW]

Well guess what, as we were feeding the dogs this morning near the Pattaya RC/Nonghin junction - another horrendous collision.

Two motorbikes this time, ran into each other and bounced into a pickup!

Both motorbike drivers taken to hospital, one of them pretty serious, an older man that sells puddings round our way, you could tell by the shape that his arm and leg were badly broken and he was loosing a lot of blood.

I spoke to the policeman on the scene for a while and he said that traffic crossing the railway line has right of way - reason - because the releif road is not officially open yet, and that is currently how the law looks at it!! Be Aware!!

I asked when the road would be officially open and got the standard answer - soon, soon!

I see along at this end they have painted the direction arrows on the road clearly indicating that the lanes are one way, nobody seems to be taking any notice though!

[mickba]

..............................the releif road is not officially open yet, ....................................

I see along at this end they have painted the direction arrows on the road clearly indicating that the lanes are one way, nobody seems to be taking any notice though!

Presumably on the day it is officially opened everyone will suddenly notice the stop signs and one-way arrows and everything will be wonderful and there'll be no more accidents

[craig]

basjke, I'm a bit confused over your post. I live in Huay Yai and use this road often. Presently, I can exit the road coming from Pattaya at Huay Yai...Near Pattaya Air Park is the beginnings of a major construction...the locals tell me that is will be an aquarium..they say there is one in Kanat...buri (the river Kwai town)...and it will move here...trucks are dumping lots of earth, a spirit house is up, temporary construction quarters are put up and a dedication ceremony took place.

Where exactly is this craig? Is it on the Pheonix to Ban Amphur road, In the air park road, on the road from Ban Amphur to Thoonghan??

Lenny, It isn't on the Phoenix Golf road...if you turn left off that road at the first major intersection next to the newish shop selling construction materials you will pass by a wat and following that road to the left (north) it will lead to Pattaya Air Park...or continue west on the major road and a sign will direct you to the Air park turn to the left (north).

It is just west of the air park...I live a bit further to the west of it...daily trucks haul in tons of dirt. Four engineers for the site just rented a house next to mine...they want more than a year's rental contract...they say that after the aquarium goes up a resort will follow...Progress into my sometimes quiet neighborhood...My wife says one of the Princesses has a stake in the venture...I just hope that if influence comes into the area that the police will see fit to stop the rampant and open drug dealing going on here.

Did that help? I don't think I described well.

[LennyW]

..............................the releif road is not officially open yet, ....................................

I see along at this end they have painted the direction arrows on the road clearly indicating that the lanes are one way, nobody seems to be taking any notice though!

Presumably on the day it is officially opened everyone will suddenly notice the stop signs and one-way arrows and everything will be wonderful and there'll be no more accidents

And maybe they will adhere to the speed limit which is 50KMH, and stop treating it like some sort of Motorway/Expressway!!

And thanks Craig, i know where it is.

[basjke]

basjke, I'm a bit confused over your post. I live in Huay Yai and use this road often. Presently, I can exit the road coming from Pattaya at Huay Yai...Near Pattaya Air Park is the beginnings of a major construction...the locals tell me that is will be an aquarium..they say there is one in Kanat...buri (the river Kwai town)...and it will move here...trucks are dumping lots of earth, a spirit house is up, temporary construction quarters are put up and a dedication ceremony took place.

What I mean is that they are extending the highway that comes from Bangkok and untill now stops at the road36 near the regents school.One exit will be on sukhumvit between north and central pattaya.

As there supposed to be an exit at hua yai but no construction works over there I'm afraid that they gone use the bypass road as an exit from that highway to hua yai.If they do so the junctions with the smaller roads will be an disaster.

My suspicions were indeed right.Few days ago I passed the section where they build the bridge from the highway over the bypass road and there is an exit and entrance to the highway.That means that all the traffic that goes direction hua yai or sattahip will be directed over the bypass road.Can't wait to see the disaster that gonna happen at those crossroad sections.

Maybe someone could build a viewpoint platform at some of those sections and charge an entrance for the entertainment.

[myfriendyou]

Looking at the new road markings (arrows) it looks like each side of the track is to be one way shortly

[CRUNCHER]

From the latest Pattaya Mail.

Local road to be ready this month

Sawittree NamwiwatsukDeputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh told the press on May 12 at city hall that Pattaya Bypass, construction of which started in mid 2006 with a budget of 340 million baht, would be ready by the end of this month.

New traffic lights will be switched on May 24 to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents.

It is a two-lane road with the width of 10 meters on each side starting from Kratinglai intersection down to Soi Huay Yai, with a length 16 kilometers. This, he said, should help ease traffic congestion for those living in the area as well as to prepare for future growth. Ronakit said that currently the local road was 80% completed and at the testing stage, to completed by May 24.

“Our contractors have agreed to complete the project by that date, but if any technical problems should occur, there will be an extension of only 12 days,” he said.

The water drainage system to prevent flooding is not fully completed and minor finishing touches are still being made, he said.

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml

[basjke]

From the latest Pattaya Mail.

Local road to be ready this month

Sawittree NamwiwatsukDeputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh told the press on May 12 at city hall that Pattaya Bypass, construction of which started in mid 2006 with a budget of 340 million baht, would be ready by the end of this month.

New traffic lights will be switched on May 24 to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents.

It is a two-lane road with the width of 10 meters on each side starting from Kratinglai intersection down to Soi Huay Yai, with a length 16 kilometers. This, he said, should help ease traffic congestion for those living in the area as well as to prepare for future growth. Ronakit said that currently the local road was 80% completed and at the testing stage, to completed by May 24.

“Our contractors have agreed to complete the project by that date, but if any technical problems should occur, there will be an extension of only 12 days,” he said.

The water drainage system to prevent flooding is not fully completed and minor finishing touches are still being made, he said.

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml

I think it was a good idea not to add a year date in his statement so he never can be wrong.

[LennyW]

I think it was a good idea not to add a year date in his statement so he never can be wrong.

Yep, as bugger all change today anyway, still a free for all with no traffic lights operating correctly!

[Hssl]

Shock horror the lights at the junction of NPW were flashing yellow / red last night...................... it still didn't mean anything though!

[JohnC]

Came home from the movies at 11pm last night and the police were out in force along with a couple of workers lorries who appeared to be working on the lights at the junction near us (Soi Nong Hin) This morning it was business as normal and nearly got wiped out by a truck this afternoon on my way home.

[JohnC]

Just been out tonight and the lights are working! Flashing amber for traffic proceeding along the bypass and flashing red for traffic crossing the bypass! So looks like the road is officially operational and the traffic on it takes priority.

[LennyW]

Just been out tonight and the lights are working! Flashing amber for traffic proceeding along the bypass and flashing red for traffic crossing the bypass! So looks like the road is officially operational and the traffic on it takes priority.

Been like that for about the last six weeks JohnC, more or less since they were planted in the ground!, the ones at Chaiyapruek 2 even longer, see what happens in the next 12 days !!

Correction: the ones at Nonghin/pattaya RC WERE working when they put them in the ground until somebody demolished one of the poles!!, then the red ones went off, the yellow ones have been working though!

Edited May 25, 2009 by LennyW

[LennyW]

Well well, about twenty minutes after i wrote the above post, another fatal accident at that junction!!! A black toyota yaris travelling south on the releif road T boned a motorcycle crossing in front of them, the motorcyclist had no chance.

And yes the lights were flashing in both directions - made no difference whatsoever!

Thouroughly disgusted!