When Can We Have Our Beloved Chalong Circle Back?

[aroyphuket]

We know that Chalong Circle is always a bottle neck for traffic, but it really now resembles and operates as 'work in progress', with plastic cones to and from the junctions at peak times, dangerous and unnecessary U turns manned by Chalong policemen and now they have installed bright colored bollards bolted to the road sub base, to mark out the roundabout.

When can we have our new beautiful Chalong roundabout, like the previous one with fountain and nice flowers, which the Orbitor removed in the dead of night, one evening last year and tarmac over by the next morning.

What happened to the overhead traffic lights that were installed at each junction at great cost but have never been switched on.

Is our Chalong Circle for ever going to be 'work in progress', although it does give favorable positions for the Chalong police to stop unsuspecting tourists on motor bikes and issue spot fines each day, as they are stop to negotiate what looks like road works you see on the M25 every day in UK.

[KarenBravo]

The traffic lights were switched on.

It was such a disaster, that they went back to having a roundabout the next day.

[wtk]

I can understand it might be slow/dangerous during rush hours when you drive a car but with motorbike I don't see any need to complain about it. I am sure it could be better but there is enough room to always go between/next to the cars with bike so you don't have to queue

[ScubaBuddha]

Yes they were turned on for a day and it was chaos. Never used again.

My biggest problem with the roundabout is people don't know how to use it. I am always having idiots stopping in it to let me on, or to let on someone else on in front of us. If the vehicles in it already would just keep on going instead of yielding to traffic waiting to enter it, and those not entered yet wait until it is clear instead of cutting off the traffic already in the circle, then it would be fine, but that's not how it's done, either through ignorance or disragard for the law. The police standing there certainly don't care when someone cuts off and nearly kills a guy on his motorbike that knows how to use a roundabout (me). They really need to post some signs in English and Thai saying "Yeild to vehicles in the circle. Enter circle only when clear." And have a yield sign like every other cirlce in the world does. At least that would eliminate some of the ignorance.

[Zpete]

Mustn't start.......

Loved the old roundabout, few close shaves, but be aware and ya safe.

Thing is sooooo simple.

Get it into everyone's head......

GIVE WAY TO TRAFFIC ON ROUNDABOUTS............ every where.

[petercallen]

The roundabout should never have been removed, when you have 5 roads at a intersection the only thing what will work is a roundabout, in australia with a small roundabout like chalong you give way to the right, in a large roundabout vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way, as stated in a previous post the lights where working for 1 or 2 days and it was absolute chaos, i do not believe the fowntain will be reinstalled it would be far to expensive.

[madmitch]

Much as I dislike the concept, the u-turn during rush hour does actually work; unless you are one that has to make the u-turn, then traffic flows better.

It is worse when the police try to direct the traffic! They are better just letting it flow in it own way. Also I am not sure why they put the cones out at weekends.

It is sad about the fountain. It is more sad that someone thought that traffic lights would work at that junction. It is good that they realised after one day and didn't continue with the idea just to avoid somebody losing face.

[Atmos]

you mean there are roundabout rules?

I cycle through the roundabout 2, sometimes 4, times a day. I think some adrenaline in one's system is a good thing.

In my otherwise dull life negotiating that stretch of road is quite exhilarating, ie reaching the other side alive. It's my personal version of "Survivor, Chalong".

Sometimes I just stop and watch - random chaos on wheels.

Please stop if you see a 6'2 guy, fluoro yellow singlet, splattered over the road, and get my bicycle out of harms way.

[olsen]

Nothing new .... Phuket has always been a disaster regarding traffic....which is why I relocated from there 2 years ago.....

[phuketrichard]

beats Bangkok, pattaya or Chaing Mai traffic any day!!!

[Wellington]

Yes they were turned on for a day and it was chaos. Never used again.

My biggest problem with the roundabout is people don't know how to use it. I am always having idiots stopping in it to let me on, or to let on someone else on in front of us. If the vehicles in it already would just keep on going instead of yielding to traffic waiting to enter it, and those not entered yet wait until it is clear instead of cutting off the traffic already in the circle, then it would be fine, but that's not how it's done, either through ignorance or disragard for the law. The police standing there certainly don't care when someone cuts off and nearly kills a guy on his motorbike that knows how to use a roundabout (me). They really need to post some signs in English and Thai saying "Yeild to vehicles in the circle. Enter circle only when clear." And have a yield sign like every other cirlce in the world does. At least that would eliminate some of the ignorance.

Right of course ,but try teaching The truck/bus drivers who remain in the outside lane from Bangkok to Cape Panwa

We've learnt a useful avoidance route since Villa opened.

Go in the left turn 100 meters before the circle if you are coming from Kata , signed to Homepro and Villa I think , drive through the car park and out towards Central avoiding the "roundabout "altogether.

[LivinLOS]

beats Bangkok, pattaya or Chaing Mai traffic any day!!!

2 out of 3 I will give you.. But CM ??

[katabeachbum]

Hayek Chalong has never been as effective as now. The lights where a disaster.

The very small present circle makes room for more vehicles than the previous fountain.

Number of cars have doubled in Phuket in 3 years, still Hayek Chalong is more effective than ever

Signs to teach drivers how to behave? First they must learn to read, then learn how to obey signs

Outside Villa Dowrong there s a full STOP sign for Chao Fa east road towards town. Never seen anyone respect it Dont even yield

[KarenBravo]

We've learnt a useful avoidance route since Villa opened.

Go in the left turn 100 meters before the circle if you are coming from Kata , signed to Homepro and Villa I think , drive through the car park and out towards Central avoiding the "roundabout "altogether.

There are sois that can be used to avoid the roundabout on all five roads that branch from it. Some of them are a bit long, though.

I also have to agree that now that the inner circle is the smallest it's ever been, the roundabout is most effective.

[markg]

Hayek Chalong has never been as effective as now. The lights where a disaster.

The very small present circle makes room for more vehicles than the previous fountain.

Possibly, though you won't believe what happened to me the other day.

Coming out of Chalong Pier road to go to Homepro. I come to a stop and look to my right (looking up the Chao Fa East road). All is clear. The roundabout is also clear.

That's me clear to go yeah?

Not so !!

Unbelievably, a car coming from Rawai, went straight across the roundabout going round it the wrong way! i.e. He approached at high speed from my left and went up Chao Fa east going the wrong way round the roundabout.

Maybe it's too small and poorly lit to be seen when coming from Rawai?

Idiot !

I agree. Signs showing how it should be used are what is needed. Give way to the right. Traffic already on the roundabout has right of way.

Have a look at this belta from Swindon in the UK, known as 'the magic roundabout'

Edited September 6, 2009 by markg

[wilsongbrown]

Yes they were turned on for a day and it was chaos. Never used again.

My biggest problem with the roundabout is people don't know how to use it. I am always having idiots stopping in it to let me on, or to let on someone else on in front of us. If the vehicles in it already would just keep on going instead of yielding to traffic waiting to enter it, and those not entered yet wait until it is clear instead of cutting off the traffic already in the circle, then it would be fine, but that's not how it's done, either through ignorance or disragard for the law. The police standing there certainly don't care when someone cuts off and nearly kills a guy on his motorbike that knows how to use a roundabout (me). They really need to post some signs in English and Thai saying "Yeild to vehicles in the circle. Enter circle only when clear." And have a yield sign like every other cirlce in the world does. At least that would eliminate some of the ignorance.

There's nothing included in the Thai driving test, either the written part, or their little mockup for the practical even mentioning how to properly negotiate a traffic circle.

Once I had a Thai friend in the car and when switching on the indicator to show which exit I was taking, he asked 'and where do you think you're going?' TIT. Again.

Edited September 6, 2009 by wilsongbrown

[aroyphuket]

Following the original posting that I wrote, seeing workers excavating a deep hole in the middle of the roundabout recently, I was excited that our fountain was going to return spring fed from the water table found at the bottom of the new hole. After reading in the Phuket Gazette that the Orbitor are going to install new floodlights on top of a high pole, my opinion has now changed that Chalong roundabout will become a GP style night race track for the boy racer moped riders that frequent the area.

It was interesting to note that the authorities admitted in the same article that the newly installed traffic lights had to be switched off after half an hour because of the terrible traffic build up they caused!

I leave on a positive note that our beloved roundabout will return in the near future after they give up on the flood lights......................

[baabaabobo]

And then there was light

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Light-t306666.html in Phuket News clippings

[LivinginKata]

A newer topic has been started on this subject ...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Chalong-Circ...ga-t303948.html

This topic now closed.