Commute From Pattaya

[chrisl567]

Have been looking at a Job on Asia Industrial est and am now considering where to Live

I was orginlly looking at Ban Chang but may also Consider Pattaya as it has better amenities for me and the wife ( who would only be with me part of the time) but the question is how long is the commute in time and what is the traffic like in general. I think the distance is about 50k

also i would be looking at South Pattaya

any comments appreciated

Chris

[Spoonman]

Where exactly is Asia Industrial Estate ??

Edit, found it.

Asia Industrial Estate linky

What does Pattaya offer you and your Wife as apposed to the closer town of Rayong ??

[PattayaParent]

Depends on the speed you drive and traffic but probably between 40 minutes to 1 hour from South Pattaya.

Edit: Houses in Ban Chang are cheaper at the moment as prices are dropping with the last of the Korean families leaving so would be a good option if you're with a family. If not stick to Pattaya.

[SeanMoran]

The general estimate from Maptaphut to Pattaya is around 50km, and the traffic along that section of Sukhumvit is fairly brisk, with much of it rural and normal highway speeds of 100-140km/h.

Although one might expect to travel 50km at 100km/h in 30 minutes, it might be wise to still allow for one hour from home to work, as there would seem to be perhaps twenty sets of traffic lights between Maptaphut and Jomtien/south-Pattaya, at a rough guess. Each set of lights adding a few more minutes to the duration.

It might be worth having a good look around the Ban Chang area and asking a few of your future workmates about the local amenities, for the distance between Pattaya and work in Maptaphut will remain the same regardless of where you make your home along that distance, and it might be easier to live closer to work everyday, with that 40-50 km trip to Pattaya for after work? I've seen some fairly classy looking long-term apartments down on the beach at Phala (if I remember the name), so have a good look around before committing yourself to two hours round-trip commuting every working day, unless you can afford a super-quick big bike to cut the travel time down and add to the commuter enjoyment each way.

PS: Whatever you do, make sure you don't end up living here where I am writing from; around 10km inland from the Maptaphut refineries and upwind of the smoke, so it would smell. The poor air quality is a mixed bonus, depending on which way the sea breeze is heading. Ban Chang has fresher air and usually doesn't suffer at all from the pollution of the Mapthaphut industrial estate, although water has been known to disappear at times in the past from anywhere around Mapthaput. Pattaya might be a more reliable option if you would like to take a shower before work in the mornings.

[chrisl567]

Thanks for comments much along my own thinking

1) a decent bike could be a good and enjoyable answer if suitable ones are available to rent

2) I suspect Pattaya would offer a lot more in the way of shops, restraurants and general things to do for me and especially when the wife visits also when friends visit as well

3) Slightly easier for the airport

4) a shorter commute is better but so is spare time happines

i have asked future collegues and one has gone for close by and one for Pattaya although with a driver !! so i guess it horses for courses and i just like to canvess more opinions

Cheers

[Soutpeel]

Thanks for comments much along my own thinking

1) a decent bike could be a good and enjoyable answer if suitable ones are available to rent

2) I suspect Pattaya would offer a lot more in the way of shops, restraurants and general things to do for me and especially when the wife visits also when friends visit as well

3) Slightly easier for the airport

4) a shorter commute is better but so is spare time happines

i have asked future collegues and one has gone for close by and one for Pattaya although with a driver !! so i guess it horses for courses and i just like to canvess more opinions

Cheers

1. A decent bike.... ...every day ???...hope you have good life insurance....not recommended whether living in Pattaya or Ban Chang....

2. If you decide on Ban Chang, wifey will certainly need a car

3. No real relavance on the motorway, picking it up on the Ban Chang end, only adds 10-15 minutes max on the journey

Having had the choice on Ban Chang or Pattaya, when I arrived here 8 years ago, I chose Ban Chang and never regretted it for a minute

[steve73]

Maybe you prefer Patters for when the wife ISNT with you?

But you may find it better living North of pats, around Na Klua, you can then get the motorway(7) and 36 straight into MTP, bypassing all of the traffic lights on sukhumvit. Easy 40 minutes then.

Airport is not much quicker from pats than BC due to traffic in pats.

[Spoonman]

Living in Naklua you will still hit a couple of set of lights before you get to the 36 turn off, these can be painfully slow as well.

[PattayaParent]

I used to do the journey every day for a year in 2008 from South Pattaya to MTP and always allowed 1 hour but I only drive around 100kms, somedays was 40 minutes but more often 50 minutes.

I moved to Ban Chang when my child started school at St. Andrew's and my location moved into the far end of MTP industrial estate which meant a 1hr 20 minute daily drive from South Pattaya.

Airport is probably easier to get to from Ban Chang thant Pattaya.

Once on Sukhumvit coming out of South Pattaya Road there are 7 (maybe 8) sets of traffic lights to stop at (not including free left turns) and 2 T-junctions for right turns to stop at.

Edit: From Naklua your problem is coming home and the traffic down Siam Country Club Road to Sukhumvit.

[chrisl567]

I used to do the journey every day for a year in 2008 from South Pattaya to MTP and always allowed 1 hour but I only drive around 100kms, somedays was 40 minutes but more often 50 minutes.

I moved to Ban Chang when my child started school at St. Andrew's and my location moved into the far end of MTP industrial estate which meant a 1hr 20 minute daily drive from South Pattaya.

Airport is probably easier to get to from Ban Chang thant Pattaya.

Once on Sukhumvit coming out of South Pattaya Road there are 7 (maybe 8) sets of traffic lights to stop at (not including free left turns) and 2 T-junctions for right turns to stop at.

Edit: From Naklua your problem is coming home and the traffic down Siam Country Club Road to Sukhumvit.

Luckily i am not in MPT but east of there closer to Ban Chang so if can keep journey down to 40 - 50 mins then not to bad

[PattayaParent]

A couple of guys I work with reckon it's quicker to travel on the highway 36 as you can drive 140kms/hr down there but that's probably no more than 1/3rd of your journey distance.

I'm guessing when you come over you'll be staying in a hotel for a couple of weeks to look around to find a place to rent?

Stay in South Pattaya and do the journey on a few different routes for a week, then move to North Pattaya / Nahklua and do the same.

That way you'll see if you are OK with the drive or not and find the best way to work that suits you or whethr you want to move to Ban Chang.