Phuket Police To Tackle Patong Traffic Woes

[george]

Police to tackle Patong traffic woes

NO PARKING: These signs, put up on Christmas Day, have

eased traffic congestion behind Jungceylon, police say.

Violators will get verbal warnings, perhaps in colorful English,

until January 15 when 300-baht fines will be levied.

PATONG, PHUKET: -- In a bid to solve the worsening traffic problems in Patong, police are considering establishing a vacant lot behind Jungceylon as a center for the local car hire industry.

Many car rental companies are presently based along the heavily congested beach road, occupying much of the public parking spaces there.

Col Jakkawat Boonthaweekulsawat, head of the Kathu Police traffic division, hopes that moving the businesses to the vacant lot off Phang Muang Road will reduce beach road traffic.

He plans to raise the idea at a meeting of car rental representatives early next month.

In a related development, Col Jakkawat said Kathu Police have solved the problem of traffic congestion near the back entrance to Jungceylon by erecting no parking signs along a 100-meter stretch of Phang Muang Road.

Jungceylon has its own parking facilities, but many non-customers had been parking in the area. This caused traffic congestion, he said.

The signs, put up on Christmas Day and couched in colorful English, had helped traffic move much more smoothly through the area, he said.

People who ignore the signs will get verbal warnings until January 15, after which violators will find their vehicles immobilized by wheel clamps that won’t be removed until the owner pays a 300-baht fine, he said.

Asked about the plan to establish a new center for car rental businesses, Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukhabaan said his office was not yet aware of the plans.

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop would have to be consulted before action to move car rental operators could go forward, he said.

In April 2008, Mr Chairat said that after Phang Muang Road was completed the municipality intended to clear the beach road of tuk-tuks and taxis, except those dropping off passengers. But this has not occurred, resulting in a deluge of harsh complaints from local residents and tourists alike.

Many tourists visiting Patong opt to rent cars or motorbikes rather than pay for tuk-tuk rides that start at 150 baht for even the shortest of journeys.

A motorbike can be rented for as little as 150 baht a day, while cars start at about 1,500 baht per day.

Last night, Kathu Traffic Police set up a checkpoint on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd near the intersection with Sainamyen Road, pulling over and fining foreign and Thai motorcycle riders for a variety of infractions, most typically driving without a license or not wearing a helmet.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-01-13

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[sharecropper]

No mention of tackling the elephant in the tuk tuk then?

[d0om4gloom]

No mention of tackling the elephant in the tuk tuk then?

Yep everyone knows it's the tuk tuk that cause the real traffic problems here. I'd be only too happy to see the back of the rental cars as well - like it says, they do take up all the beachfront parking slots. At least what's available is free though, any other country would have the dreaded parking meters

[Reasonableman]

No mention of tackling the elephant in the tuk tuk then?

Omigosh, ya mean ya got a weighty pachyderm parking probbie, as well?

Poor Old Phuket, just never seems to get any good press lately....

And now even the elephants will be put off

[nickjam]

Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnn!!!!! The police haven't, won't solve shit. This is not news!

[richieudon]

I haven't read the article but was intrigued by the sign.....

Why can't the police put a sign up in English that an Englishman would understand?

I'm saying Englishman because that's what I am and if I can understand it, I'm sure anybody from another country with a grasp of English would too.

What does that sign mean?

Is it "loss of face" to ask someone who knows English to write the sign?

I know you get bad spelling in restaurants etc. and I understand but this is the Royal Police Force...

[happyinkathu]

No mention of tackling the elephant in the tuk tuk then?

Yep everyone knows it's the tuk tuk that cause the real traffic problems here. I'd be only too happy to see the back of the rental cars as well - like it says, they do take up all the beachfront parking slots. At least what's available is free though, any other country would have the dreaded parking meters

You honestly can say you haven't met the uniformed human parking meters. I've yet to unbuckle my seatbelt, before they turn up for their 20 baht..You must be very lucky, or you haven't actually been able to find a vacant parking spot.This time of year is a rareity ...

[jamesjdaly]

He should get off his fat arse and tackle the taxi mafia.

[Scully]

I haven't read the article but was intrigued by the sign.....

Why can't the police put a sign up in English that an Englishman would understand?

I'm saying Englishman because that's what I am and if I can understand it, I'm sure anybody from another country with a grasp of English would too.

What does that sign mean?

Is it "loss of face" to ask someone who knows English to write the sign?

I know you get bad spelling in restaurants etc. and I understand but this is the Royal Police Force...

Prohibit park a car The every kind of traffic bilateral side surface of the road.

Whats wrong with this sign?

The English is besterer than what myself draws when pist up all day drinking on beer Chang.

[eTiMaGo]

Hmmm you'd think they *might* be able to find a speaker of proper English in Patong to help with the signs?

Anyway this is great, more parking space for the tuk-tuks to hoard!

I'm submitting the sign pic to engrish.com if nobody else has done it yet

[ovenman]

Hmmm you'd think they *might* be able to find a speaker of proper English in Patong to help with the signs?

Sounds like a good job for the volunteer farang cops.

[metisdead]

Hmmm you'd think they *might* be able to find a speaker of proper English in Patong to help with the signs?

Anyway this is great, more parking space for the tuk-tuks to hoard!

I'm submitting the sign pic to engrish.com if nobody else has done it yet

Yep, worthy of doing that, this is clearly more better engrish at work!

[ScubaBuddha]

Hmmm you'd think they *might* be able to find a speaker of proper English in Patong to help with the signs?

Anyway this is great, more parking space for the tuk-tuks to hoard!

I'm submitting the sign pic to engrish.com if nobody else has done it yet

That is a great site. I've never seen it before. I think there is a thread here for such things in Thailand Coincentally, currently the 3rd pic down is of a banner I have seen many times in Phuket and never noticed it says "Phuket Fancy Crap" I saw a billboard at the Seatrain Ferry pier in Don Sok today advertising the "Ample Moon Party" lol

To the RTP I volunteer my proofreading services. You may PM me. I wo't even charge you. That sign is so bad I have to believe it's a joke.

And of course the 5x more than needed masses of illegally parked and slow moving emtpy tuk tuks trolling for customers are the #1 problem with the traffic. But as we have seen they are untouchable.

Edited January 13, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[jonclark]

That is a fantastic sign - No idea what it means, but written by a genius, and my Thai colleagues comment that my 'tones' are sometimes incorrect. Obviously the person who wrote the sign has a love of 'official' sounding words and a talking dic. Put them both together and you get this.

If you parked your car there, and were fined, could you plead that you didn't intend to break the law, like the ex-PM with his forest home, as the sign made no sense.

[eTiMaGo]

Hmmm you'd think they *might* be able to find a speaker of proper English in Patong to help with the signs?

Sounds like a good job for the volunteer farang cops.

Yeah but they are with the Tourist Police, not the regular police, right?

Come to think of it, seeing the cosmopolitan makeup of Patong, having the same message in French, German, Japanese, etc, would be a very smart thing to do, but alas, how often is the smart thing ever done?

[eTiMaGo]

Obviously the person who wrote the sign has a love of 'official' sounding words and a talking dic.

Break down the Thai part and translate word for word and that is exactly what you get...

[geriatrickid]

Uh, has anyone bothered to do the scramble of death at the side entrance (Millenium side) of Jung ceylon? The Tuks are double parked there and they don't slow down when you try to cross the street. Not that anyone cares.

BTW, are you sure there are still farang volunteers in Patong. I haven't seen any for a long time. Last year they were all over Bangla.

[animatic]

....

What does that sign mean?

Is it "loss of face" to ask someone who knows English to write the sign?.....

One must conclude that ;

Yes it is a loss of face to ask for a critique of spelling,

when it's quite obviously will be a negative response.

So don't ask, and they can't tell you that you got it quite wrong.

Seems like madness doesn't it?

[sharecropper]

Uh, has anyone bothered to do the scramble of death at the side entrance (Millenium side) of Jung ceylon? The Tuks are double parked there and they don't slow down when you try to cross the street. Not that anyone cares.

BTW, are you sure there are still farang volunteers in Patong. I haven't seen any for a long time. Last year they were all over Bangla.

Maybe the tuk tuk mafia have run them out of town.

Although more seriously, in Pattaya, like them (I do) or loathe the (many do), they certainly have the full support of the local plod and City Hall.

I wonder if the same can be said about their role in Patong?

[Ossies]

''In April 2008, Mr Chairat said that after Phang Muang Road was completed the municipality intended to clear the beach road of tuk-tuks and taxis, except those dropping off passengers. But this has not occurred, resulting in a deluge of harsh complaints from local residents and tourists alike.''

I think people are missing the point in that he also includes clearing the tuk tuks from Beach Road (unless they are dropping off passengers) as part of the proposal.

This would be a great idea to move them all to a holding lot behind Junceylon with signs saying where they are if by any chance a misjudged tourist wishes to use their service.

Then the tuk tuks and their drivers can be left to fester all day out of sight and Beach Road can be reclaimed.

I think he has come across a great solution to remove the eyesore of the tuk tuks if not the pricing structure and the Governor should be made aware of this proposal.

Something tells me I am dreaming and need to wake up!

[alfbondi]

Patongs traffic problems are only going to get worse and worse. Something has got to be done about the tuk tuks.

[eTiMaGo]

''In April 2008, Mr Chairat said that after Phang Muang Road was completed the municipality intended to clear the beach road of tuk-tuks and taxis, except those dropping off passengers. But this has not occurred, resulting in a deluge of harsh complaints from local residents and tourists alike.''

I think people are missing the point in that he also includes clearing the tuk tuks from Beach Road (unless they are dropping off passengers) as part of the proposal.

This would be a great idea to move them all to a holding lot behind Junceylon with signs saying where they are if by any chance a misjudged tourist wishes to use their service.

Then the tuk tuks and their drivers can be left to fester all day out of sight and Beach Road can be reclaimed.

I think he has come across a great solution to remove the eyesore of the tuk tuks if not the pricing structure and the Governor should be made aware of this proposal.

Something tells me I am dreaming and need to wake up!

Hahhaahahahahahaha do you think the tuk-tuks will follow along? hel_l, when Patong tried to change the direction of the roads to ease traffic, they would keep driving the old way around. So yes, you are dreaming

[ScubaBuddha]

Uh, has anyone bothered to do the scramble of death at the side entrance (Millenium side) of Jung ceylon? The Tuks are double parked there and they don't slow down when you try to cross the street. Not that anyone cares.

BTW, are you sure there are still farang volunteers in Patong. I haven't seen any for a long time. Last year they were all over Bangla.

There definitely are. Seen the same tall guy at the junction of Bangla and beach road as recently as a few weeks ago. Their numbers do seem to be dwindling. Maybe they are doing criminal background checks now.