Is it just me or does Pattaya seem very congested with traffic these days? I don't really remember traffic along Sukhumvit and throughout Pattaya being so high a while ago.

It seems ever since November of last year Pattaya has been crazy. I never remember it being so busy with tourists and Thais driving around like this.

Errrr holiday weekend maybe

Decided to get out of the bars during the day.

Duplicate post due to internet playing up.

Edited May 29, 201016 yr by Mobi

I was going to write about this phenomenon a few weeks ago, when I was driving to Bangkok one Saturday morning, and I noticed on the other side of the road that it was jammed pack full of cars coming towards Pattaya.

This was at the height of the troubles, and I have never seen so much traffic backed up on Highway 7, almost all the way to Bangkok. At the toll booths, it was stationary for miles.

Much of this traffic ends up in Jomtien as the middle class, car-owning Thais seem to prefer it to central Pattaya.

Theppraya road is always jammed with cars at weekends and on long, (holiday) weekends it is even worse. Before they finally finished the road, it was an absolute nightmare, and they often had to get the cops out to ease the traffic flows.

All these cars are driven by Thais, many with families on board, and all the vehicles have Bangkok number plates.

This seems to have been an increasing trend for some time, and I can only imagine that since the reds took to the Bangkok streets, many Thais use any opportunity to get away for a while.

Many spend the day on Jomtien beach and then dine at the sea food restaurants at the far end of Jomtien beach. On some weekend evenings, it is so busy there that it is difficult to find a table, and all the customers are Thai, many having driven there in very upmarket cars.

There is another thread which bemoans the lack of tourists in Pattaya, and I have no doubt that this is generally true, but from what I have observed, there is a huge influx of Bangkok Thais at weekends, many driving here in their own vehicles.

Who was it who posted recently that no respectable, Thai would be seen dead in Pattaya?

It's Hua-Hin, Cha-am, etc. for the budget crowd. There are plenty of exceptions of course, there are nicer resorts scattered here and there that are mostly patronized by Bangkok Thais. And of course a lot of "us" have moved here to live in somewhat cleaner air, and to take care of our local assets while not moving to far away from our Bangkok assets.

Who was it who posted recently that no respectable, Thai would be seen dead in Pattaya?

I think a lot of these Bangkok Thais frequent the new Central Mall. I was in Sizzler last Saturday and every seat was occupied. Same for Fuji and most other chain restaurants.

This has been going on for years,and always busy at weekends for Jomtien area.Beer bars are going thru a bad time but the thai cafes/restaraunts are doing a good trade overall.

I was going to write about this phenomenon a few weeks ago, when I was driving to Bangkok one Saturday morning, and I noticed on the other side of the road that it was jammed pack full of cars coming towards Pattaya.

This was at the height of the troubles, and I have never seen so much traffic backed up on Highway 7, almost all the way to Bangkok. At the toll booths, it was stationary for miles.

Much of this traffic ends up in Jomtien as the middle class, car-owning Thais seem to prefer it to central Pattaya.

Theppraya road is always jammed with cars at weekends and on long, (holiday) weekends it is even worse. Before they finally finished the road, it was an absolute nightmare, and they often had to get the cops out to ease the traffic flows.

All these cars are driven by Thais, many with families on board, and all the vehicles have Bangkok number plates.

This seems to have been an increasing trend for some time, and I can only imagine that since the reds took to the Bangkok streets, many Thais use any opportunity to get away for a while.

Many spend the day on Jomtien beach and then dine at the sea food restaurants at the far end of Jomtien beach. On some weekend evenings, it is so busy there that it is difficult to find a table, and all the customers are Thai, many having driven there in very upmarket cars.

There is another thread which bemoans the lack of tourists in Pattaya, and I have no doubt that this is generally true, but from what I have observed, there is a huge influx of Bangkok Thais at weekends, many driving here in their own vehicles.

Who was it who posted recently that no respectable, Thai would be seen dead in Pattaya?

A couple of weeks ago? Must have been the 1 May weekend. A long weekend with a lot of trouble in Bangkok.

Another reason for the congestion is a huge hole in Sukhumvit just before the junction with Pattaya Tai.

From 4 lanes to 2 lanes...........

The junctions Siam CC/Sukhumvit and Pattaya Klaang/Sukhumvit are always congested.

Theppraya road is always jammed with cars at weekends and on long, (holiday) weekends it is even worse. Before they finally finished the road, it was an absolute nightmare, and they often had to get the cops out to ease the traffic flows.

The cops only make the traffic problems worse, that's why there's all the tail backs. They should just let the traffic lights do their job and it will flow much better.

last few months every saturday at midday i used to go down pattaya klang - total gridlock from sukumvit almost all the way down.

50% of the cause was the police, they let the lights run in one direction for a long time. their logic is that lots of cars get to move. fairly failed logic, as it also stops 3x as many from moving... forgetting that not every car goes straight, lots turn, and by rotating the lights often it allows all those cars turning down sois and at the intersection to peel off, leaving less cars sitting on the main road...

the cops need to leave the lights alone.

No can do. Too many jobs depend on the lights not working.

Kind of like union issues in other countries. No get paid, no fly plane/no drive train/no make car/etc...

Theppraya road is always jammed with cars at weekends and on long, (holiday) weekends it is even worse. Before they finally finished the road, it was an absolute nightmare, and they often had to get the cops out to ease the traffic flows.

The cops only make the traffic problems worse, that's why there's all the tail backs. They should just let the traffic lights do their job and it will flow much better.

Better still set the lights to flashing amber for the major road and flashing red for the minor road and watch the queues disappear. Have you ever noticed that every time a set of traffic lights fails there are no queues? Strange huh? Unless of course the police take over and then its tailbacks galore!!

have to go past centara two or three times a week as i have an investment in that area, the car park is always jam packed at the weekends, bangkok crowd love either side of pattaya central at weekends.

also think that pattaya as a whole is on the up, hence more people able to afford the luxury of owning a car, and its such a status symbol for thais.