Avoid The Bang Na Trad Road Coming Into Bangkok

[floridaguy]

Just FYI, I just road back in from Chon Buri on the Bang Na Trad Road. I was under the motorway, not on the Frontage road. There is road resurfacing going on between somewhere around Bang Wua and Bang Phli. At first, what got me was the ridges in the road from the resurfacing machine. They run parallel to the direction of traffic, and my tires kept pulling from one track to another, jerking my bike sideways. I could deal with that, I just slowed down.

But the biggest problem is the pot holes. There are hundreds of very large pot holes, mainly on the left side of the road where I was traveling. I have a Steed that is a hard tail, and I bottomed out several times hard before I could get on to the Frontage road. My kidneys felt like I had just gone 3 rounds in the boxing ring. It wasn't until after I got home that I saw the damage. My tire had scraped the fender, and it was down to the steel treads in a couple of spots. I am lucky it didn't blow out.

Probably wouldn't be so bad on a bike with shocks or different tires. I have a 200mm tire in the back and it is hel_l in grooves in the road.

My suggestion, if you are riding into Bangkok under the motorway on Bang Na Trad, as soon as you see some road work after the Chachoengsao exit, get to the Frontage road until Bang Phli.

Happy riding.

[RusticCharm]

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend the frontage road to anybody. The other viable options are the old no3 highway into Samut Prakarn or via Chachoengsao-Panat Nikom area and on towards Onnut.

[Seeker1953]

Thanks for the heads up, I go down towards Chonburi from time to time. The darn frontage roads are really bad in some places, so sometimes I'd like to try driving under the motorway.

Hey, hope it's not too off topic, but what are the rules about using the road under the Motorway? I see signs in Bang Na forbidding bikes, but further on there are none.

So what's the rules please?

thanks,

seeker

[Zzinged]

Hey, hope it's not too off topic, but what are the rules about using the road under the Motorway? I see signs in Bang Na forbidding bikes, but further on there are none.

So what's the rules please?

It's basically legal until you get caught at which point it becomes illegal, if you get my drift.

[aussiebrian]

Hey, hope it's not too off topic, but what are the rules about using the road under the Motorway? I see signs in Bang Na forbidding bikes, but further on there are none.

So what's the rules please?

It's basically legal until you get caught at which point it becomes illegal, if you get my drift.

It used to be legal up to about 1 1/2 years ago to travel along Bangna Trad Road under the motorway, all the way, then the signs of no bikes popped up. The police patrol the road often and also just sit on the side waiting for motorcycles to book. Where the signs finish then there is no problem which by memory would be about near the airport turn off.

I think they want motorcyclists in Bangkok to die with the crazy laws of not being able to travel on freeways, expressways, tollways, over some bridges and then to make it even worse having to be in the left lane. You must must wear a helmet but a bit of plastic on your head whether done up or not will suffice. I have been booked over 30 times, usually for not being in the left lane, but normally 100baht takes care of the problem. Lately they have wanted more. I don't understand why there are no protests by motorcycle clubs to the crazy laws.

Instead of encouraging motorcycles to travel around Bangkok, they discriminate against to them to such a degree that it becomes the slowest and most dangerous way to travel around Bangkok. Imagine if all the motorcycles in Bangkok were cars.. No one would ever get anywhere.

When I came back from North Thailand travelling to Bangna, once arriving into the outskirts of Bangkok, I had about 50 kms of travel on roads next to the express ways, battling with buses and cars pulling in and out of streets, shopping centres or just wanting to stop infront of me. I am riding a Harley, it can travel faster, handles better, is worth more than most cars and does less damage to the road surface. The trip took nearly 2 hours of hel_l, but if I could have been allowed on the tollway I would have been in Bangna in about 30 minutes without the many people cutting me off every couple of minutes. The police had a blitz on, with at least 7 groups of police along the way with many motorcycles being booked at each one.

So why am I a second class citizen? Ok. restrict anything under 125cc but why big bikes? If it was supposed to be for our safety they are just wrong, or is it just because car drivers want to feel superior and don't want us on their roads plus motorcycles are easy targets for the police to make money from? I think so.

There are no restrictions in other countries, with most giving motorcycles free passage on tollways, Malaysia and Australia are 2 examples. In Malaysia they even have signs with an umbrella, with places along the freeways where motorcycles can stop under cover incase of rain.

Edited September 16, 2010 by aussiebrian

[floridaguy]

Thanks for the heads up, I go down towards Chonburi from time to time. The darn frontage roads are really bad in some places, so sometimes I'd like to try driving under the motorway.

Hey, hope it's not too off topic, but what are the rules about using the road under the Motorway? I see signs in Bang Na forbidding bikes, but further on there are none.

So what's the rules please?

thanks,

seeker

Seeker, I have never been bothered using an overpass or flyover or being under the motorway, but I think it has more to do with the size of your bike. Size does matter! The BIB usually leave the big bikes alone, but will stop the scooters. I see many big bikes under the motorway, but very seldom see a scooter. I never see anyone stopped. In fact on that last trip, I passed a couple of different police officers on their own police motorcycles under the motorway. They never even looked twice at me. I always use these roads throughout Bangkok on a daily basis. The frontage road is just too hectic when you have a smoother sailing road 10 meters to your right.

Cheers

[Zzinged]

Lucky you floridaguy. I've been booked for using an overpass, an underpass, and for not being on a frontage road.

[aussiebrian]

Lucky you floridaguy. I've been booked for using an overpass, an underpass, and for not being on a frontage road.

[/quot

I have been booked over 30 times in Bangkok, mostly for not being in the left lane of the frontage road, but about 5 or 6 times for being on an underpass, expressway over a bridge I was not supposed to cross even though I was following a stream of bikes over it. Just because I was on a big bike makes no difference at all. I try to avoid being on them but sometimes I have accidentally gone on ones I am not supposed to be on. I have also talked my way out a few times.

Following my gps one day when I accidentally got lost and ended up on an expressway, I even had a police escort off it, . He opened up a gate along the way, and told me to follow him. . I followed him over the footpaths in heavy traffic when the cars were blocking the road, through one red light when it wasn't changing for a while, (with other bikes also going through), all the way to the picture theatre I was trying to find. With no fine that time he waved me good bye.

The police can travel along anywhere they like, even on a small bike but on my CBR1100 and now my Harley I can not. I have talked to many police about this and their usual answer is it is dangerous to travel along them, you are not allowed to and you must travel in the left lane on frontage and all roads.

I don't think Florida guy has been in Bangkok long or has been extremely lucky so far. I would if he keeps travelling where he likes his luck won't last much longer.

I believe that if this changed there would be around 30% less death and injuries from motorcycles in Bangok. Maybe I should put this on a new thread.

[floridaguy]

I have been booked over 30 times in Bangkok, mostly for not being in the left lane of the frontage road, but about 5 or 6 times for being on an underpass, expressway over a bridge I was not supposed to cross even though I was following a stream of bikes over it. Just because I was on a big bike makes no difference at all. I try to avoid being on them but sometimes I have accidentally gone on ones I am not supposed to be on. I have also talked my way out a few times.

Following my gps one day when I accidentally got lost and ended up on an expressway, I even had a police escort off it, . He opened up a gate along the way, and told me to follow him. . I followed him over the footpaths in heavy traffic when the cars were blocking the road, through one red light when it wasn't changing for a while, (with other bikes also going through), all the way to the picture theatre I was trying to find. With no fine that time he waved me good bye.

The police can travel along anywhere they like, even on a small bike but on my CBR1100 and now my Harley I can not. I have talked to many police about this and their usual answer is it is dangerous to travel along them, you are not allowed to and you must travel in the left lane on frontage and all roads.

I don't think Florida guy has been in Bangkok long or has been extremely lucky so far. I would if he keeps travelling where he likes his luck won't last much longer.

I believe that if this changed there would be around 30% less death and injuries from motorcycles in Bangok. Maybe I should put this on a new thread.

I have been in Bangkok almost 2 years, but only driving a motorcycle for 4 months. I may be lucky, true, but I also am aware of my surroundings. I do avoid those areas if I see a group of cops stopping people, or I just drive around them. I have very little patience with police that are just looking for a payout. I have been stopped on my bike three 3 times, once paid the 100 baht fine, second everything was in order and they let me go, the third he chased me down on his little scooter and asked if I had paid my tax. I just pointed to my current tax certificate and drove off. He didn't follow. All three times I was in the far right lane on Sukhumvit. The fine was for my Xenon headlight.