Toll Road Opening Times - Tobacco Monopoly

[SantiSuk]

Am staying Sukhumvit soi 6 with car. One way systems and the awful traffic at Nana make this a restrictive place to get into and out of. What are the current opening times for the tobacco monopoly cut through from Rama IV to Suk soi 4 please.

I recall in earlier days being able to cut through from the road that runs southbound alongside the Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway (called Th Duang Phithal on my map) into soi 2 by going through some commercial building's car park and then through to soi 4 by paying 20ish baht. Do these still work and is the cut through out of Th Duang Phital easy to spot when you are driving northwards up Th DP?

[GuyDow]

You can drive through the Ploenchit Centre from Thanon Duang Phital to Soi 2 for no charge. You don't actually enter the carpark. The entrance from "Soi 0" is easy to spot and quite close to Sukhumvit. You emerge in Soi 2 opposite the Marriot carpark.

From there you can access Soi 4 by turning right and driving through the Rajah Hotel carpark. They'd probably charge you 20Baht to do this.

Edited December 17, 2010 by GuyDow

[lomatopo]

I think Mon-Fri it is ~ 06:00 - 20:00, subject to random closures like a hospital closing protest. Private cars used to have buy an annual pass for 100 baht. Not sure what's up with that now. (Note that on some days traffic is backed up from the tollway entrance, Sukhumvit, Soi 6, Soi 4 and into the Tobacco Company as people attempt to get onto the tollway.) You can also cut through the Majestic Grande from Soi 0 to Soi 2, then nearly straight on (marginally leftish) through the Raja Hotel cut-through, right on Soi 4 (where traffic is often backed up from Soi 6), then left on Soi 6. This will only get worse when they start building the Langham.

[SantiSuk]

Thanks. Is the tollway open at weekends?

[thaihome]

Thanks. Is the tollway open at weekends?

What tollway?

There is no charge to go through the Tobacco Monopoly when it is open. I am not sure of the hours for the Soi 4 and Rama IV entrances, but as far as I know, they are open on weekends. The entrance off of Thanon Duang Phital (parallel to the expressway) closes at 6:00PM and is not open on weekends.

The shortcut from Soi 2 to Soi 4 is through the Raja Hotel parking lot and the 20 baht is the minimum charge to park. The car park in open 7 days a week. It might even be open 24 hours as I have driven through it at 6:00AM on Saturday mornings.

TH

[SantiSuk]

Came from Rama IV to soi 4 this evening. Free - could see no evidence of anyone collecting tolls. One hour to do the 5k from MBK to the junction of Rama IV and the tobacco monopoly soi in rush hour. 5 minutes to do the 2k from there to soi 6.

That's one weird place, the Tobacco monopoly. I wonder what divine interventions prevent the development of that tens of billions of baht (hundreds of billions?) worth of prime land. Thailand could have a half decent education system on the back of it. On second thoughts I think I know who might be the road block there!

Edited December 17, 2010 by SantiSuk

[Digitalbanana]

Came from Rama IV to soi 4 this evening. Free - could see no evidence of anyone collecting tolls.

Tolls have never been collected here have they?

[lomatopo]

Came from Rama IV to soi 4 this evening. Free - could see no evidence of anyone collecting tolls.

Tolls have never been collected here have they?

Not tolls per se...I finally had a chance to follow up with some folks in the neighborhood. The hours Mon-Fri are 05:00 - 21:00. On weekends, times vary based on activities at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center, but generally are the same. You do need a pass/windshield sticker to go through 09:00 - 15:00. This sticker is 100 baht per year and can be obtained at the Tobacco Co. admin offices. If you don't have the sticker then you will be turned away, but some Thias leave their ID card as surety then come back to retrieve it after paying a small fee. I guess if you look important, and have the right flags flying you can pass unencumbered. YMMV.

[GuyDow]

Drove through the Tobacco Monopoly on Friday about midday in my 5-year old, needs a wash Toyota Hilux pickup. Entered from Rama 4 and exited in Soi 4. Had every intention of buying one of those passes mentioned in previous post. But when I wound down my window to ask about it, the guard just waved me through.