Does Samui Have The Worst Roads Of Any District In Thailand?

[insertmembernamehere]

I have not been to every district (อำเภอ) in Thailand obviously, but I have to say that of the many places around the country that I have motored on, Samui has by far the worst roads of any single district I have seen.

I just today drove around the island to show a visitor the place and roads are as crappy as I remember them. The asphalt part (which we were led to believe at the time of its construction was to have covered the entire ring road) is much better, no doubt, but the rest of the ring road is a shambles. And let's not forget the many minor roads crisscrossing the island.

And areas where the damaged roads have been attempted to be repaired generally create even more problems -- bumps, uneven surfaces, poor workmanship resulting in almost immediate gaps and fissures, poor construction materials and incorrect concrete mixing (look at the state of the road along Chaweng Lake for example; it's a hodgepodge of incorrect mixes of concrete).

This reflects very poorly on Thailand when foreign tourists bring home stories of the pathetic state of the infrastructure of an alleged "paradise Island."

Shame on the local government for allowing this.

And let's not forget the drain grates and streetlights that don't come on...

http://www.thaivisa....__fromsearch__1

So for those of you who are particularly well traveled in Thailand, what is your honest opinion?

[spanski23]

tarmac machines sat by the lake for the last few days .. maybe we are going to get nice roads . i am guessing this is why the curbs are so high ? as for the street lights i dout they will be working for long looking at the trademark bita black tape join on each one lets hope the drains work and the road doesnt flood !

[Gatorade]

Certainly seems to. But on the plus side it keeps the maniacal speeds down just a tad

Phuket has good roads and the speeds increase accordingly.

[jamesbrock]

How can one forget the drain grates and concrete covers?!?

One wonders how many fatalities are directly attributable to the state of the roads here? On the ring road in Lamai, for example, along where Tesco is, there are four or five consecutive concrete covers about a meter from the edge of the road that would send any rider off their bike, let alone inexperienced riders! It can be quite scary coming along there, or around near the IT Complex, where you have to ride in the middle of the lane with speeding minivans and concrete trucks coming up behind you...

After spending the weekend on Ko Tao, I can say that Samui isn't alone with its abominable roads.

[robsamui]

Tho I still reckon this is one of the best ones around!

[samuijimmy]

Tho I still reckon this is one of the best ones around!

Well at least they have filled that one in with gravel now.... not quite so bad in that section as it was a few months ago... helps keep the maniac drivers off that road! I love driving it...!

Of all that road there is less than 100 metres perhaps 50 metres? in that whole trip that is bad...18 kms long if I remember,..... the rest is really pretty good.... except for a few sandy spots...

Making .... mountains out of mole hills .....in my opinion!

......

[Boater]

trouble is there make them bad on purpose ! , no one ever inspects the job they do, and as they need repairing all the time, guess what someone pockets a nice backhander...

i beleive the money they are given, they could build some fantastic roads, but after the contracts going through 5 different people, a 1 million THB Budget for instants is left with 50,000 THB for the actual job to be done !!!

[Boater]

trouble is there make them bad on purpose ! , no one ever inspects the job they do, and as they need repairing all the time, guess what someone pockets a nice backhander...

i beleive the money they are given, they could build some fantastic roads, but after the contracts going through 5 different people, a 1 million THB Budget for instants is left with 50,000 THB for the actual job to be done !!!

Why has Boater changed from a black man to a cartoon to a little fat kid inside a year??

He worries me.

R

not just any fat kid

Edited January 17, 2012 by Rooo
quotes.

[Tropicalevo]

trouble is there make them bad on purpose ! , no one ever inspects the job they do, and as they need repairing all the time, guess what someone pockets a nice backhander...

i beleive the money they are given, they could build some fantastic roads, but after the contracts going through 5 different people, a 1 million THB Budget for instants is left with 50,000 THB for the actual job to be done !!!

Yes, it's the age old problem Boater.

I always went along with the theory that it was -

Give me money to win the election and I will give you the contract to:-

repair the roads

install and maintain street lighting

new drainage

and so on.

But I could be wrong

[insertmembernamehere]

I am actually interested more in those people who have traveled around the country and their impressions of the state of the roadways there and here.

[Tropicalevo]

I am actually interested more in those people who have traveled around the country and their impressions of the state of the roadways there and here.

Fair point. 13 posts and no one mentions other districts.

Probably difficult for Samui people to pass real comments on other districts. Perhaps try the other forums?

I did drive most of the coastline round the gulf from Cambodia to Suratthani, but that was more than 11 years ago (before I settled here), so not really relevant.

[mistresserika]

I often travel to Hat Yai, roads on the whole good. I also travel to BKK, on the whole the roads are crap, but not as bad as Samui. Heading North on the No. 2 road, it's good going.

Samui wins hands down on all on the other roads I've driven on in Thailand.

[insertmembernamehere]

There is the road on the Mae Hong Son loop from Mae Chaem heading east that is horrific, but then that is one stretch in the middle of nowhere.

I'd like to hear about those in Issan; how does this here compare to say, Udon or Surin, for example.

[PoorSucker]

Road to my wife's family in Amphur Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai.

[limbos]

On a regular base I drive to Phuket, Khao Lak, Koh Lanta and occasionally to Bangkok.

Excellent roads once you leave the island and horrible, bumpy roads once you get back on Samui! Roads in general are flat and well maintained on the mainland without holes in them, although the 44 from Krabi up to Surat has a few surprise bumps in it, especially if you go faster than 120km.

Around Isaan the roads are also in great conditions and nothing compared to Samui!

Samui has some of the worst roads in Thailand imho.

[Rooo]

There is the road on the Mae Hong Son loop from Mae Chaem heading east that is horrific, but then that is one stretch in the middle of nowhere.

I'd like to hear about those in Issan; how does this here compare to say, Udon or Surin, for example.

Perhaps you can pose that particular question in the motoring forum to get more accurate across the board replies.

[Rooo]

I have deleted some off topic posts

[sezze]

Like you say , ring road is ok , other roads not good . I live now in Isaan , and main roads are good , the small roads are nowhere near as good as on Samui . Get out of your holiday place and if you go to the mainland , go to the smaller roads as you compare them also . I think you will find that they are not very different and many times better on Samui .

In my years on Samui , i never had a problem with the roads , even driving at speeds way beyond the limit ( did you ever read those ?? ) .

[Rooo]

I have to agree, can not compare major highways with urban roads, which is what we have here on Samui.

[Birdman]

considering the traffic it should be 4-lane with a pedestrian bridge at Chaweng Lotus.

[Tropicalevo]

considering the traffic it should be 4-lane with a pedestrian bridge at Chaweng Lotus.

Complete with beggars

[sscsamui]

Samui roads SUCK and have for the last 25 years that i have been here.....

[longtom]

Driving down Nathon main road is kind of an offroad experience, I agree. Of course all that got much worse after the floodings, same with some roads on the mainland down south or in the recently flooded areas between Bangkok and Ayuthaya (sp). Being under water for a couple of weeks doesnt do them any good.

[mistresserika]

Like you say , ring road is ok , other roads not good . I live now in Isaan , and main roads are good , the small roads are nowhere near as good as on Samui . Get out of your holiday place and if you go to the mainland , go to the smaller roads as you compare them also . I think you will find that they are not very different and many times better on Samui .

In my years on Samui , i never had a problem with the roads , even driving at speeds way beyond the limit ( did you ever read those ?? ) .

You must drive on a very short part of the ring road, because most of it is atrocious.

[BusyBee123]

The road to Pai from Chiangmai is decent enough and most of the roads around Pai are decent too but the smaller roads still suffer sometimes from a random crack in the road that can unsettle a bike rider but would not be a problem for a car. I like the roads in Krabi too very smooth and better than B roads in the Uk (the ones near me anyway). Chiang Dao has a decent through road but a lot of the side roads are a bit bumpy.

Considering the traffic volumes on the ring road samui it should have been completely resurfaced by now but I think the drains should be done first and not like they were done in Lamai which are an accident waiting to happen for the unwary motorcyclist. The inner roads on the south of the island have some horrendous danger spots but i'm not sure the volume of traffic warrants high expenditure for improvement. Chaweng could do with an overhaul though.

[Rooo]

I think that once they finish the drainage & water pipes between Lamai - Nathon , you will see an extension of the black top.One section already kerbed & guttered with the drainage.

[smokie36]

Gawd...if I wanted to be bored to death I'd read the Mail online.

[Rooo]

Gawd...if I wanted to be bored to death I'd read the Mail online.

You have the link?

[itishothere]

At the risk of boring our good friend smokie35+1, they seem to have been busy this last week filling in the holes. Bandon Hospital up to ISS has had a few done, Bangrak main road too. At this rate I might see if 4th gear on the jeep works!

[Rooo]

At the risk of boring our good friend smokie35+1, they seem to have been busy this last week filling in the holes. Bandon Hospital up to ISS has had a few done, Bangrak main road too. At this rate I might see if 4th gear on the jeep works!

I was taking the mickey out of Smokie's post lol.