Traffic Lights - Turn Left On Red - Warning

[smedly]

I thought this was worth a heads up for for everyone

There have been changes to a lot of junctions around pattaya concerning turning left on red, most of the lights now prohibit this and you will find the BiB waitinground the corner to slap you with a 400baht ticket. I can see no reason for them to make these changes other than as a money generator - considering the current traffic congestion.

I know the junction of 2nd road and pattaya Klang has been like this for a long time and I don't remember ever going through there when someone wasn't getting a ticket for turning left towards beach road, they have obciously decided that they were making so much money from this one that they decided to do the same for them all, also note that the sign change is not obvious and I don't believe it is the correct official sign that I have seen elsewhere in Thailand were they clearly state in english "Stop on red" or "no left turn on red" I think all they did was change the arrow from green to red - so check the signs

[cockerdoodledo]

It says "waiting light",yes bit of a problem ,lots getting trapped

[ChangFai]

Well, as a pedestrian I welcome this move.

[banglay]

Anything that enhances road safety in Thailand is OK with me ....if a ฿400 fine helps to saves just one life I for one will consider it a success.

[PattayaParent]

I have noticed that at a few junctions lately but there is also a sign on them, both in Thai and English, although the English may be a bit confusing.

[ZZZ]

In the US you can turn on red at all crossings unless there is a sign saying the opposite.

In Thailand it's the other way around. It's illegal to turn at all crossings unless there is a sign saying that you can. The official sign is a blue rectangular sign, portrait orientation, with a white arrow indicating a left turn.

It's illegal to turn at red at most crossings in Pattaya as only a few of the crossings have this sign.

Over the last year some new un-official signs have appeared to confuse the situation.

[tropo]

Well, as a pedestrian I welcome this move.

I've never seen any Thais take any notice of this restriction, so proceed with extreme caution.

This is nothing new. I reported on this nearly 2 years ago. A friend from Oz got a ticket turning left at 3rd Road from Pattaya Thai over a year ago.

Thai rider/drivers totally ignore these signs just as they totally ignore the pedestrian lights. I've seen some signs change wording over the last year. It's not always easy to understand the English meaning.

If you decide to stop at the light instead of turning left, even if the sign says wait, you're going to get some very angry drivers beeping at you.

[tropo]

In the US you can turn on red at all crossings unless there is a sign saying the opposite.

In Thailand it's the other way around. It's illegal to turn at all crossings unless there is a sign saying that you can. The official sign is a blue rectangular sign, portrait orientation, with a white arrow indicating a left turn.

It's illegal to turn at red at most crossings in Pattaya as only a few of the crossings have this sign.

Over the last year some new un-official signs have appeared to confuse the situation.

I think you've got it the wrong way around. You can turn left on red UNLESS it is signposted you cannot.

[pipo1000]

In the US you can turn on red at all crossings unless there is a sign saying the opposite.

In Thailand it's the other way around. It's illegal to turn at all crossings unless there is a sign saying that you can. The official sign is a blue rectangular sign, portrait orientation, with a white arrow indicating a left turn.

It's illegal to turn at red at most crossings in Pattaya as only a few of the crossings have this sign.

Over the last year some new un-official signs have appeared to confuse the situation.

I think you've got it the wrong way around. You can turn left on red UNLESS it is signposted you cannot.

ZZZ is correct.

[tropo]

ZZZ is correct.

I don't think so. The only ones you cannot turn left at have a sign stating you cannot.

If he were right, then please explain why they have put up new signs at many intersections stating you cannot turn on red.

What I find very annoying is that cars which turn left on red often don't bother to give way to through traffic.

Edited June 25, 2012 by tropo

[pipo1000]

ZZZ is correct.

I don't think so. The only ones you cannot turn left at have a sign stating you cannot.

Take a look around at the traffic lights that are up for more than 10 years and you will notice that there are a lot that have the blue sign ZZZ mention about.I also can not help it that they ran out of signs the last few years

I recall a situation several years ago where I was in the car with a friend coming from Soi Potisan and turning right onto North Pattaya road,while at that time most traffic lights ( except the one second road-Pattaya klang) would have the blue sign there was not such a sign at the particular traffic light.When I notified my friend about his response was,maybe they forgot to put it up.

[smedly]

Neither of them are 100% correct - I have seen signs stating you can or cannot turn right on red, problem is that signs I have seen elsewhere in Thailand differ from the ones in Pattaya, I honestly believe it is an attempt to confuse people, also note that they are stopping Thais not just falangs, I gave the cop dogs abuse for this blatent money making operation - when I went to the station on soi 9 at 1030am I was ticket number 56 at the paying counter, also the cheeky fooker giving me my licence back said "see you again" I replied no you won't - 100% we will almost like a threat, I said well maybe in another 8 years and just laughted at him - w****ker

[pipo1000]

Neither of them are 100% correct - I have seen signs stating you can or cannot turn right on red, problem is that signs I have seen elsewhere in Thailand differ from the ones in Pattaya, I honestly believe it is an attempt to confuse people, also note that they are stopping Thais not just falangs, I gave the cop dogs abuse for this blatent money making operation - when I went to the station on soi 9 at 1030am I was ticket number 56 at the paying counter, also the cheeky fooker giving me my licence back said "see you again" I replied no you won't - 100% we will almost like a threat, I said well maybe in another 8 years and just laughted at him - w****ker

To make it more tricky, did you notice that they change the rules from time to time.I know those at the cross section Pattaya klang - 3rd road have been changed at least 3 times in the past 6 months.From "turn left wait light" to "turn left can go" to "turn left wait red light" again.

How about the sign at the red light with Soi siam country club and sukhumvith if you're driving direction north on sukhumvith.It says turn left go,but there is no left turn overthere .Be warned for the last few days the sign has been removed,swo who knows what the current situation is.

Edited June 25, 2012 by pipo1000

[Langsuan Man]

ZZZ is correct.

I don't think so. The only ones you cannot turn left at have a sign stating you cannot.

If he were right, then please explain why they have put up new signs at many intersections stating you cannot turn on red.

What I find very annoying is that cars which turn left on red often don't bother to give way to through traffic.

Correction: "cars which turn left on red NEVER give way to through traffic"

[threelegcowboy]

On my moto bike headed in the beach direction on Pattaya Klang and made a left turn on 3rd. Traffic very heavy and who is looking for those signs! Made the left turn on red like many times before. There was the policeman writing a ticket for no helmet but easily waved me over. I thought he just wanted my driver license checked but to my surprise wrote a ticket for TURN ON RED.

Used car park in Central Shopping.

Went to Soi 9 and found my offense was posted on the list on the wall. Most were for 400 500 baht but this one is B1000.

Clerk took my ticket and put on spindle. I was at the bottom of bout ten tickets. When he finally got to the stack he did turn them over so I was first in line. In and out in 30 min.

Took the receipts back to the policeman to get my driver license back.

Edited June 25, 2012 by threelegcowboy

[Spalpeen]

Shouldn't this thread be merged with the 'Jet Ski Scam' thread? I wouldn't mind lots of traffic policing if it was producing safer roads, but driving standards don't seem to have improved at all. I drove along Sukhumvit today and it's still the same Nascar track. And I still see plenty of bare headed idiots on small motorbikes weaving at high speed through the traffic as if they're in a hurry to move on to their next reincarnation.

[chris2004]

I turned left at the lights on 3rd Road/Pattaya Tai and there was a cop waiting around the corner to relieve me of 400 baht. It seems crazy to allow it for most junctions but make exceptions for a few. At the time the road was clear so perfectly safe to turn left.

Edited June 26, 2012 by chris2004

[tropo]

I turned left at the lights on 3rd Road/Pattaya Tai and there was a cop waiting around the corner to relieve me of 400 baht. It seems crazy to allow it for most junctions but make exceptions for a few. At the time the road was clear so perfectly safe to turn left.

Did you pay 400 baht directly to the cop?

They're never going to stop these "scams" as they're too lucrative. Were you in a car or on a bike?

Edited June 26, 2012 by tropo

[PattayaParent]

ZZZ is correct.

I don't think so. The only ones you cannot turn left at have a sign stating you cannot.

If he were right, then please explain why they have put up new signs at many intersections stating you cannot turn on red.

What I find very annoying is that cars which turn left on red often don't bother to give way to through traffic.

Many of the junctions where you CAN turn left have a sign saying you can.

[craigt3365]

I turned left at the lights on 3rd Road/Pattaya Tai and there was a cop waiting around the corner to relieve me of 400 baht. It seems crazy to allow it for most junctions but make exceptions for a few. At the time the road was clear so perfectly safe to turn left.

I drove by there Friday around 6PM. Lots of cars and bikes stopped there. I'm guessing they were being pulled over for turning left off 3rd onto Tai?

[doggie888888]

There is only 1 rule: DON"T GET CAUGHT.

[tropo]

There is only 1 rule: DON"T GET CAUGHT.

Easier said than done - coming around a blink corner into their waiting arms...

[tropo]

I drove by there Friday around 6PM. Lots of cars and bikes stopped there. I'm guessing they were being pulled over for turning left off 3rd onto Tai?

It think it's turning left from Pattaya Tai into 3rd Road. A friend of mine got done there over a year ago, so this is nothing new.

Edited June 26, 2012 by tropo

[ZZZ]

The official sign for turning left att red light is this:

ZZZ is correct.

I don't think so. The only ones you cannot turn left at have a sign stating you cannot.

If he were right, then please explain why they have put up new signs at many intersections stating you cannot turn on red.

What I find very annoying is that cars which turn left on red often don't bother to give way to through traffic.

Many of the junctions where you CAN turn left have a sign saying you can.

The official sign posted at ALL crossings where you are allowed to turn left on red is this:

The new, confusing, signs at some of the crossings where you are NOT allowed to turn left looks like this:

[tropo]

The official sign posted at ALL crossings where you are allowed to turn left on red is this:

The new, confusing, signs at some of the crossings where you are NOT allowed to turn left looks like this:

So they've got signs saying you can turn and others saying you cannot.

If there is a traffic law forbidding left hand turn on red unless it is indicated that you can, why the signs?

Where are these blue signs? Bangkok or Pattaya?

[ZZZ]

The official sign posted at ALL crossings where you are allowed to turn left on red is this:

The new, confusing, signs at some of the crossings where you are NOT allowed to turn left looks like this:

So they've got signs saying you can turn and others saying you cannot.

If there is a traffic law forbidding left hand turn on red unless it is indicated that you can, why the signs?

Where are these blue signs? Bangkok or Pattaya?

The blue signs are all over Thailand and is the official way of indicating if you can turn left on red light. Blue sign you can turn, no sign you can not turn.

I guess that the new signs is a way Pattaya police are trying to make people aware of where you can or can not turn left on red. Unfortunately they have only confused the situation.

In the end TIT, no one gives a sh..t and turn left anyway.

[pipo1000]

The official sign posted at ALL crossings where you are allowed to turn left on red is this:

The new, confusing, signs at some of the crossings where you are NOT allowed to turn left looks like this:

So they've got signs saying you can turn and others saying you cannot.

If there is a traffic law forbidding left hand turn on red unless it is indicated that you can, why the signs?

Where are these blue signs? Bangkok or Pattaya?

The blue signs are all over Thailand and is the official way of indicating if you can turn left on red light. Blue sign you can turn, no sign you can not turn.

I guess that the new signs is a way Pattaya police are trying to make people aware of where you can or can not turn left on red. Unfortunately they have only confused the situation.

In the end TIT, no one gives a sh..t and turn left anyway.

That is exactly my experience and understanding about the situation.Please notice that the blue sign are official traffic signs, while the new signs are something handpainted on timber hanging on a wire so they can be changed overnight.As I said previously the situation at the cross section 3rd road - Pattayaklang has changed 3 times over the past months.

[saengsureeya]

Aside from this "new" situation, there is also the new situation at every T-juntion with Sukhumvit.

If you would like to turn right into North Pattaya Road, Central Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road, you must wait at the red light. There is a sign "Stop here at red light!" and there are road markings.

[noodle]

Aside from this "new" situation, there is also the new situation at every T-juntion with Sukhumvit.

If you would like to turn right into North Pattaya Road, Central Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road, you must wait at the red light. There is a sign "Stop here at red light!" and there are road markings.

That is really dangerous.

The current situation where the bikes all get into the intersection separates them from the cars. Forcing them to mingle with the cars waiting to turn will guarantee more carnage.

[somtampet]

I was waiting on 3rd to turn left into pattaya thai,and this truck honked me to turn,i pointed up to the sign,she told me to <deleted> move,i told her to wash her mouth out lol,she got to my right and turned across me to turn left,silly woman.

To be honest though i had no confusdion whatsoever as to whatr the sign meant.Just because it wasnt there the day before no excuses for missing it.