Driving Directions Needed, Pattaya To Bangkok

[Weho]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

[think_too_mut]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

Look for route "7". That's the tollway, that's the fastest way, western-like highway.

Tolls, added up, are 125 baht.

Motorway has no ox carts but has motorbikes to watch out, battered trucks and most of local traffic.

Thais loaded in a pickup truck would use it when going for a day on the beach in Pattaya, to avoid the tolls.

At right time (e.g. 2am) motorway can bring you to Pattaya in same time as tollway. However, about then, drunk motorbike riders could be sharing the road with you.

Go tollway, my advice.

[Artisan]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

Drive from Pattaya to Laem Chabang on the Sukhumvit Road. Then turn on to Highway #7. An option is to take the Motorway and leave the Motorway at the Bang Na signpost and then join the Bang Na-Trat raised highway (Highway # 34) north of Chonburi city. The faster option is to avoid the motorway and follow the Chonburi by-pass and then go onto the Bang Na-Trat raised highway right at its start. Either way, after passing Bang-Na Central Dept. Store you will join the Express Way. Turn off at the slip road Rama IV, keeping well to the left, and turn left on to Rama IV Road. The first turning on the left is for Sathorn Road (South) and the next turning on the left is for Silom Road.

To reach the Sukhumvit Road, then turn left just after the Bang Na Central Dept. Store at the sign for Samut Prakhan and, at the first set of traffic lights, turn right on to the Sukhumvit Road.

I hope that's clear for you.

[COBBER]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

It depends on exactly where you want to go.

The motorway is generally a better option than the expressway because it is much easier to get onto at Chonburi. With the expressway you have to go about 10 kms further to get onto it and the traffic can be quite heavy with the trucks that take the same route and then go under the expressway.

For Sukhumvit if you take the motorway you can go all the way to Sukhumvit Soi 7 on the tollways.

For Silom/Sathorn you can take the same route and just continue further along the tollway or now that the expressway is joined up to the tollways , take the expressway and follow the signs to Dow Kanong and take the exit on Rama 3 when you see the Central Shopping Plaza and make your way across from there.

[Mobi]

I used to live on Sukhumvit, Soi 31 and did the round trip to Pattaya almost weeksly for 9 months whilst my house was being built. I tried every route and recommend that the motorway is the fastest into central Bangkok/Sukhumvit.

You keep on the motorway (7) all the way to Bangkok, passing the outer ring toads and the turn off to the new airport, where the road widens to about 12 lanes in places. Eventually, keeping straight, you will see signs for the expressway, which is a toll road, and goes right across Bangkok and forks out in all directions to places like Din Daeng and Don Muang, and Dow Kanong The first section of this road will cost you 12 Baht. Soon after paying the toll you will see signs for Asoke. Turn off here and make your way to Sukhumvit. There will be other turnings further along for Rama 4, Silom etc.

I really recommend that you get yorself a good map of the Bangkok Expressways that show all the exits and entrances. Unlike most countries, the exits are often in different sections of the tollway to the entrances, depending on which direction you are travelling. The first time you try it, you might be well advised to have a Thai with you - even though the signs are in English, it can get pretty confusing, and there are a lot of rolling one way streets in Bangkok, with the BIB ready to pounce on unsuspecting country boys. Believe me, I've been caught many times.

Have a good drive

[Rimmer]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

In my humble opinion I would hire a car and driver it's not hardly worth the stress to drive.

Last time I tried to pick someone up from the airport I took a wrong expressway turn and spent 5 hours in parked traffic.

[Mobi]

Can anyone please give driving directions from Pattaya to Bangkok, (Silom or Sukumvit area), using the fastest way... my map shows a "tollway", and a "motorway"... I don't know what the difference is... any help appreciated!

In my humble opinion I would hire a car and driver it's not hardly worth the stress to drive.

Last time I tried to pick someone up from the airport I took a wrong expressway turn and spent 5 hours in parked traffic.

Can't say that I disagree with you. That's why I recommended taking a Thai with you, and having a good map of the expresways.

Even though I know the way well, unless I'm going to Don Muang to pick up someone, I prefer to park up outside the bus station at North Pattaya, and take the bus to Ekami. Much easier, much cheaper, and no stress. Once in Bangkok, the BTS, underground and meter taxis are good, cheap airconditioned forms of transport that will get you anywhere in Bangkok, relatively hassle free. Cars are a nightmare to drive and park.

So unless you have a good reason to drive, take the bus.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Mobi D'Ark

[Weho]

Thanks to those that replied to this... I GREATLY appreciate all replies, but exactly what I figured would happen did: most of you used the words "motorway", "highway", "expressway" and "tollway" without identifying the route number, which means the replies were basically meaningless. One of you even wrote something like "you leave the motorway, then get on the motorway". Oh well.

Regardless, the information was useful... I will simply print out the replies, sit down with my map, and try to figure out what I think you meant.

[penzman]

Whatever you do, DO NOT take bypass road in Chonburi. Very unpredictable at all times and slow lanes are beat to sh*t so the trucks use the fast lane mostly, often clogged.

They may have called it "bypass" road from the many heart attacks suffered there by stressed drivers stuck in traffic

[Artisan]

Thanks to those that replied to this... I GREATLY appreciate all replies, but exactly what I figured would happen did: most of you used the words "motorway", "highway", "expressway" and "tollway" without identifying the route number, which means the replies were basically meaningless. One of you even wrote something like "you leave the motorway, then get on the motorway". Oh well.

Regardless, the information was useful... I will simply print out the replies, sit down with my map, and try to figure out what I think you meant.

It's not our fault. It's just that the Thai nomenclature is so vague and I can understand your confusion. The terms are related to how the particular roads are designated, both on a map and by signposting. Really, it's not that difficult to drive from Pattaya to Bangkok. For example, the Sukhumvit Road through the city of Chonburi and the Chonburi bypass are designated as route/highway/road (whatever) as Highway #3. The replies were not meaningless and, when you do refer to a map, you will see that this is so. Look at a map and you can decide for yourself. Have a safe trip.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Artisan

[jdinasia]

hel_l .. I have no idea what the road numbers are ..... names I can handle though!

I agree with most people ... except that where I go in BKK makes the Motorway best for coming up to BKK and the Expressway (bangna-trat/d) best for going down

OOOPS just read your other thread! The Ekkamai bus uses bangna Trat (The Expressway) the Mor Chit bus uses the motorway! ((all clear now?))

Edited March 18, 2006 by jdinasia

[Mobi]

Thanks to those that replied to this... I GREATLY appreciate all replies, but exactly what I figured would happen did: most of you used the words "motorway", "highway", "expressway" and "tollway" without identifying the route number, which means the replies were basically meaningless. One of you even wrote something like "you leave the motorway, then get on the motorway". Oh well.

Regardless, the information was useful... I will simply print out the replies, sit down with my map, and try to figure out what I think you meant.

Bangkok is covered with Expressways, many of them elevated. All Expressways are toll roads.

The route 7 which starts in Bangkok and ends at the junction with route 36, just outside Pattaya, is a Motorway for much of its length. The Motorway section is a toll road.

Generally speaking, most maps show motorways in blue, expressways in green and other arterial roads in red, or sometimes brown. Most green and blue roads are toll roads.

Road signs usually show mortorways in blue and expressways in green, although they sometimes also show expressways in blue and other arterial roads in green.

I recommended that you get a good expressway map, because the destinations shown on road signs in Engllsih are often very obscure places, which aren't even shown on many ordinary maps. For example, if you are driving through Bangkok and want to go to Hua Hin, or the south of Thailand, you will never see 'The South' or 'Hua Hin' or other obvious names on any road sign on the Bangkok expressways. The only sign you will see is 'Dow Khanong', which isn't even shown on most maps. However this is the direction you take. It's much easier if you're coming TO Bangkok, as believe it or not, they do put 'Bangkok' on most signs.

Probably as clear as mud.

Welcome to driving in Thailand.

[Weho]

I did the drive on Sunday... Here's what happened... I decided not to drive all the way into Bangkok, but rather only to the Central Bang Na department store. I drove to Chon Buri, and did NOT take the bypass road... but there was lots of traffic getting through Chon Buri. I easily got on the raised highway... upon seeing the Central department store, I went a little past it, got off at the next exit, made a U-turn right away... this was VERY EASY. The return was a nightmare.

I left the Central Department store Bang Na, on the lower part of the highway. Right away, there was a nice big blue sign that said "7", for the tollway, but there was no clue how to get it. I continued on the lower part, far left exterior lanes... I was hoping I would see a way to get to the upper level, but there was no signage, and no indication that I could. Regardless, the traffic moved pretty well, although the road is a bit bumpy on the extreme sides. After a half hour, I saw a sign for highway 34, to Chon Buri, but the arrows weren't clear to me where I should be, and I ended up getting on it in the WRONG direction back toward Bangkok... But it wasn't too far to make a U-turn, and I was on my way back toward Chon Buri on the lower roadway, extreme outside left lanes. After a half hour, I figured I would enter into the central part of the lower roadway, which moved a little faster. Then, a glorious big BLUE sign for tollway 7, clearly indicated where to do. I stayed on that for about 5 minutes, then ALL hel_l BROKE LOOSE... There was a sign with 3 directions on it, but only two lanes... it showed direction "Chon Buri" in the middle, so I didn't know if I should veer to the right, or veer to the left. I couldn't see ahead how the roads would turn, so I took a chance, and went to the left. I was now heading back TOWARD BANGKOK. I couldn't get off for about 30 kilometers... after the 30 kilometers, I saw a big U-TURN sign, just a few feet before the toll booths... Then I back-tracked the 30 kilometers I just drove... the rest was easy, and very well-indicated all the way back to Pattaya.

The signage in Thailand is very poor. I noticed many times a big overhead sign with maybe 4 or 5 arrows, but only 2 or 3 lanes... so you really didn't know where to go, unless you were either on the extreme right or extreme left.

In the future, I will take the public bus to Bangkok, less headaches, stress, expense, etc.

[Mobi]

In the future, I will take the public bus to Bangkok, less headaches, stress, expense, etc.

Welcome to driving in Thailand.

I spent two hours yesterday trying to persuade a guy not to attempt to drive into central Bangkok. he has never driven outside Pattaya before and hasn't a clue how to get there. I told him to take the bus, but he thought I was crazy.

The return from Central Bang Na to Pattaya is a bit dificult if you don't know how to get back onto the elevated bit. I think most of the posts were advising you to take the motorway route 7 which is slightly less confusing.

You can actually take a right (Pattaya direction) and cross over from the Bang Na/Chonburi Elevated expressway, to the Bangkok Chonburi motorway. There's 2 places you can do this easily and quickly and it works quite well. Then you avoid all the Chon Buri bi-pass crap.

Its taken me 2-3 years of driving with Thais who have helped me take the right turnings, getting lost a few times, pouring over maps for hours on end, and not a little stress, before I can claim at least a little competency in mastering the motorway/expressway system of greater Bangkok. And even now I am reluctant to take new routes to somewhere I haven't driven to before. Its not for the faint hearted.

Happy motoring everyone