Pattaya Klang & Sukhumvit Disaster !

[Gone]

I just saw a poor girl on her motorcycle get taken out by a big truck carrying propane tanks. I don't know how she lived but she did. Her bike was a write-off for sure.

This intersection is one of the most dangerous ones in all of Pattaya I think. They allow South-bound traffic to flow-through in the left lane even though if you are turning off of Pattaya Klang right on Sukhumvit (as this girl was) and need to get into the left lane fast (Bus station, 7-11, Gas station etc.) You are almost certain to be hit by a fast moving south-bound vehicle.

Most of you know what I am talking about and on Monday I am going to complain at City Hall as many of us should if you ever use this area. I have friends that visit me and are better off going North to the SSCC turn off and doing a u-turn so you can flow into the left lane safer.

I'm sure there has been hundreds of accidents there and that is just INSANE.

I felt so bad for this poor girl today but happy she was ok.

[swissie]

They will be thrilled to see you on Monday at City-Hall (Queens Birthday) to file a complaint!

Following this Farangs complaint, they will surely re-do the whole intersection without further delay.

How long have you been living here? 2 days or 2 weeks ???

Cheers.

[PoodMaiDai]

When I used to live in Pattaya I unfortunately witnessed a couple of people killed there, both on their bikes by large speeding trucks.

Life is cheap here. Deal with it or go home.

[Woody1]

I know exactly what you mean about this particular junction Gone. Unfortunately there are thousand's similar all over the country! I guess the reason why so many accidents happen at this particular one (compared to others) is the sheer volume of traffic using it, law of averages and all that.

I would also like to mention that Thai's in general do not look left or right, or behind virtually EVER, so these type of accidents will continue. Even if the left hand lane was given a red light too, morons would still fly through it, with the same end result.

I commend you for wanting to take this matter up with City Hall, but alas I think (no, I know) you'll be wasting your time! Who do you think you are, knowing better than someone in City Hall??

Two questions, the first you may be able to answer. Did the truck stop, and if so did the driver remain at the scene? Secondly, I wonder if the young girl had a valid license? The reason I especially ask the second question is that when you go to City Hall, and they have already discovered that she hasn't a valid license, you'll find it was all her fault, and in no way will abysmal traffic management (or a lack of a hint of common sense) be blamed anywhere near City Hall (or their corrupt employees)!!

Good luck!

[simple1]

Ever heard of merging with the traffic flow? Many Thais seem incapable of this task & as said above just do not look. Also seen accidents at this intersection with truly stupid driving by motorbike owners

Hope the lady survived OK

[cardholder]

Ever heard of merging with the traffic flow? Many Thais seem incapable of this task & as said above just do not look. Also seen accidents at this intersection with truly stupid driving by motorbike owners

Hope the lady survived OK

I also hope the lady was OK but a couple of points:-

1) Surely the truck was big enough to see and everyone knows there is a filter lane there. She is effectively cutting in to get to soi 57 (or whichever one it is) and must wait to progress safely. I would accept that with a couple of left turn sois close by, it is not the best place to be filtering traffic.

2) Surely, Pattaya Nua and Sukhumvit has a worse accident record - that junction scares the sh!t out of me ?

[jbrain]

From the day they " invented" this kind of intersections, I've said it was a very bad idea.

Especially for pedestrians this is a real deathtrap. The cross a road passing 3 lanes of stationary vehicles, then the 4th lane a truck takes them out a 100Km/h completely unexpected.

Also vehicles using that lane a high speed and however it is only a single lane with a continuous white line way past the intersection, they move to the second or third lane already as soon as they pass the first set of traffic lights, making it again an unexpected deathtrap for motorbikes who come from Klang.

I suspect that that is also the reason the lady had the accident.

[AbeSurd]

I like going through the green lights at the top of Pattayaklang, and merging and heading south on Sukhumvit on my pedal bike.

It's lots and lots of fun!

[jbrain]

Ever heard of merging with the traffic flow? Many Thais seem incapable of this task & as said above just do not look. Also seen accidents at this intersection with truly stupid driving by motorbike owners

Hope the lady survived OK

I also hope the lady was OK but a couple of points:-

1) Surely the truck was big enough to see and everyone knows there is a filter lane there. She is effectively cutting in to get to soi 57 (or whichever one it is) and must wait to progress safely. I would accept that with a couple of left turn sois close by, it is not the best place to be filtering traffic.

2) Surely, Pattaya Nua and Sukhumvit has a worse accident record - that junction scares the sh!t out of me ?

1) so you suggest she stops in the middle of Sukumvith to wait until the lane is free, blocking all the traffic behind her at the same time.

Also when there are other buses or trucks waiting at the red light, it is NOT easy to see a truck coming at high speed from behind those big vehicles.

2) the intersection at Pattaya Nua has that " option": suspended for some time already, probably because of the high rate of accidents, but of course still many cars just carry on as before.

[koratkid2]

If you drive slow enough, you can react to anything defensively, a big truck, at the very least.

[simple1]

Ever heard of merging with the traffic flow? Many Thais seem incapable of this task & as said above just do not look. Also seen accidents at this intersection with truly stupid driving by motorbike owners

Hope the lady survived OK

I also hope the lady was OK but a couple of points:-

1) Surely the truck was big enough to see and everyone knows there is a filter lane there. She is effectively cutting in to get to soi 57 (or whichever one it is) and must wait to progress safely. I would accept that with a couple of left turn sois close by, it is not the best place to be filtering traffic.

2) Surely, Pattaya Nua and Sukhumvit has a worse accident record - that junction scares the sh!t out of me ?

We all know you have to practise defensive driving at all times, especially in Thailand, but unfortunatey driver training or awareness is minimal at best. The junction I see the most white lines after accidents is SSCC/Sukhumvit and the railway junctions.

[lemoncake]

They will be thrilled to see you on Monday at City-Hall (Queens Birthday) to file a complaint!

Following this Farangs complaint, they will surely re-do the whole intersection without further delay.

How long have you been living here? 2 days or 2 weeks ???

Cheers.

I believe over 20 years

[cardholder]

Ever heard of merging with the traffic flow? Many Thais seem incapable of this task & as said above just do not look. Also seen accidents at this intersection with truly stupid driving by motorbike owners

Hope the lady survived OK

I also hope the lady was OK but a couple of points:-

1) Surely the truck was big enough to see and everyone knows there is a filter lane there. She is effectively cutting in to get to soi 57 (or whichever one it is) and must wait to progress safely. I would accept that with a couple of left turn sois close by, it is not the best place to be filtering traffic.

2) Surely, Pattaya Nua and Sukhumvit has a worse accident record - that junction scares the sh!t out of me ?

1) so you suggest she stops in the middle of Sukumvith to wait until the lane is free, blocking all the traffic behind her at the same time.

Also when there are other buses or trucks waiting at the red light, it is NOT easy to see a truck coming at high speed from behind those big vehicles.

2) the intersection at Pattaya Nua has that " option": suspended for some time already, probably because of the high rate of accidents, but of course still many cars just carry on as before.

Only a prat would read my post as suggesting she stops in the middle of Sukhumvit. Coming over from Klang you have clear vision over to that filter lane - when you cross you 10/15 metres ahead of the red light. You proceed towards that lane and join when you can - that is NOT in the middle of Suk and I think there are 4 lanes there (if no one is watering the plants ) What would YOU suggest brains ?

I think at Pattaya Nua too many vehicles try and beat the red light and/or go well after the red light shows.

[William Osborne]

If you drive slow enough, you can react to anything defensively, a big truck, at the very least.

completely inaccurate advice..... when on a scooter, you are better off keeping ahead of heavy traffic and the last thing you want to do is drive slowly in front of a truck...

Even if you are on the right side of the law when having and accident with a truck on your scooter.. you will be on the wrong side... injury wise

[i claudius]

Glad she is ok ,but as i have said before ,if the average Thai m/bike driver had another brain cell they would be a plant. as for going to complain at city hall ,well at least you can sit in the air conditioned rooms for a few hours , then go home.

[Pattaya Pat]

Mmmm.....In my experience drivers that go through that junction in the left lane through the lights go slowly (myself included) I've lived here for a couple of years and have never once seen anyone speed through there. And as already pointed out if you are coming across from Klang as that girl was or 'lady' as some are sayingm if you are not speeding you have plenty of time to see what is coming from the left and plenty of time to see what is infront of you if as suggested a car coming through the left side moves into the middle.

As for going to city hall on monday, that is hilarious, thanks for the laugh.

[Maestro]

A traffic accident scene is easier to understand with a sketch or photos. The OP writes that the scooter driver went east on Pattayaklang, turned right on Suhkumvit with the assumed intention of turning left into Sukhumvit-Pattaya 57.

Southbound on Sukhumvit, immediately before the intersection, has four lanes:

3 lanes for traffic going straight

1 lane for traffic turning right

Northbound on Sukhumvit the lights for traffic going straight were red, southbound they were red only for lanes 2-4, green for lane 1, ie the leftmost lane going straight.

After the intersection, southbound on Sukhumvit has first four lanes, all for traffic going straight. The scooter, after turning right into Sukhumvit, could at that point legally keep as far left as the second lane only because of the continuous white line between lanes 2 and 1 and the southbound traffic running in the lane 1.

About 15 metres after turning right on Sukhumvit there are five lanes, ie one lane added on the left for bus stops and parking. Starting from this point the scooter could start filtering into the second lane, traffic in that lane permitting, and from there into the leftmost lane, having about 110 metres to do so before arriving at the intersection with Sukhumvit-Pattaya 57.

At what point on Sukhumvit did the collision between the scooter and the lorry happen?

[jbrain]

A traffic accident scene is easier to understand with a sketch or photos. The OP writes that the scooter driver went east on Pattayaklang, turned right on Suhkumvit with the assumed intention of turning left into Sukhumvit-Pattaya 57.

Pattaya Klang-Sukhumvit img1.gif

Southbound on Sukhumvit, immediately before the intersection, has four lanes:

3 lanes for traffic going straight

1 lane for traffic turning right

Northbound on Sukhumvit the lights for traffic going straight were red, southbound they were red only for lanes 2-4, green for lane 1, ie the leftmost lane going straight.

Pattaya Klang-Sukhumvit img2.gif

After the intersection, southbound on Sukhumvit has first four lanes, all for traffic going straight. The scooter, after turning right into Sukhumvit, could at that point legally keep as far left as the second lane only because of the continuous white line between lanes 2 and 1 and the southbound traffic running in the lane 1.

Pattaya Klang-Sukhumvit img3.gif

About 15 metres after turning right on Sukhumvit there are five lanes, ie one lane added on the left for bus stops and parking. Starting from this point the scooter could start filtering into the second lane, traffic in that lane permitting, and from there into the leftmost lane, having about 110 metres to do so before arriving at the intersection with Sukhumvit-Pattaya 57.

Pattaya Klang-Sukhumvit img4.gif

At what point on Sukhumvit did the collision between the scooter and the lorry happen?

I don't think the OP had Soi 57 in mind, but rather the soi with no number which leads besides that golf driving range and is only a short distance from the traffic lights.

Further the continuous white line is there only because they had some paint left over, since if you go have a look over there you will notice that in real life most of the drivers in the fast lane have crossed that line already before they reached the set of traffic lights at the other side of the cross section.

These kind of traffic situations could work in a civilized country, but here in Thailand they are suicidal. Take a look at roundabouts, they work perfect in the western world, yet here they are a disaster.

Edited August 10, 2013 by jbrain

[Woody1]

Maestro, if I'm not very much mistaken, the girl was making a right turn out of Pattaya Klang, heading southbound onto Sukhumvit, and hit (or ran into a truck) also heading southbound, which was in the left hand lane and already on Sukhumvit.

As for the photos above, and the descriptions of how many lanes there ought to be, in reality, it's very different.

[Ling Kae]

I have taken this turn many times on my MC, yes we know about traffic possibly coming at you from that left lane but I am very aware of it. I do not enter that lane without looking first and sooner or later there is always a merging possibility. The real question is why didn't she look first? I certainly wouldn't blindly cruise through that intersection.

The real solution should be that nothing in any lanes proceeds on a red light just like many other countries around the world.

Somehow I don't think a concerned farang at city hall is going to many any difference at all, take care all and happy Mothers Day.

Edit: Looking at the photos posted I note an unbroken white line (on that left lane) which should not be crossed in any case. It however only runs a short distance to the pedestrian crossing. The white line should be extended and stopping at red lights for all lanes should be enforced.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Ling Kae

[McGregor21]

There are a few different things you can do to minimise risk, Engineering a solution is usually the most affective, so if you do go down to City Hall, how about suggesting the left hand lane barriered off for maybe 100meters, and a few small speed humps fitted directly at the junction.

[bangkokstick]

I do not see what is special with this junction ?

Anyway people on motorcycles have thousands of other chances to die in this country, I wished I had as much luck as you to get the next $$100M at the lottery !

[OMGImInPattaya]

From the day they " invented" this kind of intersections, I've said it was a very bad idea.

Especially for pedestrians this is a real deathtrap. The cross a road passing 3 lanes of stationary vehicles, then the 4th lane a truck takes them out a 100Km/h completely unexpected.

Also vehicles using that lane a high speed and however it is only a single lane with a continuous white line way past the intersection, they move to the second or third lane already as soon as they pass the first set of traffic lights, making it again an unexpected deathtrap for motorbikes who come from Klang.

I suspect that that is also the reason the lady had the accident.

there is a pedestrian bridge close by...maybe pedos should use it.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I have taken this turn many times on my MC, yes we know about traffic possibly coming at you from that left lane but I am very aware of it. I do not enter that lane without looking first and sooner or later there is always a merging possibility. The real question is why didn't she look first? I certainly wouldn't blindly cruise through that intersection.

The real solution should be that nothing in any lanes proceeds on a red light just like many other countries around the world.

Somehow I don't think a concerned farang at city hall is going to many any difference at all, take care all and happy Mothers Day.

Edit: Looking at the photos posted I note an unbroken white line (on that left lane) which should not be crossed in any case. It however only runs a short distance to the pedestrian crossing. The white line should be extended and stopping at red lights for all lanes should be enforced.

Your "real" solution is completely impractical for Thailand, and especially so in congested areas like Pattaya. The traffic is sloe enough and if there weren't little tweaks to driving here we'd all be stuck in perpetual gridlock. Driving thru on red in far left lanes at multi-lane junctions being one of them.

Some others are: when driving west on klang and making a right onto Yumi (Big C) on green, if traffic is stuck, those making a right often cross over into the far right lane going east to make the turn. This way, at least some traffic gets through. A similar thing is done driving east on klang and making a right at 3rd Road. With the 4-way intersection controls, there is little risk of a head on collision. It's the norm here and fereng drivers need to get with the program or find another home where they'll feel safe on the roads.

[blackman]

Pattaya Klang & Sukhumvit Disaster

this guy should work for one of the local newspapers

[tropo]

When I used to live in Pattaya I unfortunately witnessed a couple of people killed there, both on their bikes by large speeding trucks.

Life is cheap here. Deal with it or go home.

Or leave Pattaya as you did.

I'll have to disagree with the OP calling this intersection one of the most dangerous in Pattaya. There are literally hundreds of intersections as dangerous or worse. At least at this intersection if you keep your eyes open you'll be ok, unlike at the hundreds of blind intersections obscured by trees and buildings.

[craigt3365]

I've recently been dealing with this intersection, but as a U-Turn coming from the south. It's incredibly dangerous. Impossible to do the turn and get over quickly. If you wait for the light to turn red on the south bound side, then it's green on Klang and all the crazy scooters are going around you on both sides. If you do it before that, cars are screaming by in all lanes at 60km or faster.

Trying to get over is done with a prayer. Luckily, I'm in a car. My friend tried it on his electric bike a few weeks ago. Took him an hour to recover from the fright.

[tropo]

I've recently been dealing with this intersection, but as a U-Turn coming from the south. It's incredibly dangerous. Impossible to do the turn and get over quickly. If you wait for the light to turn red on the south bound side, then it's green on Klang and all the crazy scooters are going around you on both sides. If you do it before that, cars are screaming by in all lanes at 60km or faster.

Trying to get over is done with a prayer. Luckily, I'm in a car. My friend tried it on his electric bike a few weeks ago. Took him an hour to recover from the fright.

One of the main reasons why I don't want to live on the dark side (as a motorcycle rider). I wouldn't like to have to deal with Sukhumvit Road on a daily basis. Back in 2006 I lived over there for 3 months, but it wasn't nearly so bad back then.

[craigt3365]

I've recently been dealing with this intersection, but as a U-Turn coming from the south. It's incredibly dangerous. Impossible to do the turn and get over quickly. If you wait for the light to turn red on the south bound side, then it's green on Klang and all the crazy scooters are going around you on both sides. If you do it before that, cars are screaming by in all lanes at 60km or faster.

Trying to get over is done with a prayer. Luckily, I'm in a car. My friend tried it on his electric bike a few weeks ago. Took him an hour to recover from the fright.

One of the main reasons why I don't want to live on the dark side (as a motorcycle rider). I wouldn't like to have to deal with Sukhumvit Road on a daily basis. Back in 2006 I lived over there for 3 months, but it wasn't nearly so bad back then.

I would guess traffic has way more than doubled since 2006. Seems to have doubled just in the past year or two!!

[canopus1969]

I've recently been dealing with this intersection, but as a U-Turn coming from the south. It's incredibly dangerous. Impossible to do the turn and get over quickly. If you wait for the light to turn red on the south bound side, then it's green on Klang and all the crazy scooters are going around you on both sides. If you do it before that, cars are screaming by in all lanes at 60km or faster.

Trying to get over is done with a prayer. Luckily, I'm in a car. My friend tried it on his electric bike a few weeks ago. Took him an hour to recover from the fright.

Simple way is not to U turn there - carry on through the lights and do the U turn at the next (SCC) lights