Caught on a driving offense

[monty]

Meh...

Just got caught turning left at a junction when the traffic light was red.

I now know what "turn left waiting light" means

I kind of wonder what is wrong with the signs on Sukhumvit, stating "On red wait here". I would think they get the point across just fine, the ones used in Pattaya are not totally clear methinks

And I am wondering if any copper out there realizes, that anybody turning left, at any time, is breaking the law!

Because at all those junctions, where they recently abolished turning left when the lights are red, the green lights are actually an arrow up (drive straight) and an arrow to the right (turn right).

Unless they either include a green arrow to the left, or simply replace all the greens arrows with a full (round) green light, you are at no time allowed to turn left. Ever.

At least it was a quiet day at soi 9 to go pay, as I had a bloody big bag with groceries with me, including chilled meats, as I just came from Friendship supermarket...

[Hedghog]

Never heard that excuse before.

The signs are wrong.

Good one

Sent from my GT-P7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Swiss1960]

Lot of those "no turn left on red" signs in Pattaya... however most of them in Thai only... how else could the BiB get the farangs to pay...

Edited August 27, 2013 by Swiss1960

[gmac]

Just adding my two penn'orth here, it seems to me that now the turn left on red appears to have been outlawed on most of the traffic lights there is no logic to having each of the 4 directions having its own light. Where the left lane was used to keep traffic moving through the red light then fine, I can understand, but as you now cannot turn left on red it would make a lot more sense to have the left lane for straight ahead and turning left and the right lane just for turning right. They could then run the two opposing streams of traffic simultaneously with a short right filter for the right turners at the end. That would surely cut the queues and waiting times.

[harrry]

Even in Thai there is confusion.

In Chiangrai there is a turn into the main city where they have a sign on the Superhighway saiing no Uturn and underneath it says that 6 wheelers can Uturn. The idea is to allow the trucks and semitrailers to Uturn to serve Central and other stores without having to tie up the city traffic but to stop small traffic.

Every thai I have seen reads it as they can UTURN.

Edited August 27, 2013 by harrry

[OMGImInPattaya]

The only intersection in town that I know of where this rule is enforced is at Second Road and Central Road. Maybe because there is a police box right there.

The copper wouldn't take a backhander? That sucks having to waste time going to the station to pay.

Were you driving a car or moto?

[WitawatWatawit]

Just adding my two penn'orth here, it seems to me that now the turn left on red appears to have been outlawed on most of the traffic lights there is no logic to having each of the 4 directions having its own light. Where the left lane was used to keep traffic moving through the red light then fine, I can understand, but as you now cannot turn left on red it would make a lot more sense to have the left lane for straight ahead and turning left and the right lane just for turning right. They could then run the two opposing streams of traffic simultaneously with a short right filter for the right turners at the end. That would surely cut the queues and waiting times.

Huh? That's dumb. You're making sense. Idiot farang!

[craigt3365]

The only intersection in town that I know of where this rule is enforced is at Second Road and Central Road. Maybe because there is a police box right there.

The copper wouldn't take a backhander? That sucks having to waste time going to the station to pay.

Were you driving a car or moto?

I've heard there are problems at 3rd road and Pattaya Tai. Sometimes enforced, sometimes not.

[topt]

There is the same issue at the junction at Third and Klang. I got done here some months ago turning left on to Third road going north but it is really arbitrary. I often see the copper on the lights waving traffic to turn left on to Klang going to Suk from Third road.

When I went to pay the fine I tried to make the point about the translation but they were not really bothered. it is interesting that the sign on 2nd Road at the junction with Klang is worded differently in English and is much clearer. You think they would be consistent...........

[Guderian]

There are some junctions that don't have any sign at all, so what do you do there? For example, the new lights on Jomtien Second Road and Thapparaya by the Machanu statue. Coming from the south along Jomtien Second Road and wanting to turn left towards the beach what do you do on red? The locals all seem to drive on regardless, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a cop there one day issuing tickets for an illegal left turn.

[Michaelaway]

Corner of 3rd Rd & Pattaya Tai- they got me and many others... beware!!

[tropo]

The only intersection in town that I know of where this rule is enforced is at Second Road and Central Road. Maybe because there is a police box right there.

The copper wouldn't take a backhander? That sucks having to waste time going to the station to pay.

Were you driving a car or moto?

I've heard there are problems at 3rd road and Pattaya Tai. Sometimes enforced, sometimes not.

Some of these intersections become good revenue collectors. I've seen the cops ticketing red left turners on 3rd Road coming from Pattaya Tai.

If you're on a bike and want to obey the rule, never sit in the left lane waiting for the light because you'll be run over by impatient, angry drivers who wish to turn left. I usually peak around the corner first before turning.

Edited August 28, 2013 by tropo

[somtampet]

Lot of those "no turn left on red" signs in Pattaya... however most of them in Thai only... how else could the BiB get the farangs to pay...

Every one i have seen are in english too

[jmccarty]

Is confusing. I thought the left turn on traffic light means you can turn left on red?

[manxninja]

I never pay any attention to any of the lights. lifes too short.

[petercool]

Not many countries go to the trouble of translating things into other languages and generally Thailand is a lot better than most with enough English (at least) to help us navigate around. My own way of driving a car around is when in doubt at a left lane turn I await the green lights and if someone wants to blow their horn I let them. After all they aren't the first one in any queue risking a ticket. But reading Thai as I do helps when signs are there only in Thai and anyway what's the rush ? I stay here to relax and need not hurry to save just a few seconds of my life.

[Mobi]

The only intersection in town that I know of where this rule is enforced is at Second Road and Central Road. Maybe because there is a police box right there.

The copper wouldn't take a backhander? That sucks having to waste time going to the station to pay.

Were you driving a car or moto?

I've heard there are problems at 3rd road and Pattaya Tai. Sometimes enforced, sometimes not.

Went past there today. GF says the Thai writing definitely says to wait on red light, but the English is ambiguous to say the least.

There was a farang in a car waiting on the inside lane and the car behind tooted him to turn left. A Thai motorcyclist indicated to the farang that it was OK to go - so he did. Other vehicles followed - luckily no cops were lurking.

IMHO, the English on these signs is deliberately misleading. At other such crossroads I have seen it written as 'stop on red light', or words to that effect. I reckon the cops are looking for tea money.

[oneday]

Corner of 3rd Rd & Pattaya Tai- they got me and many others... beware!!

Where you on a bike or in a car. Not sure it would make a difference, just curious.

[Andre0720]

Move to Phuket.

No such thing as a driving ticket...

Or maybe you just forgot to sound the horn before proceeding on that red light..

[Gsxrnz]

The trick is to avoid eye contact with the BIB and cruise on past.

Dollars to donuts he's not going to jump in front of you or chase you, and unless his mia-noi gave him a really hard time the night before, he probably won't shoot you in the back either.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Gsxrnz

[tropo]

Lot of those "no turn left on red" signs in Pattaya... however most of them in Thai only... how else could the BiB get the farangs to pay...

Every one i have seen are in english too

Yes, and none of them read "no left turn on red". If that's how they read, at least there would be no confusion, instead of the retarded "left turn waiting light" (and some variations thereof). You'd think that a government department would at lease consult with an English speaker before spending a fortune putting up English signs. It's not like there aren't any English speakers in Pattaya.

Either way, if you actually wait you'll be hooted by angry car drivers if you're in a car, or run over if on a bike.

Edited August 28, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

The trick is to avoid eye contact with the BIB and cruise on past.

Dollars to donuts he's not going to jump in front of you or chase you, and unless his mia-noi gave him a really hard time the night before, he probably won't shoot you in the back either.

That's not the right advice to be giving people, especially if you're on a bike. Best to obey cops. Better to pay a 400 baht fine that get into big trouble. You do realise they carry guns and some may not react kindly to Farang disobeying their directives?

So it works and you avoid paying a 400 baht fine. Think of the down side.

Edited August 28, 2013 by tropo

[retell]

Lot of those "no turn left on red" signs in Pattaya... however most of them in Thai only... how else could the BiB get the farangs to pay...

love the ones that say " city limit reduce speed " but never a sign that tells your out of the city limit

[MyFriend You]

Just adding my two penn'orth here, it seems to me that now the turn left on red appears to have been outlawed on most of the traffic lights there is no logic to having each of the 4 directions having its own light. Where the left lane was used to keep traffic moving through the red light then fine, I can understand, but as you now cannot turn left on red it would make a lot more sense to have the left lane for straight ahead and turning left and the right lane just for turning right. They could then run the two opposing streams of traffic simultaneously with a short right filter for the right turners at the end. That would surely cut the queues and waiting times.

this answer gives me a headache, but I am sure it makes sense to someone out there, just not me...................

[MyFriend You]

I never pay any attention to any of the lights. lifes too short.

hahahahaha.........thanx for the early morning laugh, I needed that in East Timor............not exactly the end of the world, but we can SEE it from here............back in LOS in December........C Ya

[gmac]

Just adding my two penn'orth here, it seems to me that now the turn left on red appears to have been outlawed on most of the traffic lights there is no logic to having each of the 4 directions having its own light. Where the left lane was used to keep traffic moving through the red light then fine, I can understand, but as you now cannot turn left on red it would make a lot more sense to have the left lane for straight ahead and turning left and the right lane just for turning right. They could then run the two opposing streams of traffic simultaneously with a short right filter for the right turners at the end. That would surely cut the queues and waiting times.

this answer gives me a headache, but I am sure it makes sense to someone out there, just not me...................

I can barely understand it myself!

[mrwallettt]

From what I understand there will soon be a change to left hand drive soon. Then the same problem will exist for turning right on red!!!!!

[moonseeker]

No left turn, unless signed out. A sample on Sukhumvit/Theprasit intersection going towards Bangkok. Paid a couple of times and a nice FPV translated my question @ Soi 9 and we got this clear answer. Now I am the only one stopping, while most pass me and...sometimes get caught....:-) MS>

[sucher]

From what I understand there will soon be a change to left hand drive soon. Then the same problem will exist for turning right on red!!!!!

I heard that too.But only if you hold a foreign Driverlicence.

[Phil Conners]

The trick is to avoid eye contact with the BIB and cruise on past. 

 

Dollars to donuts he's not going to jump in front of you or chase you, and unless his mia-noi  gave him a really hard time the night before, he probably won't shoot you in the back either. 

That's not the right advice to be giving people, especially if you're on a bike. Best to obey cops. Better to pay a 400 baht fine that get into big trouble. You do realise they carry guns and some may not react kindly to Farang disobeying their directives?

 

So it works and you avoid paying a 400 baht fine. Think of the down side. 

I've seen cops kicking people off bikes when trying to escape. Not a brilliant idea.