Congestion returns as Thai holiday ends

[webfact]

Congestion returns as holiday ends
The Nation



BANGKOK: --MAJOR arteries in gateway provinces were clogged with vehicles all day yesterday, as the five-day New Year holiday break drew to a close and people made their way back to Bangkok by car or bus.

Road congestion in Pathum Thani north of Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, the access route from the Central region to the vast Northeast, was especially heavy since early morning.

The notorious Highway 304 from Nakhon Ratchasima and Sa Kaew, which serves as an alternative link to the Northeast from the capital, was jam-packed with traffic, which formed tailbacks stretching up to six kilometres in several sections.

Traffic on the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima portion of Mittrapap Road streamed at an average 40-50 kilometres per hour, half the off-peak season speed, while most service areas along the thoroughfare were overflowing with cars and buses parked for meals and breaks.

Travellers crowded souvenir shops in both provinces and elsewhere looking for gifts for their return to the capital. Many farmers' families told reporters that they were carrying sacks of rice that they had harvested in their home province during the break to cook and eat in Bangkok.

Transport terminals in most provinces, especially in key cities, were packed with passengers heading to Bangkok.

Many who missed their bus turned to commuter vans.

According to the daily road safety and casualties update, Chiang Mai saw the most accidents at 16, Phichit was the most deadly with four fatalities and Lampang suffered the most injured at 18.

For the first five of the "seven dangerous days", Chiang Rai reported the highest death toll at 14, while Chiang Mai counted the most injured at 106.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Congestion-returns-as-holiday-ends-30251173.html

-- The Nation 2015-01-05

[jaltsc]

"MAJOR arteries in gateway provinces were clogged with vehicles all day yesterday, as the five-day New Year holiday break drew to a close..."

One would think that with the increase of road deaths and accidents over the holiday, the roads would be less congested. Just can't win.

[Loles]

Lord save us !

[fred007]

Now back to normal traffic congestion for the 360 odd days remaining in 2015 .......Ahhhh I dont see any difference with the Xmas break traffic congestion to the rest of the year here in BKK

If you like wasting several hours of your life each day sitting in an air conditioned vehicle looking at the same set of tail lights for hours to travel maybe 5 Kilometres breathing in buckets of filthy Carbon Monoxide come to Bangkok

[lildragon]

Both western And Thai new years holidays makes driving around in Bkk positively pleasant. Well, there's a chance you might get soaked In the later.

[Caveat Emptor]

I was northbound on Highway 304 yesterday and the tailbacks were much longer than 6 Kms, in fact to Korat and beyond it was virtually a continuous holdup.

The congestion at New year and Songkran is nothing new yet people seem to insist on spinning their holiday out to the very last minute for the dubious pleasure of wasting time and fuel sitting bumper to bumper. It was quite hot in the afternoon and I'll wager the atmosphere in many of the vehicles was red hot too.

[siam2007]

it was indeed incredibly lovely and almost surreal those past few days...... little traffic, public Buses able to speed down towards lower Sukhumvit with 70 km/h (not that I would have been pleased) amazing cold weather - no AC needed even during daytime for 4 days in a row, people relaxed...... how I wished my beloved Monster KRUNGTHEP would always be like that