They switched on the traffic lights in Patong this week! :-o

[misterme]

As I've witnessed over the years... PATONG seems to work better WITHOUT traffic lights than with them.

This week they have tried turning them on at various intersections along Pang Meuang Sai Gor Rd. (3rd road, behind Jungcelon).

It seems to have helped at the Prabaramee intersection (by the gas pump). But, it's causing an awful between Sai Nam Yen and T. Nam Sia, especially behind Jungceylon.

The problem seems to be that they need to stop all 3 other directions of traffic, so the backlogs are terrible.

If Thai's could just learn to follow common sense, they could just alternate and have both directions green at the same time.

I wonder how long before they turn the systems off again???? What do you all think?

[beechbum]

"If Thai's could just learn to follow common sense"...it's not just Thais that need some common sense in Patong.

[LivinginKata]

Same at the south end of New Road/Nanai Road/Beach Road.

Lights are flashing red through the morning and traffic flows fine. Light sequence turned on about 13.00 and it's chaos. Given that they are laying the new drains at the end of the road to Karon the traffic is stalled leaving Patong towards Karon. Each day I leave Nanai for Kata at about 14.00/15.00 and meet a traffic queue at the end of Nanai, usually 6 or 7 vehicles plus m/bikes glueing up the front end. Lights go to green and nothing moves as the junction is gridlocked. Nightmare.

[phuketandsee]

Common sense? For God's sake man where on Earth do you think you are?

Edited January 23, 2015 by phuketandsee

[DrDave]

The design of the Nanai/New Road/Prachanukro/Sirirat intersection is awful - always resulting in a lot of hesitation, confusion and near miss accidents due to some drivers charging through, assuming they have the right of way no matter which way they're turning.

Granted that when the light there is just blinking red, there's less of a traffic backup - but personally, I feel a lot safer when that, and other lights on the New Road are operating. No trying to second guess what the other guy is going to do.

[Sharp]

Just return from Beach Rd in Patong southern end and stopped at the Red lights on the pedestrian crossing,(holiday Inn) even though the pedestrians had just crossed it's still red so!!! I waited.... Anyway got a blast on the horn and called 'Khun Baaaaa' by a disgruntled Thai who just missed me has he flew by obviously not understanding what red means... Lol.... Can't wait to see how many rear end smashes there's going to be with the system working correctly...

[xylophone]

Common sense? For God's sake man where on Earth do you think you are?

Thailand, common sense, oxymoron.

[misterme]

Indeed. And I'm sure accidents as some try to run the red light... and the car/bike in front stops. :-o

[hkt83100]

Some bloody Tuk-Tuk almost run me over last night. I was coming from Karon waiting to turn right into Nanai. That guy had red lights for at least 5 seconds already... Good that I NEVER trust the traffic lights in this country.

[NoshowJones]

"If Thai's could just learn to follow common sense"...it's not just Thais that need some common sense in Patong.

Thais following common sense?????

[eezergood]

Disaster all round

[animalmad]

Well we were crossing the road last night my husband and I. On the zebra crossing I'll add even though I appreciate no driver takes notice when we were hit by a lovely tourist on a scooter who was driving too fast and actually ran the red light!! My husband saw the bike first and pushed me as best he could and took the full brunt of the bike. I landed and smacked my head did he has suffered a lot of cuts. Watching him sent flying was the worst thing I've experienced here. Horrible. Stupid lack of common sense and road sense!!!

[animalmad]

This was on the road behind that shopping center mentioned above.

[williet98248]

In the US a flashing red light means stop, look and go when safe. In Thailand it means...caution? Everyone seems to blow right through the red flasher. In the US a flashing yellow light means proceed with caution.

[MyFriend You]

Well we were crossing the road last night my husband and I. On the zebra crossing I'll add even though I appreciate no driver takes notice when we were hit by a lovely tourist on a scooter who was driving too fast and actually ran the red light!! My husband saw the bike first and pushed me as best he could and took the full brunt of the bike. I landed and smacked my head did he has suffered a lot of cuts. Watching him sent flying was the worst thing I've experienced here. Horrible. Stupid lack of common sense and road sense!!!

I honestly hope you had him/her arrested and will sue in court.......tourist of not, you have everything to gain on your side and the culprit might learn a thing or two........I did this in Bangkok 10 years ago, French tourist ran into me as I crossing the road - other cars were stopped at the light, he ran his Motorcycle around the stopped cars and hit me broadside - luckily I grabbed his coat as I was falling down and he dumped his bike trying to get away - police came, the guy offered me a thousand US dollars to forget about it, I opted to take him to court - was awarded 327,000 baht $7700 (42 B to $$ at that time) paid the lawyer 50K baht - Note to all permanent residents: hire a lawyer on retainer, about 3,500 - 5,000 Baht a month to do all the talking for you - even if you only need him/her once a year - its worth it. Certainly has worked for me over the years.

[animalmad]

No we didn't. To be honest as I was in shock and I did shout at him. My husband's Thai and he was was so nice to the guy and made sure he was ok. There was two of them. Thinking about it as well I think they were actually on the wrong side of the road too because we were more than half way across watching the traffic coming from the other way because like I said zebra or not they don't stop. They came like a bat out of hell. It was the first day of our mini break and we'll hasn't been the best as we are both so sore. So scary

[zaZa9]

Well we were crossing the road last night my husband and I. On the zebra crossing I'll add even though I appreciate no driver takes notice when we were hit by a lovely tourist on a scooter who was driving too fast and actually ran the red light!! My husband saw the bike first and pushed me as best he could and took the full brunt of the bike. I landed and smacked my head did he has suffered a lot of cuts. Watching him sent flying was the worst thing I've experienced here. Horrible. Stupid lack of common sense and road sense!!!

I honestly hope you had him/her arrested and will sue in court.......tourist of not, you have everything to gain on your side and the culprit might learn a thing or two........I did this in Bangkok 10 years ago, French tourist ran into me as I crossing the road - other cars were stopped at the light, he ran his Motorcycle around the stopped cars and hit me broadside - luckily I grabbed his coat as I was falling down and he dumped his bike trying to get away - police came, the guy offered me a thousand US dollars to forget about it, I opted to take him to court - was awarded 327,000 baht $7700 (42 B to $$ at that time) paid the lawyer 50K baht - Note to all permanent residents: hire a lawyer on retainer, about 3,500 - 5,000 Baht a month to do all the talking for you - even if you only need him/her once a year - its worth it. Certainly has worked for me over the years.

Why didnt he leave the country as most tourists are apt to?

[Old Croc]

I guess it's going to take some time before all the idiots work out that the lights are operating.

Do any of the locals know where these lights are now working?

NKM, as a local Patong resident with a great interest in traffic matters on the Island, can you comment on how the new system is working and which lights are now on?

[LivinginKata]

The one at the Nanai Road end seems to be in operation all day now. The time phases need sorting out. It's the usual 4 way sequence, the road into Patong gets 90 seconds, long times out of Patong, whereas the Nanai Rd exit gets a short 20 seconds (? might be 30). Trouble is that traffic keeps coming even when light goes red with drivers fed up with the long waits. Chaos.

[NamKangMan]

I guess it's going to take some time before all the idiots work out that the lights are operating.

Do any of the locals know where these lights are now working?

NKM, as a local Patong resident with a great interest in traffic matters on the Island, can you comment on how the new system is working and which lights are now on?

The times I have passed through the lights, I slow down to a crawl going through, even if I have the green light.

The locals that drive that road regularly, and have been for years, will forget they are there, and continue through the red. I have already seen it a few times.

I don't mean they stop on the red light, check for traffic, and proceeed throught the red light, because they couldn't be bothered obeying the road rules, I mean, they just go through the lights, at speed, oblivious to the fact they are there.

I suspect we will see some accidents in the near future, even with sober drivers / riders.

I haven't seen any big traffic jams yet, but I am usually on the road outside of the peak hours.

Edited January 26, 2015 by NamKangMan

[eezergood]

They just tend to be ignored, causing further chaos

[madmitch]

It really is a shame that Thais do not understand how to use roundabouts/traffic circles and mini-roundabouts as they would be so much more effective in certain spots.

I wonder if the beach road pedestrian traffic lights will last as long as those in Karon. Didn't quite manage one full season.

[xylophone]

Chaos is about right as I nearly got wiped out by a car speeding through a red light at the T junction between the new Middle Road and the road leading to Rat-U-Thid (where the waterworks are) a couple of nights ago.

Furthermore yesterday I witnessed an absolutely ignorant Thai driver blowing his car horn for all it was worth because some people had decided to use the pedestrian crossing at the T junction at the bottom of Soi Banzaan and the new Middle Road, as they are perfectly entitled to do. However the traffic lights had changed to green and obviously he wanted to get away but the stream of pedestrians was not letting him, hence the long blasts from the car horn.

Putting some pedestrian crossing lights, in synchronisation with the traffic lights, would be the easy option, but since when has common sense ever applied to anything done in Thailand?

[eezergood]

My wife is currently learning to drive, I asked her about roundabouts - the teacher said dont worry, just go when you feel its ok