SidJames Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I'm flying in on the 18th & driving up from Swampy. What will the roads be like late morning/midday on the 18th on the outskirts of town? SJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) What's your final destination Sid? By noon, Sukhumvit will be the usual logjam of wet, stupid people made worse by the underpass construction at Klang. If you are headed west of Sukhumvit, may (your) God go with you. If it's Jomtien, bring a packed lunch with you. If you are a darksider, there's hope. Edited March 27, 2015 by NanLaew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post loppylugs1 Posted March 27, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 27, 2015 Stay at the airport until the 20th 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigyin Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Can you change your flight? Pattaya is a nightmare at Songkran especially if you want to get from A to B. Best avoided at all costs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb17 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Was once stuck for 5 hours in the traffic- abandoned the car to pick up later It WILL be absolutely horrendous , not just scaremongering - so be prepared- sandwiches, cold beers and a tent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akentryan Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I drive with a urinal in my car now. Normal conditions with tour buses, baht buses, motor scooters everywnere and stupid drivers are horrible. Factor in the water holiday and the tunnel and I am staying home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddyjenkins Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) I'm flying in on the 18th & driving up from Swampy. What will the roads be like late morning/midday on the 18th on the outskirts of town? SJ I guess songkran wont be quite over till the 19th or 20th Edited March 27, 2015 by paddyjenkins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomYumpoochai Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The main reason i leave on the 10th every year.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewsterbudgen Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You'd be well advised to spend a couple of nights in Bangkok, where Songkran will be well over, and then go down to Pattaya on the 20th. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigyin Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You'd be well advised to spend a couple of nights in Bangkok, where Songkran will be well over, and then go down to Pattaya on the 20th. That is excellent advice and would sort your problem! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter1882 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Quite a good idea would be to go north then roughly west, through Burma and on to Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. It will be much more civilised and cleaner there and you should reach it much quicker than Pattaya. In future, if coming at Songkran, don't. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 OP - it all depends on your exact destination? You probably know already that Songkran traffic is always bad - but this time there is also the complication of major roadworks and diversions on Sukhumvit road. If you are heading for South Pattaya or Jomtien you may be better taking the Highway 36 towards Rayong then the 331, then the Huai Yai road down to the Sukhumvit road, bi-passing Pattaya altogether. This would add about 20-30 minutes to your journey on a normal day but could save you hours during Songkran (again, depends where you are headed for). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonmarleesco Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 What your letter obviously expects they will be like. Swamped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nbarch Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 There shall be much weeping and gnashing of teeth – enough said – change your flight to Las Vegas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 My experience of many years ago... 2003 landed on 18th and stayed in BKK for one night, next day go book a car to take me Pattaya (Jomtien), ask for car to take me later that afternoon or evening, told them I wanted to go after Songkran finish. I was told it was no problem and driver could take me midday, that was a big mistake... Roads were light traffic and running fast, that was until we hit Pattaya City limits, first the driver tried going through Nakula... Then after about a hour of getting nowhere back on to the Sumkumvit and slow, very slow crawl up to Thephisit... Then again stationary traffic, driver by now on the phone constant, if he was not calling to get traffic updates he was being called constant... again the driver turned round and crawled back to the sumkumvit and heading south probably as far as Soi Na Jomtien 2, and turned onto Beach Road now heading up north on Beach Road, 4 lanes of traffic crawling up Beach road, by now the driver was receiving constant calls, seems a lot of people were stuck and needed a car to get them to the airport, my destination was Jomtien Beach Soi 5, the traffic just got slower and slower after two hours I abandoned my car and driver at somewhere around soi 9... this was some 5 hours plus after leaving BKK. And yomped the last mile with 30Kg plus of luggage ducking and diving the frequent buckets of water, the reason for the hold up soon came apparent seems there was 4 lanes of traffic heading North and another four lanes of traffic heading South on a road barely wide enough for 3 lanes of traffic. That was 12 years ago and even with the Jomtien Second Road I would not risk it ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SidJames Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 This is exactly the route that I was planning & then using the back doubles through to Jomtien 2nd Rd & try to get to Pratamnak. I have a meeting on the 19th with someone who's flying out early on the 20th so my options are very limited OP - it all depends on your exact destination? You probably know already that Songkran traffic is always bad - but this time there is also the complication of major roadworks and diversions on Sukhumvit road. If you are heading for South Pattaya or Jomtien you may be better taking the Highway 36 towards Rayong then the 331, then the Huai Yai road down to the Sukhumvit road, bi-passing Pattaya altogether. This would add about 20-30 minutes to your journey on a normal day but could save you hours during Songkran (again, depends where you are headed for). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I'm flying in on the 18th & driving up from Swampy. What will the roads be like late morning/midday on the 18th on the outskirts of town? SJ I guess songkran wont be quite over till the 19th or 20th In Pattaya the 'last' crazy day will be Sunday the 19th. I think Bang Saray does it on the 20th. 18th is Naklua maybe. Why would you schedule a meeting in Pattaya on a Sunday? You need to consider rescheduling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamJohn Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 i think you would not have a porblem.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SidJames Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 i think you would not have a porblem.. You're swimming against the tide here SamJohn, a lone voice so why do you think that I will not have a problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) I'm flying in on the 18th & driving up from Swampy. What will the roads be like late morning/midday on the 18th on the outskirts of town? SJ I guess songkran wont be quite over till the 19th or 20th In Pattaya the 'last' crazy day will be Sunday the 19th. I think Bang Saray does it on the 20th. 18th is Naklua maybe. Why would you schedule a meeting in Pattaya on a Sunday? You need to consider rescheduling. He arrives on 18th. The person he needs to meet departs on 20th. Edited March 28, 2015 by chickenslegs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2unique Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I came back to Pattaya on the last Sunday last year... hit Pattaya around 1030 and went down Theppasit to Pratumnak no problem bar a bit of crawling on Thappraya - no tunnel works that year so may well be different this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitawatWatawit Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 i think you would not have a porblem..You're swimming against the tide here SamJohn, a lone voice so why do you think that I will not have a problem? "... swimming against the tide ... " Youse a funny man, Siddy babe. Only sensible advice is from chickenslegs, but once you hit Thappraya, you might find it slow going. You should make it up to Pratumnak in reasonable time, however. A few years ago when my daughter was hopelessly stuck in music festival traffic, I grabbed straps and rope and went out to meet her on the bike. Hired a couple of moto taxis, split up her luggage among them and got her home that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSixpack Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I came back to Pattaya on the last Sunday last year... hit Pattaya around 1030 and went down Theppasit to Pratumnak no problem bar a bit of crawling on Thappraya - no tunnel works that year so may well be different this year. There was no "last Sunday" of Songkran last year. Songkran was already over by Sunday the 20th. Most traffic would have been leaving Pattaya but some would be coming back into town for the workweek starting Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB300 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) I came back to Pattaya on the last Sunday last year... hit Pattaya around 1030 and went down Theppasit to Pratumnak no problem bar a bit of crawling on Thappraya - no tunnel works that year so may well be different this year. There was no "last Sunday" of Songkran last year. Songkran was already over by Sunday the 20th. Most traffic would have been leaving Pattaya but some would be coming back into town for the workweek starting Monday. Isn't that because Songkran ends on the 19th so Saturday would have been the last day last year...I'm all set for my 1st Songkran there (arriving on the 16th) no doubt I'll regret it & swear never to do it again but you never try, you never know Edited March 29, 2015 by JB300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 This is exactly the route that I was planning & then using the back doubles through to Jomtien 2nd Rd & try to get to Pratamnak. I have a meeting on the 19th with someone who's flying out early on the 20th so my options are very limited So arrange to meet in Bangkok on the 19th. Unless the person you are meeting likes Songkran.... there are a few you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SidJames Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 This is exactly the route that I was planning & then using the back doubles through to Jomtien 2nd Rd & try to get to Pratamnak. I have a meeting on the 19th with someone who's flying out early on the 20th so my options are very limited So arrange to meet in Bangkok on the 19th.Unless the person you are meeting likes Songkran.... there are a few you know. This would require them driving from Pattaya on the 19th which I can't see happening & I wouldn't ask of someone. Might give Pattaya a miss completely & try to arrange a BKK meet on the 20th. Traffic on the 7 may well be very heavy on the morning of the 20th from Pattaya to Bangkok though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2unique Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I came back to Pattaya on the last Sunday last year... hit Pattaya around 1030 and went down Theppasit to Pratumnak no problem bar a bit of crawling on Thappraya - no tunnel works that year so may well be different this year. There was no "last Sunday" of Songkran last year. Songkran was already over by Sunday the 20th. Most traffic would have been leaving Pattaya but some would be coming back into town for the workweek starting Monday. Isn't that because Songkran ends on the 19th so Saturday would have been the last day last year...I'm all set for my 1st Songkran there (arriving on the 16th) no doubt I'll regret it & swear never to do it again but you never try, you never know Apologies Saturday. . Thought I'd written last day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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