tourist buses in Pattaya are now beyond a joke

[crickets]

Sunday is bus day.its when all the chinese are going to the airport and the tour guides take them to duty free or gift shops to suck every last baht from them. As with driver attitudes its every man for himself. The 13th rule of thainess.

[morrobay]

It can only get worse ,the other morning I counted about 30 buses in Pattaya nua,all with a few Chinese tourists being either taken to eat,to the jewellery place or the one that sells all the tourist Crap,it was a bloomin nightmare ,and when they are off the bus they just wander around in the road ,anywhere and as for spending money,they are like the tour groups that used to go to Spain ,all inclusive ,no need to spend anything.Things can only get worse.

On this trajectory , just the last year, its going to get to a so miserable tipping point where the only foreigners in Pattaya are the touring masses and those here for " entertainment ' All others will be going to other countries in the region. Why would they put up with it. Even the 4 stars will just be used for wholesale accommodation.

[tropo]

Call 1337 City Hall and report the issue.

My wife, at my insistence, reported a continual similar coach-blocking situation on Pratamak Rd.which was creating unbelievable traffic jams on a daily basis.

The coach drivers could not give a monkey what havoc they cause.

My wife reported this to City Hall around 10 AM.

And to my amazement, that same day police were there preventing the coaches blocking 2-way traffic flow.

This lasted 4-5 days. Police then moved on, and the blocking then restarted. My wife called City Hall again, and again the police moved in and prevented the blocking.

I also believe that matters can be reported on the City Hall website

I live up there too. You could count a 100 coaches parked around the lookout, Pratumnak Road and 3rd Road between Pratumnak Road and the pier. I like them because they slow down or stop traffic making it easier for me to get around on my scooter, and safer. If I have a choice between slow moving or stationary buses and maniacs in cars I'll take the coaches any day.

[tropo]

When the hordes de-bus, they often gather on the streets and take over large areas of the sidewalk for long periods of time and pedestrians are forced to either push them or go in the street.

What do you do? Do you push them or go in the street?

[Asiantravel]

_{And another aspect of all this! Has anyone noticed how many of these darned vehicles are obviously not properly maintained and are emitting the most disgusting black smoke when they accelerate?}

Edited April 27, 2015 by Asiantravel

[Asiantravel]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

Sihanoukville is like Pattaya 30 -40 years ago

[bob4you]

I have watched buses and vans double park on beach road until the police come along and then they move until the police leave. I think if they sent a plainclothes policeman

around with a camera taking pictures of the buses and vans, mailed a ticket that had to be paid before you could register next year, some of them would have to get a loan to

pay the bills.

[Shurup]

When the hordes de-bus, they often gather on the streets and take over large areas of the sidewalk for long periods of time and pedestrians are forced to either push them or go in the street.

What do you do? Do you push them or go in the street?

Depending on the stupidity of the situation I may ram through them and often have done so, like they'd block the escalator exit or entrance looking at their stupid maps or chatting... no "excuse me" nothing, will just ram through. Never seen so many people with the complete lack of awareness as Chinese.

[Jingthing]

When the hordes de-bus, they often gather on the streets and take over large areas of the sidewalk for long periods of time and pedestrians are forced to either push them or go in the street.

What do you do? Do you push them or go in the street?

Depending on the stupidity of the situation I may ram through them and often have done so, like they'd block the escalator exit or entrance looking at their stupid maps or chatting... no "excuse me" nothing, will just ram through. Never seen so many people with the complete lack of awareness as Chinese.

I don't have a set policy on this but yes it is something to see just how TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS they are to the existence of others outside their group unit.

[MrWorldwide]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

[Flanno]

Well guys if you don't like what is happening in Pattaya then why not go somewhere else? Short term tourists are being carted around on these coaches and I'm sure tourism leaders are very pleased their numbers are increasing. So get used to it or leave. I tend to think if these coaches were carrying Europeans, Brits, Aussies or other westerners there would be little whining. But they are carrying Asians, and more specifically, Chinese and this invariably gets up the xenophobic Pattaya expats noses. Get used to it guys as the Chinese tourist numbers will multiply in the next few years. As will the number of coaches carrying them!

[Langsuan Man]

I wouldn't be so bad if the busses were filled but they are not

I can't remember when was the last time that I saw a full bus, most are half empty, thus there are twice as many of them to carry the same amount of people

Do something to enforce the occupancy numbers and the problem will at least be mitigated

[onemorechang]

Well guys if you don't like what is happening in Pattaya then why not go somewhere else? Short term tourists are being carted around on these coaches and I'm sure tourism leaders are very pleased their numbers are increasing. So get used to it or leave. I tend to think if these coaches were carrying Europeans, Brits, Aussies or other westerners there would be little whining. But they are carrying Asians, and more specifically, Chinese and this invariably gets up the xenophobic Pattaya expats noses. Get used to it guys as the Chinese tourist numbers will multiply in the next few years. As will the number of coaches carrying them!

Ha ha

What a wing nut

[MrWorldwide]

Well guys if you don't like what is happening in Pattaya then why not go somewhere else? Short term tourists are being carted around on these coaches and I'm sure tourism leaders are very pleased their numbers are increasing. So get used to it or leave. I tend to think if these coaches were carrying Europeans, Brits, Aussies or other westerners there would be little whining. But they are carrying Asians, and more specifically, Chinese and this invariably gets up the xenophobic Pattaya expats noses. Get used to it guys as the Chinese tourist numbers will multiply in the next few years. As will the number of coaches carrying them!

Flanno, I think you're missing a couple of important points -

- its not simply the number of buses : its the thuggish drivers behind the wheel. I've seen both sides - morons who dart in front of them seemingly with no understanding that they cant stop in the same distance as a motorbike or pickup, but the people driving larger vehicles arent supposed to use the size of said vehicle to bully everyone else into letting them in etc. These cowboys do that and worse.

- big buses and narrow Sois just dont mix, but if you've got a cheap hotel in a narrow Soi and you want to fill it with package tourists you need the tour bus to deposit them in your soi : throw in the cars and trucks already parked in those sois and its fun for everyone involved. I have a blurry photo of a massive bus trying to get out of Soi 8 while most of us stood around shaking our heads and the Thais ran around like chooks trying to guide the driver : to his credit he got past without removing anyone's mirror or worse but it was ridiculously close.

As for the prospect of tour bus after tour bus full of Aussies and Poms, I wouldnt even wait till May to decamp if that happened. Pattaya's traffic problems will be much worse than tour buses by 2030 but this is a symptom of what locals can expect - complete inaction from City Hall and the BiB.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I live out by the lake and try and avoid Pattaya at all times now.

However, with the construction of the underpass, and the buses to which you refer, going into Makro on Nua once a week is like a military exercise which I have to plan. What time, what route etc. etc. ?.

I remember going to that buffet every now and again by the 'Big Eye'. Did it for years but I packed it in a year ago, with all that congestion and diesel fumes. Funnily enough, it was forbidden to have a quiet cigarette after a meal, whilst looking at the huge buses belching out smoke some 10 yards away.

You must be like one of those incompetent American generals in Iraq (The horndog felon Betraeas comes to mind). If you live out by Maprachan it's very simple to get almost directly to macro on Nua without any traffic problems. Just hook up with the road on the north side of the lake (highway 3240) and connect to the Highway 7 extension to the Sukhumvit T-junction. Make your right there and Nua is directly in front of you. Usually little traffic or busses. Do the same in reverse coming home and you avoid all inner city traffic congestion.

[emilymat]

I live out by the lake and try and avoid Pattaya at all times now.

However, with the construction of the underpass, and the buses to which you refer, going into Makro on Nua once a week is like a military exercise which I have to plan. What time, what route etc. etc. ?.

I remember going to that buffet every now and again by the 'Big Eye'. Did it for years but I packed it in a year ago, with all that congestion and diesel fumes. Funnily enough, it was forbidden to have a quiet cigarette after a meal, whilst looking at the huge buses belching out smoke some 10 yards away.

You must be like one of those incompetent American generals in Iraq (The horndog felon Betraeas comes to mind). If you live out by Maprachan it's very simple to get almost directly to macro on Nua without any traffic problems. Just hook up with the road on the north side of the lake (highway 3240) and connect to the Highway 7 extension to the Sukhumvit T-junction. Make your right there and Nua is directly in front of you. Usually little traffic or busses. Do the same in reverse coming home and you avoid all inner city traffic congestion.

Thank you for that. I am fully aware of the route you describe. What you don't know of course is that some bozo in a medium sized bus decided to do a U turn at the top of Nua, which is clearly banned by the bollards. However, he had committed himself and his U turn resulted in a roughly 10 point turn, holding up all the traffic on Nua and Sukhumvit for quite a while.

Incidentally, I'm never quite sure why posters have to constantly refer to US politicians or military in replies. I could make some pretty caustic remarks about the Iron Lady but I will refrain.

[Awohalitsiktoli]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

Lucky U! Pnomh Penh has been changing for the better over the last five years, along with Sihanoukville. Back to buses. This morning, very early, I bus after bus after bus on 2nd Rd. Jomtien. This afternoon the same thing on Beach Rd. Pattaya. Most appeared to be carrying Chinese passengers. The buses are polluting the air, causing traffic jams, and moving way too fast. The drivers are reckless, at best. At some point people are going to get killed by them, if it hasn't happened already.

[Keesters]

The other day I stopped at a red light police manned pedestrian crossing outside the police station on beach road. Police signalled to the waiting farang on the beach side to cross. With one foot on the crossing a tour bus came whizzing through nearly knocking the farang over. Police just shrugged their shoulders and laughed. With police like that how do they expect to increase tourism.

[GaryB1263]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

Good luck and I would be interested in any comments you may have in the future concerning Thailand versus Cambodian Life.

[Asiantravel]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

Lucky U! Pnomh Penh has been changing for the better over the last five years, along with Sihanoukville. Back to buses. This morning, very early, I bus after bus after bus on 2nd Rd. Jomtien. This afternoon the same thing on Beach Rd. Pattaya. Most appeared to be carrying Chinese passengers. The buses are polluting the air, causing traffic jams, and moving way too fast. The drivers are reckless, at best. At some point people are going to get killed by them, if it hasn't happened already.

This afternoon I was going up Pattaya Klang having turned left from Beach Road. When I reached the traffic lights at Second road which were on red I pulled up behind a songthaew in the middle lane of three lanes going East. Next to me at the traffic lights and on my right and in the lane nearest the centre of the road was a tourist bus.

A few seconds before the lights changed green the songthaew in front of me suddenly decided to turn left down second road and did so on the red light.......... but then the bus decided to do the same thing!

So from the extreme right lane the driver just suddenly decided to cut across everybody and go left down second road. I’m telling you I think I’ll soon be joining Mr worldwide in Cambodia at this rate

Edited April 28, 2015 by Asiantravel

[Keesters]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

Lucky U! Pnomh Penh has been changing for the better over the last five years, along with Sihanoukville. Back to buses. This morning, very early, I bus after bus after bus on 2nd Rd. Jomtien. This afternoon the same thing on Beach Rd. Pattaya. Most appeared to be carrying Chinese passengers. The buses are polluting the air, causing traffic jams, and moving way too fast. The drivers are reckless, at best. At some point people are going to get killed by them, if it hasn't happened already.

This afternoon I was going up Pattaya Klang having turned left from Beach Road. When I reached the traffic lights at Second road which were on red I pulled up behind a songthaew in the middle lane of three lanes going East. Next to me at the traffic lights and on my right and in the lane nearest the centre of the road was a tourist bus.

A few seconds before the lights changed green the songthaew in front of me suddenly decided to turn left down second road and did so on the red light.......... but then the bus decided to do the same thing!

So from the extreme right lane the driver just suddenly decided to cut across everybody and go left down second road. I’m telling you I think I’ll soon be joining Mr worldwide in Cambodia at this rate

And the policeman in the box at that junction presumably did NOTHING.

[prk888]

I posted months ago (coach conundrum) and have watched in amazement at the huge sudden growth. Last night waiting in 3rd road waiting for friend the coach stream was continuous and almost nose to tail (about 2000 hrs). Maybe hundreds in about 45 minutes. Driving home dozens parked on Theppraya and any other available space. I have never quite experienced this in all my world travels in 40 years

It will be interesting to see what will be done when we suffocate under their volume

[Jingthing]

At this rate, Songkran time will be looking like a break from the madness.

[Rimmer]

A libellous post has been removed

[Jingthing]

This is radical change.

It's not a good radical change. Personally I'll go into Pattaya a lot less during these flareups. Good for outlying businesses? Remember Bangkok before the trains? People were largely stuck in their local places. Warning sign city fathers!

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lapd]

Is it the same zero dollar holidays for the Chinese like a few years back or is it different now ?

are they spending a lot of cash in town ?

or a quick look and back off to the next town or BKK the next day ?

anyone know ?

And very true Jomtien is a parking lot for the bad attitude bus drivers and there busses

seeing them do u turns on second road jomtien, what a bunch of dangerous %!-&S.

The buses seem to be getting bigger and there seems to be a lot more of them. They clog up beach road pretty bad. Whether it's parking on the road taking up lanes or trying to make that sharp left at walking street. They really should not be allowed to go into some areas but doubt that will ever happen. A lot of the narrow streets were never designed for big buses but that doesn't seem to stop them.

Traffic in general in Pattaya seems to be getting pretty bad. Friend of mine says it was almost total gridlock during the recent long weekend. Just keeps getting worse every year and weekends are a total gong show. I pretty much just walk everywhere and can usually get there faster than baht bus. Good excuse to get some exercise. One nice thing about the grid lock is that it makes crossing the street easier.

Edited May 3, 2015 by lapd

[lapd]

Thailand is a big country and once it becomes other than what I want, I'll start looking for other places to live.

I heard some expats are moving to Cambodia for that very reason.

I think everyone agrees with the OP.

My plane leaves for Pnomh Penh on May 7, but I'm not leaving because Pattaya has too many tour buses.

Good luck and I would be interested in any comments you may have in the future concerning Thailand versus Cambodian Life.

There is no shortage of people saying they are moving to Cambodia with great fanfare. Most of them never do it or end up coming back. Either way, they won't be missed. Not saying that to be spiteful. It's a fact in the overall scheme of things. Best of luck finding greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Edited May 3, 2015 by lapd

[1BADDAT]

Call 1337 City Hall and report the issue.

My wife, at my insistence, reported a continual similar coach-blocking situation on Pratamak Rd.which was creating unbelievable traffic jams on a daily basis.

The coach drivers could not give a monkey what havoc they cause.

My wife reported this to City Hall around 10 AM.

And to my amazement, that same day police were there preventing the coaches blocking 2-way traffic flow.

This lasted 4-5 days. Police then moved on, and the blocking then restarted. My wife called City Hall again, and again the police moved in and prevented the blocking.

I also believe that matters can be reported on the City Hall website

Very good idea and glad to hear that it helped short term.

Long term solution, how about giving a 1000 baht fine to any Coach bus driver that is illegally parked or stopped to unload passengers. There are laws, why not just enforce them with fines. I am pretty sure a coach bus driver will think twice about parking in the road if he loses 2 days wages in doing so.

[1BADDAT]

Today was particularly horrible, I don't remember seeing so much buses in Pattaya EVER.

They went as far as almost to the Thappraya/Thepprasit insection in Jomtien to park the buses, on third road was parked full, including all the red zones.

Center Pattaya was undrivable, this needs to stop.

To be fair, I don't think these buses transport only Chinese, I guess a lot of Thais are on tour too.

To be fair they are transporting Thais as well? What Thais go on a tour bus?

Who cares who they are transporting? The could be transporting Chinese, Russian, Indians, empty busses, water buffalo...I dont care who is inside them. The point is that they are making Pattaya un driveable for anyone who is a resident here. If they want to take people out to silverlake, or the Golden buddha hill I get it, but taking them to buffets and souvenir shops in Pattaya is just nonsense.

[lapd]

Call 1337 City Hall and report the issue.

My wife, at my insistence, reported a continual similar coach-blocking situation on Pratamak Rd.which was creating unbelievable traffic jams on a daily basis.

The coach drivers could not give a monkey what havoc they cause.

My wife reported this to City Hall around 10 AM.

And to my amazement, that same day police were there preventing the coaches blocking 2-way traffic flow.

This lasted 4-5 days. Police then moved on, and the blocking then restarted. My wife called City Hall again, and again the police moved in and prevented the blocking.

I also believe that matters can be reported on the City Hall website

Very good idea and glad to hear that it helped short term.

Long term solution, how about giving a 1000 baht fine to any Coach bus driver that is illegally parked or stopped to unload passengers. There are laws, why not just enforce them with fines. I am pretty sure a coach bus driver will think twice about parking in the road if he loses 2 days wages in doing so.

That only works when a Thai does it. If a Farang calls, even if they understand English well or you speak Thai well, chances are nothing will happen. Goes for just about everything else in Thailand. If you want to get something done where you have to deal with Thais, get another Thai to do it for you if at all possible.

Edited May 3, 2015 by lapd