Holiday Traffic Nightmare!

[patsfangr]

Which western cities have been dealing with heavy traffic since 1915 ?

First of all, I said "almost". Secondly, I was simply making a point; not writing a history book. I think the point was clear to all who read it.

[raro]

Going into town for the concert, traffic jam starts on the highway bridge over the railroad...

[Don Mega]

Which western cities have been dealing with heavy traffic since 1915 ?

First of all, I said "almost". Secondly, I was simply making a point; not writing a history book. I think the point was clear to all who read it.

Yes, your point is Thailand is the only place in the world that suffers from traffic congestion and that they should follow the traffic models from the western cities that solved the issue almost 100 years ago.

[raro]

Ok, the congestion on the highway was mostly caused by the idiots on Sukhumvit going South who block the crossing for those who want to turn right, North.

The back roads inside Pattaya are almost empty.

[1BADDAT]

I don't understand why someone would drive a car in one of the most congested tourist traps on earth. Walk or take a baht bus!

Do you think a baht bus can magically navigate through traffic?

[patsfangr]

Which western cities have been dealing with heavy traffic since 1915 ?

First of all, I said "almost". Secondly, I was simply making a point; not writing a history book. I think the point was clear to all who read it.

Yes, your point is Thailand is the only place in the world that suffers from traffic congestion and that they should follow the traffic models from the western cities that solved the issue almost 100 years ago.

I'm not sure whether you're being playful, antagonistic, or you're just dense. My point is that major western cities have been "dealing with" heavy traffic for many, many years; and that, with all of that experience, they have made great progress in minimizing the congestion and disruption it causes. I certainly did not say, or intimate, that anyone has "solved the issue" at any point in time. Traffic congestion is a problem in every major city in the world that I have been in, or see on film or video. But it is less of a problem in some cities than it is in others. That difference is, in large part, due to better understanding and management of traffic flow. I am suggesting that the Thais could learn to improve the situation here, if they learned from those with more experience and success in dealing with it. Is that clear enough for you?

[patsfangr]

Ok, the congestion on the highway was mostly caused by the idiots on Sukhumvit going South who block the crossing for those who want to turn right, North.

The back roads inside Pattaya are almost empty.

Yes, Raro. The blocking of those intersections is caused by the incredible backup from traffic signals that remain red for too long. Exactly the point I made a while ago. Drivers, impatient, and upset by waiting so long, don't want to miss the next light change, so they drive into the intersection, rather than leaving it open, and waiting just a couple of minutes (instead of several minutes) for the next green light.

As for the back roads being almost empty, that's clear evidence that the traffic is mostly from "outsiders", who stick to the main roads, since they don't know the back roads.

[MrWorldwide]

Tour buses were absolutely belting down Second Road past Mike Shopping Mall when I returned to the hotel at about 12:30pm this afternoon. No doubt that traffic will thicken as the day wears on, but surely City Hall can scrape together enough cash to build a pedestrian overpass from the front of VT to the Night Bazaar on Second Road ? No question that there would be some disruption, but do they want the few tourists who are still coming here smeared across the road by some wally behind the wheel of a 15-tonne behemoth ? None of this will get any easier 5, 10 or 15 years from now - I say do it before they build anything on the swampland next to VT and give pedestrians in this town a break. We mightnt pay taxes (as opposed to many of the Thais in Pattaya ..) beyond VAT and the Farang tax, but if they want us to keep spending money here perhaps its time to recognise that a holiday to SEA shouldnt have to include moments of abject terror simply crossing the roads.

[Jingthing]

I don't understand why someone would drive a car in one of the most congested tourist traps on earth. Walk or take a baht bus!

Do you think a baht bus can magically navigate through traffic?

Yeah going into Pattaya last night from Jomtien was taking forever. I just gave up.

[tartempion]

Well, didn't consider this period being a long weekend, just my personal planning, flying to Swampy tomorrow morning 10.30 and having booked a limo to my hotel, back to Swampy Friday midday.

Will see how it goes....

[Anthony5]

Ok, the congestion on the highway was mostly caused by the idiots on Sukhumvit going South who block the crossing for those who want to turn right, North.

The back roads inside Pattaya are almost empty.

They should place policemen with a shotgun at those intersection, who shoot anyone who goes through a red traffic light or enters an intersection that is blocked already. Red light jumper problem would be solved forever in a few hours time.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Anthony5

[1BADDAT]

Much of the poor traffic flow here is caused by the lack of lane discipline and general complete lack of consideration for other users, and the incredibly slow way that Thai drivers pull away from lights and go round corners even when there is clearly nothing coming from any direction.

They even manage to create traffic jams going up the ramps in Central car park, which is pretty amazing.

Speaking of traffic signals, that is one of the primary factors contributing to traffic gridlock in Pattaya. Some signals are worse than others; but most of them in Pattaya remain RED for too long. (The lights at the intersections of 3rd Road with P. Thai and P. Klang are the WORST, often leaving the lanes stalled for SEVEN MINUTES between changes!) What happens when a signal is red? The traffic backs up for rapidly increasing distances. As that happens, side streets are blocked from entering the main road. Those streets, in turn, block smaller sois from moving. ... GRIDLOCK!

The timing of traffic signals should be set to maximize the FLOW of traffic. No major lane should be stopped for more than 2 minutes. Rapid changes keep the traffic moving, and allow the side streets to flow into the lanes.

If there were one single change that I'd make in administering traffic in Pattaya, it would be to shorten the cycle of traffic signals throughout the city. I guarantee that, while it certainly won't eliminat the excess traffic, it would ease the congestion situation. As someone posted earlier, the Thais in charge need to learn from western cities that have been dealing with heavy traffic for almost 100 years.

This is one of the most logical and well stated posts about pattaya traffic that I have seen. Clearly the Thais solution to traffic is just make the lights longer. Which as you stated is the exact opposite what you want to do. By the time the lights change the whole intersection is so full of motorbikes that it takes 10 seconds for them to navigate across the intersection. It really is madness. It would be SO easy to fix it.

The other thing they need to do is enforce parking in restricted zones. A few cars double parked or parked near traffic signals can greatly aggregate the problem.

As soon as I read it then I read a complete Douchebag remark below from someone who wants to nitpick one point.

[petercool]

It all relates to applying Queue Theory which in essence says that the length of any queue is in indirect proportion to the time it takes to serve it. The quicker the queue is served the shorter it is. Lights changing too slowly are not serving the queue quickly enough.

[balo]

The traffic came as a sudden surprise to me last night. Today I decided to park the car and use my bicycle . Good idea, all the way from Jomtien beach and up soi chaiyapruek it was a complete standstill. I feel sorry for the local drivers.

[craigt3365]

Chaiyapruek is becoming a nightmare almost every afternoon from Jomtien 2nd road to Suk. Took me over 20 minutes the other day. It's only a few km!!!!

[pontious]

Ok, the congestion on the highway was mostly caused by the idiots on Sukhumvit going South who block the crossing for those who want to turn right, North.

The back roads inside Pattaya are almost empty.

They should place policemen with a shotgun at those intersection, who shoot anyone who goes through a red traffic light or enters an intersection that is blocked already. Red light jumper problem would be solved forever in a few hours time.

Good idea - sadly we would then wait 3 days for the Police to move the cars.

[Jingthing]

Worse tonight in Jomtien. Possibly as bad as I've ever seen here. This is getting ridonculous.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KhunBENQ]

Ok, the congestion on the highway was mostly caused by the idiots on Sukhumvit going South who block the crossing for those who want to turn right, North.

The back roads inside Pattaya are almost empty.

They should place policemen with a shotgun at those intersection, who shoot anyone who goes through a red traffic light or enters an intersection that is blocked already. Red light jumper problem would be solved forever in a few hours time.

They should have a police force that deserves its name

Not just hanging around the station and fining the highly criminal no helmet motocy drivers

[onemorechang]

20:10

43 bus tail back on second road Jomtien heading to pattaya.

thank god I was going the other way.

Total crap,

[lou62]

Chaiyapruek is becoming a nightmare almost every afternoon from Jomtien 2nd road to Suk. Took me over 20 minutes the other day. It's only a few km!!!!

Went to turn onto Chaiyapruek from Jomtien 2nd rd towards Sukhumvit this afternoon and the tail back was back onto 2nd road.

This evening was the worst I've witnessed, tail back from the junction of Hunaman (sp) statue back along 2nd road ,way past Rhompo market.

Luckily for me I was on a motor bike taxi going the other way, incidentally counted 36 buses in the queue.

[KittenKong]

Which western cities have been dealing with heavy traffic since 1915 ?

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/london-traffic-1910-aka-traffic-scenes

[thailandforumaddict]

Instead of whinning like little girls anybody has a solution to avoid jam sukhumvit when coming from Bkk to Pattaya ? Exit before Pattaya ? where is it ?

[fredob43]

Please allow me to Thank you all for taking all the traffic.

I arrived Swampy on the 1st May one night stopover BKK. Left for trip up north Saturday morning on the 1, glad to state all roads were almost empty.

Always take 4+ hours today just over 3.

At least one person is happy.

Maybe time like I did several years ago move out.

Edited May 2, 2015 by fredob43

[craigt3365]

Chaiyapruek is becoming a nightmare almost every afternoon from Jomtien 2nd road to Suk. Took me over 20 minutes the other day. It's only a few km!!!!

Went to turn onto Chaiyapruek from Jomtien 2nd rd towards Sukhumvit this afternoon and the tail back was back onto 2nd road.

This evening was the worst I've witnessed, tail back from the junction of Hunaman (sp) statue back along 2nd road ,way past Rhompo market.

Luckily for me I was on a motor bike taxi going the other way, incidentally counted 36 buses in the queue.

I've encountered that a few times recently. Seems the problem is the light at Thepprasit. 3 lanes trying to turn right and only allowing 1 lane to go straight through.

[Langsuan Man]

While you are sitting at that red light, wherever you are in Thailand, and you see the light turn green, start to count one thousand and one, one thousand and two, etc and see how many one thousands and you get to before you see the car in front of you move. Take that number and then multiply it by the number of cars that get though the intersection and you will have a guide to just how few cars are going to get through the intersection here in Thailand

Go out to the Land Transport Department and watch the number of people that have to take the "reaction test" twice because they don't put on the brakes or accelerate in the allotted time

Add one more variable and that is the number of piggy people that when they see traffic at a light feel that they are entitled to pull into the far left lane to get through the light because of the mai pen rai certainty that someone will let them back in once the light changes

These two factors multiplied by the number of cars on the road is why the traffic is so miserable. Yes. the infrastructure is poor, but the quality of drivers is what causes the most problems

[craigt3365]

I love the ones who pass you on the left on the shoulder just to get a few cars ahead. Which totally screws up the traffic. What's worse is when it's a huge bus! Very dangerous....and very inconsiderate.

[xen]

Not trying to be smart but i would suggest packing a picnic lunch and try giving the train a go down to Pattaya and return. Chat to your fellow travelers and share the food and enjoy yourself. Depends on your circumstances of course if you have transport at the end of the train ride but much more preferable to sitting in a car for the same amount of time.

[MrWorldwide]

Not trying to be smart but i would suggest packing a picnic lunch and try giving the train a go down to Pattaya and return. Chat to your fellow travelers and share the food and enjoy yourself. Depends on your circumstances of course if you have transport at the end of the train ride but much more preferable to sitting in a car for the same amount of time.

That just leaves the minor issue of getting from the train station into central Pattaya - sadly, it's nowhere near as well planned as Hua Hin in that regard.

[KittenKong]

The traffic along Thappraya/Jomtien 2nd Road seemed worse than ever last night. It looked like the jam was as far back as the new AD Condo, and from there presumably all the way to Pattaya. Luckily I was on foot.

[onemorechang]

Instead of whinning like little girls anybody has a solution to avoid jam sukhumvit when coming from Bkk to Pattaya ? Exit before Pattaya ? where is it ?

Not telling you.

have a nice day