Holiday Traffic Nightmare!

[manarak]

This is the do-gooders fault as well as of the poeple who improved Pattaya's reputation.

I want crime, drugs, stink and dirty beaches to keep Bangkokians and Chinese tour groups away, as well as the Russians if the Rouble ever recovers !!!

Folks from Bangkok should AVOID Pattaya and instead go gridlock Bang Saen and Rayong !

Why is it cool for people from Bangkok to go to Pattaya, I don't understand.

[MrWorldwide]

This is the do-gooders fault as well as of the poeple who improved Pattaya's reputation.

I want crime, drugs, stink and dirty beaches to keep Bangkokians and Chinese tour groups away, as well as the Russians if the Rouble ever recovers !!!

Folks from Bangkok should AVOID Pattaya and instead go gridlock Bang Saen and Rayong !

Why is it cool for people from Bangkok to go to Pattaya, I don't understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Thailand_floods

Relatively cheap condos away from the worst of the flooding and - usually - 90 minutes drive from BKK. What's not to like ?

[MrWorldwide]

I'm confused.

Nothing new there.

Is it supposed to bad tomorrow also?

If so, what hours?

The assumption is that May 5 will see the exodus northward from whence this horde came last week. Very happy to be back in my hotel room before 1am, sober and feeling like I might actually get a decent night's sleep before the 7am departure.

[ThaiBob]

I was transported to emergency via ambulance last night. Sukumwit was a mess, a Thai said "Thailand does not have good heart" as cars refused to clear the road for an ambulance with sirens and flashing lights.

Hope you are OK!!!!

Thanks, all is well. I come from a country where it is the law to yield and move over for emergency vehicles.

[Guderian]

I've only been using the local back streets since last Friday and no problems until yesterday PM. I wanted to go to Freindship so when the traffic is bad I just go out of the village onto Thepprasit Soi 8, drive along Soi 17/Regional Land, cross straight over Third Road and then park either on Soi 17 or somewhere at the back of TukCom. Never any traffic issues apart from maybe a few minutes wait at the traffic lights on Third/Soi 17. Yesterday I got about 200 metres from the village and the traffic was already backed up all the way from the lights at Third Road all the way to the market. I parked, got out and walked a ways just to check what was going on and it was a parking lot as far as I could see, so I just gave up and went home. I've been living in this area for four years now and I've never seen it that bad. Might have been an accident furtehr along I guess, but given everything else I suspect it was just gridlock at the lights.

[MrWorldwide]

Delighted to report that leaving Pattaya at 7:30am this morning (Tuesday, May 5) resulted in a dream run all the way to my hotel on Suk : checked in shortly after 9 and couldnt be happier to have escaped before today's exodus from Sin City. Drivers were courteous and sane for almost the entire trip, but cab drivers out on Suk are in the 'special needs' category at the best of times - everyone else was a model road user. Commiserations to those who still have to endure what's left of this interminable long weekend back in Pattaya.

[pontious]

Any reports on Sukomvit today? Have to go Chaiyapruek 2 to Index about midday

[Rimmer]

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[emilymat]

I'm confused.

Nothing new there.

Is it supposed to bad tomorrow also?

If so, what hours?

Jingthing.

I'm sorry if my previous reply caused any offence to anyone. I was merely being light-hearted.

[Bellacissa]

Are we finished with the long holiday weekends for awhile? I think we could all use a break from the descending hordes of people.

Between the u-turns instead of right turns on the Suk, the tour buses (don't get me started on the monster, double-decker buses trying to make a u-turn), the long traffic lights and just the general lack of spatial awareness that people seem to have here, I'm ready to start walking everywhere. I live out off of SSCC, and it would be a hike to get to town, but it would probably still be faster than trying to drive it on a holiday weekend.

[KhunBENQ]

Are we finished with the long holiday weekends for awhile? I think we could all use a break from the descending hordes of people.

From what I see on my and the Thai visa calendar (C&P):

1 June (Monday) Wisakha Bucha Day

Not that big event, 3 day weekend but enough for some etxra influx from BKK starting Friday May 29.

30 July (Thursday) Asalha Bucha

31 July (Friday) Wan Khao Phansa (Beginning of Buddhist Lent)

Stampede!!! Duck and cover. 4 day weekend (July 30 to August 2).

In 2013 I happened to get into southbound traffic from Isan (end of holiday): bumper to bumper, 12 hours for 500 km.

Lesson learned.

23 October (Friday) Chulalongkorn Day

27 October (Tuesday) Wan Awk Phansa (End of Buddhist Lent)

No Monday bridge announced (as far as I know), so "only" a 3 day weekend.

5 December (Saturday) The King's Birthday (Father's Day)

7 December (Monday) The King's Birthday Substitution Day

3 day weekend. Not that big from past experience.

Edited May 5, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Bellacissa]

Well, at least we have a couple of weeks before the next one. I think I'll plan a trip elsewhere for the end of July.

[patsfangr]

Are we finished with the long holiday weekends for awhile? I think we could all use a break from the descending hordes of people.

Between the u-turns instead of right turns on the Suk, the tour buses (don't get me started on the monster, double-decker buses trying to make a u-turn), the long traffic lights and just the general lack of spatial awareness that people seem to have here, I'm ready to start walking everywhere. I live out off of SSCC, and it would be a hike to get to town, but it would probably still be faster than trying to drive it on a holiday weekend.

Maybe those of us out here could get together and rent a monster double-decker bus to get us there, Bellacissa! ;-)

[balo]

I think it's over today, traffic looks almost normal to me but as a precaution I avoided Suk .

[craigt3365]

Maybe even better than normal today. Went to Bang Saen, but went around Pattaya from down here near the Ambassador. HIghway traffic was light. Huay Yai traffic was light. Sri Racha traffic was light. Yahoo!! 5555

[KittenKong]

Just got back from BigC on Sukumvit. Hardly a soul anywhere and lots of half-price imported French foodstuffs. Woo-hoo!

[rott]

Never mind that this was posted on a Sunday and the train only runs Mon - Fri, and one a day in each direction.

[rott]

Still can't get the hang of replying to posts on my mobile.

[pontious]

Still busy on Suk at the underpass - it would not be if people observed the 'get into two lanes sign'. But Thais and some resident Farangs just cannot resist some empty tarmac. That is what causes the hold up. It will never change.

[Bellacissa]

Still busy on Suk at the underpass - it would not be if people observed the 'get into two lanes sign'. But Thais and some resident Farangs just cannot resist some empty tarmac. That is what causes the hold up. It will never change.

That bottleneck will remain until the tunnel is finished. I've started taking the bypass down to Threppasit or up to the side streets that lead to Pattaya Nua just to avoid that section of the Suk altogether. I'd rather go a few extra km than deal with that mess.