Driving Pattaya to Rama IV Lumpini

[Suradit69]

I don't drive in Thailand and consequently never pay much attention to how we get from A to B. For many years I hired a car and driver when I wanted to go to Bangkok in the Silom/Surawongse area and we always seemed to magically exit the express/toll ways at Rama IV a little southeast of Lumpini Park.

The last two times, with my current driver who is not all that familiar with Bangkok, the magic didn't happen. We eventually got to our destination, but saw a great deal more of outer Bangkok than I really need to see. The most recent journey took us north of Suvarnabhumi and we ended up travelling quite a distance south on Rama IV ... I think.

Looking at the Google map, it appears somewhere around Chonburi we need to get onto the road marked 361, but I doubt the signage on the road is that explicit. Not even sure if the exit onto Rama IV is that obviously marked.

Can someone tell me what the road signs say when we (apparently) need to take the more westerly #361 and if the exit at Rama IV is marked as such or if it uses some more obscure signage.

Thanks.

[jimmybkk]

You have a couple of options. You can take the #7 motorway all the way until you get kinda close to Baiyoke Tower and then you take the exit that I think is initially signposted for Dao Khanong (it may also say Bang Na), but as soon as you're in that lane and onto the slip road there is a sign that says Sukhumvit. Then follow the signs for South Ploenchit and after you cross Sukhumvit on the overpass after a couple of kms you will see an exit for Rama IV. Take that exit and at the lights turn right to get to Lumpini.

Alternatively take the elevated Bangna-Trad expressway all the way from Chonburi to the end. When you come down to ground level just follow it all the way until you see an exit for Rama IV. This way you need to do a left at the lights to get to Lumpini.

[jimmybkk]

Sorry, just re-read your post. I'm not sure if it's marked as #361 but just head out on the #7 as if heading for Bangkok but ignore the Bangkok fork and keep going straight. I would guess it's around 10km after that fork that you will need to follow the signs to Bang Na to get on to the elevated tollway, which is #34.

[brewsterbudgen]

The #361 turn off is confusing as it's not signposted for Bangkok, but for Chonburi. Quicker than going all the way to the airport on #7, so take it and then the elevated expressway

[digbeth]

Some maps haven't updated the fact that the 361 turn off used to be the default option if you continue on the 7 from Pattaya, but now the highway 7 continues on to the paid section and goes to the Airport and enters Bangkok's expressway that way

Going to Lumbhini/Rama IV of course is simpler if you enters the expressway from Bangna, just make sure to get down from the Buraphawithi expressway just after the end to enter into the expressway and not continue on, otherwise you'll be taken to Ramindra all the way north east of Bangkok

[digbeth]

that picture from googlestreetview was taken during the roadworks, so now it looks quite a bit different, but the turnoff is in the same area, with the hill on the right and just as the road about to bend right

the 361 is known locally as the Chonburi By-Pass, so maybe you can tell your driver that, and that you want to go to Bangkok the Bang Na way, not the Motorway route

[Suradit69]

Thanks to all. Hopefully our next trip will be a little less circuitous.

Once we hit the ground in central Bangkok I have no problem finding my way around, but on the expressways it's more a matter of:

Edited May 31, 2015 by Suradit69

[KhunBENQ]

I am really not an expert for that route, but what I obviously see, is that this "361" is the connection from HW 7 to the so called "Bangna Trad" tollway (the "old one", a bit bumpy, basically a tollway version of Sukhumvit).

From theory it is the best/shortest connection to Rama IV.

Staying on HW 7 is bit of a detour.

Hope you see both routes computed by Google maps with this link:

https://goo.gl/maps/IKx3Z

(the southern route is 7 -> 361 -> Bangna Trad (3) -> Rama IV)

Edited May 31, 2015 by KhunBENQ