roads here

[banagan]

feels like i'm in a big city, so many highways, no side walks... would be nice to have some tranquil road alternatives or just be able to walk somewhere without wandering down a highway.

bike lanes would be good too.

.... this should be good...

[LivinginKata]

And your question is ......

[oncearugge]

" side walks" ?

Only in some North American places I believe !

[banagan]

forgot to mention, public transport would be good too.

no question livinginkata, just some observations on a discussion forum.

[lavender19]

forgot to mention, public transport would be good too.

no question livinginkata, just some observations on a discussion forum.

You are living in the wrong country if you want clear pavements and definitely in the wrong province if you want public transport

[dageurreotype]

What '....should be good....' ? That which will never happen - decent paving/public transport you mean?

[LivinginKata]

No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system.

Question - so where are you staying in Phuket. Makes a big difference to trying to answer your question about sidewalks and public transport - quick answer ... not very good.

Edited November 22, 2015 by LivinginKata

[tolsti]

What you fail to understand is that the movements to avoid the obstacles like hanging wires, uneven pavements, upturned cobbles, electricity poles in the centre (sp nb) actually help as they make you stretch muscles that would otherwise remain flabby whilst you are on the way to the pizza emporium.

Edited November 22, 2015 by tolsti

[LeungKen]

1 Off topic post removed.

[stevehaigh]

beach road between leam promthep, ya nui and nai han is very nice for a walk in the morning, very little traffic, more walkers than cars/bikes. and around nai harn lake is a footpath.

[Jimi007]

The roads in my area seem pretty good, other than all those stupid speed bumps the aren't painted, so you better know where they are!

[Old Croc]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/781195-phuket-mtbing-rides-adventures/?p=8752094

[NamKangMan]

No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system.

Question - so where are you staying in Phuket. Makes a big difference to trying to answer your question about sidewalks and public transport - quick answer ... not very good.

"No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system." - what "public transport system?"

[LivinginKata]

No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system.

Question - so where are you staying in Phuket. Makes a big difference to trying to answer your question about sidewalks and public transport - quick answer ... not very good.

"No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system." - what "public transport system?"

How about the public bus services from Phuket Town to each of the various areas such as Kat/Karon, Patong, Surin, Rawai, etc (yes I know , no service connnects these area, have to go through Phuket Town), the airport public bus services, the local Phuket Town bus service (and free).

Mind you these services stop early - 18.00

[NamKangMan]

No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system.

Question - so where are you staying in Phuket. Makes a big difference to trying to answer your question about sidewalks and public transport - quick answer ... not very good.

"No doubt NamKangMan will be along in a minute to tell you how bad is the public transport system." - what "public transport system?"

How about the public bus services from Phuket Town to each of the various areas such as Kat/Karon, Patong, Surin, Rawai, etc (yes I know , no service connnects these area, have to go through Phuket Town), the airport public bus services, the local Phuket Town bus service (and free).

Mind you these services stop early - 18.00

When's the last time you used any of the buses you mentioned?

[LivinginKata]

When's the last time you used any of the buses you mentioned?

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

[KarenBravo]

The business model for road repairs here is:-

75% of allocated public funds goes to road repair. 25% disappears into pockets.

Repairs are done with sub-standard materials and sub-standard methods.

This ensures that the road will need repair again in the not too distant future.

The Patong to Karon road has been a goldmine for years...

[LivinginKata]

The business model for road repairs here is:-

75% of allocated public funds goes to road repair. 25% disappears into pockets.

Repairs are done with sub-standard materials and sub-standard methods.

This ensures that the road will need repair again in the not too distant future.

The Patong to Karon road has been a goldmine for years...

Not even sure is only 25% that disappears. A percentage is 'lost' at every stage of the money allocation process, first cut to central government, then provincial gov gets a cut, then the Ampur, and so on ...

[NamKangMan]

When's the last time you used any of the buses you mentioned?

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

"Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht." - so, it would make sense to expand the service to include a service along the coast road, for tourists, right?

[LivinginKata]

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

"Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht." - so, it would make sense to expand the service to include a service along the coast road, for tourists, right?

Got to keep it going NKM - we all very well know a coastal bus service was tried in the distant past and the driver was assaulted. The tender for the route has long been available and no doubt it would be a lucrative money maker, but no operator wants to operate any coastal route for fear of thug reprisals. Yes that says volumes about law and order in Phuket - my last comment on this - OUT

Edited November 26, 2015 by LivinginKata

[bearpolar]

The business model for road repairs here is:-

75% of allocated public funds goes to road repair. 25% disappears into pockets.

Repairs are done with sub-standard materials and sub-standard methods.

This ensures that the road will need repair again in the not too distant future.

The Patong to Karon road has been a goldmine for years...

I thought i was halucinating when in isaan id go drive deep into nowhere and 99% of roads seemed brand new even with tons of 12 wheelers and tractors on them.

Yet in phuket it took 3 years for them to fix a massive hole that kept re-opening and making bikes fall INSIDE

Edited November 26, 2015 by bearpolar

[dageurreotype]

When's the last time you used any of the buses you mentioned?

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

And here's the reality. Your avatar packed to the gunnels with Burmese labourers and market provisions hanging off the back/top and on the return journey, having to sit in one in the heat until it is again filled to the brim for up to half an hour before the driver deems it worth his while to actually drive the thing back to it's destination. Oh and I should mention, this is after having to have waited anything up to an hour in the hot sun (who designed those spiffy new 'shelters' BTW?) to actually get a ride in the first place. World Class Holiday Destination. Don't make me laugh.

[LivinginKata]

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

And here's the reality. Your avatar packed to the gunnels with Burmese labourers and market provisions hanging off the back/top and on the return journey, having to sit in one in the heat until it is again filled to the brim for up to half an hour before the driver deems it worth his while to actually drive the thing back to it's destination. Oh and I should mention, this is after having to have waited anything up to an hour in the hot sun (who designed those spiffy new 'shelters' BTW?) to actually get a ride in the first place. World Class Holiday Destination. Don't make me laugh.

And here in my reality on the Kata/Karon to Phuket and back public bus. This public bus service departs as per the scheduled time every 30 minutes, full or empty. Sure some runs can be packed and with some provisions - it's all part of real life charm and the tourists love it. As for bus shelters, I've never seen any. I just pick a spot in the natural shade and flag down the bus as it approaches.

Edited November 26, 2015 by LivinginKata

[grumpyoldman]

The good: out at Cape Panwa, huge sidewalk and park benches for picnics, great views.

The bad: pavement headed toward the tunnel just past the Big Tesco Lotus, miserable.

The ugly: current state of the latest diggings for the underpass at the big Tesco Lotus.

Cue the theme: do-do-do, weeeer, weer, weer:

[NamKangMan]

I have my own vehicle - but when my car is serviced in Phuket Town I take the public bus back to Kata in the morning, then bus back later in the day when service complete. Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht.

"Good every half hour service, fast trip, no complaints for 30 baht." - so, it would make sense to expand the service to include a service along the coast road, for tourists, right?

Got to keep it going NKM - we all very well know a coastal bus service was tried in the distant past and the driver was assaulted. The tender for the route has long been available and no doubt it would be a lucrative money maker, but no operator wants to operate any coastal route for fear of thug reprisals. Yes that says volumes about law and order in Phuket - my last comment on this - OUT

"no operator wants to operate any coastal route for fear of thug reprisals. Yes that says volumes about law and order in Phuket" - as I have said before, the Thai military are in control of the country and they will not even touch the transport issue on Phuket.

After 18 months in power, all Phuket has to show for the coup is some beach encroachment clean up, and that has probably driven many western tourists away because they may now struggle to get a beach lounge and some table service.

This means, basically, Phuket will never have public transport that is inline with the rest of Thailand.

This is already having a big effect on western tourist numbers, with more impact to be felt, in the future.

Sad to see Phuket's slow, but sure demise, at the hands of the transport mafia here, not to mention the hundreds, if not thousands, who have died on the roads here.

[AJBangkok]

Not to jump on Namkengman's bandwagon but The lack of a efficient public transport system is probably the largest problem in Phuket. It's not just about the negative impact on tourism And just because you have your own car or motorbike it doesn't mean you're not impacted as the lack of an efficient public transport system actually causes inefficiencies in the whole economy of phuket which the tourists and every other resident of phuket pays for.

Not having an efficient public transport system restricts the mobility of labor and in turn distorts the pricing of goods, services, accommodation and everything else you can think of.

I'm over simplifying things but Why is patong more expensive than Talang or Mai Khao? It's because patong is where the jobs are. If labor cannot commute cheaply then labor must reside there. That pushes accommodation prices up and subsequently land prices up. Higher land costs mean higher expenses for business owners and merchants. Staff must be paid higher to afford the higher rents and that means businesses must charge higher prices to maintain their profit margins. The same goes if it costs more to commute to a job then the monthly salary paid must be higher to compensate for the cost of comuting.

As I said I'm simplifying things but mass transit is about productivity and mobility of labor. Without it you get microeconomies and price distortions which are exemplified by people exploiting the inefficiencies like taxi drivers etc .It effects everybody on phuket whether it's a local of a tourist and it's probably the major root cause of why everything is so expensive here.

[NamKangMan]

Not to jump on Namkengman's bandwagon but The lack of a efficient public transport system is probably the largest problem in Phuket. It's not just about the negative impact on tourism And just because you have your own car or motorbike it doesn't mean you're not impacted as the lack of an efficient public transport system actually causes inefficiencies in the whole economy of phuket which the tourists and every other resident of phuket pays for.

Not having an efficient public transport system restricts the mobility of labor and in turn distorts the pricing of goods, services, accommodation and everything else you can think of.

I'm over simplifying things but Why is patong more expensive than Talang or Mai Khao? It's because patong is where the jobs are. If labor cannot commute cheaply then labor must reside there. That pushes accommodation prices up and subsequently land prices up. Higher land costs mean higher expenses for business owners and merchants. Staff must be paid higher to afford the higher rents and that means businesses must charge higher prices to maintain their profit margins. The same goes if it costs more to commute to a job then the monthly salary paid must be higher to compensate for the cost of comuting.

As I said I'm simplifying things but mass transit is about productivity and mobility of labor. Without it you get microeconomies and price distortions which are exemplified by people exploiting the inefficiencies like taxi drivers etc .It effects everybody on phuket whether it's a local of a tourist and it's probably the major root cause of why everything is so expensive here.

Everyone on Phuket is impacted by the transport issue here, as you correctly allude to, if it effects the Phuket economy, it effects us all here.

Transport is an essential service, and the transport mafia have it firmly in their grip here. So firmly, the Thai military will not dismantle their control of it.

A rise in the cost of living on Phuket is one thing, and will effect everyone differently, some more than others. However, the danger on the roads here effects us all, everytime we use them.

To those who say, "I have a car / motorbike so I don't care about the tuk-tuks." Next time a drunk trourist, expat or local has a high speed collision with an inncocent road user, remember, that could have been you, a family member, or a friend, and that same drunk driver / rider very well may have caught a 20 baht baht bus home, had it been allowed to exist here. Sadly, they are not, and instead, we have carnage on the roads of Phuket, and a rapidly declining western tourist market, with no end in sight.

Not only is this issue raising costs and hurting the tourism industry, but it is killing and maiming people.

It's a disgrace, and in my opinion, it's Phuket's biggest scam, and therefore, Phuket's biggest shame.

Edited November 29, 2015 by NamKangMan

[bearpolar]

You could also argue that if every person who hates phuket and still choses to live here and complain moved away, the roads would be safer as fast driviers would have the space to go fast in their own lane and slow drivers would have no stress and space to drive slow in their own lane. Taxis could go faster(not in speed, just no more stopping every 30m because someone going 20kph decided to pass a 19km/h driver, or people triple parked) and drive more people around, earn more and act less crazy

Edited November 30, 2015 by bearpolar

[Snackbar]

Walk. Put one foot in front of the other. Hey presto, you've mastered it.

But hey, get on your bike. Every road user respects people on bicycles and what could be safer and stress free. Problem solved.

[NamKangMan]

You could also argue that if every person who hates phuket and still choses to live here and complain moved away, the roads would be safer as fast driviers would have the space to go fast in their own lane and slow drivers would have no stress and space to drive slow in their own lane. Taxis could go faster(not in speed, just no more stopping every 30m because someone going 20kph decided to pass a 19km/h driver, or people triple parked) and drive more people around, earn more and act less crazy

"You could also argue that if every person who hates phuket and still choses to live here and complain moved away, the roads would be safer" - you could also argue that people pay the highest prices in South East Asia, Singapore aside, to live here, and do not receive value for money by way of infastructure, including roads, law enforcement, electric, water, transport, rubbish removal, drainage etc etc etc etc.

Nothing to do with "hating Phuket." More to do with investment in critical infasturcture here.

Edited December 2, 2015 by NamKangMan