Two new year U-turns .............

[prk888]

The one large double north/south U-turn just south of Makro on Suk has been closed. Too dangerous.

Two individual U-turns are now open. Both slightly north of that old double one.

The U-turn for those heading south but wanting to go north is almost opposite Makro and which opened yesterday. I saw the first accident at 0930 today as southbound cars now have to race almost directly across 4 northbound very fast lanes to get to Makro

The northbound U-turn for those heading south is opposite Underwater World and guess what, they too have to go straight across 4 speeding lanes to get to that U-turn to head south

Happy New Year and be advised .....................

[KhunBENQ]

News from the resort race track.

Brainless, irresponsible this whole concept.

Comprehensive jams and gridlocks over NY will be live savers.

Good luck to all!

Edited December 27, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Forkinhades]

Personally I go further South, and do the U turn at the lights.

[KhunBENQ]

I always shudder when I see those poor folks on scooters trying to pass the race track.

When in Pattaya I avoid it as good as possible.

It even keeps me away from going on scooter to the east side.

Personally I go further South, and do the U turn at the lights.

Good advice. Some minutes that might save your health.

Safest traffic in Thailand is the one that does not move (e.g. at traffic lights).

[RabC]

Good advice. Some minutes that might save your health.

Safest traffic in Thailand is the one that does not move (e.g. at traffic lights).

Sadly that's not even true with the idiots that drive through red lights

[Inn Between]

They're just another one of the government's many New Year's gifts to the people.

[NormanW]

Thanks for the heads up.

It's a jungle out there @!!

[OMGImInPattaya]

And don't forget all traffic fines are 100 baht as a happiness gift to the masses.

[lonewolf99]

U turn - slow moving traffic moving into the fastest moving traffic.....Not sure ? but is this the only country that has this madness. If it is a mad method of turning around I guess Libya still has them as it is more dangerous to drive there...

I believe in Australia you can not even park a car facing the wrong direction at the side of the road....here its normal to drive flat out the wrong way up a one way street.

I have also figured out why "moving traffic offences" are never dealt with.....

1. The copper might chase a HiSo rich person and and be in deep doodoo with his boss.

2. If they never catch up with the culprit - loss of face - can't have that can we ??? better to just let them go.

3. They don't recognise a crime when they see one right in front of their faces. Dolts.

I for one drive all the way to Sattahip to turn round.......and Sri Ratcha when heading North.

[White Christmas13]

Good advice. Some minutes that might save your health.

Safest traffic in Thailand is the one that does not move (e.g. at traffic lights).

Sadly that's not even true with the idiots that drive through red lights

Like those ones ?

[sometime]

I can just see the trucks and buses blocking three lanes on Sukumvit trying to do a u-turn (LOL)

[prk888]

and Sometime is right. these U-turns are very very acute single lane ones ......................... watch the fun when these bigguns (double artics, cement lorries etc ) try to use them ............. and they will.

[oneday]

Personally I go further South, and do the U turn at the lights.

Yes, absolutely that is the safest way to go if you are going to Makro or Underwater World, but come on...!!!

That is no excuse whatsoever for piss poor planning and design. As I watched these new U-Turns being constructed I thought to myself, this is going to be a real bitch now to try and get to the Makro entrance. Makro and Underwater World were the biggest reasons to have a U-Turn in this area and they have now turned it into an accident and possible death trap. Not only that, the turn lanes they have created look just big enough to fit a golf cart, though I haven't actually tried it yet, however I probably won't be using it.

Good going Pattaya city planners. Do you people actually have degrees in planning and engineering?

[Forkinhades]

That's exactly where I'm going ,,, Makro

[jacko45k]

I can just see the trucks and buses blocking three lanes on Sukumvit trying to do a u-turn (LOL)

My thoughts exactly....... people will have to move over to the left where the parked vehicles and food carts and song-taews are in the way. I usually turn down soi Watboon at the lights but getting over there on the bike can sometimes be dodgy. U-Turns in the way, will they help me or not?

[akentryan]

I used it for the first time yesterday morning at about 8:30. Traffic was very light so not a problem. My impression remains this is now a much worse situation than existed before. An equal puzzle is trying to get to Immigration from southbound on third road in Jomthien - better to go to Beach Road and come in that way. Who the hell is doing the planning?

[khun custard]

Unless you are in a utility or a 4x4, I'd assume that the average sedan car driver would not have a clear line of sight to the oncoming traffic of more than 20m or so due to the height of the landscape??

As the usual speed in this section is up in the +80KPH the crashes and carnage will now be a lot more spectacular

I guess the one good thing is the U turns seem so tight that articulated trucks will not be attempting to use it??

[newnative]

As several have mentioned, the u-turns are very tight and buses and trucks will get stuck--and then will have to back up into the fast lane. Yikes. I suppose they were engineered tight to prevent buses and trucks from making u-turns but what were they thinking? No matter how narrow the soi, huge buses and trucks will always be going down it--or attempting to. The U-turn lanes leading to the U-turns are also way too narrow and do not get the U-turn traffic out of the fast lane far enough. Almost all of Pattaya's U-turn lanes on Sukumvit need to be redone, properly--it's ridiculous some are still U-turn lanes and also fast thru lanes.

[NanLaew]

The new cut thru's are intentionally narrow to prevent HGV's, buses and semi-trailers from using them. If a large vehicle wants to use them, it would need to start turn from the 3rd lane over, blocking 3 lanes and they never, EVER do that here do they?

For those still challenged by the new layout, you use the existing traffic lights to do the u-turn for Makro and the new u-turn at Makro to get to Underwater World. There's absolutely no need to use the turns that are nearly opposite these locations unless you've been here too long and drive like a Somchai already.

[oneday]

I used it for the first time yesterday morning at about 8:30. Traffic was very light so not a problem. My impression remains this is now a much worse situation than existed before. An equal puzzle is trying to get to Immigration from southbound on third road in Jomthien - better to go to Beach Road and come in that way. Who the hell is doing the planning?

Yep, I have also been using beach road for immigration for the last couple of times now that all ways to make a U-Turn on 3rd have been removed without driving 3-4Kilo. These people that make these decisions need to be made to drive it for 6 months as punishment.

[crickets]

It was worse before when get ready for a u turn and some turd would move up next to you and u couldnt see the on coming traffic. But thats ok to them as they are retarded a holes who cant see past their own noses. I also like the new hazard light flashings they use coming into intersections now, what the fuc does that mean? Me first i guess.

[WitawatWatawit]

Must be the same guy who designed Jomtien 2nd road. If you're going Sattahip way, you have to exit onto Suk, head north for a kilo and then do a u-turn to go in a southerly direction.

[TheCruncher]

I agree with the OP, the U-turn leading to Makro will be a deathtrap and cause more problems than good.

It was already an issue with the old U-turn, so when they shut it I thought they had used common sense, but soon realized that it was only an excuse to make it worse.

[DrTuner]

All the drifting competitions are held in Soi stadium nearby, so you can go practise there before embarking on the dangerous manouver.

A while ago I was talking with a friend and noticed I had taken a U-turn maybe ten times in my life before coming to Thailand, now it's ten a day. The usual incompetence in planning.

[pmugghc]

Must be the same guy who designed Jomtien 2nd road. If you're going Sattahip way, you have to exit onto Suk, head north for a kilo and then do a u-turn to go in a southerly direction.

What? Have they blocked the Chaiyapruek or Bunkanchana crossings on Suk?

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed, please do not attempt to hijack the topic by introducing the tunnel into it, thank you. .

[Dogbreath]

Must be the same guy who designed Jomtien 2nd road. If you're going Sattahip way, you have to exit onto Suk, head north for a kilo and then do a u-turn to go in a southerly direction.

It appears the geniuses who designed Jomtien 2nd Rd and who eliminated the turns around the Rompho Market must have been promoted to work their magic on Sukhumvit as well. I believe their chief aim is not to impede the passage of tour buses travelling at 100kph through congested areas with lots of foot traffic and to increase the rate of Darwinian selection.

[craigt3365]

I saw it open today on the return from Makro. Heading South. From the Southbound side, can you really make it into the Makro entrance?

But it sure is better than before. No blocking the fast lane...or 2 with the lazy drivers trying to cut around.

[prk888]

Good point Craig. Drivers going south turning north WILL make it to MAKRO regardless of which way (north or south) they have to go to get there!

[thailand49]

Funny, welcome to Pattaya traffic solution. Years ago they closed up the U-turns for beautification purposes. Now they create new ones because they realized there weren't any? Now they put it right in front of Makro, so as noted anyone wanting to go to Makro holds up all the traffic because they need to shoot straight across and if they do not need to go to Makro, they still hold up all the traffic because no one ever taught them how to Merge into traffic. Another revolving stupidity decision.