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

[onemorechang]

Your average Thai male driver cant stop at a red light.

so a reading signs at a roundabout, understanding them and acting on them.

is just rocket science to them.

it will never happen in the next 5 to 100 years.

[gmac]

Your average Thai male driver cant stop at a red light.

so a reading signs at a roundabout, understanding them and acting on them.

is just rocket science to them.

it will never happen in the next 5 to 100 years.

It's not can't stop, it's won't stop because they know how long it usually takes for it to go green again. Roundabouts eliminate those delays except for the busiest times of day when chaos reigns under any system.

[giddyup]

Went to Macro yesterday, no U turns until you get to the traffic lights. All others are still blocked off.

[khun custard]

Noticed they were putting up a higher, larger sign at the entry U turn heading south early this afternoon

What a fiasco!

It would be good to hear from those making the decisions what we can expect next for this little stretch of motoring mayhem

[TheCruncher]

Noticed they were putting up a higher, larger sign at the entry U turn heading south early this afternoon

What a fiasco!

It would be good to hear from those making the decisions what we can expect next for this little stretch of motoring mayhem

Aren't we used to this. Traffic lights are installed amass, but switched off after 1 week.My guess is that 70% of all traffic lights installed in the last 10 years, and that are a lot, have never been operative.

Hard shoulders from mayor roads are beautified for large sums of money, dug up again less than 6 months later, then the whole process repeats itself.

U-turns are blocked, then new ones constructed which are blocked also.

I'm sure there is someone busy aiding his pension fund.

[prk888]

so its now over 2 weeks since they opened and then immediately closed these 2 death traps and (happily?) as yet no sign of the concrete blocks being removed.

The oh-so-tight-and-acute new U-turns mean cars have no choice but to slowly merge directly into the (very) fast outside lanes so someone in City Hall Traffic Planning Dept. may have realised this fact and decided to keep them closed. Is that good or bad news ?

Any guesses ............... ?

[prk888]

update ............................. the northbound U-turn has some activity.

Looks like the central reservation foliage is being cut down drastically. Unfortunately the whole reservation & not just the foliage will have to be reduced I reckon. Needs it as car drivers couldn't possible see the speeding northbound traffic as they slowly exit the acute angled U-turn

Same surely required for the southbound U-turn.

we will see.

[prk888]

further update 21.01.16 ................

activity now stopped (see above post #67) and only the foliage removed - nothing else - so still as potentially lethal & dangerous as ever was.

U-Turn beautification (refer earlier posts) ? The old U-turn now has plenty of weeds and now nearly really dead plants = a very incongruous pimple on otherwise pleasant central reservation, What an ongoing & expensive mess

Regardless as to whether they ever open just skip these U-turns and use traffic lights at either end of this stretch

We will see

[prk888]

almost 22.01.16

Clear as mud

Going south the northbound U-Turn now has 2 quite large, extremely bright orange flashing signs at the southern tip of the U-Turn.

The top circular one has a blue arrow pointing downwards to the 7 o'clock position (indicating a warning to go this way ?) and the lower rectangular one has a chevron again pointing down to 7 o'clock position and again indicating don't go this way ( or is it a warning to actually go this way ?)

Interesting additions methinks.

As you gather i pass these daily so cant help but notice, observe and conjecture

I think these new signs actually mean if you have come this far you have major problems.

We will see.

[thailand49]

Two new turns now closed and 2-4 million baht down the drain. But the city official did get his cut.

Edited January 29, 2016 by thailand49

[prk888]

Interesting headline today .................. good news or not? Workable or not ? Could/should this drip-feed down to us here in Pattaya? Or has it already started by (an expensive) default ?

BANGKOK — Starting in February, making random U-turns along Asoke Road will no longer be allowed.

The turns made by drivers, often seeking to enter office buildings, are blamed for contributing to the misery-inducing traffic on the road located in the center of one of Bangkok’s busiest business districts. To ensure the ban lives beyond its announcement, metropolitan police said traffic barriers will be installed along the entire length of the road starting Feb. 1

[newnative]

Traffic barriers would certainly help on a number of Pattaya's streets--and certain areas of streets that always have bottlenecks due to cars trying to make turns everywhere they want. My partner and I just returned from a driving trip to Chiang Mai and we found ourselves on a very busy street similar to Thepprasit. The only difference was that CM had a 4 foot tall metal barrier running down the middle to manage the traffic and it seemed to be working well. There wasn't room for a grass median but enough room for the metal barrier. The entrance into south Pattaya from Pratamnack could benefit as well as that area is always a mess. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Lampang all seemed to manage their traffic better than Pattaya. were cleaner, and had better sidewalks--some even concrete! Believe it or not, we even saw street sweepers, both human and mechanical.

[Rimmer]

A couple of off topic posts removed, topic is about two new U Turns

[prk888]

just observed the first 'ding' when a northbound truck realised the southbound U-Turn was blocked and immediately swerved back into the northbound fast lane. Luckily, very luckily, only a small ding ding but signs of things to come !

[johng]

Someone has put a big banner up at one of the closed U turns thanking the Mayor for his excellent work

From the we love Pattaya faceboook page.

[prk888]

That's amazing ! Northbound one I assume.

Can anyone briefly tell what the signs said? maybe a dignitary was about to pass by.

Come to think of it 3 official looking vehicles with red lights atop were sitting in the southbound one this p.m about 2.30

[craigt3365]

It basically says having it closed causes problems for locals. It was only to be closed for 4 days. And 1M Baht was spent.

[prk888]

so Craig ................. do you reckon it means they intend to open again or what/? Not quite clear what you are saying

[khun custard]

Well, Well.... the sign pictured earlier today was gone by 13.30hrs when we drove by - clearly it is on the side heading North to Pattaya .

The message was "signed" Pattaya People and reads not at all complimentary of the authorities, their lack of planning, communication and the addition inconvenience this closure has caused the local people......as the wife translates it.

Great thinking to get a pix of the sign!!

I wonder who are the Somtam Fascists who went to the trouble of doing this?

Certainly don't think it was those evil, gambling, pensioners who were raided by the BIB's last night - must have been a let down to learn that it was the local Pattaya Bridge club weekly card night!

.

[prk888]

Well, Well.... the sign pictured earlier today was gone by 13.30hrs when we drove by - clearly it is on the side heading North to Pattaya .

The message was "signed" Pattaya People and reads not at all complimentary of the authorities, their lack of planning, communication and the addition inconvenience this closure has caused the local people......as the wife translates it.

Great thinking to get a pix of the sign!!

I wonder who are the Somtam Fascists who went to the trouble of doing this?

Certainly don't think it was those evil, gambling, pensioners who were raided by the BIB's last night - must have been a let down to learn that it was the local Pattaya Bridge club weekly card night!

.

well I never !

A well produced sizeable sign.

Outrageous & public show of annoyance, frustration or whatever

[craigt3365]

Trying to type on my phone. No fun!

I think it's great they did this. Keep up the pressure.

[prk888]

Local people questioning the mayor ! This is unheard of there in Pattaya isn't it?

Watch this space ..........

[prk888]

i meant 'here' in Pattaya - finger fumble

[sometime]

Past there today, a JCB was digging up the central reservation next to the u-turn, could be being made wider.

[prk888]

so it seems that excellent sign has caused a reaction.

Any pics anyone?

watch this space

[TheCruncher]

Past there today, a JCB was digging up the central reservation next to the u-turn, could be being made wider.

May be they gonna make a u turn tunnel.

[johng]

The deputy Mayor and his minions where inspecting the scene yesterday

photos from Pattaya Watchdog facebook page

]

[craigt3365]

Absolutely amazing it takes a post on a Facebook page to get action. Unreal.

Now if we could only get them to deal with the other problem U-Turns on Suk! LOL

[Inn Between]

I think there was a backhoe doing something there when I went by yesterday around noon.

(Once again we see the result of the usual Thai methods of job appointment and promotion, especially in all levels of gov't -- nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism -- the unqualified wasting more money and more time, as well as creating frustration and inefficiency.)

Edited February 5, 2016 by Inn Between

[johng]

Absolutely amazing it takes a post on a Facebook page to get action. Unreal.

The Thais take face (book) very seriously.