Nightmare at Chalong Circle

[chercheur888]

Let the Fun begin.

[LivinginKata]

I guess you are talking about the road in front of HomePro mall being closed ... just the start of years of driving misery ...

[chercheur888]

I guess you are talking about the road in front of HomePro mall being closed ... just the start of years of driving misery ...

Exactly, and HomePro is only the beginning, but you are relatively blessed because you are in Kata. I hope from there will be slightly easier than coming from the south. At least I hope to see less than 80-100 tour buses every day going to the Cape. Wishful thinking.

[grumpyoldman]

Time to move to Khao Lak !

Need to import some good pubs and girls though.............

[indieke]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

[dick dasterdly]

Chalong Circle has been a bottle-neck for many years as the number of cars increase. The authorities had to do something about it, but I for one am worried about how long it will take for the building work to finish.

A scooter helps enormously, but even so I try to restrict going to Villa Market/HomePro to Sundays, when the traffic is better.

Coming from Rawai, has the entrance to the HomePro complex been blocked?

[chercheur888]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

Of course it was always a problem, but I believe in a few months you will be nostalgic how "fluid" the traffic was until yesterday because it will be much much worse, yes it is possible.

Once one has managed to pass the circle into Chaofa West, after about 1 KM there is a traffic light. Right turn joins Chaofa East, where does the left turn road leads at this traffic light? Anybody knows?

[dick dasterdly]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

Of course it was always a problem, but I believe in a few months you will be nostalgic how "fluid" the traffic was until yesterday because it will be much much worse, yes it is possible.

Once one has managed to pass the circle into Chaofa West, after about 1 KM there is a traffic light. Right turn joins Chaofa East, where does the left turn road leads at this traffic light? Anybody knows?

Thanks chercheur888, I gather from your post that its still possible to get to the HomePro complex from Rawai.

[chercheur888]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

Of course it was always a problem, but I believe in a few months you will be nostalgic how "fluid" the traffic was until yesterday because it will be much much worse, yes it is possible.

Once one has managed to pass the circle into Chaofa West, after about 1 KM there is a traffic light. Right turn joins Chaofa East, where does the left turn road leads at this traffic light? Anybody knows?

Thanks chercheur888, I gather from your post that its still possible to get to the HomePro complex from Rawai.

Sorry I don't know as I did not venture that far today. As they said the road is blocked it might be not possible to access Villa, but I don't know. They also said it will be for 1 day at the time, but we know what that means. On December 19, 2015 they said the work for drainage and pillars will take be done in 15 to 20 days, I mentioned that they wanted to say 15 to 20 weeks and it seems that I was overly optimistic.

[dick dasterdly]

Thanks again Cheurcher88.

Does anyone know whether its possible to access Villa from Rawai - without going round the houses?

[grumpyoldman]

1:30 went to Tesco Rawai plaza the traffic into Chalong circle backed up beyond Lemon gas. I'm on a motorcycle but I think for cars that's going to be a 45 minute crawl, yikes !

Dick, I don't understand your question about " going around the houses" (?). Anyone, correct me if I am wrong but from Sai Yuan and Wiset going into Chalong Circle there is no choice until the left that takes you up past the old stunt show arena, then right down the hill (dangerous), then left into the back of Villa.

Backs up even further might be worth going over the viewpoint through Kata and over Kata hill, YEEEEEEEEESH

Edited April 7, 2016 by grumpyoldman

[Kopitiam]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

Of course it was always a problem, but I believe in a few months you will be nostalgic how "fluid" the traffic was until yesterday because it will be much much worse, yes it is possible.

Once one has managed to pass the circle into Chaofa West, after about 1 KM there is a traffic light. Right turn joins Chaofa East, where does the left turn road leads at this traffic light? Anybody knows?

Left turn goes to the Big Buddha (big sign at the junction).

[KarenBravo]

From Patak road, before the circle you can turn left (just before where the old Rungnapa 24 hour supermarket used to be) and enter HomePro from the rear (Down Jingthing! Down!).

[chercheur888]

The Chalong circle is a nightmare for some time, also when you come from Rawai.....

Of course it was always a problem, but I believe in a few months you will be nostalgic how "fluid" the traffic was until yesterday because it will be much much worse, yes it is possible.

Once one has managed to pass the circle into Chaofa West, after about 1 KM there is a traffic light. Right turn joins Chaofa East, where does the left turn road leads at this traffic light? Anybody knows?

Left turn goes to the Big Buddha (big sign at the junction).

My mistake, I only paid attention to the sign at the left turn AFTER the traffic light, not AT the traffic light.

[chercheur888]

1:30 went to Tesco Rawai plaza the traffic into Chalong circle backed up beyond Lemon gas. I'm on a motorcycle but I think for cars that's going to be a 45 minute crawl, yikes !

Dick, I don't understand your question about " going around the houses" (?). Anyone, correct me if I am wrong but from Sai Yuan and Wiset going into Chalong Circle there is no choice until the left that takes you up past the old stunt show arena, then right down the hill (dangerous), then left into the back of Villa.

Backs up even further might be worth going over the viewpoint through Kata and over Kata hill, YEEEEEEEEESH

Not possible to turn right past the old stunt, because the put concrete barriers in the middle, no more right turn.

[bearpolar]

1:30 went to Tesco Rawai plaza the traffic into Chalong circle backed up beyond Lemon gas. I'm on a motorcycle but I think for cars that's going to be a 45 minute crawl, yikes !

Dick, I don't understand your question about " going around the houses" (?). Anyone, correct me if I am wrong but from Sai Yuan and Wiset going into Chalong Circle there is no choice until the left that takes you up past the old stunt show arena, then right down the hill (dangerous), then left into the back of Villa.

Backs up even further might be worth going over the viewpoint through Kata and over Kata hill, YEEEEEEEEESH

nah took 35mins from tesco rawai and i was lucky, when the 1 lane turned back into 2 lanes i managed to pass about 30cars.

The police love to let the kata side/chaofa west side go 2-3 turns before letting rawai side go once.

behind tesco, you can add 20-30mins extra.

They let the rawai side so little time to go that almost only bikes get to move each turn.

Edited April 7, 2016 by bearpolar

[KarenBravo]

I think it's subjective. When I'm waiting to get out of Chao Fah West, it seems like the BiB are always allowing traffic from Viset out and it just seems to go on and on.

[bearpolar]

i was the first car and i saw them do kata/chaofa west/east 3 times before my turn

before that i was in stand still trafafic for 15mins 2 times

[hkt83100]

I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. Absolutely crazy to forget a gap in the wall at the right turn coming from Kata down to the former Stunt Show or Phuket Orchid Farm. It was a great time saver on the way to Rawai and a possible escape from the circle madness coming from Rawai on the way to Wat Chalong. From Rawai turn left, pass Orchid Farm, at the end of the road turn right and left again at the Real Estate Shop. I think I have to get my bulldozer out to work in the next days...

[bearpolar]

yeah and best part is you didnt have to wait long, there is rarely much traffic there.

How far do you have to go towards kata to uturn now? Probably still better than waiting 35-50mins

[madmitch]

I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. Absolutely crazy to forget a gap in the wall at the right turn coming from Kata down to the former Stunt Show or Phuket Orchid Farm. It was a great time saver on the way to Rawai and a possible escape from the circle madness coming from Rawai on the way to Wat Chalong. From Rawai turn left, pass Orchid Farm, at the end of the road turn right and left again at the Real Estate Shop. I think I have to get my bulldozer out to work in the next days...

They left a gap at first then someone in their wisdom decided the wall should be continuous.

So, what are the odds on the road being open at 6pm tonight?

Does anyone have any idea what the plans are regarding more permanent road and lane closures? Can we expect a Tesco Lotus type situation where the whole east/west road is blocked? Or will it be more like Central where they vaguely kept the traffic flowing? I anticipate the former purely as that's the same company. I don't think they're anywhere near starting tunnelling yet and already the place is a mess.

Edited April 7, 2016 by madmitch

[LivinginKata]

I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. Absolutely crazy to forget a gap in the wall at the right turn coming from Kata down to the former Stunt Show or Phuket Orchid Farm. It was a great time saver on the way to Rawai and a possible escape from the circle madness coming from Rawai on the way to Wat Chalong. From Rawai turn left, pass Orchid Farm, at the end of the road turn right and left again at the Real Estate Shop. I think I have to get my bulldozer out to work in the next days...

They left a gap at first then someone in their wisdom decided the wall should be continuous.

So, what are the odds on the road being open at 6pm tonight?

Does anyone have any idea what the plans are regarding more permanent road and lane closures? Can we expect a Tesco Lotus type situation where the whole east/west road is blocked? Or will it be more like Central where they vaguely kept the traffic flowing? I anticipate the former purely as that's the same company. I don't think they're anywhere near starting tunnelling yet and already the place is a mess.

Yep ... at first there was a gap. Drove past yesterday ... no gap. Bummer for me as I often turn right down to the small Tesco mall south of Chalong circle. Does not look they will make a gap again.

[bearpolar]

I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. Absolutely crazy to forget a gap in the wall at the right turn coming from Kata down to the former Stunt Show or Phuket Orchid Farm. It was a great time saver on the way to Rawai and a possible escape from the circle madness coming from Rawai on the way to Wat Chalong. From Rawai turn left, pass Orchid Farm, at the end of the road turn right and left again at the Real Estate Shop. I think I have to get my bulldozer out to work in the next days...

They left a gap at first then someone in their wisdom decided the wall should be continuous.

So, what are the odds on the road being open at 6pm tonight?

Does anyone have any idea what the plans are regarding more permanent road and lane closures? Can we expect a Tesco Lotus type situation where the whole east/west road is blocked? Or will it be more like Central where they vaguely kept the traffic flowing? I anticipate the former purely as that's the same company. I don't think they're anywhere near starting tunnelling yet and already the place is a mess.

Yep ... at first there was a gap. Drove past yesterday ... no gap. Bummer for me as I often turn right down to the small Tesco mall south of Chalong circle. Does not look they will make a gap again.

so how far towards kata do we have to drive for the next opening? can't be that long?

[KarenBravo]

I would say turn left past the school at the bottom of the hill, Kata side, then, do a U-turn (unless you want to try a U-turn on the hill, itself?).

Edited April 7, 2016 by KarenBravo

[steelepulse]

I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. Absolutely crazy to forget a gap in the wall at the right turn coming from Kata down to the former Stunt Show or Phuket Orchid Farm. It was a great time saver on the way to Rawai and a possible escape from the circle madness coming from Rawai on the way to Wat Chalong. From Rawai turn left, pass Orchid Farm, at the end of the road turn right and left again at the Real Estate Shop. I think I have to get my bulldozer out to work in the next days...

They left a gap at first then someone in their wisdom decided the wall should be continuous.

So, what are the odds on the road being open at 6pm tonight?

Does anyone have any idea what the plans are regarding more permanent road and lane closures? Can we expect a Tesco Lotus type situation where the whole east/west road is blocked? Or will it be more like Central where they vaguely kept the traffic flowing? I anticipate the former purely as that's the same company. I don't think they're anywhere near starting tunnelling yet and already the place is a mess.

Yep ... at first there was a gap. Drove past yesterday ... no gap. Bummer for me as I often turn right down to the small Tesco mall south of Chalong circle. Does not look they will make a gap again.

I used to always use that cut through road, but unfortunately due to the serious crapiness of the drivers here, if they would have left that gap open, there would have been a hell of a lot of accidents from those turning right at that steep hill past the stunt show onto the main road. Best solution would be to have a traffic light there that would stay on for 3 minutes for the main flow of traffic, then 1 minute for those that took the shortcut past the stunt show to turn right safely.

[bearpolar]

Thats barely 1km, not too long. Way faster than waiting on viset

[LivinginKata]

Yep ... at first there was a gap. Drove past yesterday ... no gap. Bummer for me as I often turn right down to the small Tesco mall south of Chalong circle. Does not look they will make a gap again.

so how far towards kata do we have to drive for the next opening? can't be that long?

I would say turn at that new building before the hill down into Kata ... less then 1,000 m, maybe 750m ...

Edited April 7, 2016 by LivinginKata

[JetsetBkk]

Chalong circle today:

[steelepulse]

Mrs SP says Chao Fa West open this morning.

[alansiporin]

I travelled from Rawai to the circle twice on Thursday afternoon/evening. Choa Fa west blocked. Took 45 minutes to go from Lemon Green station to the circle.

But, when I returned from the airport at 9:30 pm the block was gone.

So block the road during the very busy times and remove the block when very little traffic.

And, now one lane in front of the school.

Will try to remember the "good times" at the circle!