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Nightmare at Chalong Circle


chercheur888

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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 shock1.gif

Edited by grumpyoldman
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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).

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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.

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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 shock1.gif

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

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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 shock1.gif

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 by bearpolar
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I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. bah.gif 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...

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I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. bah.gif 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 by madmitch
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I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. bah.gif 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.

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I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. bah.gif 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?

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I wonder which idiot came up with he idea of the central wall in the road from Kata to Chalong. bah.gif 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.

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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 by LivinginKata
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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!

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