District chief: Ban tour buses from Pattaya

[newnative]

Fingers crossed.

[guzzi850m2]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

Exactly what I was thinking also. 1 large bus holding 30 to 40 passenger will be replaced by 3 to 4 minivans holding 10 passengers. How is that going to help? It will triple the numbers of vehicles on beach road and 2nd road.

I see some of the big buses 1/2 empty/full.

I really hopes it happens.

Make a mini sky train from where the buses back somewhere over on the darkside.

[phantomfiddler]

Yeeeeeeeeeessssss !!!!

[maoro2013]

Maybe owns some mini buses??

[mlmcleod]

I strongly suspect that the Law of Unintended Consequences will apply if this becomes fact!

1. More minivans will be needed. A boost for minivan dealers.

2. A lot of minivan drivers will be needed. A boost in employment for sure.

3. Costs for the tour operators will go up to cover these new expenses. There will be fewer tourists when the tour prices are raised.

4. Beach Road and Second Road will be jammed with minivans! Accidents will climb.

I would prefer that traffic is banned from Second Road to the Beach. A true pedestrian area would be far more pleasant.

What are your thoughts for improvement?

This is just my opinion so there is no need to get mad!!(:>)

[ezflip]

I was mentioning minivans and not songteaw.

They might as well use songteaw as half of them are driving around empty anyways. There will not be an increase in traffic if they use those instead.

[balo]

The best idea from the district chef in his lifetime. I'm looking forward to drive up Pratamnak without waiting behind 20 tour buses.

[GAZZPA]

It's called "park and ride" in many countries and it's a good idea.

[GAZZPA]

I strongly suspect that the Law of Unintended Consequences will apply if this becomes fact!

1. More minivans will be needed. A boost for minivan dealers.

2. A lot of minivan drivers will be needed. A boost in employment for sure.

3. Costs for the tour operators will go up to cover these new expenses. There will be fewer tourists when the tour prices are raised.

4. Beach Road and Second Road will be jammed with minivans! Accidents will climb.

I would prefer that traffic is banned from Second Road to the Beach. A true pedestrian area would be far more pleasant.

What are your thoughts for improvement?

This is just my opinion so there is no need to get mad!!(:>)

AHHH, I am so mad at you!

No, it's a nice idea. Pedestrianising the beach road would make a huge difference to business there I am sure. Not sure how second road will cope though as it's a one way system.

[WhizBang]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

I would think they could cram everybody into 2 songtaus.

Plus it would be good for all those empty songtaus that just sit around doing nothing, or curb crawling and messing up traffic.

[mcfish]

Fantastic news. I enjoy my breaks from Bangkok there but stopped going, no point when the whole idea was to get away from pollution

[swerver]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

Exactly what I was thinking also. 1 large bus holding 30 to 40 passenger will be replaced by 3 to 4 minivans holding 10 passengers. How is that going to help? It will triple the numbers of vehicles on beach road and 2nd road.

The songteaws are on the road already, so it will not increase vehicles by 1 jota.

It's also long ago that I've seen those 50 seat buses filled by more than 50% of their capacity.

When they arrive from Bangkok they are almost full, but when they take the tourist to the attraction they aren't even half full.

Even when overloaded in 5 minivans, a 5 minvans are easier manageable in all the small sois than 1 large bus

Forget about the Mini Vans..Use what there is already the from old Baht buses. as we did years ago when the bus from Bangkok came to the begin of Beach Road and the Baht Buses were there waiting to take the passengers were they wanted/needed to go. In those days for 1-Baht. (that were the good old days) that's why they were called Bath Buses.

Next to make traffic flow better on the main thoroughfares of Pattaya ONLY LEFT turns must be allowed. Yes I know some Sois do not go through all the way, well that is the people who drive cars in Pattaya their problem to figure out which Sois do and which Sois do not go through. City Hall isn't the peoples' mother.

Waiting but not holding my breath to see the above two improvements given to me by a Thai.

[Peterw42]

Some good ideas.

I would also make double parking a capitol offence.

[onemorechang]

Forget about the Mini Vans..Use what there is already the from old Baht buses. as we did years ago when the bus from Bangkok came to the begin of Beach Road and the Baht Buses were there waiting to take the passengers were they wanted/needed to go. In those days for 1-Baht. (that were the good old days) that's why they were called Bath Buses.

Next to make traffic flow better on the main thoroughfares of Pattaya ONLY LEFT turns must be allowed. Yes I know some Sois do not go through all the way, well that is the people who drive cars in Pattaya their problem to figure out which Sois do and which Sois do not go through. City Hall isn't the peoples' mother.

Waiting but not holding my breath to see the above two improvements given to me by a Thai.

Only left turns all round town,

[Ulic]

Not really sure how good an idea this is. You will need 4 mini vans to shuttle the

passengers of a single buss. Then they will need to park as well. Just don't allow

the busses to park in Pattaya or Jomtien or any where within 5km of the coast.

Drop of the passengers and then off to one of 4-5 dedicated parking lots in the

hinterland off the Dark side. LOL.

[manarak]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

Exactly what I was thinking also. 1 large bus holding 30 to 40 passenger will be replaced by 3 to 4 minivans holding 10 passengers. How is that going to help? It will triple the numbers of vehicles on beach road and 2nd road.

most buses in Pattaya drive around with less than 10 passengers on board.

[mcfish]

Mini buses also leave a much smaller footprint. The sight of a dozen buses crawling down beach rd just looks ugly

[Alex2015]

Never stopping Tour Buses something has to be done about limiting traffic on Soi Bukhao, it is a very busy narrow road with no sidewalks and loads of pedestrians. I don't think you can close it off but limit it to ScooterTaxis,Taxis, Baht Buses and delivery vans. It is used as a rat run so people can avoid 2nd and 3rd Road.

[Guy360]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

Exactly what I was thinking also. 1 large bus holding 30 to 40 passenger will be replaced by 3 to 4 minivans holding 10 passengers. How is that going to help? It will triple the numbers of vehicles on beach road and 2nd road.

That is assuming that the buses are full. I have seen many that had only a handful of riders and have wondered why the hell don't they use minivans to transport. The buses cause far too much traffic.

[sharecropper]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

I would think they could cram everybody into 2 songtaus.

Plus it would be good for all those empty songtaus that just sit around doing nothing, or curb crawling and messing up traffic.

I agree - most of the time, at night, these coaches contain only one or two baht buses worth of passengers. I strongly suspect a City Hall financial interest in the ridiculous proliferation of coaches in the city these past few years. Now things have changed, people can make sensible suggestions about how to deal with these polluting, under-used road nightmares.

They say these are 'zero dollar' tours by the Chinese, but when you add the cost of pollution and damage to and delays on the roads for residents, there's nothing zero dollar about them at all,

[Seismic]

The simple fact is that Pattaya traffic has been bad for a long time, I moved out of Banglamung 10 years ago, and traffic was bad back then. Nothing has really improved because there is no real plan to address the fundamental failure of traffic management and zoning.

[geisha]

What they need is a drop off point, where tourists can walk into town. Then the buses drive to a bus park. Easy to do, costs no money except a bus park which can be situated reasonably anywhere. Add on a tax to these tour buses too which will help pay for the bus park. All these woes could be managed easily if intelligent people sat down and worked it out ! Pattaya isn't the only tourist resort in the world ! Build a multi story car park for the publics cars, ban double parking and illegal parking, encourage public transport , and bobs your uncle !!!

[Guy360]

bad idea. One large Bus with around 50 or more passenger need how many minibusses? The traffic and the parking problem will grow.

I would think they could cram everybody into 2 songtaus.

Plus it would be good for all those empty songtaus that just sit around doing nothing, or curb crawling and messing up traffic.

I agree - most of the time, at night, these coaches contain only one or two baht buses worth of passengers. I strongly suspect a City Hall financial interest in the ridiculous proliferation of coaches in the city these past few years. Now things have changed, people can make sensible suggestions about how to deal with these polluting, under-used road nightmares.

They say these are 'zero dollar' tours by the Chinese, but when you add the cost of pollution and damage to and delays on the roads for residents, there's nothing zero dollar about them at all,

Exactly. I used to come into Pattaya from Jomtien at least 4 times per week for either dining or entertainment with my friends. I no longer do that because the traffic is so bad it can take me more than 1 hour to get from Jomtien to Pattaya Klang. I have found that I now spend my Baht in Jomtien rather than Pattaya.

[Bluespunk]

''The district chief said the buses could park at a large lot in the eastern part of town, then transfer their passengers into mini vans or songthaews to travel to the beach or to their hotels.''

For free, yes?

[The manic]

The pollution generated by these buses - often empty and stationary with full AC running is outrageous. This January the air quality was the worst I have ever known in 25 years including Bangkok in the old days.

[jacko45k]

He gets my vote, but it isn't going to happen.

Most of the coaches are going to large shops and attractions and people in power own them.

[morrobay]

The pollution generated by these buses - often empty and stationary with full AC running is outrageous. This January the air quality was the worst I have ever known in 25 years including Bangkok in the old days.

Then there is all the cigarette smoke pollution from the hoards of Asian males, vendors , speed boat operators , and mass tourism transportation drivers that have come into Pattaya like a plague of locusts.

Well maybe a good idea to ban the buses but this touring business is way too far down the pike and out of control . No " quality ' tourists would put up with Pattaya now and when the Chinese start going to Vietnam instead of Thailand. The elite in power now would be advised not to interfere with the Pattaya 'nightlife' scene.

Edited July 16, 2016 by morrobay

[nakhonandy]

What they need is a drop off point, where tourists can walk into town. Then the buses drive to a bus park. Easy to do, costs no money except a bus park which can be situated reasonably anywhere. Add on a tax to these tour buses too which will help pay for the bus park. All these woes could be managed easily if intelligent people sat down and worked it out ! Pattaya isn't the only tourist resort in the world ! Build a multi story car park for the publics cars, ban double parking and illegal parking, encourage public transport , and bobs your uncle !!!

There already is a parking area, close to the 7 highway.

These large busses are a nightmare both in Pattaya and Jomtien, especially the parking anywhere they choose blocking off roads etc.

Personally I welcome this, but will it happen? I doubt it, too many high ups benefit from them.

[phycokiller]

lets carry the logic further, forget the minivans, put them on motorbikes, they are much smaller and make less pollution, and it would employ more people

[mcfish]

Why not just make them walk behind flags. This what they do best and zero pollution...