Jimslim Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 I have never seen Pattaya so over crowded in my life in 11 years for travelling there . It may well be low season and most bars are empty but the streets and roads or over crowded and it seems everyone needs a motorbike or scooter for some reason , it really is becoming dangerous and uncomfortable just walking and crossing the road . Unfortunately when someone is on a motorbike it seems there are no rules its common for someone to drive the wrong way up a road or on a pavement or any which way they fancy to get past . I had so many near misses last trip I could never relax and switch off . I got off a baht bus one night on Second Road and when I went to pay the driver some idiot on a bike came flying up the gap between the bus and the pavement which was no more than a couple of metres causing me to pin myself against the bus . Crossing the main Duel Carriageway at Jontiem I looked twice both ways before crossing only to have a Thai woman appear from nowhere driving the wrong way on the wrong side of the road and miss me by inches . It got so bad when I stepped out of my bathroom in my room I began to look both ways in case a bike would shoot through my room . Its always been dangerous on the roads but I've never seen it like this , no one has a minute and no one has any manners its crazy . 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke007 Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Crossing the road in Pattaya for sure is hellish, I make sure I look both ways at least 3 times before I even attempt to cross, especially on 2nd Road.... Thais also still do not seem to comprehend what Zebra Crossings are for after all these years or choose just not too .After getting knocked down by a big Pick Up on Pattaya Tai a few years ago has made me extra vigilant, thankfully I had the beautiful Nurse Ning to take care of my injuries back then I am also extra vigilant back home a few weeks before any trip and use the same procedure as what I would do in Thailand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foggy Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 I agree about the traffic situation in Pattaya and have driven there many times. I usually park up and rent a bike to get about easily. If I were to have an accident it would be a nightmare and always my fault Who ever caused it, being a farang here. Having driven in many Thai towns and also Bangkok I do find the truck / cars drivers curtious and cautious but it's the bike / scooter people that have no regard or brains. I also think a lot of ex pats on bikes get a bad attitude after a while here and forget they have taken a REAL bike test. The main problem is obvious as there is no test, car or bike to speak of and Thai thinking of no accountability. Also theres too many people in the world and more on their way and they all want a vehicle ( but that's a whole different subject) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8inches Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 This is not accurate. I took a bike test, both theory and practical, if you cannot balance a bike on the Circuit, there is no way you will get a licence. The same day I took the practical test, six Young English guys failed coz they could not pass the practical test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8inches Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 I agree though there is no disciplen on the roads whatsoever, and zebra crossings are just Thai sense of humour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy69 Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 I agree though there is no disciplen on the roads whatsoever, and zebra crossings are just Thai sense of humour. Only way the zebra crossings will work if BIB can make money from cars n bikes who don't stop for pedestrians... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8inches Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 True, there is a fortune to be made there, 2 bad they are not aware of it yet. Can we educate them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Soi Buakhao has gotten so much worse the last few years. It's a mess everyday anywhere near rush hour. On holidays and when traffic is rerouted for special events it gets bad. In high season it's bad. It's not as bad as crossing 2nd Road but sometimes it takes a bit to get across the road. And there are motorbikes going by stopped cars/trucks on both sides. The only good thing I can say about Pattaya traffic is I think most/all of the baht buses have switched to LNG? I remember riding on a friends motorbike in past years and getting blasted with diesel exhaust. There seem to be no visible emissions coming out of tail pipes now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciobha Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Thankfully it has eased off dramatically in the last few days, it was a nightmare up until then! I reckon the last of the songkran holiday makers have gone home now, and the place really is into low season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sustra2 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Here in bkk...crazy as ever...lucky enough to write i am still alive...was almost killed by a taxi driver...a few inches...i would be dead.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa Sam Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 On 5/8/2016 at 4:56 PM, 8inches said: zebra crossings are just Thai sense of humour. Zebra crossing used by an impromptu café: 500 B fine... https://news.ch7.com/detail/546240 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8inches Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Not so much if business is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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