Crackdown on “Wrong-Way� drivers in Pattaya who could face prison if caught

[Pattaya One]

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A crackdown on motorists who drive the wrong way down a one-way street is now under-way around Chonburi Province and for those who are caught a maximum jail sentence of 6 months can be imposed. Already cases have been through the Courts and these sentences are being given out. Khun Komsan, the Governor of Chonburi chaired a meeting of Police Officers at the Provincial Police Headquarters in Chonburi City on Wednesday to confirm the crackdown. He requested that all Police Stations should enforce the law to its fullest extent in relation to drivers who are caught driving the wrong way down a carriageway or one-way street. A total of 3,160 road accidents were dealt with by Police around the Province from January to July of this year and the Governor wants this figure to reduce and has identified drivers who drive against the normal flow of traffic as the main causes of accidents. All Thai and Foreign car, pick-up and motorbike drivers in Pattaya should be aware of this and understand that Prison sentences are being given out for those who are caught driving against the flow of traffic.

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[CLIFFNORTH]

Was stopped on motorbike on Beach Road last year comming out of Soi 8 the wrong way. Was staying at the Flipper Lodge at the time only 50 yards from the corner.

The money is not a problem it is the hassle of going to the station later to retrieve your license and pay the fine and now there is a record on their books.

What does piss me off is that the motorbike taxis do this all the time and the BIB turn the other way.

They know that the farang is the easy target, gives no trouble, and pays.

Now put this into perspective.... 6-months in the monkey house for the same offence...will it be enforced? I have my doubts... but from now on I will definitely go the long way around.

 

 

[biggles]

I wonder if this will also apply to the BIB who regularly ride the wrong way from second road down soi9 to the station. Without a helmet of course. !!

[sinbad5]

Was stopped on motorbike on Beach Road last year comming out of Soi 8 the wrong way. Was staying at the Flipper Lodge at the time only 50 yards from the corner.

 

How often do doctors, coroners and rescue workers hear about those famous last words "it was only 50 metres"?

[andyaus]

Seems to me that there are two excuses for driving the wrong way.

 

1. It is only a short distance..50 meters, 100 meters, 300 meters , 1000 meters. Obviously the relevance depends on whether you are the driver or the police but it is an offence and relevance doesn’t enter into it. I have crossed 2nd road many times and with the erratic behaviour of baht buses changing lanes, stopping and speeding up, the rest of the traffic is just unpredictable. Tucks, cars buses and motorbikes zigzag down the street at varying speeds and crossing the road is more dangerous than barebacking free lancers. The last thing you want as you concentrate on the traffic is some half cut farang who thinks the road RULES don’t apply to him so he speeds up the curb side lane to avoid a drive around the block.

 

2 Motorbike taxis and BIB do the same thing. Realy?...This lesson is usually learned when you are six years old and comes with your parents pearls of wisdom..”if Johnny put his hand in the fire ... would you do it?"

 

I know that on occasion the BIB will use these digressions to supplement their income but there is also a purpose behind the laws. Reducing the risk of me getting run over by a driver going the wrong way is good enough for me. No sympathy for those who get fined or locked up. DON”T DO IT.

 

[Nextime]

Driving on Second road from Pattaya-tai to Soi6, even in the right way, its like a video game.

And sometimes you win, sometimes you loose

And im still alive, i dont know how ;)

[squared]

Andyaus, almost all Thais do it routinely, but few Farang. Thailand attracts of course more dumb Farangs than maybe other destinations, because they blend so perfectly into the environment.

 

'To drive against the normal flow of traffic' sounds ominous to me. How often have I encountered more traffic coming towards me on one way streets, than going the right way? Many times.

[MisterE]

I hope they really enforce this law. It is ridiculous and dangerous 'To drive against the normal flow of traffic'.

[udontony]

It would be lovely to be able to walk down a one way soi and not to have to look over your shoulder all the time but after so many years it would take some getting used too. As with so many things in Thailand there is so much talk but little is done in the way of enforcement but I would love to see it happen as long as it applied to everyone! Motor bike taxis are a nightmare because of the speed that they go in the wrong direction and I would love to see them stopped.

[cheezy]

I'm all for this crackdown if it actually happens. I come across wrong way drivers at least 10 times per day.

9 out of 10 times it's a motorcycle featuring a lazy kid, mototaxi, or old lady that doesn't give a shit.

1 out of 10 it's some idiot in a car going backwards on the highway taking a shortcut to an exit.

 

They cause serious problems in traffic because they force cars/motorcycles to the right to accommodate their stupid asses.

This just complicates already busy traffic and magnifies the chance for head-on disasters. Cars parked like shit, half-sticking out onto a lane make things worse.

 

Almost smoked a mototaxi the other day coming out of a turn going the wrong way. Crack it down, cops!

[Kenjataimu]

I hope they really enforce this law. It is ridiculous and dangerous 'To drive against the normal flow of traffic'.

 

You guys definitely don't want to come to Cambodia, makes Thailand look sane. I am going to go against the flow (pun intended) and say i prefer it, i have never paid so much attention to the road in all life. Showing my age here but it's like being in a game of Frogger but for real, difference being if you fuckup, you die.

[MisterE]

if you fuckup, you die.

Wow, Cambodia drivers sound fantastic! Edited September 4, 2012 by MisterE

[MaiKowJai80]

i hope this is enforced i nearly smashed into a daft young girl on her way to school one morning, i'd come out of vt2 and was sat at the u turn before the roundabout..there was no on oncoming traffic and i went to pull away when this teengage girl came cutting across me at speed..if i'd been quicker to puill away we'd have both been hurt and i'd have potentially hurt a young girl..no doubt that would have ended up my fault in the eyes of the bib