Pattaya lockdown - Part 2 - beginning Tuesday, April 14

[Gaybutton]

This makes much more sense. Hopefully this will help the virus situation and will also eliminate the traffic fiasco. We'll see.
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New checkpoints and restriction areas likely ready on Tuesday, will be located in Central Pattaya

By Adam Judd

Friday, 10 April 2020

New checkpoints and restricted zones are being finalized in Pattaya after yesterday’s first day of city wide closures caused a lot of traffic issues and local resident complaints.

The Pattaya City Mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem told The Pattaya News this afternoon, “The Pattaya lockdown cannot be cancelled but we have planned to change some areas and check points.”

“All barriers which are blocking roads in the East, also known as the Darkside locally, and by the railroad will be or have been removed.” He added.

“Roads along the railway and Sukhumwit Road will be fully opened once these are all removed and shall stay so. Checkpoints will be set before the entrance to the inner Pattaya area or as we are referring to it, the ‘Red Zone’. ”

“Those checkpoints will likely be at Dolphin roundabout, the entrance to North Pattaya (Parinya Intersection), Central Pattaya (Arunothai Intersection), South Pattaya (Kopai Intersection) and Jomtien (Jomtien Second Road). A map will be provided prior to them becoming official.”

“It is expected that these checkpoints will be ready on Tuesday, April 14.” The Mayor said.

The reason for the restriction of Central Pattaya is that the majority of confirmed Covid19 cases have come from that area in Banglamung. Of those cases, most are imported cases of foreigners who recently arrived or traveled to the area. Of the Thai cases infected in the area nearly all came from a foreigner who was a recent arrival, City Hall stated.

Once the closure is resumed it is expected that random medical testing of the estimated 2,800 foreign tourists still living in the Central Pattaya area will take place, along with other high risk groups such as close contacts of confirmed cases and domestic Thai visitors who have recently arrived. This process will take about three weeks, the city estimates.

Pattaya is currently testing about 200 high risk people under investigation a day at the Grand Bella Hotel in Pattaya which is being used as a field hospital.

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/04/10/n ... l-pattaya/

[Gaybutton]

Whoops! I may have spoken too soon about the new checkpoint locations making more sense. The list in the article includes "intersection". Since the author did not make clear just what that means, I believe it means where these intersections meet Sukhumvit. In the article above it seemed as if the checkpoints would be further into the city. But if the checkpoints will now be on Sukhumvit or immediately upon turning onto these sois, it seems to me that will create major backups and traffic jams on Sukhumvit and backups just trying to get onto Sukhumvit from "The Dark Side".

I hope I'm wrong, but at the moment my thinking is these checkpoints are likely to create yet another traffic nightmare.

We shall see.
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New checkpoint areas determined for Pattaya, will be in place by Tuesday of next week

By Adam Judd

Saturday, 11 April 2020

At 5:00 PM yesterday afternoon, April 10,2020, Mr. Amnat Charoensri, the Banglamung District Chief along with Mr. Sonthaya Khunpluem, the Pattaya City Mayor, toured Pattaya City to determine eight checkpoints that will be used for entry into Pattaya proper during a restricted closure to help prevent the Covid19 Coronavirus.

This follows the suspension and change of checkpoints along the railway and on the highway the prior day which led to large scale traffic issues and prompted a decision to move the checkpoints.

The new checkpoints are designed to restrict entrance into the city proper but not prohibit passing traffic from Sattahip or Mueang Chonburi which was causing significant traffic delays the prior day.

People wishing to pass the checkpoints must show their identification and either be a local resident with proof of residence or have an essential reason, such as a doctor appointment, immigration appointment or work to enter the city.

The new checkpoints are due to take effect as of Tuesday, April 14.

The checkpoint locations given, which are still subject to final changes, will be at the following locations:

8 check points in Pattaya:

1. In front of Mareewit School
2. Near Mueang Jamlong
3. North Pattaya Intersection
4. Central Pattaya Intersection
5. South Pattaya Intersection
6. Thepprasit Intersection
7. Intersection near Boon Kanjanaram Temple
8. I-yakan Intersection

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/04/11/n ... next-week/

[Up2u]

To difficult to understand without an English map. My first reaction is they are simply moving the backups from railroad road to the new intersections just west of Sukumvit. This will be more of a headache for most of us.

[Dodger]

To difficult to understand without an English map. My first reaction is they are simply moving the backups from railroad road to the new intersections just west of Sukumvit. This will be more of a headache for most of us.

Tuesday's a long way away, and the finalized map may, or may not, reflect the Draft Version of the map we're being shown now.

It appears that they're trying to provide clear passage north and south along Sukumvit (from Chonburi to Sattahip) by now placing the roadbloacks on the major sois leading into the city (red zone), versus bottlenecking traffic along Sukumvit and the north/south railroad soi. If this is the case, one would think that the roadbloacks would be stationed far enough into the intersecting sois as to avoid vehicles from being backed up onto Sukumvit.

We'll just have to wait and see. Personally, I would wait until the ink dries and the left hand knows what the right is doing before plotting your navigation around town.

[Gaybutton]

We'll just have to wait and see. Personally, I would wait until the ink dries and the left hand knows what the right is doing before plotting your navigation around town.

Don't worry, If there's a way to screw up this too, my money's on that's just what will happen . . .

[Gaybutton]

As usual with these articles, not enough information is provided. For example, the forms at the end of the article appear to be only for people who work in Pattaya. What about people who need to go to one of Pattaya's hospitals, keep a dental appointment, want to shop at Big-C Extra, Foodland, or some other grocery store? Will they be allowed through? What documentation do they need to provide?

And since these intersections are just as you come off Sukhumvit, anyone besides me expecting massive traffic jams again?

We'll see. All I know is if I want to cross from "The Dark Side" into Pattaya to go shopping or whatever, I'll go either very early or very late, to be delayed for as little time as possible.
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Pattaya Lockdown set for early next week

By Pattaya Mail

April 11, 2020

The Pattaya lockdown which was enforced last Thursday to control the spread of coronavirus into the city and turned out to be a traffic nightmare, will now be put in place again on Tuesday April 14 at different entry points on Sukhumvit Road.

Banglamung District Chief Amnart Charoensri and Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Khunplome convened another meeting on April 10, to rethink and re-plan the blockade strategy.

It was decided that the new checkpoints for entry into Pattaya City proper will be setup at the following 8 locations.

1. In front of Maryvit School, Sukhumvit Road.
2. In front of Mini Siam, Sukhumvit Road.
3. North Pattaya intersection, Sukhumvit Road.
4. Central Pattaya intersection, Sukhumvit Road.
5. South Pattaya intersection, Sukhumvit Road.
6. Thepprasit Road intersection, Sukhumvit Road.
7. Wat Boon Kanjanaram intersection, Sukhumvit Road.
8. District Attorney intersection (Huay Yai) Sukhumvit Rd, Inbound direction.

Mayor Sonthaya said that the first attempt didn’t work out as well as expected and the authorities had to come up with another solution. With the new entry points into Pattaya, Sukhumvit Road becomes the boundary dividing East and West Pattaya.

As before those who must pass through these checkpoints to work in Pattaya must show proof of their government service, proof of being an official of an organization, and work place unit identity card to the officers at the checkpoints.

Those who do not have an ID card must request the organization where they work to issue them an official form stating full name, ID card number, telephone number, name of organization, position of their work, address of organization and must be signed by the head of the organization.

The forms needed to pass through the checkpoints in English and Thai can be downloaded here:

English language Form: https://www.facebook.com/flx/warn/?u=ht ... VQ_lyYsEc4

Thai language Form: https://www.facebook.com/flx/warn/?u=ht ... bCkNf856zQ

https://www.pattayamail.com/featured/pa ... eek-295110

[Dodger]

If I'm interpreting this right, a farang just needs to show his drivers license and passport and the Thais, and farang working in Pattaya, have to provide these forms at the roadblocks.

Question: What does an unemployed Thai person living in Pattaya have to show? Assuming that the majority of Thais living in Pattaya are now unemployed, and the same majority have I.D. cards and/or drivers licenses which show their home province/district - not Pattaya.

I can hear it now:

Police: Where do you work?
Boy: I lost my job.
Police: Where were you working before?
Boy: Moonlight Gogo Bar.
Police: Where are you living now?
Boy: I'm living with farang.
Police: Is farang resident of Pattaya?
Boy: I don't know, he coughs so much I can't understand him.
Police: Ok, tell that farang sitting behind the steering wheel to cough up 500 baht.

[Gaybutton]

the same majority have I.D. cards and/or drivers licenses which show their home province/district - not Pattaya.

I'm still trying to understand why any of you think Thais have to show an ID card that shows their home province is Chonburi or has to have a valid driving license showing an address in Pattaya.

I know of no requirement that says a Thai, employed or not, even has to have a driving license at all - unless of course he's driving.

Even if his ID card does show the home province is Chonburi, what makes you think that would prove he lives in Pattaya? Have you forgotten that there are plenty of places to live in the Chonburi province besides Pattaya? Pattaya is only a small part of the province.

I have seen nothing that says an unemployed Thai's ID card and/or driving license is required to show Chonburi is his home province in order to be admitted to Pattaya. Have you? Has anyone? If you have, please show me where you see that.

There are other requirements he would have to fulfill, but those are not among them.

[Dodger]

Gaybutton post_id=100837 time=1586585688 user_id=2]
I'm still trying to understand why any of you think Thais have to show an ID card that shows their home province is Chonburi or has to have a valid driving license showing an address in Pattaya. I know of no requirement that says a Thai, employed or not, even has to have a driving license at all - unless of course he's driving.

The only time you need a drivers license is if you're driving a vehicle. If they do have a driver's license, it will include the name of the city where they reside, which is fine, as long as it shows they reside in Pattaya. If they reside outside of Pattaya and are entering Pattaya to work, everyone (Thais and farang) have to have the form completed with the employment details included.

Even if his ID card does show the home province is Chonburi, what makes you think that would prove he lives in Pattaya? Have you forgotten that there are plenty of places to live in the Chonburi province besides Pattaya? Pattaya is only a small part of the province.

ALL Thai I.D. Cards include the full address of the individual, i.e., province, district, (sub district), city, street address, and zip code.

I have seen nothing that says an unemployed Thai's ID card and/or driving license is required to show Chonburi is his home province in order to be admitted to Pattaya. Have you? Has anyone? If you have, please show me where you see that.

The Province is irrelevant. They are only concerned with the city (Pattaya).

Bottom line (the way I see it): Everyone entering Pattaya either has to have a piece of plastic that shows they live in Pattaya, or a letter from their employer in Pattaya. Farang also have to show their passports. Farang entering Pattaya to work must also show their work permit/visa's and have the form with the requested employment details. The Forms need to be completed by everyone (Thais and farang) who are entering Pattaya to work.

Sure glad I'm not going to Pattaya for a while.

[Gaybutton]

In any case, the Thais know the rules and what they need to do much better than any of us trying to debate about it, just as if we really know.

If you want to know how it's going to work for Thais, seems to me the thing to do is ask a Thai who has to deal with it. Guaranteed he will know more about it than any of us.