I don't know who is writing these editorials. Sometimes I agree and sometimes disagree, but in my own opinion one thing is certain - the author is no Barry Kenyon.
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Pattaya Mail Editorial: Just ask any farang and they’ll tell you the fact Pattaya’s pedestrian crossings offer false security
December 9, 2025
A fresh wave of criticism is sweeping across the city after Pattaya’s much-advertised “smart” pedestrian crossings once again exposed their biggest flaw: drivers who simply refuse to stop. The problem resurfaced in embarrassing fashion when the Pattaya mayor attempted to use the high-tech crossing on North Pattaya Road in front of Terminal 21, only to watch vehicles continue streaming through even as the signal turned red. Tourists standing beside him hesitated at the curb, uncertain whether the crossing was safe or a trap.
For many long-term foreign residents, the incident was not shocking in the least. They say the issue has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with driver attitude, minimal training standards, and the near-total absence of meaningful enforcement. As one expat put it, “You don’t need sensors — you need drivers who stop.”
The frustration is fueled by comparisons with other countries. In places like Norway, running a red light can cost the equivalent of 35,000 baht — a penalty harsh enough that drivers don’t dare risk it. In Pattaya, the fines are so low and enforcement so inconsistent that motorists simply shrug and continue on. The result is a traffic environment where pedestrians cannot rely on even the most basic signals.
Critics argue that Pattaya’s new crossings are not just ineffective, but dangerous. A green man that doesn’t guarantee safety creates what urban planners call “false security.” Tourists assume the system functions like the one at home, step forward confidently, and suddenly find motorbikes weaving past or cars accelerating through the intersection.
Many residents now describe these crossings as colorful illusions — technology that looks impressive on paper yet changes nothing on the ground. Without a shift in driver behavior and real enforcement, the glowing LED strips, sensors, and smart signage become nothing more than expensive cosmetic upgrades.
And if you ask the farangs who walk these streets daily, they say the truth is obvious: until Pattaya teaches road responsibility and enforces laws with seriousness, no amount of flashy technology will keep pedestrians safe.
https://www.pattayamail.com/news/just-a ... ity-528792
Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
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Gaybutton
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Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
The way to teach people is with enforcement. Put cameras on all the pedestrian crossings and fine drivers who ignore them.
Motorists have been ignoring the existing crossings for years. Trying to cross third road can be a nightmare. So I'm surprised that motorists are sometimes observing the new crossings.
Also, in Jomtien, the lights stay on red for far too long. When the lights are red long after the pedestrians have gone, some motorists are going to run the lights. Once people start to run red lights, it becomes a habit. And it's not just Thais doing that.
Finally, the traffic lights on Threppraya road at the turning for Jomtien beach aren't even programmed properly. One of the pedestrian lights is green at the same time that the traffic light is green. So the little green man is inviting people to cross at the same time that traffic is legally using the road to go straight on.
Motorists have been ignoring the existing crossings for years. Trying to cross third road can be a nightmare. So I'm surprised that motorists are sometimes observing the new crossings.
Also, in Jomtien, the lights stay on red for far too long. When the lights are red long after the pedestrians have gone, some motorists are going to run the lights. Once people start to run red lights, it becomes a habit. And it's not just Thais doing that.
Finally, the traffic lights on Threppraya road at the turning for Jomtien beach aren't even programmed properly. One of the pedestrian lights is green at the same time that the traffic light is green. So the little green man is inviting people to cross at the same time that traffic is legally using the road to go straight on.
Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
I hate to sound like a broken record - but this was one of many things on my list of "pro & cons" about where to reside after retirement where Pattaya ranked squarely in the "cons" column.
Crossing streets in Pattaya has never been safe for anyone - let alone senior citizens with diminishing awareness and slower reactions (mental and physical). Every time I see an old senior citizen hobbling across one of the busy streets with these lunatic drivers I just shudder...
Crossing streets in Pattaya has never been safe for anyone - let alone senior citizens with diminishing awareness and slower reactions (mental and physical). Every time I see an old senior citizen hobbling across one of the busy streets with these lunatic drivers I just shudder...
Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
My impression is that Thailand has many places that are more pleasant than Pattaya for basic living.
Pattaya is seriously overcrowded, the pavements are a mess and, of course, crossing the road can be hazardous.
However, the gay scene is a major attraction.
The local authority in Pattaya is clueless. They put 2 pedestrian crossings fairly close together on Jomtien beach road. However, where are the crossings on Theppraya road? A location that's in more need of them. All they have is neglected crossings at junctions.
The road needs some crossings that are clearly marked, raised and with cameras to detect drivers that ignore the red lights.
Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
A couple of years ago I watched a ceremony as they opened a pedestrian crossing on S Pattaya Road outside Wat Chaimongkron and crossing to the school opposite. It was smartly painted in red and white and had overhead lights and push buttons on each side.
The following day motorists were ignoring it and driving through on Red. Then for a few days they had a Traffic Cop standing in the middle of the road holding up his hand to stop traffic when the light was Red.
Soon the Traffic Cop disappeared and if the lights were working they were usually ignored. Considering it’s right outside a school with children crossing it’s very unsafe.
The following day motorists were ignoring it and driving through on Red. Then for a few days they had a Traffic Cop standing in the middle of the road holding up his hand to stop traffic when the light was Red.
Soon the Traffic Cop disappeared and if the lights were working they were usually ignored. Considering it’s right outside a school with children crossing it’s very unsafe.
Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
This must be a hot topic because Pattayamail iust released another article today regarding the dangers of Pattaya's roads.
For those of us who have been around Pattaya for a long time we've watched these problems get worse exponentially as the population in Pattaya continues to grow.
Pattaya started imploding two decades ago - where the lack of city planning and enforcement of basic driving safety laws, coupled with the growing population, has contributed to more road accidents...more chaos...and more finger-pointing, without any sound solution to date. I've always pointed at the rampant corruption in Pattaya for a lot of this, and continue to do so.
As mentioned before, this is one of the reason I opted to reside outside of Pattaya versus right in the middle of this chaos after retirement. I'm 25 minutes away from Pattaya's gay nightlife if I get the urge...and that's close enough.
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Foreign tourists and long-term visitors say Pattaya’s roads are becoming ‘Unmanageable’
By Pattaya Mail
December 11, 2025
Growing numbers of foreign tourists and long-term visitors are voicing frustration over what they describe as rapidly deteriorating road behaviour across Pattaya, calling it more chaotic, unpredictable, and dangerous than at any time in recent memory.
One long-time resident recently recounted an incident that has now become a familiar story. While overtaking a slow-moving car whose driver was distracted by a mobile phone, he noticed a motorbike pull out ahead of the vehicle. There was plenty of space, no conflict, and no aggressive manoeuvre — until the rider suddenly stopped at a 90-degree angle across the lane, blocking both the overtaking vehicle and the car behind. The rider then turned around and drove off in the opposite direction, leaving both drivers stunned. The kicker? It was an off-duty police officer. “But somehow I’m the idiot?” he wrote, summing up the exasperation shared by many.
Others say the experience is no different when they try to merge onto busy roads. One parent described being tailgated and aggressively cut off while attempting a routine lane change. The driver blocking him was, again, a police officer. “How can anything improve?” he asked, adding that each morning school run comes with two or three near misses — a reality he finds terrifying when his young child is on the bike with him.
Many long-term visitors argue that what they once considered manageable Asian-style road chaos has morphed into something far more reckless. They insist the current issue is not a matter of “Thai vs. farang driving style,” but an across-the-board collapse in basic awareness: riders who never turn their heads, drivers who drift while on their phones, and road users who act as if no one else exists. “It’s local on local negligence too,” one rider noted. “It didn’t used to be like this.”
Riders with years of experience say Pattaya now ranks as their most stressful city in Southeast Asia to navigate. Some have been riding since childhood and have spent a decade weaving through Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, Phnom Penh, and Jakarta — yet Pattaya, they say, gives them more close calls than anywhere else. Many believe the surge in traffic numbers, coupled with weak enforcement and the normalization of risky behaviour, has pushed the situation to a breaking point.
Several long-term residents also highlight a troubling trend: the sudden spike in dangerous behaviour within just the past two or three years. They claim it coincides with Pattaya’s rapid population growth, tourism rebound, and rising use of delivery bikes, all interacting with an already overstretched road system. What was once chaotic but predictable now feels unpredictable and unsafe.
Despite the shared frustration, most still express affection for the city — but also a growing fear that nothing will improve without serious, consistent enforcement. “I can handle the chaos when I’m alone,” one resident said. “But when I’ve got my kid on the bike, it’s infuriating. You feel like you’re gambling with someone you love.”
For now, many tourists and expats continue to adapt as best they can, but the sentiment is unmistakable: Pattaya’s roads aren’t just busy — they’re becoming a hazard no one can ignore.
https://www.pattayamail.com/news/foreig ... ble-528989
For those of us who have been around Pattaya for a long time we've watched these problems get worse exponentially as the population in Pattaya continues to grow.
Pattaya started imploding two decades ago - where the lack of city planning and enforcement of basic driving safety laws, coupled with the growing population, has contributed to more road accidents...more chaos...and more finger-pointing, without any sound solution to date. I've always pointed at the rampant corruption in Pattaya for a lot of this, and continue to do so.
As mentioned before, this is one of the reason I opted to reside outside of Pattaya versus right in the middle of this chaos after retirement. I'm 25 minutes away from Pattaya's gay nightlife if I get the urge...and that's close enough.
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Foreign tourists and long-term visitors say Pattaya’s roads are becoming ‘Unmanageable’
By Pattaya Mail
December 11, 2025
Growing numbers of foreign tourists and long-term visitors are voicing frustration over what they describe as rapidly deteriorating road behaviour across Pattaya, calling it more chaotic, unpredictable, and dangerous than at any time in recent memory.
One long-time resident recently recounted an incident that has now become a familiar story. While overtaking a slow-moving car whose driver was distracted by a mobile phone, he noticed a motorbike pull out ahead of the vehicle. There was plenty of space, no conflict, and no aggressive manoeuvre — until the rider suddenly stopped at a 90-degree angle across the lane, blocking both the overtaking vehicle and the car behind. The rider then turned around and drove off in the opposite direction, leaving both drivers stunned. The kicker? It was an off-duty police officer. “But somehow I’m the idiot?” he wrote, summing up the exasperation shared by many.
Others say the experience is no different when they try to merge onto busy roads. One parent described being tailgated and aggressively cut off while attempting a routine lane change. The driver blocking him was, again, a police officer. “How can anything improve?” he asked, adding that each morning school run comes with two or three near misses — a reality he finds terrifying when his young child is on the bike with him.
Many long-term visitors argue that what they once considered manageable Asian-style road chaos has morphed into something far more reckless. They insist the current issue is not a matter of “Thai vs. farang driving style,” but an across-the-board collapse in basic awareness: riders who never turn their heads, drivers who drift while on their phones, and road users who act as if no one else exists. “It’s local on local negligence too,” one rider noted. “It didn’t used to be like this.”
Riders with years of experience say Pattaya now ranks as their most stressful city in Southeast Asia to navigate. Some have been riding since childhood and have spent a decade weaving through Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, Phnom Penh, and Jakarta — yet Pattaya, they say, gives them more close calls than anywhere else. Many believe the surge in traffic numbers, coupled with weak enforcement and the normalization of risky behaviour, has pushed the situation to a breaking point.
Several long-term residents also highlight a troubling trend: the sudden spike in dangerous behaviour within just the past two or three years. They claim it coincides with Pattaya’s rapid population growth, tourism rebound, and rising use of delivery bikes, all interacting with an already overstretched road system. What was once chaotic but predictable now feels unpredictable and unsafe.
Despite the shared frustration, most still express affection for the city — but also a growing fear that nothing will improve without serious, consistent enforcement. “I can handle the chaos when I’m alone,” one resident said. “But when I’ve got my kid on the bike, it’s infuriating. You feel like you’re gambling with someone you love.”
For now, many tourists and expats continue to adapt as best they can, but the sentiment is unmistakable: Pattaya’s roads aren’t just busy — they’re becoming a hazard no one can ignore.
https://www.pattayamail.com/news/foreig ... ble-528989
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Gaybutton
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Re: Pattaya Mail Editorial: Is it safe to simply cross a street in Pattaya?
Today I witnessed the aftermath of just such an accident as described in the article above. It occurred at an intersection. I did not witness the accident occur, but I couldn't have arrived more than a minute or two after it happened.
A car had struck not one, but two motorbikes. The car and motorbikes were at 90-degree angles to each other. It appeared no one was hurt. The car driver was out of his car inspecting the situation and on his telephone. I did not spot the motorbike drivers, so I have no idea where they were, but their motorbikes were still upright and did not appear seriously damaged. I did not see the front of the car, so I don't know what kind of damage, if any, it had sustained.
I also have no way of even guessing who was at fault, but I've lost count of how many accidents I've seen, some minor, some serious, and I've also lost count of how many near misses I've experienced. I've also seen dead bodies sprawled on the roads several times over the years.
I have a feeling many others reading this could say the same.
I remember, years ago, I was driving toward Pattaya Tai on Soi Buakhao. I had come close to the intersection when a motorbike crashed into me. The motorbike tried to flee, but a group of motorbike taxi drivers at that intersection stopped and held him until the police arrived. The police officer spoke excellent English and I asked him how often these kinds of things happen, including how often the person at fault tries to flee the scene. His response: "Every day. Every day. Usually many time every day."
This was at least 10 years ago. Today the driving hazards are far worse and more dangerous than they were then.
Why am I not surprised . . . ?
A car had struck not one, but two motorbikes. The car and motorbikes were at 90-degree angles to each other. It appeared no one was hurt. The car driver was out of his car inspecting the situation and on his telephone. I did not spot the motorbike drivers, so I have no idea where they were, but their motorbikes were still upright and did not appear seriously damaged. I did not see the front of the car, so I don't know what kind of damage, if any, it had sustained.
I also have no way of even guessing who was at fault, but I've lost count of how many accidents I've seen, some minor, some serious, and I've also lost count of how many near misses I've experienced. I've also seen dead bodies sprawled on the roads several times over the years.
I have a feeling many others reading this could say the same.
I remember, years ago, I was driving toward Pattaya Tai on Soi Buakhao. I had come close to the intersection when a motorbike crashed into me. The motorbike tried to flee, but a group of motorbike taxi drivers at that intersection stopped and held him until the police arrived. The police officer spoke excellent English and I asked him how often these kinds of things happen, including how often the person at fault tries to flee the scene. His response: "Every day. Every day. Usually many time every day."
This was at least 10 years ago. Today the driving hazards are far worse and more dangerous than they were then.
Why am I not surprised . . . ?