"Dark Side" drivers - avoid railroad bypass near Soi Khao Talo

[Gaybutton]

For those of us who drive on "The Dark Side", major road construction is going on in that area of the railroad bypass to control flooding. Finally! I'm certainly in favor of it despite the inconvenience because for many years even moderate rain causes that section to flood so severely that it becomes virtually impossible to drive a car through it, let alone if you are on a motorbike. Other sections are also prone to flooding. Maybe they'll get around to dealing with those too.

If you are northbound on the railroad bypass, when you come to Soi Khao Talo you can turn left and go to Sukhumvit or be detoured to go up Soi Khao Talo and turn left when you reach Soi Khao Noi to go around the construction and get back on the bypass.

If you are northbound, I suggest sticking to Sukhumvit until that section of bypass road opens again.

Quite a bit of necessary work is being done in the entire area - work that should have been done years ago. Soi Khao Noi has been re-paved, eliminating all those potholes and much more drainage has been installed in hopes of controlling the severe flash flooding that always occurs during a heavy rain. There has not yet been any heavy rains since that work was completed, so it remains to be seen if the flash flooding has been brought under control.
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Pattaya apologizes for inconvenience during rail-side road elevation works

By Pattaya Mail

February 19, 2026

Pattaya City has issued an apology to motorists and residents affected by ongoing roadworks along the railway-side road near Khao Talo.

Two days into the road elevation project, officials say construction has progressed smoothly and remains on schedule. The project, aimed at preventing chronic flooding in the area, is expected to take approximately one month to complete.

City authorities thanked road users for their patience and cooperation and apologized for any inconvenience caused during the construction period.

Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattay ... rks-536429

[Dodger]

Soi Khao Talo has to be one of the worst roads in PTY to navigate.

It's way too small (2 lanes) for that congested of an area...no sidewalks... and crossing the intersections, especially before and after the railroad - is death-defying. If it wasn't for MOTS office being located on that soi I'd never go anywhere near there. Thank God that's only once every 5 years.

[Gaybutton]

no sidewalks... and crossing the intersections, especially before and after the railroad - is death-defying.

I have never had a problem driving up and down that soi, but being anywhere at all on that soi as a pedestrian, especially if you have to cross to the other side, definitely death defying. And just about anywhere in Pattaya, crossing to the other side of a soi is just as death defying - even when vehicles actually pay attention to traffic signals, stop signs, and right of way rules. Many don't make it across and many end up severely injured.

Sometimes you don't even have to be trying to cross to wind up injured or dead. The most close-to-home example I can think of is what happened to Barry Kenyon. He was standing on a wide median strip, waiting for a clear break in traffic to cross, and still was killed by a speeding out-of-control motorbike. And to this day I have neither seen nor heard a single word about what, if any, consequences there were for the motorbike driver. I wouldn't be surprised if all that happened to him was a small fine and a reminder to drive more carefully - if even that much.

[Jun]

Soi Khao Talo has to be one of the worst roads in PTY to navigate.

It's way too small (2 lanes) for that congested of an area...no sidewalks... and crossing the intersections, especially before and after the railroad - is death-defying.

I walked along there earlier this year, heading to a restaurant. I'm in no hurry to repeat the experience. A narrow road, very long traffic queues and motorcycles trying to squeeze through the gaps where I'm trying to walk.

As for the road being too small, well I'd take the view that Pattaya doesn't even try to provide a reasonable public transport system. So people have to use vehicles and congestion is inevitable until they improve public transport.

A comprehensive tram network would transform the place, but the people in charge don't understand transport. Or much else.

They need fewer vehicles, not wider roads.

The most close-to-home example I can think of is what happened to Barry Kenyon. He was standing on a wide median strip, waiting for a clear break in traffic to cross, and still was killed by a speeding out-of-control motorbike. And to this day I have neither seen nor heard a single word about what, if any, consequences there were for the motorbike driver. I wouldn't be surprised if all that happened to him was a small fine and a reminder to drive more carefully - if even that much.

The police probably prefer to focus on their priorities, rather than improving road safety or investigating suspicious deaths.

[Gaybutton]

The police probably prefer to focus on their priorities

Hmmmmm. I wonder what those could possibly be . . .

[Gaybutton]

motorcycles trying to squeeze through the gaps where I'm trying to walk.

That is a very good point. Also squeezing through the gaps to get around car queues, which puts them coming at me virtually head on when they get around cars by driving into my lane. It is rare indeed for me to drive anywhere without a head on near miss when the motorbikes do so. And as far as I can tell, they all do so. Apparently it is unthinkable to stay in their lane and wait for the opportunity to safely go, along with the cars.