Pattaya News

Pattaya's baht buses have reorganised themselves into 4 routes as outlines on the following map. The map seems to introduce more questions than answers though, such as what about routes 1,2,3. Or is there a service on 2nd Road? And surely the green route will be take ages with some massively long detours included in the route.

The change that is most talked about on Pattaya forums is that the central north road run is now on 3rd Road rather than SOi Buakhao.

The trucks now sport prominent route numbers on the front roof panel.

 

Update: Postponed

28th December 2016

It is reported on Pattaya forums that the Baht bus reorganisation of routes will not be enforced by the council until February 1st 2017. The delays seems down to marking or building bus stopping points and maybe parking areas for buses.

Update: 10 Baht flat fare

31st December 2016. See  article from pattayamail.com

Pattaya's baht buses were ordered to starting working only set routes and charge all passengers 10 baht each, this a price reduction as longer journeys were previously 20 Baht.

Col. Somsak Thangdamrongtham, deputy chief of staff for the 14th Military Circle, announced Dec. 16 that four routes have been set and the fare on any of them will be 10 baht. The order went into effect on Dec. 24.

Tawat Puakboonak, chairman of the Pattaya Baht Bus Cooperative, said the formalized route system won't have a major impact other than on the Beach-Second roads loop. He also said banning private, chartered trips to off-route hotels and other locations will also impact business and needs further study.

In what must have been an intensely terrifying experiences for innocent condo residents, Pattaya police, immigration officers and members of the Tourist Police Department carried out a coordinated search of the Nirun Grand Ville Condominiums,, Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya.

After a thorough search of the premises no illegal substances were found and all foreigners, apart from two, were able to produce their passports with valid and current visas.

The two who were unable to produce their passports have been taken to the police station by immigration officers.

The Pattaya Music Festival will take place on the 18th-19th-20th of March with three stages.

The main stage will be in the waste ground near the Hard Rock Hotel,  A second stage will be near the Beach Rd junction with Pattaya Klang and the third will be near further up Beach Rd near Soi 4

Beach Road will be closed off from 4pm to 1am on those dates and no doubt traffic chaos will result around town.

Thailand and the United States will co-host the annual multilateral Exercise Cobra Gold in various areas of Thailand from February 9 to 19.

This year's exercise will consist of three primary events: a command post exercise, which includes a senior leader seminar; humanitarian civic assistance projects in Thai communities; and a field training exercise that will build regional relationships.

And of course the 4th unspoken primary event is that members of the US military get to enjoy the fun of Pattaya.

Nowadays many breath tests are organised by Pattaya police at main crossings, such as Pattayatai/Second Road and Pattayatai/Third Road, and by Banglamung police at the railway crossings, also the one halfway between Soi Khao Noi and Soi Khao Talo. (The latter one is where you get when, coming from Pattayatai, you cross Sukhumvit Road and continue straight on.)

In Thailand the legal alcohol limit is 50mg per 100 ml of blood (units shortened to 50mg for convenience), and 0mg for professional drivers (this compares with 80mg in England and 50mg in Scotland + most of Europe) .

Thai police use two types of breathalysers:

• portable yellow sticks with a funnel-shaped end (you have to breathe in) and two lamps on it (a red lamp apparently meaning "in operation" and a lamp that lights up amber when you are "safe");
• devices with a ticket printer for those who fail the test with the portable yellow stick.

Unlike Thailand, Belgium and Germany have modern electronic breathalysers with a display and with hygienically sealed disposable single-use mouthpieces are used; I have no experience with breathalysers in the other European countries where I have been driving.

I have been checked twice up to now without problems, but I still distrust those Thai breathalysers and, if I can, I will avoid those checkpoints. (Remember the fake explosives detectors used in South Thailand.)

A bar girl I know for many years was less lucky and got a ticket mentioning "140" (140 mg I presume).

She was told the limit was "050" (50mg I presume), with a tolerance until "060" (60mg I presume).

Instead of awaiting her day in court and be fined 10,000 baht, she told me she managed to pay 5,000 baht under the table.

I guess the tariff will be higher for farangs. TiTs (This is Thailand, stupid).