The battle of wills is on - a van and a car push
their luck, both drivers thinking that one would stop for another. But
things went wrong at the Railway Road in Nernplabwan.
Surasak Huasoon
The idea that Pattaya’s railway roads are quick routes across the
city has left the station.
Once just dusty roads on each side of the rail tracks in East Pattaya, the
streets now are full of traffic lights, cars, motorbikes and heavy
commercial trucks. Never mind that signs clearly state heavy vehicles are
prohibited. Neither drivers nor traffic police seem to care.
The traffic quagmire that has swamped the railway roads, and all adjoining
sois, is just one more example of the traffic chaos that faces Pattaya. The
infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the building boom and
population explosion here in Pattaya, with people relocating here from all
part of Thailand, looking to seek their fortune.
People get off of work at the same time. Pick up their school kids at the
same time and everyone gets stuck in traffic at the same time, usually the
morning and evening rush hours.
For a while, the rail route seemed immune from the congestion facing
downtown. But people soon realized these routes connect the city north to
south and, ever in search of a shortcut, drivers descended upon them. It’s a
rush-hour shortcut no more.
