In what should come as a surprise to no one given Pattaya’s previous efforts to regulate baht buses, drivers simply ignored new military-issued dictates regarding routes and stopping zones when they went into effect Dec. 24.
As stern and serious as the generals made their new rules and penalties sound, baht bus drivers on Dec. 25 were carrying on as they always have, stopping and parking wherever they like and hitting unsuspecting tourists up for exorbitant rates for off-route rides.
The Second Road-Beach Road loop route was as disorganized as ever with many double-parking to grab fares, resulting in heavy traffic.
Long-time Pattaya residents were hardly surprised, given how miserably past campaigns to set bus stops and enforce traffic laws for songthaews have gone.
If the army is serious about reorganizing Pattaya’s chaotic public transport system, it will need to learn from city hall’s mistakes, especially about the need to actually enforce the rules, rather than just spout them in front of reporters.
