PATTAYA, Thailand – As city officials weigh new one-way road systems in South Pattaya and Walking Street to combat traffic chaos, some of the loudest skeptics are not locals but German tourists, who say the plan has already failed elsewhere.
“The one-way regulation did not work out in Chiang Mai a few years ago and was restored after a short time,” remarked one visitor, pointing out that tourists and residents alike quickly grew frustrated with blocked access and confusing signage. “Every year it’s the same Sülze (nonsense). Nothing changes.”
The comments echo a growing chorus of concern that Pattaya’s traffic woes are less about direction and more about discipline. On Jomtien Beach Road, for example, newly introduced one-way stretches are often ignored by motorbike riders who simply drive against traffic, creating fresh hazards for both drivers and pedestrians. Locals complain of blocked intersections and near-miss accidents, with chaos often worse than before.
At the same time, Pattaya is tightening controls on another long-standing issue—motorcycle rentals. Deputy Mayor Wutthisak Rermkijkarn recently led a high-level meeting with local police, district officers, and tourism authorities to enforce stricter registration, parking limits, and licensing requirements for operators. The move follows repeated accidents involving German tourists on rental bikes, many of whom said they struggled to secure compensation after crashes.
The proposed regulations, set under the Public Health Act, will introduce “grace zones” for rental parking along Pattaya Beach and require operators to verify licenses and documents before handing over motorcycles. Residents have long urged such measures, frustrated by rows of bikes spilling into the streets, particularly in narrow sois like Bongkot.
While many welcome the Deputy Mayor’s push for accountability among rental shops, others stress that infrastructure changes like one-way roads will only work if the law is actually enforced. “It’s not about new rules—it’s about enforcing the old ones,” a German long-term visitor said. “In Pattaya, people still ride without helmets, against traffic, and without licenses. Unless that changes, one-way won’t fix anything.”
For now, the city is juggling both approaches—tighter rules for rentals and experimental traffic flow adjustments—but residents and tourists remain doubtful. As one German tourist summed it up: “You don’t solve chaos by changing the arrows on the street. You solve it by making everyone follow the same rules.”
