PATTAYA, Thailand — While the shift to two-way traffic on Jomtien Road has helped ease vehicle congestion, pedestrians say it has done little — and in some cases nothing — to improve safety on the ground. For many residents and visitors, crossing the road has become a daily exercise in caution, timing, and luck.
Locals report frequent red-light violations, vehicles accelerating through crossings, and an abundance of loud motorcycles with modified exhausts. “Some don’t stop at red lights at all — they speed up,” one resident commented. “The noise from loud pipes is everywhere.”
Pedestrian crossings, including newly painted or brightly coloured zebra crossings, are widely ignored. Several residents questioned the purpose of the crossings altogether. “What’s the point of a crosswalk if no one stops?” one asked. Others offered darker humour, suggesting the paint does little more than decorate a road where pedestrians are routinely put at risk.
Foreign visitors say the situation is confusing and dangerous, especially for those coming from countries where traffic laws are strictly enforced. Some have been seen squeezing onto narrow gaps along the roadside just to sunbathe or sit, as proper pedestrian space is increasingly overtaken by traffic and parking.
“Even as a Thai person, I can’t find a place to sit,” one local said. “So you see foreigners laying towels wherever there’s a bit of space left.”
Comparisons with other cities are common. Residents point to Vietnam, where tougher drink-driving laws and consistent enforcement have reportedly changed behaviour, and to Hua Hin, where locals say loud motorcycles are far less common due to stricter policing.
In Jomtien, however, enforcement is seen as inconsistent or absent. Many argue the problem is not infrastructure but consequences — or the lack of them.
“It’s what you get when there are no consequences,” one long-term resident said.
Some commenters suggested simple, well-known solutions: stationing traffic police at pedestrian crossings, issuing fines for failing to stop, penalising riders without helmets or licences, and enforcing existing laws consistently rather than sporadically. Others noted that paint, signs, and traffic lights mean little if no one enforces them.
“There is no pedestrian safety in Thailand — even for Thais,” one reader wrote. “If you come from a developed country, you have to relearn how to cross the road here.”
Critics also questioned whether the road was ever truly one-way in practice, saying informal two-way use existed long before the official change. Others observed that traffic now flows unevenly, with one side congested and the other largely empty — leading some to argue the previous system worked better.
Despite the frustration, few expect change. “It’s easily fixed,” one resident said, “but it will never happen.”
As Jomtien continues to promote itself as a relaxed, walkable beachfront area, residents and visitors alike say pedestrian safety remains the missing piece — and until enforcement matches infrastructure, crossing the road will remain one of the area’s biggest risks.
