PATTAYA, Thailand – Back in the 1990s, Pattaya’s roads were a very different world compared to the modern, somewhat regulated city we know today. The boom in tourism during that decade brought in hordes of foreign visitors, motorbikes, cars, and songthaews, often overwhelming the infrastructure that had been designed for a quieter coastal town.
Road safety regulations existed on paper, but enforcement was inconsistent. Speed limits were rarely observed, and traffic lights were few and far between. Foreign tourists, local drivers, and long-term residents often shared the roads with little regard for official rules. The result was a mix of daring maneuvers, honking, and last-minute swerves—both thrilling and dangerous.
Motorcycles were the lifeblood of Pattaya’s streets, with many families and businesses relying on them for transport and delivery. Safety gear like helmets was not yet widely adopted, making minor accidents and serious injuries common. Songthaews—open-back passenger trucks—zigzagged through traffic, often picking up and dropping off passengers wherever convenient. Tourists quickly learned that waiting patiently at formal stops was often less efficient than waving one down in the middle of the street.
Pattaya’s nightlife added another layer of danger. Roads around Walking Street, Bali Hai Pier, and central beach areas were packed with pedestrians, partygoers, and motorbikes. With alcohol and poor lighting involved, accidents were frequent, yet police presence was sporadic, leaving locals and visitors to navigate the chaos themselves.
Long-term residents jokingly called navigating Pattaya roads “a mix of strategy and luck.” Locals developed a keen sense of reading other drivers’ intentions, anticipating gaps, and sometimes taking daring leaps through traffic. Tourists often had to adopt patience and careful observation as their primary tools for survival.
While Pattaya roads in the ’90s were far from safe by modern standards, many remember the era fondly for its wild, untamed energy—a reflection of the city’s rapid growth. The lessons learned during this decade laid the groundwork for gradual improvements in road safety, signage, and traffic law enforcement in the years that followed.
