Drive time from BKK

Post by **Soidogs** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:20 am

I'm planning to drive down from Bangkok next week, my first trip south for a few years. Does anyone know what kind of time I could expect it to take? Is there any area that has roadworks at the mo? I'm going to leave early ish in the morning to avoid the Bangkok nightmare!

thanks
SD

PET · Post by **PET** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:34 am

2 hrs 15 mins keeping to the speed limits.

Post by **shunpike** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:46 am

Depends where you are in BKK, but 2.5 hours is plenty of time to arrive in HH. There is still a bit of construction going on around Petchaburi town, but no major delay. Smooth sailing pretty well all the way. There is often a speed trap between Petchaburi and where the bypass splits off from Petkasem Road, be careful.

Post by **hhfarang** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:05 am

There is often a speed trap between Petchaburi and where the bypass splits off from Petkasem Road, be careful.

Shunpike,

By speed trap, do you mean using radar? I've never seen that used anywhere in this country outside of the Bangkok freeways...

Post by **Soidogs** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:41 am

thanks for tips everyone, 2hr15 would be great.

As for the speed traps, they are definitely outside bkk, I've been caught a few times travelling to Koh Chang. I can't remember the road, maybe 346, that heads towards Klaeng. A friend is always caught on the new bypass to Krabi.

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:26 am

hhfarang wrote:
There is often a speed trap between Petchaburi and where the bypass splits off from Petkasem Road, be careful.

Shunpike,

By speed trap, do you mean using radar? I've never seen that used anywhere in this country outside of the Bangkok freeways...

Regularly - along the byepass - especially weekends and during daylight hours. At night it's a speedway.

Post by **ste860** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:43 pm

hhfarang wrote:
There is often a speed trap between Petchaburi and where the bypass splits off from Petkasem Road, be careful.

Shunpike,

By speed trap, do you mean using radar? I've never seen that used anywhere in this country outside of the Bangkok freeways...

yes they have lazers,a friend of mine got caught and believe it or not got the fine through the post ,complete with photo and speed, time everything just like the police do in england,i would not have believed it if i had not seen it with my own eyes .maybe thailands police are getting more of europes technology.

Post by **Wanderlust** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:21 pm

Does anyone know what the speed limit is on the stretch of road from Petchaburi to where the Cha Am turn off is? And that on the bypass as well? It would be handy to have the odd sign telling the motorist. I generally stick to the 90 - 100 kmph range with the odd burst above to get past traffic and slowing down in built up areas but I am still not clear on which roads have what speed limit.

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:05 pm

Why on earth put signs up?
Signs mean definitive speed limits and a means whereby the BIB cannot make money! Shame on you.

Stick to what you are doing 90 -100 is ok.

In a car you are less likely to get stopped than if in a truck 0 don't ask me why but it's true.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:10 pm

Out of interest, are the penalties as severe as the UK ie 4 strikes and you lose your licence? Or is it as I suspect, a money making exercise?

Post by **shunpike** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:49 pm

Sometimes it's just a regular checkpoint kinda thing whereby they pull you over and say you were speeding, or driving in the passing lane. These boys usually just want a handout. Recently though I came across a radar gun and I was doing about 100 (on the bypass just before it ended on the petchaburi side) and they waved me through.

Post by **PeteC** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 2:52 pm

Big Boy wrote:Out of interest, are the penalties as severe as the UK ie 4 strikes and you lose your licence? Or is it as I suspect, a money making exercise?

I don't think a routine stop for speeding or whatever even goes into a database BB. Pete

Post by **bajm** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:15 pm

I got caught on Petkasem with a lasergun, doing 24 km's over the speedlimit.
This offence did cost me 200 baht.

Post by **ste860** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:53 pm

my friend got fined 400 baht ,he hed to pay at the police station in hua hin,he was zapped between chaam and hua hin ,may be fine depends on speed ,he ws doing 129 km ,the photo had time, speed,and said limit was 90 km per hr .i was quite impressed at the quality of the photo clearly showed who was driving,and it also shows that the police do have a data base of ownership and address so maybe better ease of the gas in future on that stretch,

Post by **Soidogs** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:53 am

I'm pretty sure there is a points system for your licence too, but you start with a very high number and lose them rather than accumulate then.