Crossing lights out by Bluport and Bangkok Hospital

[DDD]

Anyone have influence with someone who might repair the pedestrian crossing lights by Blueport and also those at Bangkok Hospital?
Scary to see tourists crossing in traffic. Anyone know why the lights went out?
Got to appreciate that drivers seem to stop even without the lights working as the lights are well placed with good visability. Stoping there with lights not working is probably a driver muscle memory thing.

[Big Boy]

Turning these lights off is quite normal in Hua Hin when traffic gets busy. I think it facilitates faster traffic flow. It is not unusual to see drivers (Thai and Farang) ignoring the red lights at these crossings anyway.

[HarryVardon]

I once stopped at the Bangkok Hospital traffic lights as they were red. A police motorcycle came along side me and told me to drive on through the red lights.

[Big Boy]

I too have been directed to turn left at red lights by the police when there were signs fixed to the lights saying, "Don't." After the signs were removed, I thought I was fine turning left at the same lights on red if the way was clear. A few weeks later a fine landed on the doormat.

Security guards will wave you through at the Bluport lights when they are red. I will not do it. Why install red lights if they can be ignored? I watch the traffic symbols, not somebody who has probably never driven a car.

The thing you have to remember is TIT, laws are open to interpretation. When it suits the authorities, laws can be ignored. However, they have recently hiked the fine to something realistic for not stopping at pedestrian crossings. Continue at your own peril. I'm not in so much of a hurry that I can't wait a few extra seconds.

[DDD]

Though it pisses me off as a pedestrian I can see where the emphasis is on vehicles and not pedestrians. The busier/slower traffic makes it easier for me to scamper across as well. It’s all about the vehicles also explains why no apparent vehicle noise laws.

My understanding is that police direction overrides traffic conventions, the laws are back in force when police are not there. Of course the police will interpret the laws as they wish, I do also while driving or walking.

[joelle]

Though it pisses me off as a pedestrian I can see where the emphasis is on vehicles and not pedestrians. The busier/slower traffic makes it easier for me to scamper across as well. It’s all about the vehicles also explains why no apparent vehicle noise laws.

My understanding is that police direction overrides traffic conventions, the laws are back in force when police are not there. Of course the police will interpret the laws as they wish, I do also while driving or walking.

The difference being the police will always be right and you will always be wrong and liable to get fined

[PJG]

I was lead to believe the the lights at the Bluport Crossing were ininstalled by Bluport so the municipality are not responsible for them. Probably why it is Bluport Security staff manning the crossing. On another note because it is a private crossing, traffic violations are not enforceable.
Do not know if it is the same for the Bangkok Hospital Crossing but suspect so.

[DDD]

I defer to authority in whatever country I’m in. Things just go easier. Especially in the US that I’m most familiar with (where things do get deadly quickly). Here in Thailand, I am much less clued in on what is going on and highly likely to be misunderstood.

ALso want to put fines in perspective. Fines here are what, a few 1000 baht? In the US they are hundreds of dollars and then your insurance premium gets hiked for a few years.

[hhinner]

Though it pisses me off as a pedestrian I can see where the emphasis is on vehicles and not pedestrians. The busier/slower traffic makes it easier for me to scamper across as well. It’s all about the vehicles also explains why no apparent vehicle noise laws.

My understanding is that police direction overrides traffic conventions, the laws are back in force when police are not there. Of course the police will interpret the laws as they wish, I do also while driving or walking.

Although not applying to these pedestrian crossings, it might be problematic in other locations to go through a red light on the say so of a cop if there's a red light camera.

[HHTel]

I was lead to believe the the lights at the Bluport Crossing were ininstalled by Bluport so the municipality are not responsible for them. Probably why it is Bluport Security staff manning the crossing. On another note because it is a private crossing, traffic violations are not enforceable.
Do not know if it is the same for the Bangkok Hospital Crossing but suspect so.

This has cropped up before. They are completely legal. Traffic offences at these lights are enforceable. Check with the Tessabahn.

As for it being a private crossing, almost all U-turns in Thailand are sponsored by private companies as are the police boxes and jackets in Hua Hin. That doesn't mean they're not legal.

Setting up a 'private' pedestrian crossing across public property would never be allowed without permission. Once installed they come under the jurisdiction of the local authority.

Unauthorized persons cannot install or display traffic signs or signals. (Imprisonment not exceeding one month or fine not exceeding 2,000 baht, or both).

[GroveHillWanderer]

I once stopped at the Bangkok Hospital traffic lights as they were red. A police motorcycle came along side me and told me to drive on through the red lights.

The main problem with the Bangkok Hospital lights (IMHO) is the ridiculously short delay between them going red again after people have crossed.

From what I've observed, if people press the button immediately after they've turned green again for traffic, they turn red again about 15 seconds later. The other day I was driving into town and once I was in the queue for those lights, it took 3 "cycles" before I could get through. Each time, only about five vehicles got through before the lights went red again.

They should have them set so there's at least a couple of minutes gap between each time they turn red, it would vastly improve traffic flow and pedestrians would still be able to cross - they'd just have to wait more than 15 seconds to do so.

[HHTel]

Agreed. These buttons should be set not to activate under a specific length of time. I'm sure the adjustment is there if anyone took the trouble to set it.

[DDD]

The lights are back on at both locations. The lights at Blueport give a 30 second delay before activating the traffic light after button pushed.