Motorists can zip down new Pattaya-Map Ta Phut motorway for free until Aug 31

[digbeth]

looks like the quirk of the free trial is that it will be cheaper to exit the motorway on the new extension rather than to Pattaya klang tolls as the normal Bangkok to Pattaya tolls is 105 baht, while the exit at 36(international school) is 100, and the new extension is between the 2, while they're free you can exit at any of the new exits for only 100 baht during the 3 months free trial, while normal price from Bangkok to Utapao is 130

 

So any journey between any of the new tolls and Hwy36 exit is free for now, but if you turn left to Pattaya that'll be 5 baht. Too bad there aren't that many doing the school runs anymore now that it's closed

[mickyr55]

Also this motorway has been built for the expected rise in commercial traffic due to the huge regeneration of Rayong deep water port which is the largest in Thailand and is currently being massively extended. 

[longball53098]

Much if not all of this expansion is related to the EEC. If you don't know what that is then Google Eastern Economic Corridor in Thailand,,,,,,,,,,if it progresses the way the plans are many changes will occur in the area in the nxt 5 to 10 years and the motorway and other infrastructure improvements are just the beginning.

[DrTuner]

18 hours ago, digbeth said:

looks like the quirk of the free trial is that it will be cheaper to exit the motorway on the new extension rather than to Pattaya klang tolls as the normal Bangkok to Pattaya tolls is 105 baht, while the exit at 36(international school) is 100, and the new extension is between the 2, while they're free you can exit at any of the new exits for only 100 baht during the 3 months free trial, while normal price from Bangkok to Utapao is 130

 

So any journey between any of the new tolls and Hwy36 exit is free for now, but if you turn left to Pattaya that'll be 5 baht. Too bad there aren't that many doing the school runs anymore now that it's closed

Did you also calculate the fuel used by the routes? I'd like to get down to the tenths of satangs to really let my inner Cheap Charlie rip.

[couchpotato]

18 hours ago, digbeth said:

looks like the quirk of the free trial is that it will be cheaper to exit the motorway on the new extension rather than to Pattaya klang tolls as the normal Bangkok to Pattaya tolls is 105 baht, while the exit at 36(international school) is 100, and the new extension is between the 2, while they're free you can exit at any of the new exits for only 100 baht during the 3 months free trial, while normal price from Bangkok to Utapao is 130

 

So any journey between any of the new tolls and Hwy36 exit is free for now, but if you turn left to Pattaya that'll be 5 baht. Too bad there aren't that many doing the school runs anymore now that it's closed

This is a very confusing post for 5 baht?

[Rimmer]

Post all in caps removed

[digbeth]

Looks like the only toll that will be operational during the free period is at the end at Utapao only, so you can't exit at Huay Yai or any of the middle exits just yet. So anyone south of Jomtien expecting to be able to use the new extension has to detour all the way to Utapao 

[couchpotato]

7 minutes ago, digbeth said:

Looks like the only toll that will be operational during the free period is at the end at Utapao only, so you can't exit at Huay Yai or any of the middle exits just yet. So anyone south of Jomtien expecting to be able to use the new extension has to detour all the way to Utapao 

Actually there is no 'any of the middle exits'

There is the Ambassador entry/exit and then the split at the end to UTP and Ban Chang.

Note!!. in my post #20, I explained the road system for the new motorway portion, #36 and #331. Worth reading for people not that familiar with the area.

Edited May 20, 2020 by couchpotato

[bkk6060]

I live in north Pattaya.

From my experience this road will not make it faster to and from UTP.

When the airport is online, I use it often.  Always when coming back 331 to 36 to 7.

Totally bypassing Sukhumvit and usually about 35 minutes to my building.

This new road spits out too far down south on Sukhumvit I think if you live north or even off Klang.

For Jomtien or south, it will probably work better.

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by bkk6060

[digbeth]

10 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

Actually there is no 'any of the middle exits'

There is the Ambassador entry/exit and then the split at the end to UTP and Ban Chang.

Note!!. in my post #20, I explained the road system for the new motorway portion, #36 and #331. Worth reading for people not that familiar with the area.

It's the Huay Yai/Ambassador entry/exit and the one that loops back on 331 that I consider the 'middle' ones for this new extension,

 

[Kerryd]

The new edition ends on the Sukhumvit (#3) just before Ban Chang. The intersection where the off-ramp connects to the #3 is a whole 4 kms from the turn off into U-Tapao. (The intersection where the 331 connects to the #3 is about 2 kms from the U-Tapao turn off.)

According to Google Maps, going from the #7 exit onto the new addition, down to the #3 then to the turn off into the U-Tapao airport, it's 33.7 kms (approx).

From the same point, going past that exit and taking the off ramp to get onto the 36, then turning onto the 331 to the #3 and then to the U-Tapao entrance is 42.7 kms.

9 kms shorter on a newer, smoother, more direct highway (that will cost you a little bit to use in the future).

Can't plot the route on Google Maps yet, but the highway can be seen in the satellite image. I plotted a route to (or from) U-Tapao using the 3/331/36 and the the 7 to where the exit ramp for the new addition is (blue line).
I then squiggled in the new highway addition (yellow line) from the same point on the 7 to the turn off for U-Tapao so you can see the difference.


 

[steve187]

39 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

The new edition ends on the Sukhumvit (#3) just before Ban Chang. The intersection where the off-ramp connects to the #3 is a whole 4 kms from the turn off into U-Tapao. (The intersection where the 331 connects to the #3 is about 2 kms from the U-Tapao turn off.)

According to Google Maps, going from the #7 exit onto the new addition, down to the #3 then to the turn off into the U-Tapao airport, it's 33.7 kms (approx).

From the same point, going past that exit and taking the off ramp to get onto the 36, then turning onto the 331 to the #3 and then to the U-Tapao entrance is 42.7 kms.

9 kms shorter on a newer, smoother, more direct highway (that will cost you a little bit to use in the future).

Can't plot the route on Google Maps yet, but the highway can be seen in the satellite image. I plotted a route to (or from) U-Tapao using the 3/331/36 and the the 7 to where the exit ramp for the new addition is (blue line).
I then squiggled in the new highway addition (yellow line) from the same point on the 7 to the turn off for U-Tapao so you can see the difference.


 

you are showing the turn into u tapao in the wrong place, the turn for the passengers into u tapao is off the 331, so where you are showing a left turn with the blue line from the 331 onto the 3 road you would go straight on for maybe 2km and then turn left into the airport. Travelling from pattaya/bangkok on the new section of the 7 road, it would be shorter to turn onto the 331 road where the blue and yellow meet, go past the 332 road and at kilosip/ 3 road junction go straight across and then passenger enterance for the aiport will be on the left, it will save the dogleg into ban chang

[Kerryd]

3 minutes ago, steve187 said:

you are showing the turn into u tapao in the wrong place, the turn for the passengers into u tapao is off the 331, so where you are showing a left turn with the blue line from the 331 onto the 3 road you would go straight on for maybe 2km and then turn left into the airport. Travelling from pattaya/bangkok on the new section of the 7 road, it would be shorter to turn onto the 331 road where the blue and yellow meet, go past the 332 road and at kilosip/ 3 road junction go straight across and then passenger enterance for the aiport will be on the left, it will save the dogleg into ban chang

Ah OK, I thought the way into the airport was off of the #3. 

I don't think you'll be able to turn off the new road onto the 331 though. From the sounds of it, there is the one intersection between Pattaya and Ban Chang and that is the one in Na Jomtien (south of Mimosa). Once you are on the new road you are stuck on it !

OK, I routed it from the same start point on the # 7 (where the off ramp to the new road starts) and down to Car Park #1 in front of U-Tapao. Google does use the road (3126) that the 331 changes into after crossing Sukhumvit.
That makes that route 46.6 kms.

Adding the extra distance to that car park onto the new road route brings that one to 41.3 (approx).

So now it's only (barely) 5 kms shorter to use the new route. 

Hardly worth it even now when it's free. Paying the tolls to save a couple minutes on a route that's only 5 kms shorter may not be worth it. Though I imagine people will fly along the new road much faster than they do now on the 331/36 (even without the construction going on).

Still won't be able to ride my bike on it either but "mai pen rai " !

[digbeth]

there's an off ramp into 331, further south on 331 past the intersection, look on google maps and you'll see land clearings and a small road connecting back to 331

 

here on Wikimapia it's mapped out 

[steve187]

9 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Ah OK, I thought the way into the airport was off of the #3. 

I don't think you'll be able to turn off the new road onto the 331 though. From the sounds of it, there is the one intersection between Pattaya and Ban Chang and that is the one in Na Jomtien (south of Mimosa). Once you are on the new road you are stuck on it !

OK, I routed it from the same start point on the # 7 (where the off ramp to the new road starts) and down to Car Park #1 in front of U-Tapao. Google does use the road (3126) that the 331 changes into after crossing Sukhumvit.
That makes that route 46.6 kms.

Adding the extra distance to that car park onto the new road route brings that one to 41.3 (approx).

So now it's only (barely) 5 kms shorter to use the new route. 

Hardly worth it even now when it's free. Paying the tolls to save a couple minutes on a route that's only 5 kms shorter may not be worth it. Though I imagine people will fly along the new road much faster than they do now on the 331/36 (even without the construction going on).

Still won't be able to ride my bike on it either but "mai pen rai " !

you can get off/on at the 331 road junction shown at the meeting point of the yellow and blue lines, i have added to your map and the purple and brown routes are about the same distance, measured with a piece of string. so not much difference other than the 7 will be faster but will cost, the 36 and 331 are good roads now

[Kerryd]

13 minutes ago, steve187 said:

you can get off/on at the 331 road junction shown at the meeting point of the yellow and blue lines, i have added to your map and the purple and brown routes are about the same distance, measured with a piece of string. so not much difference other than the 7 will be faster but will cost, the 36 and 331 are good roads now

 

I don't see any off/on ramps connecting the new road to the 331. They'd have to add major ramps to do that as they'd have to have toll booths on both sides (on/off) as well like they are doing (or did) at the Huay Yai intersection.
Huay Yai off/on ramps (2019 image -Toll booth area still under construction)     Junction of new road and highway 331. The 2 small dirt roads seen don't connect to the new road.
                                                                              

Heading down the 331 towards Rayong. The small dirt road on the left isn't an "on ramp' and peters out just past where it looks like it's turning towards the new road.

[digbeth]

I tried measuring from 36 intersection, coming down on the hwy 7 extension, and exiting at 331 to U tapao

vs using just 36 then turn on to 331, comes out about the same distance, while 331 is not access controlled and has many u turn and right turn across, there's hardly any traffic at most time

 

Driving from Pattaya klang to Utapao, going on the motorway at Klang vs going south to get on at Huay Yai/Ambassador depends on time of day, if it's early flight, traffic around south/Jomtien shouldn't matter, and in that case, you can usually get on 331 from many of the roads around there from Silverlake that it's not worth paying 20-30 baht tolls 

[Pilotman]

7 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

I don't see any off/on ramps connecting the new road to the 331. They'd have to add major ramps to do that as they'd have to have toll booths on both sides (on/off) as well like they are doing (or did) at the Huay Yai intersection.
Huay Yai off/on ramps (2019 image -Toll booth area still under construction)     Junction of new road and highway 331. The 2 small dirt roads seen don't connect to the new road.
                                                                              

Heading down the 331 towards Rayong. The small dirt road on the left isn't an "on ramp' and peters out just past where it looks like it's turning towards the new road.

They are there, about 800m from my house. 

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

you are showing the turn into u tapao in the wrong place, the turn for the passengers into u tapao is off the 331, so where you are showing a left turn with the blue line from the 331 onto the 3 road you would go straight on for maybe 2km and then turn left into the airport. Travelling from pattaya/bangkok on the new section of the 7 road, it would be shorter to turn onto the 331 road where the blue and yellow meet, go past the 332 road and at kilosip/ 3 road junction go straight across and then passenger enterance for the aiport will be on the left, it will save the dogleg into ban chang

or, you can continue to the Ban Chang turn off and head up to the airport on the Sattahip road.  Quicker than the 331 turnoff due to lack of intersections, just two sets of lights.  

[steve187]

4 hours ago, Pilotman said:

or, you can continue to the Ban Chang turn off and head up to the airport on the Sattahip road.  Quicker than the 331 turnoff due to lack of intersections, just two sets of lights.  

only 2 sets of lights if you travel on the 331 from the 7 road, 332 junction and 3 junction at kilosip, but the 331/332 junction is being replaced by a flyover, so that will make it one set of lights , good road and shorter than using 7 road to ban chang area.

4 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I don't see any off/on ramps connecting the new road to the 331.

my fault the 331/7 junction is further south of your 2nd & 3rd photo at post 46

see map at post 44, but its there with toll booths

[Rimmer]

11 minutes ago, steve187 said:

only 2 sets of lights if you travel on the 331 from the 7 road, 332 junction and 3 junction at kilosip, but the 331/332 junction is being replaced by a flyover, so that will make it one set of lights , good road and shorter than using 7 road to ban chang area.

my fault the 331/7 junction is further south of your 2nd & 3rd photo at post 46

see map at post 44, but its there with toll booths

 

Yes the on off ramps are south of the Silver lakes turn off and just past the new airplane park place on the right

[Kerryd]

10 hours ago, Rimmer said:

 

Yes the on off ramps are south of the Silver lakes turn off and just past the new airplane park place on the right

Lol - it's actually shown on the maps in uwe-rayong's post (#3) but in Thai.

Looking (closer) at google maps and the off/on ramp connecting to the 331 is there (under construction in the image) south of where the new road intersects with the 331.

Odd that they wouldn't have done the on/off ramps right at that point where the 2 intersect. Maybe they couldn't get a good deal on the land (or someone had a better deal for the land further away).


 

[Rimmer]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Lol - it's actually shown on the maps in uwe-rayong's post (#3) but in Thai.

Looking (closer) at google maps and the off/on ramp connecting to the 331 is there (under construction in the image) south of where the new road intersects with the 331.

Odd that they wouldn't have done the on/off ramps right at that point where the 2 intersect. Maybe they couldn't get a good deal on the land (or someone had a better deal for the land further away).

 

 

I also wondered why they did not put the on/off ramps at the point where the motorway crosses the 331. instead they had to build a complete new road section to link them together and dig out a considerable chunk of ground for the linking underpass.

[LennyW]

1 hour ago, Rimmer said:

 

I also wondered why they did not put the on/off ramps at the point where the motorway crosses the 331. instead they had to build a complete new road section to link them together and dig out a considerable chunk of ground for the linking underpass.

This junction was created to service the Silverlake area, as it is now it is also a handy  access to Utapao airport directly via Kilosip. But, in the future, (could be quite some time), after Terminal 3 is completed the new access to Utapao will be off the Banchang end of the 7.

[essox essox]

On 5/18/2020 at 7:24 PM, DrTuner said:

In a normal country I wouldn't have to ask but .. is that road then finally ready? Or do you need a 4wd to drive through unfinished patches.

if it is opening on the 22nd then one could assume that it IS COMPLETE !!!

[overherebc]

On 5/21/2020 at 11:59 AM, essox essox said:

if it is opening on the 22nd then one could assume that it IS COMPLETE !!!

None of the on/off ramps at the Ban Chang end are open yet. Only a few motorbikes dodging around the barriers today 2pm. Lots of work still to do.

[DrTuner]

On 5/21/2020 at 11:59 AM, essox essox said:

if it is opening on the 22nd then one could assume that it IS COMPLETE !!!

I've learned never to assume in Thailand, but always to verify.

[SidJames]

I drove over it this afternoon & it's either closed still or not one single vehicle was on it either for a few miles in either direction.

I was coming off the 331 coming from Silverlakes.

[Boca]

Motorists are not zipping anywhere on this road just now. Still closed with all entrances/ exits blocked and signs covered up. I wonder if they confused May with June?  

[Kerryd]

Meanwhile, according to the post made a few minutes ago in a new thread (https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1165327-pattaya-map-ta-phut-tollway-opens-for-free-trial-period/?do=findComment&comment=15440156) - everything is up and running (except the toll booths).

That post (linking an article in the Nation) states they expect 36,000 vehicles per day to use the extension !

That's an average of 1 vehicle every 2.4 seconds, all day. Every day !