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Bangkok is a city that runs on movement – trains, taxis, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, expressways, shortcuts, side streets. You don’t have to be here long to realise its biggest talent is flow.
But the past week has delivered a different kind of reminder: Bangkok and its surrounding routes are also constant works-in-progress. And when construction zones sit directly over live traffic, the safest thing you can do is re-route around them.
Several recent incidents have involved infrastructure works and major corridors used by everyday commuters and weekend escapees, including the Rama II axis heading southwest toward Samut Sakhon and the South. If you’re heading out of town, or simply moving across the city, it’s worth travelling with more caution than usual.
The Rama II problem (aka why it feels cursed)
Ask anyone in Bangkok and they’ll have a Rama II story. Sudden merges. Shifting lanes. Bottlenecks that appear out of nowhere. And construction that seems to last forever.
People call it a curse because it feels relentless, but the reason is more practical than supernatural: Rama II has become a long-running construction corridor while still carrying huge volumes of traffic. That combination creates risk.
When a major artery doubles as a worksite, the margin for error shrinks. Sightlines get worse. Lane markings change. Temporary barriers shift. Drivers speed up to escape congestion, then brake hard at chokepoints. Heavy equipment operates nearby, sometimes overhead. Even when safety measures exist, the setup itself is high stakes.
How to move around Bangkok safely right now
If you’re getting around Bangkok this week, the goal is avoidance, timing and good habits.
- Avoid construction corridors when you can. If your route has an alternative, take it, especially during rush hour.
- Never stop under construction zones. If traffic slows beneath elevated works, keep space ahead and crawl forward when possible. Do not idle directly under cranes, scaffolding or suspended structures.
- Use navigation apps, but don’t blindly follow them. Apps love the ‘fastest route’, even if it cuts straight through major worksites. If you recognise a corridor with heavy construction, override the suggestion.
- Give yourself buffer time. Rushed travel leads to risky decisions: sudden lane cuts, speeding between bottlenecks, squeezing into merges. Leave earlier than you think you need to.
- If you’re heading South, plan around Rama II. If Rama II is unavoidable, aim for off-peak travel windows and expect delays. It’s not just about time, it’s about staying out of the most chaotic traffic patterns.
- In taxis and Grabs, say it plainly. ‘No Rama II, please.’ Drivers will understand immediately.
Bangkok is still one of the world’s great travel cities. But right now, the smartest way to move through it is the same way you’d move through a storm: watch the risk, give it distance and choose the safer route.