Detour de force: Drivers dodge Rama II death trap to reach Hua Hin
Travellers rethink weekend escapes as endless roadworks spark safety fears
A weekend getaway to Hua Hin should be a breeze but, thanks to the notorious Rama II Road, it’s more of a gamble than a getaway.
The highway, which links Bangkok to southern destinations, has earned itself a grim reputation as one of Thailand’s deadliest routes. Endless construction, heavy traffic, and a staggering accident rate have made it a route to avoid at all costs, even if it means a much longer drive.
Between 2018 and 2024, a jaw-dropping 2,245 crashes were recorded along Rama II Road, killing 136 people and injuring 1,320. As a result, fed-up drivers are bypassing the road entirely, and some are giving up on trips to Hua Hin altogether, bad news for beachside businesses 200 kilometres south of the capital.
Locals say the chaos on Rama II has been getting worse for years, with one frustrated motorist describing the road as “a never-ending obstacle course of cones, diggers, and ambulances.”
But for determined beachgoers, there are a couple of alternatives, if you’ve got time and fuel to spare, Bangkok Post reported.
Outbound from Bangkok
Take Borommaratchachonnani Road (Highway 338) and link up with Phetkasem Road (Highway 4), skirting around Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi before rejoining the southern route past the Wang Manao Intersection, safely beyond the worst of Rama II’s blackspots. The downside? It adds a hefty 125km to the journey.
Inbound to Bangkok
Coming back from the South? Stick to Phetkasem Road via Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom. From Samut Songkhram or Bang Thorat, drivers can use Highway 375 through Ban Phaeo district to connect back to Bangkok. Mahachai or Samut Sakhon travellers can take Setthakit Road and follow it via Phutthasakhon and Phutthamonthon Sai 4 to Borommaratchachonnani.
Need help on the road? The Department of Highways hotline is 1586, toll-free and open 24/7.
Meanwhile, in Hua Hin itself, roadworks continue, this time in the Takiab area, where officials are resurfacing the Nong Kae–Takiab Road with new asphalt between June 24 and July 3.
Mobile PA vans and local announcements are being used to keep residents up to speed, and motorists are urged to steer clear of the area during the upgrade.
Because when it comes to driving south, it’s not the destination that’s the problem, it’s the journey.
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