kwilco

so you are saying that every river is identical and every diversion is identical? I think you are the one who needs to provide proof.

You are so silly - the diversion of rivers was man made this has then affected the climate. You are like so many climate simpleton who think if they find an example that doesn't fit their wonky ideas then the whole argument for MMCC is wrong

Yes- climate change is man made.

there seems to be an implication that the fires are man-made or man started - this ovelooks the fact that conditions have to be ideal for this to happen - this is brought about by MMCC. Furthermore any scientrtist will say that citing one incident as proof either way is not scientific - the entire incident needs to be taken in a world context - the OP is the hoax.

a simple test for flat earthers

"Like in a military base," you just have no idea how stupid you are do you? You no absolutely nothing about antarctica and have no critical thinking abilities and you think that writing regurgitation of a word you used is in some way nuanced or clever but it basically just illustrates the utter paus=city of your cognitive abilities - all of which you are totally oblivious to.

what kind of remark is that? - explain yourself...you appear to be using a cryptic comment to hide your ignorance

just ring someone up from Thailand in the US and ask them is it is day or night - explain how it can be dark there and light in Thailand.

just look at Geenland - size, position and resources -

it was civilian work in Antarctica that finally brought the hypotheses of global warming into respectable scientific theory - research into ozone layer was crucial and boring into the ice has given us a climate history dating back 800 thousand years

No - like a conservation area....I'm sorry but I have family connections with Antarctica going back through generations to the 1960s and NOBNE not one is remotely connected with military - however they ALL were world leading scietists - you just haven't got a clue - but the saddest thing is you are unaware of that.

Totally incorrect - in fact most of the people on Antarctica are civilians.

It helps if you look into the history of the island and it's hierarchical culture

List of some of the deaths rapes etc. on Koh Tao. It isn’t necessarily complete but it gives some idea of the situation there. 2002 – Viret Asaiachin shot dead in broad daylight – an organised crime like assassination. Japanese tourist died after drinking game 2004- The case is of a woman named Yoshie “Sharlyn” Sazawa that lived on the island for 12 years and worked as a scuba instructor before her untimely death. Put down to suicide. 2006 – SAMUI - as missing 21-year-old backpacker Katherine Horton, from a small town near Cardiff. Beaten into submission with a parasol on Samui's Lamai beach the previous evening, Horton had been raped twice before being left to drown in the sea near to the resort where she had been staying - https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/apr/08/travelnews.weekendmagazine American engineer Kris Perkins, who's been running a bar in the main beach resort of Chaweng since 2003. He was critically injured when he was shot twice by a Thai gangster after remonstrating with rowdy party-goers at a guesthouse above his bar. It is clear that at least earlier in this century, Samui itself suffered from the same “gangster-style” shootings rapes and murders. Surely as the island became more and more populated those sorts of “chao por” moved back to other islands 2012 - Ben Harrington,32, died when he crashed during a moped ride – allegedly robbed 2013 - Tony Cordullo - owner of the Lotus bar 2014 - Nick Pearson, 25, from the UK. On New Year’s Day in 2014, he was found floating in a bay beneath a 15m cliff. He had no broken bones. Police ruled out foul play but his family believe he was murdered. 2014 - Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, from the UK. In September 2014, the couple were found bludgeoned to death close to where they were staying. Ms Witheridge had been raped. Two Burmese bar workers were found guilty of their murders the following year and sentenced to death. 2016 - Luke Miller, from the Isle of Wight, was reportedly found floating in a pool on the island. 2015 - Dimitri Povse, 29, from France. On New Year’s Day in 2015, he was found hanging in a bungalow. Police ruled his death a suicide but couldn’t explain why his hands were tied behind his back. 2015 - Christina Annesley, 23, from the UK and born in New Zealand. In January 2015, she was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics with alcohol. No toxicology report was conducted. Her family are suspicious. 2015 - Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, from Russia. In March 2015, she vanished from her hostel, with her mobile phone, passport and camera left behind. She is still missing. 2016 - Luke Miller, 24, from the UK. In January 2016, he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach. His family has accused police of a cover-up. 2016 - Luke Miller, from the Isle of Wight, was reportedly found floating in a pool on the island. 2017 - Elise Dallemagne, 30, of Belgium. In April 2017, she was found hanged in the jungle. Questions surround her death. - Police said Belgian tourist Elise Dallemagne committed suicide on Koh Tao but her family believe otherwise 2018 - June 2018 - German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. 2018 – August – alleged drug rape of a British teenager. Cops refused to investigate, then threatened to prosecute her for leaving the island 2018 - October 9, 2018 - Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday,. 2018 - 17/12/2018 - Rocio Leticia Gomez 39 from Argentina was lost at sea, rescued but died 4 days later. Another tragedy kept quiet!! 2019 - June– Samyak Choudhray – drowned whilst snorkelling 2020 a tourist was attacked with a knife by a well-known character of the island 2021 - A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island. 2023 - Nicholas Giblin passed away in his sleep. This is probably true. He was apparently a perfectly healthy person with no known illnesses. But his death has highlighted the problem of Koh Tao, which now has a reputation and the local police do nothing to alleviate this. 2024. 19 March 2024 - Theo Bailey British backpacker is found dead in a shallow water ditch on Thailand's notorious Koh Tao 'Death Island' after vanishing during night out with his girlfriend. -If Theo had actually drowned as suggested by the police spokesman THEN water would have been found in his lungs which would have been recorded in a preliminary autopsy report within 24 hours. Yet Theo died over 3 weeks ago. British backpacker – April – 2024 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13300463/British-backpacker-dead-shallow-water-ditch-Thailands-notorious-Koh-Tao-Death-Island-vanishing-night-girlfriend.html The latest foreigner death on Koh Tao was this week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14277741/irish-backpacker-dead-koh-tao-thailand.html

you realise you haven't read my post and are accusing me of things I haven't said - basically everything you've said in incorrect. I can't rely on just one quote - I'm referring to years of reading up on captive elephants in Thailand - the views are MINE - they are opinions based on evidence and reason of the entire conservation movement Now read this........ "No responsible elephant venue will engage in captive breeding, keep babies away from their mother, or allow guests to touch babies." - https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/latest/blogs/thailand-elephants/ your own reference!!

Breeding elephants in captivity in Thailand can be considered bad for several reasons: Ethical Concerns: Captive breeding often raises ethical issues related to animal welfare. Elephants may suffer from stress, unnatural living conditions, and restricted social interactions compared to their natural habitat. Conservation Impact - While captive breeding programs may aim to conserve the species, in reality it has negative impacts on wild populations. This includes potential genetic issues in captive-bred elephants and disruption of natural behaviours critical for survival in the wild. Internationally, great care is taken in selecting genetically diverse animals of the same sub species etc but casual breeding in camps in Thailand does none of this. In Thailand, captive-bred elephants are almost exclusively used in the tourism industry for activities like elephant rides, shows, or performances. This can lead to exploitation, as elephants are subjected to harsh training methods and unnatural behaviours for the sake of entertainment. Focusing on captive breeding diverts attention and resources away from preserving natural habitats and addressing the root causes of habitat loss and human-elephant conflicts. There is no long-term viability: captive breeding does not ensure the long-term survival of elephants as it does not address broader conservation challenges, such as habitat protection, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and sustainable development. It just supplies the tourist industry with baby elephants that boost tourist numbers at the attraction. In summary, while captive breeding seldom plays a role in conservation efforts, especially for species at risk, it should be approached scientifically and ethically so it contributes positively to both the welfare of individual animals having to give birth (and mate) and the conservation of the species as a whole.

Breeding elephants in captivity has nothing to to do with saving and endangered species. THere are about 4000 elephants in captivity - almost all involved in the tourist trade. In the wild there are about 3000 in Thailand there problems come from encroachment on their habit and human poaching and conflict

Rescue Sanctuary Natural Ethical Educational Local Community THese are just some of the cliches employed by the elephant atraction ins=dustry in Thailand. Elephants should be living in large herds and big mainland reserves - there should be no breeding, and minimal human interference. Why elephants are being held captive on islands is inexplicable Mahout is another grossly misused word - it has implications that just don't apply in the husbandry of elephants in tourism.

looks like richard doesn't know he's lost several categories on his licence!

just go to another one, then

As shown any in depth discussion on Road safety in Thailand can prove very difficult and confusing for some as they simply have never actually thought about it...preferring to resort to a bunch of over simplistic cliches. I've been studying and writing on road safety since the 1990s and especially in Thailand since 2000. Road safety is a discipline that goes unnoticed people tend to think that because they can drive, they are "experts" ( I hate that word!) on road safety. It's a bit like thinking they a qualified in medicine because they've been in hospital or are educationslists because they went to school.

Perceptions of Road safety in Thailand Why can’t people understand road safety in Thailand? “The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.” – Dave Barry When it comes to road safety – “seeing is believing” is most definitely NOT the case…. The 2 main enemies of clear thinking on road safety are confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance…… (take note Dickie) It is important to overcome them…. Confirmation bias (“confirmation bias,” the tendency people have to embrace information that supports their beliefs and reject information that contradicts them). E.G. – if you decide that drivers of pickup trucks are very rude, very time you see one doing a manoeuvre you don’t approve of you say “look, see what I mean” – but subconsciously you ignore the other vehicles and drivers doing the same. Cognitive dissonance (Sometimes learning new information can lead to feelings of cognitive dissonance. For example, if you engage in a behaviour that you later learn is harmful, it can lead to feelings of discomfort. People sometimes deal with this either by finding ways to justify their behaviours or findings ways to discredit or ignore new information.) E.G. – when you find out that statistically your belief about Fortuner drivers isn’t true – you ignore the evidence because it conflicts with your long-held belief and continue to pick out Fortuners as culprits. A common sign of cognitive dissonance is asking for citations (sealioning) rather than accepting the point or finding a proper reasoned argument against it. Overcoming these prejudices helps to get a realistic appreciation of the reality of the situation in Thailand and then to assess one’s personal driving skills. To understand road safety, it is advisable to drop the concept of “bad drivers” altogether and consider it in terms of human error within a Road Safety environment; a holistic approach to Thailand’s road environment” … and then consider how YOU fit into this either as a road user or even just a bystander. It can require a bit of soul-searching but in the end might make Thai roads safer for yourself and others. Perceptions in Thailand seem very skewed as is reflected in government policies and most comments you see in the media – whether the main news or social media. Most of the advice you see on driving in Thailand seems to be based purely on the “blame game” aimed at “other” (Thai) drivers and nape of the neck dictums from politicians trying to look as if they are doing something. - This has long been a discredited view in road safety science. Preconceptions and prejudices: - Foreign drivers in particular in Thailand often get overwhelmed by the unfamiliar traffic environment. This transmutes itself into criticism of other (native) drivers who seem far more comfortable on the roads. This quite often takes on a very aggressive and condescending nature. Comments by foreigners on road safety in Thailand are mostly just derogatory. Rather than any critical thinking or research, people simply use either anecdotal evidence or personal observation e.g. false (or politician’s) syllogisms[1] that don’t make for a well thought out, sound argument. Most of this advice I’d suggest is ill considered and at times downright wrong. Add to this a lack of experience by those handing out advice or any real knowledge of the factors contributing to road safety in Thailand (or anywhere else in the world for that matter) and the result is not so much opinions as assumptions and wildly inaccurate assertions. Just because someone can operate a car, doesn’t make them an “expert” on road safety. Many ignore the issues of road safety and focus on what they see as “bad driving”, and then conclude that driving in Thailand is that it is a prohibitively perilous thing to do and that this is largely down to Thai people being useless drivers. In fact, Thais have grown up in the Thai driving environment and are much more accustomed to it than most foreigners. They have the skills for survival. It is often foreigners who fail to understand and adapt to a new driving environment and try to stick to the old rules and conventions that dominated in their old home country…. they do so at their peril. Driving by the rules – your rules – is just not the right way to drive in Thailand. It is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. What they consider to be experience is in reality brainwashing or conditioning. Statistically, driving in a 4-wheeled private vehicle is a lot safer than people would have you believe. The road death rate for these in Thailand is just about the same as it is in the USA. Most of the opinions that appear on chat web sites etc., are by people who issue a series of tirades and vitriol against Thai drivers. Virtually every opinion is thoroughly negative. Many posters also suggest that because the roads are too dangerous to consider driving oneself, a driver or public transport was preferable. This is of course highly illogical as they have already accused Thai drivers of being the “worst in the world” so why would they let one drive them? On one hand they admit they aren’t competent enough to drive on Thai roads and then say all Thai drivers are dangerous and no good at driving??? What is more important is how competent a driver YOU are and how good is your ability to understand, acclimatise and adapt to the driving environment in Thailand. My experience is that many foreigners, even those who have lived in the country for a long time fail to grasp these concepts. “Thai roads are dangerous and all Thai drivers are reckless morons”. – so are you! Just take a moment to consider how people who say things like this see themselves and other road users. They have pre-set ideas about how others should or do drive and when they see a mistake of any kind it just serves to confirm this, but they are oblivious to any evidence to the contrary – this is a combination of confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance combined with a Dunning Kruger[2] effect appreciation of their own driving skills. How people form their opinions on driving can be quite tenuous. Yet they then talk as self-appointed authorities on the subject without any logic, reason or evidence. When it comes to some subjects, people quite unreasonably consider themselves to be “experts” – Healthcare, Teaching and education and Road safety seem to be prime examples of this – · Because they went to hospital, they are be “experts” on healthcare · because they went to school, they are “experts” on education · because they can drive a car, they are “experts” on road safety Everyone seems to think they are superb drivers and better than all those other road users. Expert - a reverse fallacious appeal to authority, often used by people to attack the messenger rather than the message. People without any argument seem to believe that they can discredit anyone who says something they don’t agree with or didn’t know, by suggesting they aren’t an “expert” or asking them why they think they are an “expert”. As if any opinion other than an “experts” must automatically be invalid.[3] People accept archaic ideas on road safety without question but things have moved on and this is reflected in the dramatic drop in traffic injury figures of countries that have adopted the “new” thinking. E.g. the “Safe System”. The problem is that if someone is told something they haven’t thought about before and even if it is backed it up with logic and reason, cognitive dissonance kicks in and they ignore even the most powerful evidence. In Thailand, the default position for foreigners is to turn on the vitriol when talking about their fellow road users... they automatically exclude themselves from the equation and whilst implying that their driving skills are far superior to those of any Thai people. It also seems that many foreigners who don’t even drive themselves like to get in on the act and get just as vociferous. However, it does underline that road safety isn’t just about driving, it’s about ROAD USERS - and that includes everyone on or near the road, pedestrians, stall holders, elephants, gammons etc etc……. On the whole though, if we were to believe everything the non-Thais posting on chat forums said, we wold have to conclude that almost everyone is better than the average driver! Which is mathematically impossible... Detailed anecdotal descriptions of how “bad” other motorists driving achieve nothing. Without analysis, all they do is reinforce those people’s prejudices about driving in Thailand - i.e. blaming people or even the entire nation, rather than considering the underlying causes. There is also the temptation to attempt simplifying matters by looking for one single solution for the whole problem; a sort of road safety panacea. A few common truths about how motorists see themselves versus other road users “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” - George Carlin “ ….. there are only three types of drivers; the too fast, the timid and oneself.” ― Virginia Graham, Say Please “There are two things no man will admit he cannot do well, drive and make love.” – Stirling Moss “The survey by Michelin North America found that the majority of Americans don’t trust other drivers and say they witness unsafe driving behaviour regularly. At the same time, an overwhelming majority - 81 percent - remain supremely confident in their own abilities behind the wheel.” [4] These were some observations resulting from research done by the Centre for Transport and Society - UK.... The public know that driver behaviour is a major contributory factor in the vast majority of road accidents... (Cauzard, 2003) - But there is a consistent view that OTHERS drive in a riskier manner than individuals themselves do - (King and Parker, 2008) It’s not just driving, older children and adolescents think they have good attitude and skills towards road safety but believe that others especially those in their peer group do not - (Tolmie. 2006). Individuals do not believe they are dangerous on the roads but at the same time fervently believe others are. • I am not likely to be responsible for an accident; others are likely to be responsible. Therefore, little I can do. • Hence, less likely to need to “plan to avoid them” • Campaigns aimed at dangerous driving are for “other” drivers not themselves. • Such campaigns re-emphasise this difference (2CV, 2008 and Flaming Research, 2008) • The third-person effect (Davison, 1983). • High support for enforcement, engineering solutions and education • But not for themselves - for other people. However, the reality can be a long way from these benighted perspectives. [1]Politician’s syllogism: - All cats have four legs. My dog has four legs. Therefore, my dog is a cat. [2] Dunning-Kruger effect: - a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge or competence in a given intellectual or social domain greatly overestimate their own knowledge or competence in that domain relative to objective criteria or to the performance of their peers or of people in general. - https://www.britannica.com/science/Dunning-Kruger-effect [3] “Experts” feel the need to know every piece of information before they start a project and constantly look for new certifications or trainings to improve their skills. They won’t apply for a job if they don’t meet all the criteria in the posting, and they might be hesitant to ask a question in class or speak up in a meeting at work because they’re afraid of looking stupid if they don’t already know the answer. [4] https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/23/george-carlin-was-right-other-drivers-are-idiots-and-maniacs.html

"cutting people off without a glance, running red lights and driving the wrong way" - are generalisations used to reinforce the idea that Thai people as a race or bad drivers … We see in this thread some wild bigoted assessments of driving in Thailand. Attributing driving behaviours to an entire race or nationality is unfair and inaccurate. Just like any country, Thailand has a diverse population with varying levels of driving skills and adherence to traffic laws. Thy fail to provide any statistical data or reliable sources that offer a more balanced view of road safety in Thailand. Generalizations do not reflect the reality of overall traffic safety trends or individual driving habits. I have given an overview to explain driving norms and behaviours in Thailand can vary widely across different regions and cities within Thailand. It's way more constructive to discuss specific issues or challenges in road safety rather than making sweeping generalizations Sharing personal experiences or anecdotes usually resorts to exercises in confirmation bias .This de-humanizes the discussion and offers only a racist perspective. Blanket statements can perpetuate stereotypes and harm perceptions of entire groups of people unfairly. People fail to approach these points calmly and logically, using critical thinking techniques. Foreigners observations on driving in Thailand are full of cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias and racial prejudice - backed up only by anecdotal evidence Remember – the plural of anecdote is not data! Addressing perceptions of driving in Thailand, particularly when influenced by cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and racial prejudice, requires an objective approach. One needs to start by acknowledging that perceptions of driving in any country can be influenced by personal biases and limited experiences and admit that this opens the door to a more balanced discussion. People fail utterly to realise the limitations of anecdotal evidence. Individual experiences are only valid in context and they never represent the entire reality of driving in Thailand. Look at broader statistics and studies for a more comprehensive understanding. As I said earlier – foreign drivers are obsessively ethnocentric. Driving norms vary significantly across cultures. What may seem chaotic or reckless to one person might be perceived differently within the local context. It is important to understand cultural differences in interpreting driving behaviours. This will make your own driving so much less stressful – in short if you find yourself spouting a litany of “Thai driving errors” – the problem is most likely with you, not the other drivers. – What is needed understanding and empathy toward cultural differences rather than a sense of entitlement that the foreign driver is both superior and better at driving. The use of stereotyping has highly questionable validity, What is needed is an analysis of specific examples and consider whether they truly reflect the majority of drivers in Thailand or if they are exaggerated perceptions. People’s perspective often lacks an objective or b balanced approach; objectivity needs to be applied along with critical thinking methodology when discussing driving behaviour in Thailand. People vastly under estimate Thai drivers good behaviour on roads – for instance you are less likely to die in a 4 wheeled vehicle in Thailand than in th USA. A more nuanced and balanced perspective, can help challenge and mitigate biases and prejudices often associated with those anecdotal observations of driving in Thailand. We need to challenge negative stereotypes and promote a more inclusive perspective.

Thai Road History and Culture If you know nothing about the past, you can’t learn from it – QED Dick. Thailand is in love with the automobile especially the pickup, SUV and the motorcycle - it is a transitional society; rapidly changing from agricultural to industrial. Thailand has a motor industry that consistently ranks around 10th in the top twenty of world producers... That’s about the same as the UK. The class system and road safety - Thailand has its own peculiar problems. Sakdina is the archaic cast system that dominated Thailand until the 20th century. It still hasn’t been fully swept away and it manifests itself in many aspects of Thai life, including the roads. Thailand has one of the world’s most unequal societies, and even its roads have a rigid hierarchy, with the poor far more likely to be killed in accidents than the well-off and well-connected.[1] The concept that any race or nation has a greater proportion of stupid drivers is just not valid. The ability to drive safely and responsibly isn't determined by race or nationality. Factors like education, experience, and adherence to traffic laws road and vehicle engineering play a much larger role in determining driving competence than any racial or national identity. It's important to approach such matters with objectivity and avoid generalizations that can perpetuate stereotypes. The reality is that other societies are simply better at stopping their stupid ones from being stupid. There may a lack of enforcement and training, different driving conditions and customs, but to dismiss all Thai drivers as innately or racially stupid is really showing a profound lack of understanding of both Thailand AND driving. The term “culture” is often used by racists to support these sort of generalisations and stereotypes, but it isn’t culture it’s a racist cliché. Culture means growth, it’s not static, it changes all the time but it often has roots deep in the past. Sweeping generalisations based on race/nationality just don’t cut the mustard. Driving Habits in Thailand When it comes to actually driving, there is a lot of behaviour that is unfamiliar to foreigners; the key is to adjust to it as soon as possible. E.G. - flashing lights, horn and hazard lights; these are indeed often used in circumstances that differ from “the West”. However bear in mind that they all have well-defined general functions, these are just regional variations. Internationally - Horn and flashing lights are to indicate your presence and the hazards are to indicate that your vehicle is stationary in a “hazardous” position. All other uses, West or East are in fact just implied or inferences that we draw from the particular situation we are in at the time. Then there are the tales of U-turns, traffic going the wrong way on dual carriageways and all those other “crazy” things that are accepted as everyday driving over here - no lights, no bodywork, no wheels, no looking, whatever... it really doesn’t take that long is a modicum of intelligence to work out and adjust to what’s happening or going to happen - if you fail to adjust, “som nam naa” - your journey may well come to an abrupt end. Some knowledge of Thai culture can help explain some of this. The expression “it’s Thai culture” itself has to be treated with some circumspection. It’s a get-out for all sorts of ills and quirks. In practice, it’s usually just a cover up for someone’s own latent prejudice or even racism. Just a justification for a prejudice. However, a background knowledge on how certain aspects of Thai cultural or religious life connects to driving helps to understand and anticipate some of the foibles you are likely to encounter on the road. I’ve mentioned the Thai acceptance of corruption in authorities. I’ve already mentioned the iconography of symbols used on vehicles and the superstitions, icons and emblems on trucks etc. but how does this affect every day driving? Many dismiss this as frivolous or pointless and then hang a St Christopher medal on the rear view mirror. In Western countries we have grown up with the car for over ¾ of a century, most of Westerners are 3rd 4th or even 5th generation drivers. Driving is accepted as an integral part of life. Our “national psyches” are geared to this, as are our road systems and behaviour on them. Some of the systems we are used to can date back to those great road-builders the Romans (who it seems probably drove on the left). In Europe before the arrival of the motorcar, we already used a lot of roads and had established some basic highway codes and practices - the roundabout has its roots in C18th Britain, born out of the need to manoeuvre horse and carriages in front of rich housing projects. Driving on the left, which was legally established in the early C19th in the UK, is said to stem from the way we handled horses. Driving on the right was introduced by Napoleon who needed this at least in part to move large cargo carts along the roads of France. Thailand is different. In Thailand, ask any car driver if their parents had a car and the vast majority will answer in the negative; mass motorised transport is a relatively recent thing here, it has taken hold rapidly together with Thailand’s rampant industrialisation. Including a huge protected motor industry. The number of motor vehicles has leapt from 2 million in 1981 to 27.5 million in 2010. By now the total is over 40 million over half being motorcycles. Before this, the main form of transport in the Kingdom was by river. There were of course some hand or animal pulled carts but these were very localised and in much smaller numbers than Europe where an elaborate road system had existed alongside rivers for centuries. Many of the roads in Thailand were built or improved in the C20th for military purposes by the Japanese and then the US in the 50s and 60s. The first “real” road in Thailand was Charoen Krung Road, built in 1860s by Rama IV and helped to service the European quarter in Bangkok. This marked the beginning of the change from river to road transport. Thailand currently only has less than 200 km of genuine motorway (compared to 3700 km of motorway in UK), but has announced plans to extend that to nearly 5000 km; a rather controversial plan that was first conceived in the 1990s. The Old Highways Most of the old highways connecting BKK to the rural cities were built with US aid during the Vietnam war in the 50s, 60s and early 70s to supply its military bases and to facilitate the movement of troops and arms. There were 4 main highways in Thailand that were developed largely after the war into the 1950s. mostly with American help although the chief Thai engineer was trained in the UK. 1. Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1)[2], - Bkk to Tachileik, Burma – started before war. 2. Mittraphap Road (Highway 2)[3] - the first Thai highway to use both asphalt and concrete. It received the name "Thanon Mittraphap" on 20 February 1957. 3. Sukhumvit (Highway 3)[4] – Bkk to Cambodia. Phra Bisal Sukhumvit was trained in the USA and was responsible for starting the highway system in the 1930s and 40s. he was responsible for a rapid increase in Thailand's road infrastructure during the 1930s and 1940s. Not a supporter of the Japanese, he also developed a few roads in Thailand during WW2. It was probably the Japanese who consolidated the “drive on the left” rule for Thailand. 4. Phetkasem Road (Highway 4)[5]. – Longest in Thailand finished 1950; the A4 was finished in the 1950s under the charge of an English trained Thai engineer It's important to understand the history and culture of a country to understand their roads, and the blinkered lack of understanding by so many on this thread goes a long way to explaining why so many foreigners are so useless as drivers - they simply don't understand what is going on around them -

I got my last 5 year just before Covid - originally I got all my renewals in Chonburi - so I guess it varies from area to area. - not unusual for Thai govt departments.