Free left turn and...

[digbeth]

In traffic sign and law

เลี้ยวซ้าย ผ่านตลอด

is a concept foreign to right hand drive countries like UK and rarely found in Australia

but borrowing from the American there's 'Free right turn', so the translation of the Thai sign should be 

"Free left turn"

as a road sign, is that clear enough to be understood by international audience?

I understand in Europe there's 'Right turn on red' in local languages

 

Another Thai traffic rule that I can't find concise translation that would suit appropriate road sign for is 

ช่องซ้าย ผ่านตลอด

where in a T junction with secondary road to the right, the leftmost lane can go straight ahead without stopping on red light 

[tgeezer]

Why not? If "free left turn" is already an understandable term.

Does ผ่านตลอด seem an odd way of saying it to you, when I first heard it I thought it so. Then I read in the licence exam hand book ไฟแดงห้ามผ่าน which I think made it clear. เลี้ยวซายผ่านตลอด = if turning left permitted to pass the red light always.
In the US does it also only occur at junctions with lights?


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[SiSePuede419]

Never heard the expression "Free right turn" in America.

 

It's called "Right turn permitted AFTER stop".

 

Technically, you must come to a complete stop and then make sure there's no oncoming traffic or left turn signal traffic (both have the "right of way").

 

Cops do give tickets for "rolling stops", even if there's no oncoming traffic (but this of course, is seldom observed by the typical American driver). ?

[bluesofa]

I found this description in wiki, related to UK traffic rules:

"Sometimes there are specific lanes without signals for turning left, separated from the through traffic signalled traffic by traffic islands, but give way signs are installed."

 

Even if you ignore the traffic island part, as a Brit used to driving on the left, the เลี้ยวซายผ่านตลอด seems quite natural to me, or have I been here too long?

Edited December 5, 2017 by bluesofa

[tgeezer]

I think that as right hand car drivers we instinctly do what Thai drivers do.
There is one junction on my route to golf where we take it upon ourselves to turn left against the lights, I prefer to arrive there when the lights are in my favour but 'when in Rome... " .


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[bluesofa]

13 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

I think that as right hand car drivers we instinctly do what Thai drivers do.
There is one junction on my route to golf where we take it upon ourselves to turn left against the lights, I prefer to arrive there when the lights are in my favour but 'when in Rome... " .


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Now you mention that, it has just triggered my memory from when I used to live in Pattaya years ago.

 

At the Second Road/Central Road junction when turning left into Central Road towards the beach, there was a sign which said รอสัญญาณ or maybe เลี้ยวซ้ายรอสัญญาณ It was only in Thai, no English translation.

 

Hence the it was a favourite for the BIB to pounce on non-Thai readers and fine them when they did try to turn left on red.

 

IIRC doesn't the regulation say say something like you can turn left on red unless specified otherwise?

 

[digbeth]

On 6/12/2560 at 9:55 AM, bluesofa said:

Now you mention that, it has just triggered my memory from when I used to live in Pattaya years ago.

 

At the Second Road/Central Road junction when turning left into Central Road towards the beach, there was a sign which said รอสัญญาณ or maybe เลี้ยวซ้ายรอสัญญาณ It was only in Thai, no English translation.

 

Hence the it was a favourite for the BIB to pounce on non-Thai readers and fine them when they did try to turn left on red.

 

IIRC doesn't the regulation say say something like you can turn left on red unless specified otherwise?

 

 

That was 'Turn left... waiting light' sign, that's badly translated from Thai

That junction is in practice.. free left turns when there's no police presence, or even then when they feel like it

 

The regulation says only left turn when red is allowed where there's white arrow in blue circle sign or เลี้ยวซ้าย ผ่านตลอด in Thai

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, digbeth said:

 

That was 'Turn left... waiting light' sign, that's badly translated from Thai

That junction is in practice.. free left turns when there's no police presence, or even then when they feel like it

 

The regulation says only left turn when red is allowed where there's white arrow in blue circle sign or เลี้ยวซ้าย ผ่านตลอด in Thai

Thanks for the reply.

 

I know it was over ten years ago, but I was sure at that time there wasn't anything in English at all at that particular junction? However, I maybe be wrong and am willing to be corrected.

 

I don't recall seeing any junctions with a white arrow/blue circle, although I have seen the เลี้ยวซ้าย ผ่านตลอด quite  few times.