Every 10 Minutes

[George Bowman]

Recently, I was finally able to do a project that I had in the back of my mind for years.

 

The concept was simple; just count the vehicles being driven on the wrong side of the road.  I chose the round-trip trek from Phitsanulok to Bangkok and back, as we had traveled this route many times. The wife was behind the wheel and I counted, well except for the occasional nap. I was surprised to find only two small farm trucks being driven on the wrong side of the road. But I should add, there were 61 motorcycles also seen being ridden on the wrong side of the road. There seemed to be no difference between the rural areas, suburbs or Bangkok as far as going the wrong way.

 

In total our trip usually takes about 600 minutes. If my figures are correct, then in the future, I should plan on seeing a vehicle travelling towards me in the wrong lane every ten minutes…

 

 

[jenny2017]

Is it perhaps time to get a real hobby? Maybe golf, or cricket? 

[maxcorrigan]

1 minute ago, jenny2017 said:

Is it perhaps time to get a real hobby? Maybe golf, or cricket? 

Or watching paint dry, could be quite exhilarating i would imagine! 

[jenny2017]

2 minutes ago, maxcorrigan said:

Or watching paint dry, could be quite exhilarating i would imagine! 

Well, that would have the same result. 

[tifino]

 

a sort-of-relief from white line fever?

[watcharacters]

 

Better proof if you took video of entire trip which no one would watch.

 

 

[worgeordie]

Do the same at night, motorbikes without rear lights,risking

their lives and others for the price of a bulb !

regards worgeordie

[maxcorrigan]

1 minute ago, worgeordie said:

Do the same at night, motorbikes without rear lights,risking

their lives and others for the price of a bulb !

regards worgeordie

Agreed saw some last night went steaming past us then with their dark clothes vanished in the darkness ahead, you have to try and remember where they are likely to be, bloody idiots!

[Kwasaki]

Wrong side of road use is a common occurrence in Thailand for a reason along with many other things to be aware of, no big deal.  

[observer90210]

These U-Turns should plainly be abolished with barriers or similar on roads with heavy trafic and  multiple trafic lanes...

[Lungstib]

The Thais have no concept of 'wrong side of the road". Everything is treated like a supermarket aisle. Why would a car/bike drive 2 kms down the road, do a U-turn and then come back 2.5kms when the direct route is available? Nice to see you finding something to do to keep your mind off the wife's driving. 

[MaxYakov]

Yeah, I actually prefer wrong-way cycling in urban Bangkok so I can keep an eye on these Thai motor vehicles/operators at all times (similar to a pedestrian walking facing traffic at the roadside) without having to remember to dutifully scan my rear-view mirror. What's a little disconcerting is when a wrong-way motorbike sneaks up and passes me on the left, defeating my purpose for being wrong-way.

[jacko45k]

You can sleep and amuse yourself like this while the wife is driving. I can't let go of the dash!

[yellowboat]

16 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

Is it perhaps time to get a real hobby? Maybe golf, or cricket? 

He already has a great hobby.  He takes naps. 

 

I have been hit several times by motorbikes driving on the wrong side of the road, which is why nobody is surprised Thailand has the most dangerous roads on the world.  Chronicling such stupidity may one day save a life.  Golf only tans the forearms and ruins a perfectly good walk.  

[BuaBS]

I do it too ... but then they put poles up on the "man made" U-turn , now I have to drive 2 km to turn.

[RichardColeman]

Better thing to count would be how many of the trees, sign posts and street lamps have dents in them

[LawrenceN]

1 hour ago, BuaBS said:

I do it too ... but then they put poles up on the "man made" U-turn , now I have to drive 2 km to turn.

Good!

[jimn]

My immediate reaction is "why would you bother to do that, you must be bored." I could have saved you the bother. Try driving for a short period in Pattaya and you will see a vehicle going the wrong way every 10 seconds.

[MadMuhammad]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

He already has a great hobby.  He takes naps. 

 

I have been hit several times by motorbikes driving on the wrong side of the road, which is why nobody is surprised Thailand has the most dangerous roads on the world.  Chronicling such stupidity may one day save a life.  Golf only tans the forearms and ruins a perfectly good walk.  

Hit several times? Didn’t learn from the 2nd or 3rd occurrence? lol

[TKDfella]

Ha, around midday a short time ago I was waiting for a friend, which turned to to be 15 minutes, in a local market area. Not enough room for cars and the like to drive the wrong way so I watched and counted m/c. My figures were something like 80% no helmet, 45% going the wrong, 8% more than two people on a bike. Surprise surprise two pickups passed by me going the wrong way. That was only on my side of the road as the central reservation blocked my view to the other side. Next time I'll read a book instead, Ha!

[jkcjag]

Riding a motorcycle in Thailand seems to be an extension of walking, i.e. Thais don't see it as riding a vehicle that should obey road rules, they see it as a means to walk more quickly, and therefore the motorcycle goes where ever a pedestrian can go, and the same rules apply as would for a pedestrian, i.e. none.

[toofarnorth]

Several U turns between me and the northern border at Maesai get closed around now . It makes the roads safer apparently , I can't think how this works .  I can go along the right lane indicating right a 100m before the turning only to find it has been closed for soakran.

Now I am having to slow as nowhere to go with traffic in the fast lane rapidly getting nearer , ok open up the taps and get out the way but how can shutting off some U turns make the roads safer . No U turns at all might help with a roundabout every few miles but the locals have no idea how to use those .

[Stargeezr]

While in Thailand I have also went a short distance to avoid a 2km trip to the next turn around.

  So I totally know why some motorbikes do the wrong way. Cars and trucks doing it are just

dangerous and too lazy.

Geezer

[MaxYakov]

34 minutes ago, jkcjag said:

Riding a motorcycle in Thailand seems to be an extension of walking, i.e. Thais don't see it as riding a vehicle that should obey road rules, they see it as a means to walk more quickly, and therefore the motorcycle goes where ever a pedestrian can go, and the same rules apply as would for a pedestrian, i.e. none.

There are a few universal rules:

 

1) Vehicle with the most mass * speed has the right-of-way

2) Don't be in the wrong place at the wrong time

[Different]

Enjoy it while you cant do anything about it.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

Is it perhaps time to get a real hobby? Maybe golf, or cricket? 

That would be even more boring, then there's darts and snooker. 

[Tofer]

Thankfully my wife is the worlds best back seat driver, and has saved a few candidates from the morgue in such situations. I sincerely believe I could drive blindfolded with her by my side....

 

What beats me though is their complete lack of any common sense, driving the wrong way, at speed, across an exit driveway onto a dual carriageway, i.e. traffic generally travelling in only one direction.

[jesimps]

19 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Wrong side of road use is a common occurrence in Thailand for a reason along with many other things to be aware of, no big deal.  

What reason, bone idleness? Dislike of obeying rules? The desire to endanger the lives of others?

There's NO logical reason, although I've a feeling you're going to come up with one.

 

[Krataiboy]

17 hours ago, Lungstib said:

". Everything is treated like a supermarket aisle. Why would a car/bike drive 2 kms down the road, do a U-turn and then come back 2.5kms when the direct route is available? Nice to see you finding something to do to keep your mind off the wife's driving. 

 Thais have no concept of 'wrong side of the road'

 

Yes they do - it's the side they are not on.

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, jesimps said:

What reason, bone idleness? Dislike of obeying rules? The desire to endanger the lives of others?

There's NO logical reason, although I've a feeling you're going to come up with one.

 

Motorcyclists travel on the wrong side frequently on the highways, where there are motorcycle lanes. The accepted etiquette seems to be the scooter going the correct way pulls out into the left hand lane to allow the other scooter to pass on the inside. People going the wrong way are usually travelling slowly. I don't get myself in a lather about it.

However, I do marvel at the institutionalised stupidity of Australian road authorities, where it is an offence for a motorcycle to travel in the emergency lanes, when they could reduce the two-wheel accident statistics at the stroke of a pen.