You know those much maligned people (on this forum) who cook for us, tidy the house, do the shopping, translate, run errands and make love like a porn star (all at the same time on a good day) - well I taught mine to drive, helped her to get a driving license and bought her a car. 

 

Now I just sit in the passenger seat and catch up on emails or drink coffee while she negotiates the crazy traffic.

 

I notice she only ever does a polite 'mini beep' of the horn to let others know we are there.

 

I also noticed we get stopped by the police much less often than when I used to drive, and she argues like crazy to get the 'fine' down to 100 THB.

 

Developing a non-aggressive, hyper-considerate driving style is a must here. In Thailand it is SOP for many drivers to speed up and prevent you from changing lanes when they see your turn signal come on or they anticipate that you will likely need to change lanes. You can use this to your advantage. Simply turn on your signal a little earlier than you might otherwise do, which will typically cause the other driver to immediately speed up and pass you. More often than not an opening behind the other car will quickly open up and you can safely change lanes.

 

I have come to believe that being hyper-considerate to other drivers has a positive ripple effect on drivers around you. It has a calming and de-competifying effect, sets a good example, and makes it more likely that other drivers will reciprocate down the road. Because there is next to no driver's training in school and people doze through the road safety videos at the DMV, road safety and etiquette isn't as standardized as it is in the West, which makes the setting of a good example all the more important.

 

 

It's fine as long as you have bulletproof car.

6 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

You know those much maligned people

I have to close my eyes,bite my tongue and sit on my hands when "she who must be obeyed" is driving.

Please use your horns as a way to warn other drivers of your presence or to get their attention and NOT to vent anger or show frustration. I always use my horn when I'm trying to warn others when they're not paying  attention on the road and Iv'e never been in trouble of getting my ass beaten up in a road rage. If you think you can be aggressive, don't be surprised if they return the favor. 

1 minute ago, johng said:

I have to close my eyes,bite my tongue and sit on my hands when "she who must be obeyed is driving"

After several roadside arguments including her getting out of the car and threatening to walk home (from Rayong to Bangkok), she finally started to listen to my 'tips' on how to predict risk and drive defensively. 

 

After her Thai driving lessons she was a frighteningly aggressive driver, I don't how they teach them to drive here, but she'd invariably accelerate into danger.  But after the inevitable "I was not just born before you, I was driving before you were born" quip, and a threat to cut off her on-line shopping allowance, she now drives in a 'Western way' - watching all lanes to predict incidents and even using the mirrors!

As with most other things, the wife is right!

 

1 minute ago, alx123 said:

Please use your horns as a way to warn other drivers of your presence or to get their attention and NOT to vent anger or show frustration.

Agree, I had some lunatic chasing me down highway 2 many years back for blowing the horn in anger at him, he had the passenger window down and a gun in hand at 120kph, luckily I had a faster vehicle and escaped, since then it hasn't been as difficult to control my anger ?

Thai people are not naturally tolerant, they just know what lunatics their fellow citizens can turn into for little reason! ? 

2 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

"I was not just born before you, I was driving before you were born"

Ahh that won't work for me as she is older and was driving before me..in fact she is better at almost crazy speed reverse parking than me..I used to drive forklifts and though I was ok in reverse.

 

1 minute ago, Kinnock said:

she now drives in a 'Western way' - watching all lanes to predict incidents and even using the mirrors!

Amazing  you should start a driving school ??

My wife is very good-except in one thing..

 

First things first-she was impressed by the way people drove in Australia and adapted to a "defensive" driving mode very quickly.I was not able to assist her in Thailand because all I did was sit there silently screaming "Buddha..oh Buddha.."

 

The bad thing is that she did not pass on this knowledge to her siblings or relatives as Thais know best.

The OP sounds like a hot-headed American and there are many like him (myself included, back in the day.  I've since mellowed).  And this is the reason road rage in the US is in many ways, worse than in Thailand. 

 

Regarding the beeping the horn thing, what I find is that it's perfectly ok (and recommended) to beep your horn to avoid an accident.  If someone doesn't see you and is moving into your lane, honk your horn.  

 

What's not ok is to honk after the fact, just to "voice your displeasure."  It solves nothing and will only piss the other guy off.  If I make a mistake, I'll own up to it.  But if some ahole makes a big stink about it (i.e., the OP), I'll give him the finger...or worse.  Fact is, the OP can get all ape sht with a 100 drivers and 99 of them won't do anything.  It's that one short-tempered nutbag with a gun who might.  And the OP may just find him. 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/road-rage-9-ways-to-get-yourself-killed/6/

 

 

I probably clock more kms than most on here, 5000-7000kms a month, meaning i spend a lot of time on the roads / stuck in traffic etc.

 

I witness crazy driving moves every trip i make, i have never seen fisty cuffs and i most certainly never seen guns drawn....

 

I take everything on here with a pinch of salt.

 

I beep my horn when necessary and never had any reprucussions.

17 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

I probably clock more kms than most on here, 5000-7000kms a month, meaning i spend a lot of time on the roads / stuck in traffic etc.

 

I witness crazy driving moves every trip i make, i have never seen fisty cuffs and i most certainly never seen guns drawn....

 

I take everything on here with a pinch of salt.

 

I beep my horn when necessary and never had any reprucussions.

Then I guess the road rage and fatalities I see on the Thai news is fake news?

9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Then I guess the road rage and fatalities I see on the Thai news is fake news?

By shooting?

3 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

By shooting?

Does it matter if by gun, knife, club or machete?  Dead is dead.

9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Does it matter if by gun, knife or machete?  Dead is dead.

Dead is dead, that is correct.

 

I'm simply stating my experiences ( or lack thereof ) of severe road rage that several people make sound like it's common place, when in fact, it's not.

 

If it were common then logic would say i'd have witnessed it numerous occasions, which i have n't.

 

 

 

 

Just now, JaiLai said:

Dead is dead, that is correct.

 

I'm simply stating my experiences ( or lack thereof ) of severe road rage that several people make sound like it's common place, when in fact, it's not.

 

If it were common then logic would say i'd have witnessed it numerous occasions, which i have n't.

 

 

 

 

You're just one in a population of 70 million, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. What I see on the Thai news makes road rage fairly commonplace, not saying every case ends up as a fatality, but Thais behind the wheel tend to have short fuses.

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You're just one in a population of 70 million, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. What I see on the Thai news makes road rage fairly commonplace, not saying every case ends up as a fatality, but Thais behind the wheel tend to have short fuses.

Where did i say it does not happen?

 

 

1 minute ago, JaiLai said:

Where did i say it does not happen?

 

 

Read your own words " I'm simply stating my experiences ( or lack thereof ) of severe road rage that several people make sound like it's common place, when in fact, it's not."  I'm saying it happens frequently enough to be called commonplace, you disagree, fine. Move on.

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Read your own words " I'm simply stating my experiences ( or lack thereof ) of severe road rage that several people make sound like it's common place, when in fact, it's not."  I'm saying it happens frequently enough to be called commonplace, you disagree, fine. Move on.

i moved on - thanks.

 

It is probably not wise to use the horn as an audio weapon in countries where your target is likely to have an edged or ballistic weapon about their person......and very possibly has the disposition to use it with little provocation.

 

The horn is supposed to be used as "an audible indication of approach" and does so without causing offence......if used in the appropriate manner.

 

It is not supposed to be used to perpetrate an audio attack upon those who have annoyed you.

 

(Especially as its efficacy in defence against edged and ballistic weapons is questionable)

 

 

51 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

I probably clock more kms than most on here, 5000-7000kms a month, meaning i spend a lot of time on the roads / stuck in traffic etc.

Are you an Uber driver? Guys back home clock that in a fortnight, all while clearing $9/hr.

12 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

It is probably not wise to use the horn as an audio weapon in countries where your target is likely to have an edged or ballistic weapon about their person......and very possibly has the disposition to use it with little provocation.

 

The horn is supposed to be used as "an audible indication of approach" and does so......if used in the appropriate manner.

 

It is not supposed to be used to perpetrate an audio attack upon those who have annoyed you.

 

(Especially as its efficacy in defence against edged and ballistic weapons is questionable)

 

 

Where is your evidence that  it's 'likely'?

 

 

9 minutes ago, BuckleUp said:

Are you an Uber driver? Guys back home clock that in a fortnight, all while clearing $9/hr.

No

26 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

Where is your evidence that  it's 'likely'?

 

 

 

I consider your post to be the equivalent of  "vexatious litigation" and will make no further reply or comment other than that which is contained in this post.

 

Good day to you.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

I consider your response to be the equivalent of what is known in the legal world as "vexatious litigation" and will make no further reply or comment other than that which is contained in this post.

 

Good day to you.

 

 

bye bye

48 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

By shooting?

There was another one a few days ago. 

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1047277-thai-jailbirds-shot-pick-up-driver-in-the-eyes-because-he-cut-in-front-of-their-motorbike-in-trang/?tab=comments#comment-13154210

24 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

There was another one a few days ago. 

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1047277-thai-jailbirds-shot-pick-up-driver-in-the-eyes-because-he-cut-in-front-of-their-motorbike-in-trang/?tab=comments#comment-13154210

Unless some witness it themselves, it didn't happen.

33 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

There was another one a few days ago. 

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1047277-thai-jailbirds-shot-pick-up-driver-in-the-eyes-because-he-cut-in-front-of-their-motorbike-in-trang/?tab=comments#comment-13154210

Rare cases, people on here imply that almost everyone you sound the horn at is going to have a weapon, which is simply untrue ( based on my experience ).

 

Just now, JaiLai said:

Rare cases, people on here imply that almost everyone you sound the horn at is going to have a weapon, which is simply untrue ( based on my experience ).

 

No one said that, or even implied it, but some seem to think that it never happens as well. You say "rare" do you have any figures to back that up?