How safe is touring Thailand by motorbike?

[DILLIGAD]

Your biggest danger is wildlife running out while riding through the country side. 
 
 
 
Brigante7.

Agree ( Feral dog got me into a Trauma Ward last month!)


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[NCC1701A]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah people driving on the wrong side of the road here doesn't mean they come from another country. ?

The tourist cyclists in our village do it a lot unless therewith a Thai guide.

 

As said there's very few places I've haven't been in Thailand a lot of them on a CB400 & a Versys 650 motorbike I had and yeah had a few near misses but never as many as had or use to in England.

 

There's a lot of over the top remarks here IMHO.

wow I would have to ride every day for a month in the States to match one day of near misses here in Thailand.

 

[geronimo]

Its all down to road sense and if you have that and assume that every other driver/rider is a lunatic, you'll be fine. I've been riding here on and off for 30 years btw.

[johng]

4 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

Get off the road before sunset. Insects in some areas can be in plague proportions at this time on occasions.

They can really hurt if you hit them at any sort of speed..you definitely need eye protection.and ride with closed mouth

[Kinnock]

I don't think Thailand is the ideal destination to gain experience.  I'd recommend gaining experience in your home country first.  

 

Also go for a modest bike with ABS.

 

[NCC1701A]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

 

 

I'm not sure its just the young guys. The way i like to see it is you need to control the urge to speed

roger that about speed. but I was thinking about reacting emotionally when you get forced off the road or a minivan tailgates you so close you can touch them. 

[NCC1701A]

here is some CCTV and dash cam video from Thailand highways.

 

[scubascuba3]

roger that about speed. but I was thinking about reacting emotionally when you get forced off the road or a minivan tailgates you so close you can touch them. 

Yes, i think mai pen rai, road rage won't help anyone

 

[Kwasaki]

18 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

wow I would have to ride every day for a month in the States to match one day of near misses here in Thailand.

 

US can't compare I would say, be careful if you go UK. ?

[Gecko123]

@Kerryd's summary of Thailand related road hazards (post #41, page 3)) is the best I have ever read.

 

Although many risks can be minimized by driving defensively, I would argue that the probability of an unanticipatable 'black swan' road event is significantly higher in Thailand than in most countries in the West, and for this reason alone, motorcycles which afford far less protection against bodily injury, are best avoided.

 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Gecko123

[sawadee1947]

If you want to see our saviour do it. Might be a deadly experience. No risk no fun. 

[smotherb]

6 hours ago, JaiLai said:

d

Congrats Jailai and I wish you well.

 

I too have ridden all over Thailand and have ridden motorcycles all over the world for more than 60 years.  However, I have had two bad accidents, a couple of minor ones and several very close calls in my almost eleven years riding in Thailand. I had one bad accident in the 50 years prior to that. However, I am 73 and my reflexes are not as good as they once were. I have curtailed my riding considerably.

 

I would not recommend riding a motorcycle in Thailand unless you are an experienced rider and even then make sure you have the best safety gear and medical insurance to cover motorcycle accidents.

[Dap]

Use the same common sense you would apply to riding your bike to the local store.

Thai traffic is unsafe anywhere in the country, so being aware on the road is as safe

as you're gonna' get. Go for it and have a great time.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Dap

[connda]

8 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Very inexperienced but always cautious rider. Never takes risks on the bike. Daytime riding. Always under the speed limit.

Am I signing my own death certificate? 

It's very dangerous to drive here.  However, even 'experienced' motorcycle drivers are at risk driving in Thailand.  Thais drive extremely aggressively, they often drive in a suicidal manner (e.g., entering primary roads from side streets without looking), they do not understand defensive driving one iota, they have no concept of road courtesy, and many car drivers 'look down upon' motorcycle drivers as having lower status and therefore not worthy to worry about.  That adds up to a country with the official title of "The World's Most Dangerous Roads" where 80% of the fatalities are motorcycle drivers and riders.
However, if you survive a year driving here, you'll be more experienced than most in Western countries.  You may actually be at an advantage being inexperienced.  "Experienced" Western motorcycle drivers probably start out being complacent.  Most have technical experience as opposed to survival experience.  Big difference! And complacency gets you into accidents.  Thailand has it's own rules of the road and until you understand the rules governing the insane driving, you are at risk.  Once you start seeing the patterns to the insanity, then you can start to mitigate the risk.  But it's still extremely dangerous to drive here.
As the old saying goes: You pays yer money and you takes yer chances.  Best of luck. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by connda

[jenny2017]

5 hours ago, chrissables said:

Only street dogs.

Where in Thailand do you live? There are buffaloes, cows and other animals, including airborne vehicles coming from all directions. OP, have you got a good life insurance? Try to survive Sisaket's rush hour for a week and you can drive everywhere. 

[jenny2017]

40 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

Agree ( Feral dog got me into a Trauma Ward last month!)


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You were just lucky this time. I hope that there's no next time. Knock on wood! ?

[khlongtoey]

apparently better than Bosnia, and worse than Sri Lanka per 100k vehicles,  and 24,000 / year  dead , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

 

probably the most dangerous thing in Thai   you might get lucky ,  esp on backroads in the daytime are some lovely spots , but  doesn't seem like much improves, 

I have friends that keep their big bikes outside bangkok and ride all the way down to Songkhla apparently , but I don't think I've ever seen a highway patrol car 

Edited August 13, 2018 by khlongtoey

[connda]

5 hours ago, Brigante7 said:

Your biggest danger is wildlife running out while riding through the country side. 

 

 

 

Brigante7.

Wildlife?  Only in the national parks.  Everywhere else the wildlife has been killed or eaten.    Much more likely to get your head ripped off by wires hanging on the road from utility poles.  That and domesticated pets.  Watch out for dogs lying in the middle of the road, especially in rural areas where they don't bother to move even when they see you coming. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by connda

[Gecko123]

Crappy song; crappy idea.

 

[HAKAPALITA]

Must say the Ferang Big Bikers on Tour are a credit, shame about the ferang SUV and other 4 wheeler Drivers touring ,  little or no roadcraft as displayed by you Bikers.!!

[Kwasaki]

10 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

Where in Thailand do you live? There are buffaloes, cows and other animals, including airborne vehicles coming from all directions. OP, have you got a good life insurance? Try to survive Sisaket's rush hour for a week and you can drive everywhere. 

You forgot elephants, another thing when on motorbike rides trips avoid large towns on your route, most of the time we're done with riding before rush hours.

 

Some of the people here must live in some awful parts of Thailand to say what they experience on roads.

 

As for dogs if you have a big wheel semi-off road bike dogs are just a another bump in the road.

[kannot]

8 hours ago, Thian said:

Don't worry mate, you don't need to take risks because the Thai will do that for ya.

 

Buy the best amulet you can afford and Bob is your uncle.

and Fannys  yer Aunt, remember round every corner could be a  COW, a  PARKED PICK  UP,   NO ROAD,        A  30CM  DEEP  HOLE,   A  PACK OF  DOGS, A 100 Goats, etc etc on the straight sections expect anything even the road to turn to gravel for 10-20 metres, no warnings  for any BIG  holes and I mean BIG

I once came upon a transmission axle in the  middle  of the road and a 1.2m x 1m cage for keeping  some animals in.

Go slow expect ANYTHING, think of the stupidest most dangerous unbelievable thing and the THAIS  will go one better.

[GreasyFingers]

This is not meant to deter the OP because I love my bikes but I am sitting here with a broken kneecap because of a dog. Only doing 60kph but the bike went down and so did I.

 

Most of the dangers have been mentioned before but when on a 2 lane rural road, on a right hand bend, 50% of the oncoming cars/trucks/bikes will be on your side of the road, double yellow lines or not.

A bike is fair game to the delivery vans who will overtake a line of other vehicles as you are approaching. It is your "etiquette" to move out of the way.

Also look out for the ones (cars & bikes) that zap past you and immediately put on the brakes as they are going to make a left hand turn.

[Kwasaki]

8 minutes ago, kannot said:

and Fannys  yer Aunt, remember round every corner could be a  COW, a  PARKED PICK  UP,   NO ROAD,        A  30CM  DEEP  HOLE,   A  PACK OF  DOGS, A 100 Goats, etc etc on the straight sections expect anything even the road to turn to gravel for 10-20 metres, no warnings  for any BIG  holes and I mean BIG

I once came upon a transmission axle in the  middle  of the road and a 1.2m x 1m cage for keeping  some animals in.

Go slow expect ANYTHING, think of the stupidest most dangerous unbelievable thing and the THAIS  will go one better.

You really shouldn't drive after taking morphine. ?

[Esso49]

6 hours ago, Brigante7 said:

Your biggest danger is wildlife running out while riding through the country side. 

 

 

 

Brigante7.

Especially those animals behind the wheel of a pick-up

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

Especially those animals behind the wheel of a pick-up

Just passed the test.

 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

My friend died last year large touring bike, experienced, full protective gear. He got the wobs went down and hit a wall. No other vehicle involved. Slightly down the highway he would have been in a field and probably ok.

Plenty of obstacles in the road, you have to look down almost as much as everywhere else

In my car I have to "look down the road" in case my car suddenly becomes unstable, flips over and crashes?

A motorbike/cycle is inherently more dangerous than a Car.

[CGW]

2 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I also see a not insignificant number of bike riders using slick tyres here. The irony on this is that racing tyres need to get up to a certain temperature before they work properly and help with traction. If they aren't at the working temperature, they are actually more dangerous than a standard modern road tyre. It is very hard to get racing compound tyres up to temperatures on most public roads - aside from maybe some of the great twisty roads in the mountains, but again the speeds you need to hit at times make it impractical for life longevity.

Where are you riding, in 30 years I have never seen a bike on the road in Thailand with slicks, sure they weren't just bald! ? 

[khunPer]

9 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Am I signing my own death certificate?

No, 99,964 out of 100,000 survives every year...?

[Vacuum]

7 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

look out for the ones (cars & bikes) that zap past you and immediately put on the brakes as they are going to make a left hand turn.

  I see this daily, and the idiots driving in the right lane and suddenly realize they want to exit the highway in the left lane. This is just another proof of the lack of forward-thinking in this country.