Thai Driving 'conventions' rather than 'rules'

[VocalNeal]

6 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Look at RTA statistics

Looking at statistics won't help you. Being flexible, looking at other road users and expecting them to do anything. Might help.

 

6 hours ago, cerox said:

Farangs get into accidents because they want to be "right" or stick to the law and because they are more "clever" in their driving. This is not how traffic works here, same goes for neighboring countries.

No. Just the ones on TV

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by VocalNeal

[RocketDog]

On 1/7/2020 at 1:28 PM, orang37 said:

I take exception to the idea that the reckless driving that keeps Amazing T. top-of-the-charts in the international annual road-slaughter statistics ... is ... somehow ... "cultural." I also discount the occasionally expressed theory that Thai cultural tropes of "mai phen rai" (and, "som nam naa") reflect a fatalism, related to Buddhism, that accounts for Thai road behavior.

 

imho, it is an expression of an absence of culture, an absence of socialization to the rule of law.

 

Contributing factors: alcohol, yaa baa, distraction of cell-phones, etc.

 

To save your expat skin, every time your drive/ride anything: assume all other vehicles are truing to kill you.

 

~o:37;

Agreed. Fear of Immediate Death : don't leave home without it. 

[RocketDog]

On 1/11/2020 at 4:52 PM, Rod the Sod said:

Excellent article in every way and also covers the same situation in places like Indonesia...so just a SEA thing like so much else. Unlike the OP, I think the link to culture is very accurate. I experienced the same approach in the business environment here in my working days.

 

I agree. I fail to see any Thai bashing here. Stating the truth may be unpopular or not politically correct, but it's still the truth. 

 

I found the article to be cogent and thoughtful. The Range of Responsibility ' concept makes perfect sense of what I've observed. 

 

I agree with the author that many of these accepted 'conventions' are deeply tied to the culture. The author draws parallels to other Thai activities that is indesputable. The way Thai people approach life and the future are never going to make sense to westerners, but ignore them or attempt to challenge them at your own great peril. 

 

Adapting and accepting are siblings. Honor both of them. 

[dingdongrb]

Quote

We use our mirrors constantly, and turn our heads to look over our shoulders before we make a lateral movement. 

You are joking, right?

 

My experience is there are stupid and uneducated drivers everywhere in the world.

Edited January 13, 2020 by dingdongrb