While driving on three lane roads and witnessing the childlike witless driving of a few people, the expression  'Better to arrive on time than dead on time" came to mind.

How to say this in Thai? 

I did what I believe most of us would do and start with the English. 

ขับรถอย่างจะถึงทันเวลาดีกว่าจะ ขับรถจะถึงความตายทันเวลา  We decided that ขับจะถึงที่หมายดีกว่า ขับจะถึงที่ตาย Better to drive to your destination than to drive to your death place. 

Does it work for you?  

 

 

 

How about:

All the dangerous overtakers

End up safe, at undertaker's

 

courtesy of Salman Rushdie

 

google translates it as

ผู้ก่อเหตุอันตรายทั้งหมด
จบลงอย่างปลอดภัยที่สัปเหร่อ

 

 

Better to arrive late than never at all.

Is this for a tshirt or a bumpersticker?

Better to be 10 minutes late than 40 years to early [to die]

Drive fast, walk slow!

This is the language forum chaps, where language is discussed.  

53 minutes ago, lust said:

Stupid

Hopefully all the other off topic posts will be removed. 

มาถึงตรงเวลาดีกว่าไม่มาถึง

ma tung drong wayla dee gwa my ma tung

 

arrive on time better than not arrive

50 minutes ago, bendejo said:

How about:

All the dangerous overtakers

End up safe, at undertaker's

 

courtesy of Salman Rushdie

 

google translates it as

ผู้ก่อเหตุอันตรายทั้งหมด
จบลงอย่างปลอดภัยที่สัปเหร่อ

 

 

This is off topic but I don't mind discussing this if you prefer.

Everyone who builds danger , finish safe at the undertakers.  

There is a play on words overtake-undertake in English which Thai cannot do. 

In my topic the words are 'on time' and 'dead on time' which Thai can't do so, 'the place (ที่) of arrival' and the 'place (ที่) of death' are used. 

48 minutes ago, Denim said:

มาถึงตรงเวลาดีกว่าไม่มาถึง

ma tung drong wayla dee gwa my ma tung

 

arrive on time better than not arrive

Should that not be มาถึงสายดีกว่ามาไม่ถึง ? Better late than never? 

I always put the main verb then the result มาถึง มาไม่ถึง because I have been criticised for saying ไม่มองเห็น. Do you say มองไม่เห็น or ไม่มองเห็น. 

15 hours ago, tgeezer said:

Should that not be มาถึงสายดีกว่ามาไม่ถึง ? Better late than never? 

I always put the main verb then the result มาถึง มาไม่ถึง because I have been criticised for saying ไม่มองเห็น. Do you say มองไม่เห็น or ไม่มองเห็น. 

In the interest of brevity I would do what the Thais do and just say ' my hen '

 

Thais don't always speak correctly themselves. They just follow what others say as with English users.

 

How many times have I read on this forum a thread beginning :   ' Me and my wife ..... '

so often in fact that I am beginning to doubt that :  ' My wife and I ......is correct !!!

 

As for hearing people start a sentence with ' them '  as in   ' them houses are very expensive '

 

well, I just give up because in the end I guess it is not a life or death error.