Passersby- Why do Thai pedestrians pass to the right?

[Captain Monday]

I realized long ago from solo fitness hikes on Diamond Head in HNL on my layovers that while encountering Koreans or Japanese or Americans head on, they tend to pass on the side their countries drive on. nearly 100 percent valid observation. Thailand drives on the left but the Thai people pass you while walking, to the right. I cant tell British from Americans I let them move first.

 

 

[CharlieH]

In my observation they will pass either side depending on my position and body language and you can actually control which they(anyone) will move (mostly) by your own body lahguage.

[Captain Monday]

8 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

In my observation they will pass either side depending on my position and body language and you can actually control which they(anyone) will move (mostly) by your own body lahguage.

Interesting. I don't barge thru supermarkets but on the street I walk twice as fast as the average Thai person. Perhaps I am leading them. 

[Kwasaki]

I keep left walking and being bigger than most Thais coming towards me it works. ????

[CharlieH]

3 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Interesting. I don't barge thru supermarkets but on the street I walk twice as fast as the average Thai person. Perhaps I am leading them. 

I think the speed the majority walk at here is reaaalllyyyy slow and frankly irritating. I too walk with purpose, and my wife often comments "why walk same run" .....5555 I say no, I just dont dawdle!

[Captain Monday]

I walk partially for fitness daily.  The local Chamoro people on Guam are the slowest moving humans I have ever encountered. They make Thai pedestrians look like cheetahs chasing a gazelle, usually they are in cars though .I made the same observations , equal number of Japanese and Korean tourists. They always move to right or left depending on nationality.

 

Many rent cars without much driving experience which is also interesting. I guess in Korea you can never make a right turn on a red light. I explained it once to a guy who had a bunch of cars behind him honking.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Captain Monday

[KannikaP]

7 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

I walk partially for fitness daily.  The local Chamoro people on Guam are the slowest moving humans I have ever encountered. They make Thai pedestrians look like cheetahs chasing a gazelle, usually they are in cars though .I made the same observations , equal number of Japanese and Korean tourists. They always move to right or left depending on nationality.

 

Many rent cars without much driving experience which is also interesting. I guess in Korea you can never make a right turn on a red light. I explained it once to a guy who had a bunch of cars behind him honking.

 

 

In UK you cannot turn left at a red light unless there is a filter light.

[Captain Monday]

13 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

In UK you cannot turn left at a red light unless there is a filter light.

In the US you can turn right at a red light (safely, giving way to pedestrians) unless it is specifically signed NO RIGHT TURN ON RED. This includes Guam. New York used to be different.

[Captain Monday]

10 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

In the US you can turn right at a red light (safely, giving way to pedestrians) unless it is specifically signed NO RIGHT TURN ON RED. This includes Guam. New York used to be different.

Nothing to be confused about. You have to come to a complete stop (not everyone does that, a moving  violation) and give way to traffic from the left of course.  This keeps traffic flowing safely. 

[gunderhill]

I  like the ones who almost walk into me best, I see them coming and stand  still whilst they are either  looking elsewhere or  down at their  phone, I then say Boo to them, the looks are priceless.

[gunderhill]

On 3/27/2021 at 5:05 PM, KannikaP said:

In UK you cannot turn left at a red light unless there is a filter light.

In Thailand you  can do <deleted>  you want, seems  the norm and when  you  get  called  out  on it they really don't  like  that.