Video: Appalling parking at shopping center - "Did they even take a driving test?"

[webfact]

ASEAN NOW caption: Thai red plate parking!

 

Sanook reported on a TikTok post by chakit_j who posted a short video of some appalling parking at a department store lot. 

 

The white car had a red plate meaning it was brand new and perhaps indicating that the driver was a novice. 

 

The car's rear end was sticking out making it hard for other drivers to get past while the front occupied just part of the allotted space. 

 

Netizens commented in droves with many thinking that the new driver had abandoned their car until later having no clue how to extricate it from that position next to a pillar. 

 

Others just wondered out loud if the driver had ever passed a Thai driving test. 

 

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@chakit_j คนอื่นเค้าจะออกกันยังไงพี่ #เม้งกวงรวมปัญหา ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ - เบ เบ้

[Shuya]

A Thai driving test is as good as no driving test

[peter zwart]

Nothing new. Nothing about the driving skills here that surprice me anymore. 

[OneMoreFarang]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Netizens commented in droves

It's always interesting what those Netizens discuss all day.

Next: I saw a car with a flat tire. How exiting! 

[daveAustin]

Non news. You can see those deft skills in any parking lot in any town on any given day. 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, peter zwart said:

Nothing new. Nothing about the driving skills here that surprice me anymore. 

I am sometimes surprised if they actually follow the markings on the road. But it doesn't happen very often.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

Others just wondered out loud if the driver had ever passed a Thai driving test. 

Would it matter? The test here is a complete joke. ????

[overherebc]

28 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's always interesting what those Netizens discuss all day.

Next: I saw a car with a flat tire. How exiting! 

Yeah yeah, did you notice it was only flat at the bottom though.

????????

[spidermike007]

It seems to be a lack of driving experience, combined with poor training, poor judgment, and a lack of consideration for other drivers. And of course, there is the lack of enforcement. People are just not compelled to drive properly here, and that is entirely on the RTP and the Highway patrol, both of which are dreadfully ineffective, when it comes to traffic safety. They just do not seem to care. It all adds up to a rather dangerous mix. One must have eyes in the back of the head, and drive with extreme caution here. 

[ikke1959]

A Thai driving test is equal to no driving test....Pass without 1 meter experience on the roads

[seajae]

while I was waiting for central to open I was standing on the entry steps watching people park, one lady tried arounf 10 times to reverse into a car space with no cars either side and couldnt do it, she was unable to go back in straight and be between the lines. Eventually a male driver offered to park it for her, could not believe how pathetic her driving skills were but was typical of many thai drivers, you can see how bad they are at parking in any car parking area.

[klauskunkel]

Quote

"Did they even take a driving test?"

the hub of rhetorical questions

[swm59nj]

The way a lot of people drive here I’m surprised they have driver testing at all

[riclag]

Before i bought a car here i was riding on the back of our motorbike ,while my wife drove.I remember on one occasion asking my wife why cars and trucks dont yield with caution before they enter the soi after leaving a parking lot!

They just pull out it seems.

 She said because many times people know they have bigger vehicles than a motorbike and its up to the motorbike driver to take care! Lol 

 

[jacko45k]

Pattaya Parking.....

 

[overherebc]

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Pattaya Parking.....

 

If you were driving a well battered but road legal land rover the temptation would be so strong.

[josephbloggs]

The "News" section on AN just gets more and more interesting.  Sometimes I think it is too high brow, too serious, and perhaps they should dumb it down a bit.

A car at a jaunty angle.  Wow.  Hold the front page.

[proton]

If not for a different car could have been my mrs

5 hours ago, Shuya said:

A Thai driving test is as good as no driving test

We had a taxi driver years ago of the type who never shut up and tell you thier life story. Before driving his taxi he said he drove for a company- never had a driving licence in his life.. Said he did not need one and anyway why waste 500 baht on a bit of plastic!

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

If you were driving a well battered but road legal land rover the temptation would be so strong.

555

[GreasyFingers]

Not really related but today went into a parking lot at the local police/ administrative buildings. Could not believe that someone had parked their Fortuner between rows of parked cars blocking access. Had to do a mea culpa when we looked at the front of the vehicle that was smashed in. The police had obviously left it there.

[TKDfella]

I beg to differ...well partially anyway. I often see drivers 'back' successfully into a tight spot at Lotus. However, they appear to do this because the spot is closer to the shop entrance than the large amount of empty spaces elsewhere but further away. Strangely enough, I've seen them park in the largely vacant area either diagonally (taking up two spaces) or straight but again well over the white lines...strange people, ha!

[Lemsta69]

6 hours ago, seajae said:

while I was waiting for central to open I was standing on the entry steps watching people park, one lady tried arounf 10 times to reverse into a car space with no cars either side and couldnt do it, she was unable to go back in straight and be between the lines. Eventually a male driver offered to park it for her, could not believe how pathetic her driving skills were but was typical of many thai drivers, you can see how bad they are at parking in any car parking area.

sounds like me trying to back in or out of a park. I kept bumping into things so eventually just gave up the car and started catching the bus again ????

[blackshadow]

WHAT THAI DRIVING TEST.......there is not one !!!!!!

[blackshadow]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It seems to be a lack of driving experience, combined with poor training, poor judgment, and a lack of consideration for other drivers. And of course, there is the lack of enforcement. People are just not compelled to drive properly here, and that is entirely on the RTP and the Highway patrol, both of which are dreadfully ineffective, when it comes to traffic safety. They just do not seem to care. It all adds up to a rather dangerous mix. One must have eyes in the back of the head, and drive with extreme caution here. 

when first came here long time ago......my friend Len....who had been here for over 20 yrs......said to me...ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED on the roads......!!!!

[Deli]

GF drives for almost 30 years, had only one minor accident. Still can't park a car reverse or drive a car with manual gear box. Nothing surprises me here.

[richard_smith237]

Most of my Thai friends and the Thai Wives of my Western friends in Thailand are educated and well travelled... their opinions on Thailand and the world in general closely overlap with those opinions I read on this forum and mine....  I draw the conclusion that Thai’s are in many ways far more similar to us than different, even when it comes to driving....

 

So, it always comes as somewhat of a shock to me when I end up in discussion with the Wife of one of my friends, or particularly when I’m a passenger in the car she is driving.... She is educated (accountant), fluent English, well travelled....  but wow...  flippin’ ek... I’m often shocked... 

... reversing out of my house (I’m in the passenger seat), I say stop, there’s a guy jogging, let him pass.... “I’m not stopping for him !!”....   she reversed out and forced him to stop...   

 

A few years back, we’re all in the car together, she [Wife of my friend] is driving, one of us is nipping out to 7-11... friends wife stops the car in the road, I suggest pulling to the side of the road into the parking space....  she asks why... I tell her so we don’t cause a traffic jam, cars behind will have to stop... “so what”... was the reply....  

 

I’m often left utterly dumbfounded by the absolute carelessness and lack of consideration towards anyone else or thought for anyone else expressed by this one lady.....   until I met her, the concept that such utter carelessness exists eluded me....   In her absence I thank her for teaching me that people can be like this, in her presence I curse her !!!  She often hates me... I’m not a nice farang !!!!  She also knows she’s a complete a$$hole and when called out laughs it off.... but I fear this could be the modus operandi of sufficient numbers of people to cause such ‘critical mass failings' when it comes to road manners in Thailand. 

 

-------

 

Above I used a term.... ‘critical mass failings’.....   What I mean by that is when enough people behave like co<kwombles it triggers those who are are di<khead-agnostic to edge towards the di<khead edge of the spectrum which exacerbates the issue further edging those who were not so di<khead-agnostic to behave in the same manner at the di<khead edge of the spectrum...  a ‘critical mass failing’ has been established...  (I’m sure there are more appropriate sociological and psychological terms for this behaviour, but I like mine).....  

....  This critical mass ‘figure’ could be just 5% of drivers, or it could be 25%...  I’m not sure, but there is definitely a point at which many will decide... "well, If they are doing that, I’m also going to”.....  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scorecard]

9 hours ago, overherebc said:

Yeah yeah, did you notice it was only flat at the bottom though.

????????

But not a problem, just get your toyboy to lift that corner of the car and turn the wheel half turn now flat part is on the top, all solved. 

[toofarnorth]

Has anyone else seen the one with hubby driving in reverse to park and wifey is outside waving her arms trying to indicate which way to turn the steering wheel ? what about the lady in a car , wanted gas but the filler was on the other side so she did a U turn round the pumps and hey , the filler cap was still on the wromg side.  They are out there , driving amongst us.

[richard_smith237]

42 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

Has anyone else seen the one with hubby driving in reverse to park and wifey is outside waving her arms trying to indicate which way to turn the steering wheel ? what about the lady in a car , wanted gas but the filler was on the other side so she did a U turn round the pumps and hey , the filler cap was still on the wromg side.  They are out there , driving amongst us.

I did... it was viral a few years back... 

 

To quote someone very dear to me.....  He was a Head-Teacher...”It frightens me to my core that some of those I once taught are now out there driving !!”.....  

 

 

And one of my favourites....   “half the people out there are of below average intelligence, many of them drive !!"

[EricTh]

I've seen many Thai people parking their cars & motorcycles selfishly, i.e. blocking other people from parking.

 

Don't the transport dept teach learners to park properly?